Variations on a Theme of Dvořák

Variations on a Theme of Dvorak.mp3

Here's my entry for the Fall 2016 competition. I had a baby last month and have had very little free time since, so it's a bit rough around the edges, but I hope you enjoy it!

Edit: Sorry for not linking the original theme before. Here's the full movement; the theme begins at about 0:46.

Very nice!  You really did a fine job capturing very different moods; I especially liked the second and seventh variations.

If you're interested a better rendering of the piece (I could put the midi through garritan strings which I think would sound better), let me know.

Hey! Please attach a link to the original theme here!

5 hours ago, bkho said:

Very nice!  You really did a fine job capturing very different moods; I especially liked the second and seventh variations.

If you're interested a better rendering of the piece (I could put the midi through garritan strings which I think would sound better), let me know.

 

Thanks! Yeah, if you wouldn't mind doing that, I'd really appreciate it. Should I / can I send it in a private message, or is there a better way?

This is a nice set of variations! I was especially impressed with the 7th variation. My only complaint in regards to the form/structure is that I wish there was a more..."finality"...at the end. Maybe a more developed coda would help.

The key signature throughout the piece is definitely not friendly to string players. Granted, the original theme is in D-Flat major, but an orchestra has the advantage of not playing double stops in this annoyingly treacherous key. Some of the double stops look awfully awkward and hard, especially in the viola and cello. The first half note in measure 3 of the theme is impossible to play by a single player. 

In the violin pizzicato variation (I think its the 2nd?) the grace notes and triplets are not going to come out clean, especially at that tempo...maybe not even then. 

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I think I need some sort of cheat sheet for double-stops that are impossible for string players, to cross-reference before I put out a score. I have just been going on the assumption that fifths, sixths and octaves are almost always possible, but that's probably way off.

This was great! I'm with bhko. The second and seventh are my favorites. I'm also fond of the fact that you reprise the theme at the end. I just felt right to me. Awesome job with this!

On November 26, 2016 at 6:18 PM, Noah Brode said:

Thanks! Yeah, if you wouldn't mind doing that, I'd really appreciate it. Should I / can I send it in a private message, or is there a better way?

 

Not sure if you got my private message but feel free to attach the midi file or better, an xml file.

6 minutes ago, bkho said:

Not sure if you got my private message but feel free to attach the midi file or better, an xml file.

 

@Noah Brode

The editted mp3 file will NOT be counted towards Noah Brode's score. The old file will be used for these purposes.

Thanks, KJ! I honestly had no idea how people would react to this, since I'd never used another composer's material before. I think I probably could've picked a theme better suited to adaptation, but just like the last competition, this has been a great learning experience. Thanks again for listening.

Monarcheon, I totally understand. I think bkho was just (very graciously) offering to do it for me for personal purposes. When it's done, I'll attach it as a comment here to avoid any confusion.

On 11/29/2016 at 1:44 PM, Noah Brode said:

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I think I need some sort of cheat sheet for double-stops that are impossible for string players, to cross-reference before I put out a score. I have just been going on the assumption that fifths, sixths and octaves are almost always possible, but that's probably way off.

 

If you really want to improve at this, I would recommend doing a little bit of study on the instrument - even without taking lessons or playing it, just get enough knowledge on the instrument so that you can finger it in your head. The most important thing to consider is if the player needs to shift to reach the double stop and the has to shift back.

I enjoyed your variations overall, here's a few notes:

Variation 1: m.24 if you want that slurred but still spaced as it sounds in the recording, put a tenutos (the line over a note) in.

Variation 2: I don't know anyone who can pluck that fast one those speedy licks. It sounds nice, but the violin family is pretty different from a guitar.

Variation 3: I like this one, nice and ominous, good buildup, though I feel the ending could have been a little bit more satisfying.

Variation 4: I like it.

Variation 5: This one is very fun. Most violists won't like having to go to fifth position and then down to third in the last measure like but I think it's fine.

Variation 6: This one is enjoyable, but the cello double stops do not look fun at all. Generally, you don't want to give octaves sequentially on the same two strings besides the one's they can do in first position. For instance, open C to third finger C on G string and first finger D on C string to fourth finger D on G string. If you then make them do a E octave they would have to slide up and slide back down afterwards, which is generally unwanted and makes intonation incredibly difficult.

Varation 7: This one has a good speed for pizzicato, this is doable.

Variation 8: This is pretty. My only note is it looks like you you forgot to add the slurs in m.41.

Variation 9: a Db to F third is physically impossible on the C string, same goes for Db to Gb (same as F# - still played on C string). It would require you to play two notes simultaneously on one string.

All in all, nice job, and props to you for getting this done though I'm sure you've been very busy.

@SebastianViola Hey, thanks a lot for the really detailed feedback! I have been pretty busy lately, so I'm sorry for the late response, but I really do appreciate it.

I'm usually writing for an (imaginary) orchestra, so I don't often use double stops, but you're right that I should do more research into the instruments I'm writing for. In this one, I think I got a bit greedy with wanting to thicken the texture with double stops to give it that 'warm' feeling that Dvorak achieves with the orchestral version, and I didn't stop to think about the difficulty.

I've learned my lesson -- any time I use double stops, I'd better check to see if they're possible first. Thanks again for the feedback!

@Noah Brode

Glad I could be of help. It makes sense since you say that you usually write with an orchestra in mind, as with orchestra can go crazy with double stops because the players will split it themselves (even if it isn't marked divisi it's common practice in my experience).