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The Music Room => Composing and Performing => Topic started by: Mahlerian on December 03, 2016, 10:25:59 AM

Title: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 03, 2016, 10:25:59 AM
This thread will be a place where my latest compositions are posted, and other such.

A few of you have already heard this, but my main work for this year was Scene from a Drama for flute and piano, a ~17 minute piece in three sections, fast, slow, and moderate.

https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/scene-from-a-drama/s-eTlJf

I'm currently working on an expansion of a short piano piece from last year.

(For bonus points, find the direct, note-for-note quotation hidden in the work.)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Jay F on December 03, 2016, 11:45:26 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on December 03, 2016, 10:25:59 AM
This thread will be a place where my latest compositions are posted, and other such.

A few of you have already heard this, but my main work for this year was Scene from a Drama for flute and piano, a ~17 minute piece in three sections, fast, slow, and moderate.

https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/scene-from-a-drama/s-eTlJf

I'm currently working on an expansion of a short piano piece from last year.

(For bonus points, find the direct, note-for-note quotation hidden in the work.)

I'm on my way out in 20 minutes, but I can't wait to listen to this when I get home. Thanks.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: TSWO on December 04, 2016, 10:59:36 PM
Wow, to be honest I didn't listen to the entire piece, but from what I've heared it's impressive and well thought-out. Love the modern-yet-not-too-atonal-disonant quality it has, not sounding like 19th century music, but not being like random notes all over the place at the same time.

I'm not a real expert on composition or instrumentation so cant offer much constructive criticism there. Other than that I can see it's a private track, so it's probably just a demo version and the sound quality is not your main concern, but at times it sounded too midi-ish if you know what I mean. I would try to work on that if I were you, do a little mixing, some better sound libraries etc. ;)

Bravo!

Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Jay F on December 05, 2016, 06:03:09 AM
I like your music quite a bit. I'm now in "Mahlerian Variation."
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 05, 2016, 06:45:26 AM
Quote from: TSWO on December 04, 2016, 10:59:36 PM
Wow, to be honest I didn't listen to the entire piece, but from what I've heared it's impressive and well thought-out. Love the modern-yet-not-too-atonal-disonant quality it has, not sounding like 19th century music, but not being like random notes all over the place at the same time.

I'm not a real expert on composition or instrumentation so cant offer much constructive criticism there. Other than that I can see it's a private track, so it's probably just a demo version and the sound quality is not your main concern, but at times it sounded too midi-ish if you know what I mean. I would try to work on that if I were you, do a little mixing, some better sound libraries etc. ;)

Bravo!

Yeah, I'm anticipating a performance at some point to replace the MIDI, which just uses Sibelius's default settings, mostly (though I amplified it a little so that it wasn't extremely quiet).

Many thanks for listening!

Quote from: Jay F on December 05, 2016, 06:03:09 AM
I like your music quite a bit. I'm now in "Mahlerian Variation."

Thank you as well.  Composing is a funny thing.  You may be able to judge your own efforts, but don't know if it's going to work for others or not until someone else gets to hear the results.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 08, 2016, 05:59:49 PM
An etude for piano:

https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/altered-fifths
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on December 10, 2016, 05:58:25 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on December 08, 2016, 05:59:49 PM
An etude for piano:

https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/altered-fifths

Very nice.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mirror Image on December 10, 2016, 07:03:39 AM
The work I listened to didn't do much for me, although I recognize the inventiveness of the work that I heard.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Jay F on December 10, 2016, 11:00:12 AM
I like these:

Woodwind Canon

At Rest

Mahlerian Variation

Se Il Padre Perdei (I like this one a lot.)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 11, 2016, 07:04:26 AM
Quote from: Jay F on December 10, 2016, 11:00:12 AMSe Il Padre Perdei (I like this one a lot.)

Well, I can only take partial credit for it, as that one is an arrangement of an aria by Mozart.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 18, 2016, 08:29:17 PM
Two older pieces of mine that I've created newer renditions of:

Haiku, for piano (https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/haiku)

Flutter, for alto flute solo (https://soundcloud.com/mahlerian29/flutter)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: ComposerOfAvantGarde on December 18, 2016, 09:28:52 PM
These are cool! Quite dense pieces but satisfying to listen to...actually I haven't heard them all just yet but are there any which are actual recordings of instruments?
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Crudblud on December 18, 2016, 11:27:37 PM
The new version of Flutter is engrossing. Well done.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 19, 2016, 08:00:30 AM
Quote from: jessop on December 18, 2016, 09:28:52 PMThese are cool! Quite dense pieces but satisfying to listen to...

Heh...one composer I showed Flutter to said that I put in too many ideas right at the beginning, and should repeat them more.  My music always seems very transparent to me, but I suppose that's in large part because it's so familiar.

Quote from: jessop on December 18, 2016, 09:28:52 PMactually I haven't heard them all just yet but are there any which are actual recordings of instruments?

Not yet, but a friend may be taking on Flutter in the spring.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: MarkMcD on December 21, 2016, 12:35:57 PM
Hi Mahlerian,

I have to tell you that I'm not a lover of a lot of modern music, and when I saw that were 17 mins of your piece, I thought I wouldn't get through it all, but then I did listen to it all and I liked quite a lot.  I suspect that given several listens, it would grow on me even more. 

The only things I didn't like were the flute trills.  I wasn't sure if was meant to be a trill or if you were looking for the exact sound that you present in the piece, but it did (for me at least) spoil the aesthetic a bit.  I use Sibelius too and you can change the length and speed of the trills if you want, or even just write them manually if it doesn't sound as you wanted, it does spoil the look of the score to do it manually, but at least it will sound as you want.  There were also a couple of clashes in the piano that sounded a tad too deconstructed for me, by that I mean that it sounded like a fist just hitting the keyboard, again that probably is exactly what you wanted, but it did jar me a bit from time to time.

Apart from that, I did buy into the mood and the drama of the piece and was held there until the end, which for me with a modern work, is no mean feat.  :)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on December 21, 2016, 04:25:43 PM
Quote from: MarkMcD on December 21, 2016, 12:35:57 PM
Hi Mahlerian,

I have to tell you that I'm not a lover of a lot of modern music, and when I saw that were 17 mins of your piece, I thought I wouldn't get through it all, but then I did listen to it all and I liked quite a lot.  I suspect that given several listens, it would grow on me even more. 

Many thanks for listening.

Quote from: MarkMcD on December 21, 2016, 12:35:57 PMThe only things I didn't like were the flute trills.  I wasn't sure if was meant to be a trill or if you were looking for the exact sound that you present in the piece, but it did (for me at least) spoil the aesthetic a bit.  I use Sibelius too and you can change the length and speed of the trills if you want, or even just write them manually if it doesn't sound as you wanted, it does spoil the look of the score to do it manually, but at least it will sound as you want.

There aren't many trills.  Perhaps you meant the fluttertongue?  If so, it is certainly the sound I wanted.

Quote from: MarkMcD on December 21, 2016, 12:35:57 PMThere were also a couple of clashes in the piano that sounded a tad too deconstructed for me, by that I mean that it sounded like a fist just hitting the keyboard, again that probably is exactly what you wanted, but it did jar me a bit from time to time.

Well, none of the harmonies are meant to be heard as pure noise; there is a recurring polychord that is rather dissonant, though.  I hear all of the notes as adding harmonic color, but I can see how the effect might seem rather outre to one who doesn't listen to much modernist music.

Quote from: MarkMcD on December 21, 2016, 12:35:57 PMApart from that, I did buy into the mood and the drama of the piece and was held there until the end, which for me with a modern work, is no mean feat.  :)

Much appreciated!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on January 17, 2017, 09:06:13 AM
Flutter is to be performed (and a recording produced) this March by a friend at her recital.  Now I just have to write a program note...
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on January 17, 2017, 09:16:31 AM
Cool.  Congratulations!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Overtones on January 19, 2017, 07:50:01 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on January 17, 2017, 09:06:13 AM
Flutter is to be performed (and a recording produced) this March by a friend at her recital.  Now I just have to write a program note...
Congratulations!

I like that piece the most out of the ones I've heard from you
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on March 07, 2017, 11:33:20 AM
How Not to Compose

https://www.youtube.com/v/QJiTc1jFoDw

Go to Youtube to read the annotations and get the full experience.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on March 25, 2017, 06:11:51 PM
https://www.youtube.com/v/x025Jli-rbA

Special thanks to Jenny for her excellent performance of my piece.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on March 25, 2017, 06:38:01 PM
Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on March 25, 2017, 06:33:54 PM
Very nice piece! Cool to see that Huil premiered it. It's been a while since I heard the midi version, but I think it is a very effective and beautiful little solo flute piece. Congratulations Ben!  8)


Anything else in the works?  ;)

There are a few pieces I've started working on, but nothing else in line for performance quite yet.  Got to get on it!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Crudblud on March 25, 2017, 08:42:04 PM
Really nuanced performance of a neat piece, I can dig it. Congratulations to both of you.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mirror Image on March 26, 2017, 07:05:46 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on March 25, 2017, 06:11:51 PM
https://www.youtube.com/v/x025Jli-rbA

Special thanks to Jenny for her excellent performance of my piece.

Very nice work indeed. I can definitely hear traces of Debussy and Takemitsu in there.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on March 26, 2017, 01:41:07 PM
Quote from: Mahlerian on March 25, 2017, 06:11:51 PM
https://www.youtube.com/v/x025Jli-rbA

Special thanks to Jenny for her excellent performance of my piece.

A fine piece, beautifully performed.  Congratulations!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Monsieur Croche on March 27, 2017, 10:07:00 PM
Quote from: Mahlerian on March 07, 2017, 11:33:20 AM
How Not to Compose

https://www.youtube.com/v/QJiTc1jFoDw

Go to Youtube to read the annotations and get the full experience.

The longest 4'33'' there ever was!

Seriously funny, this.  I would recommend one other touch to the score:
When the four note vertical chords reappear in the Vioila, I would add the directive
Still not playable as written - perhaps in parentheses.

It was wonderfully appalling.  Congratulations ;-)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on August 31, 2017, 10:52:56 AM
Finished a suite for guitar, only have to polish it for performance-readiness.

Working on a wind quintet.  No name yet, and only a group of unstructured fragments so far...
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on August 31, 2017, 10:58:22 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on August 31, 2017, 10:52:56 AM
Finished a suite for guitar, only have to polish it for performance-readiness.

Nice. Do you play? An old friend of mine is working on a piece for guitar, and he has found it an engaging challenge . . . .
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on August 31, 2017, 10:59:34 AM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 31, 2017, 10:58:22 AM
Nice. Do you play? An old friend of mine is working on a piece for guitar, and he has found it an engaging challenge . . . .

Nope, unfortunately.  This has been an issue in making the piece even remotely idiomatic.  I've been told by multiple players that it has awkward spots, in addition to some very tricky cross-rhythms.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on August 31, 2017, 11:02:21 AM
Well, I admire your plunging right into the challenge!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on January 18, 2018, 07:59:53 AM
Working on a wind quintet at the moment.  It's still in fragments, but they're starting to develop.  Slowly, slowly...

Karl, if you could clear up your PM inbox a bit and wouldn't mind, could you take a look at what I've written?
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on January 18, 2018, 09:00:03 AM
Send to gmail.  (My PM In Box won't get cleaned out anytime soon, sorry!)
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on January 21, 2018, 03:07:25 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 18, 2018, 09:00:03 AM
Send to gmail.  (My PM In Box won't get cleaned out anytime soon, sorry!)

Have you had a chance to look over it yet?
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on January 22, 2018, 12:56:22 AM
Only a first pass.  The material looks/sounds good.  Some of the horn writing is a particular challenge.  I must take another and a better look.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on January 22, 2018, 10:03:56 AM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 22, 2018, 12:56:22 AM
Only a first pass.  The material looks/sounds good.  Some of the horn writing is a particular challenge.  I must take another and a better look.

I understand you're busy, so you are absolutely under no obligation to rush.  Much obliged in any event.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Uhor on March 09, 2018, 06:35:19 PM
Scene from a Drama for flute and piano and my ear yearns for a cello in there or maybe a horn.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on July 05, 2018, 03:32:01 AM
Finished a new piece for Wind Quintet, and our own Crudblud has produced an excellent MIDI rendering that humanizes more than any automatic version possibly could.

Post coming soon.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on July 05, 2018, 04:42:00 AM
Splendid!  Looking forward to it.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Rons_talking on July 07, 2018, 01:12:53 AM
Nice work! (the flute piece). I like or sense of phrasing and melodic contour. I look forward to hearing other works...
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on July 07, 2018, 03:44:59 AM
https://www.youtube.com/v/mKWWkhJi6nE
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on July 07, 2018, 07:23:11 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on July 07, 2018, 03:44:59 AM
https://www.youtube.com/v/mKWWkhJi6nE

Excellent piece, and a very nice realization, indeed.  Bravi!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on July 07, 2018, 10:12:51 AM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on July 07, 2018, 07:23:11 AM
Excellent piece, and a very nice realization, indeed.  Bravi!

Much obliged.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Crudblud on July 07, 2018, 10:21:41 AM
It's a very good piece indeed. I'm thankful to Mahlerian for letting me get my grubby mitts on it.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on March 28, 2020, 09:47:57 AM
A few things from my time as a master's student in composition:

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/dialogue-for-oboe-and-guitar

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/on-wood-and-upward

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/response-for-violin-solo

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/weave-for-piano-quartet
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on March 28, 2020, 06:40:37 PM
Thanks, will have a listen soon!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Uhor on April 12, 2020, 09:44:54 AM
I've listened to "Weave" a couple of times. Nice work. Some sections are quite thin though. Won't you consider adding something like a flute and or a clarinet? it would help enhance the colour.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on April 12, 2020, 10:29:03 AM
Quote from: Uhor on April 12, 2020, 09:44:54 AM
I've listened to "Weave" a couple of times. Nice work. Some sections are quite thin though. Won't you consider adding something like a flute and or a clarinet? it would help enhance the colour.

Thank you for listening. I see what you mean about the thin texture in spots, but I was writing for a specific group of instruments and couldn't just bring in a wind even if I had wanted to.

I am currently working on a piece for Pierrot ensemble, though, which has a more diverse palette.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on April 15, 2020, 10:50:57 AM
Quote from: Mahlerian on March 28, 2020, 09:47:57 AM
A few things from my time as a master's student in composition:

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/dialogue-for-oboe-and-guitar (https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/dialogue-for-oboe-and-guitar)

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/on-wood-and-upward (https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/on-wood-and-upward)

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/response-for-violin-solo (https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/response-for-violin-solo)

https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/weave-for-piano-quartet (https://soundcloud.com/user-262986475/weave-for-piano-quartet)

All good work, Ben, bravo!  Without at all suggesting any insufficiency as they stand,  I could see both Weave and the marimba piece as first movements in multi-movement works.
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Mahlerian on April 15, 2020, 12:00:23 PM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on April 15, 2020, 10:50:57 AM
All good work, Ben, bravo!  Without at all suggesting any insufficiency as they stand,  I could see both Weave and the marimba piece as first movements in multi-movement works.

Thank you, both for listening and for the kind words. The idea of adding more movements to the marimba piece in particular is interesting, but I'm very busy with a lot of other projects at the moment!
Title: Re: Mahlerian's Marquee
Post by: Karl Henning on April 15, 2020, 12:04:51 PM
Quote from: Mahlerian on April 15, 2020, 12:00:23 PM
Thank you, both for listening and for the kind words. The idea of adding more movements to the marimba piece in particular is interesting, but I'm very busy with a lot of other projects at the moment!


That's the good thing, too!  Carry on!