BipolarComposer

Sometime I enjoy just making a bad song. I was going for a late 80’s early 90’s adult contemporary sound. Bad Pop Rock Song No.3.mp3

Was that the Slight issues with this. Sweeney Todd debuted in 1979 Bernstein died of a heart attack, brought on by emphysema, in 1990. He saw the show when it premiered and called it disgusting and that it made him almost throw up.

Robert Schumann is the most famous one. He was bipolar and was very prolific during his manic periods and produced almost nothing during his depressive states. He of course ended up in an asylum. Tchaikovsky suffered from severe depression and aniexty. He had a fear his head would fall off while conducting and would hold it with one hand. Mahler and Rachmaninov both suffered from clinical depression. While Bruckner had OCD, being famous for having an obsession with counting objects. And finally Arnold Schoenberg had triskaidekaphobia, a severe fear of the number 13.

Yes, I have issues with bipolar disorder. It typically manifests in longer depressive states than manic ones. I find that I do most of my best writing during those, whereas in the manic episodes my mind is too jumbled to come up with ideas. I’ve also noticed that when in those depressive periods, my music actually tends to be less dissonant. While I usually write more dissonant pieces when I’m feeling more normal.

I started this few years ago and posted a couple pieces of this suite before. I had intended to finish it but set it aside and hadn't worked on it in a while. I finally cam back to it a few weeks ago and decided to finish it. It's based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the Steadfast Tin Soldier. My goal was to write each piece in 3/4 timing, as I don't often use that timing and to keep each piece to less than 4 minutes (thought the finale is just over 5 minutes). I included a description for each piece to describe the action. I. The Tin Soldiers Play War There were once twenty-five tin soldiers, born of the same old spoon. The little boy lined them up together, all splendid in their uniforms of red and blue. They all looked the same, except one. He looked a little different as he had been cast last of all. The tin was short and, in turn, so was he. But there he stood, as steady as his brethren. The little boy marched them around the table, clashing them together and making booms like cannons and musket fire. II. The Paper Ballerina’s Dance He lined them up to protect the model castle and the other small toy figures inside. One of those was a little paper ballerina, with a fluffy gauze skirt and a glistening jewel around her neck. The little tin soldier thought to himself, “I would so love for her to be my wife, but maybe she’s too grand for me. She lives in a castle, and I have only a little box that I share with twenty-four other soldiers.” He hid behind a little box, steadfastly watching her as the other soldiers continued to play. III. The Soldier and the Ballerina’s Pas de Deux When night came and the children went to bed, the toys came to life and began to play on their own. The little tin soldier moved toward the ballerina and offered his hand. To his surprise, she did not reject it; she clasped his hand, and the two began to dance. As they whirled around the table, they looked into each other’s eyes and knew they had found their true love. IV. The Jealous Goblin But in the shadows lurked the goblin who lived in the jack-in-a-box, and he was not pleased with what he saw. For he thought the ballerina belonged to him and did not appreciate this newcomer taking his place. He approached the soldier and said, “Keep your eyes and hands to yourself.” He pushed at him, but the tin soldier stood stiffly in his spot. As the goblin stalked away, he said, “Just what till tomorrow!” V. The Soldier Falls from the Window The next day, maybe by chance or maybe because of the goblin, the little soldier ended up on the open window ledge. Whether it was a gust of wind or a goblin spell, the little soldier fell three stories to the ground, landing between the paving stones. VI. The Journey on the Paper Boat He lay there all night till two boys found him and placed him on a little boat and sent him sailing down the river. The little soldier thought about his dear ballerina and if he would ever see her again. The stream began to move faster and faster, carrying him toward the drain to the sewer. VII. The Escape from the Sewer Rats The tin soldier found himself floating through the sewer. Suddenly, a group of rats came toward the water, demanding that the little soldier pay a toll for passing through their land. They scurried around to find debris to throw at the boat. The little soldier tried to steer the boat around them, but it led him into a fast-moving tunnel and through a drain that led out to sea. The boat turned over and the soldier fell into the water. VIII. The Fish and the Surprise Inside Before he could sink to the bottom, a passing fish swallowed him and the little soldier found himself in the fish’s belly. He moved back and forth as the fish swam. All of a sudden, the fish began to move wildly and then fell still. He then heard loud noises coming from outside before turning quiet. A knife suddenly cut through the fish’s belly and before the little soldier stood his former master’s cook. He had miraculously found his way home. IX. The Reunion and the Fireplace The little soldier stood on the table, his paint worn off, but he still stood as stiff as ever. Across the table, he saw his ballerina, his love that he thought he would never see again. His heart was filled with so much regret for the time together they had missed. But lurking in the shadow was the wicked little goblin. He would not let the little tin soldier take his girl away. Maybe by chance or maybe it was the goblin, but one of the children picked up the soldier and threw him into the fire. The goblin danced in delight of his victory, but suddenly a gust of wind blew the paper ballerina into the fire with the soldier. The next morning, when the fire had died out. The maid saw in the ashes a tiny tin heart, and at the center was the jewel that the ballerina wore. Joined together, as one. 14 The Tin Soldier's Play War.mp3 15 The Paper Ballerina's Dance.mp3 16 The Soldier and the Ballerina's Pas de Deux.mp3 17 The Jealous Goblin.mp3 18 The Soldier Falls From the Window.mp3 19 The Journey on the Paper Boat.mp3 20 The Escape from the Sewer Rats.mp3 21 The Fish and the Surprising Dinner.mp3 22 The Reunion and the Fireplace.mp3

Mozart also did it in the Marriage of Figaro overture. Around measure 217 (my score of that doesn’t have measure numbers so I might have missed counted) with the Bassoon playing the melody, up to a high G at piano.

For the Bassoon, I get your point, however, in the Rite of Spring, Stravinsky has the Bassoon start on a high F at mezzo-piano and in the “Kiss of the Earth” section, he has it hold a high E for three measures at piano. So, it is possible.

rescinded

Thanks for the tip on the harp!

I don't really think of myself as a "pianist" but more a piano player, as such, I tend to shy away from writing piano music and focus more on orchestral works. However, I've been lately trying to spend a little time each day, just playing around on the piano, and record it, just to see what I come up with. This was a piece I improvised this morning and liked enough to share. Stream of consciousness no. 2.mp3

This is my submission for the Landscapes competition. For my landscape I have chosen this photo I took a few years ago while on vacation on Whidbey Island, which sits on the Puget Sound near Seattle. It's written for Oboe, Bassoon, and Harp. I wanted to capture the quiet, stillness of the moment with music that is very simple and delicate. Morning On Whidbey Island.mp3 Morning On Whidbey Island - Score.pdf

Thanks for the listen and the kind words!

Sometimes I just sit down at the keyboard and just let my fingers go wherever they want to. Most of the time I fail to capture any of that and immediately forget what I did. Today however, I just happened to be recording and captured what I played. I thought this wasn’t that bad and decided to share it. Hope you enjoy my playing around on the keys. Stream of consciousness.mp3

Not a specific note for your piece, but when it comes to orchestrating piano pieces, the gold standard is Ravel. I would highly recommend studying his orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Picture At An Exhibition, along with his orchestration of his pieces like Ma Mere l’Oyle and Le Tombeau de Couperin. I would also give a listen to Brahams Haydn Variations, in both the double piano and orchestral versions. One thing you’ll note about these works, is how they weren’t limited by the notes on the page. As an orchestrator you are not just transferring notes from one instrument to another. You are interpreting the music through your own sound.