If you were (or are) a composer, what kind of works would you write?

Started by Symphonic Addict, August 22, 2021, 03:03:20 PM

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Symphonic Addict

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

krummholz


Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

classicalgeek

Quote from: krummholz on September 27, 2021, 02:03:14 PM
Yet another point of contact between us, then: NotePerformer! I have to admit that sometimes I get so angry with NP that I could almost throw the computer through a window... I'm very fussy about articulation and precise playing, and every rendering of my music has places where NP just doesn't respect what I've written, whether it's a legato phrase that's broken up at some random point, or a blooper by an "instrument" that comes in too early or too late. Fortunately it always happens at a different point in the score, so I can usually splice together a serviceable rendering from two or more imperfect ones. But I have to love an app that can make the music of an ordinary mortal like myself sound like great music... in many ways, with all its flaws, it's the next best thing to having your music performed by a professional ensemble. I look forward to hearing some of yours, both in your live performances and as rendered by NP!

If you do check out some of my threads in the Composing section, scroll down to the bottom to find the most recent versions of my stuff. The two works that I've posted so far have always been works in progress... though I think they're both in final form at this point (quite sure in the case of the String Quartet).

NotePerformer has been invaluable to me! I have lots of hidden metronome markings, luftpauses, and other minutiae in my scores to make them sound... more human, I guess. I find the woodwinds and brass sound great in NP, the percussion is fine (although I wish it had more of a variety of sounds), and the strings, unfortunately, sound electronic. Still, NP has more plusses than minuses, and for someone whose work is unlikely to be performed live again, it gives me something close to that experience.

I will definitely check out your compositions! I see you have several posted, so I look forward to it.

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 27, 2021, 04:45:47 PM
I think its permissions are repaired: Op. 143
Wonderful! I look forward to checking out your First Symphony!

I heard the first movement of no. 2, and I thought you captured 'The Nerves' perfectly! I appreciated the prominent percussion throughout, and the way the music just kept moving. Excellent work!
So much great music, so little time...

Original compositions and orchestrations: https://www.youtube.com/@jmbrannigan

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 27, 2021, 04:45:47 PM
I think its permissions are repaired: Op. 143

Thank you, Karl. Since now it's late here, I'm listening to this work tomorrow.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

krummholz

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 27, 2021, 08:25:35 PM
NotePerformer has been invaluable to me! I have lots of hidden metronome markings, luftpauses, and other minutiae in my scores to make them sound... more human, I guess. I find the woodwinds and brass sound great in NP, the percussion is fine (although I wish it had more of a variety of sounds), and the strings, unfortunately, sound electronic. Still, NP has more plusses than minuses, and for someone whose work is unlikely to be performed live again, it gives me something close to that experience.

Yes!! I call them "hacks", notations that I wouldn't put in a score intended for performance, all to get the exact articulation and expression that I want. I haven't written anything yet for winds or brass in NP so I can't comment on their sound, but even MuseScore flutes sound realistic so I'd be surprised if NP, which probably uses a professional sample library, would fall short there. I'm not sure I totally agree that NP strings sound electronic - they sound MUCH better than MuseScore or even Sibelius Strings IMHO.

A caution about my posted works: Fugal Variations is just an earlier version of what I now call Sinfonia Solenne. I *think* I've only posted that and my String Quartet No. 1 (formerly known as String Quartet in A Minor). I *might* have also posted an incomplete work for string quartet based on a late Beethoven sketch here. It was to have been a set of variations, but I never got past Variation I (which I like very much, but it doesn't amount to a substantial piece).

Karl Henning

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 27, 2021, 08:25:35 PMWonderful! I look forward to checking out your First Symphony!

I heard the first movement of no. 2, and I thought you captured 'The Nerves' perfectly! I appreciated the prominent percussion throughout, and the way the music just kept moving. Excellent work!

Many thanks!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 27, 2021, 08:53:31 PM
Thank you, Karl. Since now it's late here, I'm listening to this work tomorrow.

Thanks for your interest and patience!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Spotted Horses

This strikes me as a peculiar thread topic, as though you can decide what sort of genius you want to be. I can imagine a reply to this thread:

Quote
I am a composer and I wish my works to sound like the elegant music of Mendelssohn. But alas whenever I convince an orchestra to play one of my works, they sound like an insufferable, bombastic mess. Then I revised them, and they only get worse!

Anton Bruckner

:)
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Spotted Horses on September 28, 2021, 08:37:35 AM
I am a composer and I wish my works to sound like the elegant music of Mendelssohn. But alas whenever I convince an orchestra to play one of my works, they sound like an insufferable, bombastic mess. Then I revised them, and they only get worse!

:)

Modest and honest (?)
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 28, 2021, 05:40:25 AM
Thanks for your interest and patience!

Thanks to you for allowing me to listen to the creations of an old friend here. But, first of all, can I consider you a friend? Sorry if I'm sounding rude or overfamiliar with you.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Karl Henning

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 28, 2021, 04:50:28 PM
Thanks to you for allowing me to listen to the creations of an old friend here. But, first of all, can I consider you a friend? Sorry if I'm sounding rude or overfamiliar with you.

Please do.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

classicalgeek

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 27, 2021, 08:25:35 PM
Wonderful! I look forward to checking out your First Symphony!

I heard the first movement of no. 2, and I thought you captured 'The Nerves' perfectly! I appreciated the prominent percussion throughout, and the way the music just kept moving. Excellent work!

I finally had a chance to check out your First Symphony. All in all, very impressive! I like the rhythmic drive of the outer movements, particularly the third, and the way the excitement with which the whole symphony wraps up (from m. 252 to the end.) The fugato passages in the first two movements were nicely worked out. The slow movement had an elegiac quality about it... and I really liked your use of the rising quintuplet figure in the low strings (which first appears in m. 2.) All in all, excellent work! Any chance of an orchestral performance?
So much great music, so little time...

Original compositions and orchestrations: https://www.youtube.com/@jmbrannigan

Mirror Image

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 29, 2021, 12:23:46 PM
I finally had a chance to check out your First Symphony. All in all, very impressive! I like the rhythmic drive of the outer movements, particularly the third, and the way the excitement with which the whole symphony wraps up (from m. 252 to the end.) The fugato passages in the first two movements were nicely worked out. The slow movement had an elegiac quality about it... and I really liked your use of the rising quintuplet figure in the low strings (which first appears in m. 2.) All in all, excellent work! Any chance of an orchestral performance?

I keep hoping that someday Karl's music gets recorded by Naxos or a label like Albany Records for example, which seems to specialize in American composers.

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 29, 2021, 12:28:44 PM
I keep hoping that someday Karl's music gets recorded by Naxos or a label like Albany Records for example, which seems to specialize in American composers.
+1,000!  ;D
Pohjolas Daughter

Karl Henning

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 29, 2021, 12:23:46 PM
I finally had a chance to check out your First Symphony. All in all, very impressive! I like the rhythmic drive of the outer movements, particularly the third, and the way the excitement with which the whole symphony wraps up (from m. 252 to the end.) The fugato passages in the first two movements were nicely worked out. The slow movement had an elegiac quality about it... and I really liked your use of the rising quintuplet figure in the low strings (which first appears in m. 2.) All in all, excellent work! Any chance of an orchestral performance?

Many thanks! As yet, no prospect of performance, but two conductors have expressed approval of the piece.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

classicalgeek

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 29, 2021, 12:28:44 PM
I keep hoping that someday Karl's music gets recorded by Naxos or a label like Albany Records for example, which seems to specialize in American composers.

Absolutely!
So much great music, so little time...

Original compositions and orchestrations: https://www.youtube.com/@jmbrannigan

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 28, 2021, 05:40:25 AM
Thanks for your interest and patience!

Just heard your Symphony No. 1, Op. 143, Karl. Let me tell you I found the musical discourse coherent and appealing. The use of the xylophony and vibraphone was very cool, and that very feature somehow was perceived for my ears throughout. Thanks for sharing your creations with us! Keep on composing and playing!  :)
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

amw

I've held off on answering here because, as much as I previously viewed myself as a composer, I haven't had any musical ideas or any particular urge to write a piece of music in a very long time, and that phase of my life may be over for good. I've also seen with it a general narrowing of my musical horizons: I listen to little except whatever the current musical obsession is (at the moment Schubert, Bruckner, Brahms and Reger) or a handful of established favourites (at the moment Haydn, Mozart, Dvořák, Medtner and Martinů) and these phases also go on for several months.

One thing I will say is that it is not exceptionally difficult to learn how to translate ideas one has in one's head into music notation. The difficulty lies chiefly in the nature of human memory, and the fact that as much as you might think you're hearing a complete piece in your head, chances are your inner ear is mostly hitting the plot beats, as it were, and leaving out some of the transitional passages; at very least this was often the case for me when I was studying, and I mostly had to focus on learning ways to let the material suggest its own continuations where necessary. (The actual music notation stuff wasn't difficult for me, but I understand it is difficult for some people. Those for whom it is too much of an obstacle may prefer to work with a DAW, which are somewhat easier to use for a non-music reader.) I still have dozens of pieces that I started or in some cases nearly completed in approximately 2005 thru 2014 of which I can still call up the general shape of the necessary completion & the beats the music has to hit, but have never bothered to put in the work to figure it out on paper.

Basically, if anyone is interested in writing a piece of music, it's not too difficult to learn the technical side (notation or digital audio), and the main obstacles will be either psychological/memory-related (if you' have to stick to the exact details of an outline & demand each note be in its proper place) or stylistic/material-related (if you're willing to let the process of writing out the music be part of the discovery of the music in itself).