Minuet and trio for piano in A minor

So, I have finished my first minuet and trio for solo piano. Hope you like it :3.

I added an harmonic analysis (very roughly).

Any comments are apreciated :3.

Almost all the minuet is based on this motive.

For a first attempt, this is good. My first attempt at a minuet was way worse than this(So bad that I never got past the A section). At first the Trio seems to only be harmonically based on the minuet section, but then the minuet motive starts appearing until it becomes more prominent than the legato eighths. Your modulations are really smooth here. C3 though, is that some sort of inversion marking, equivalent to saying C7 in third inversion or what? I'm more used to the figured bass way of marking inversions, you know, this:

• First inversion tonic triad - I6
• Second inversion dominant seventh - V43
• and so on

And I love how you end your minuet with the dotted rhythm part of the motive in octaves in the deep bass. Overall, I would say that this is a good minuet that you composed here.

Just now, caters said:

For a first attempt, this is good. My first attempt at a minuet was way worse than this(So bad that I never got past the A section). At first the Trio seems to only be harmonically based on the minuet section, but then the minuet motive starts appearing until it becomes more prominent than the legato eighths. Your modulations are really smooth here. C3 though, is that some sort of inversion marking, equivalent to saying C7 in third inversion or what? I'm more used to the figured bass way of marking inversions, you know, this:

• First inversion tonic triad - I6
• Second inversion dominant seventh - V43
• and so on

And I love how you end your minuet with the dotted rhythm part of the motive in octaves in the deep bass. Overall, I would say that this is a good minuet that you composed here.

 

Oh thanks :3, well actually this is like attemp 1.3 because I  have recomposed this 2 times.

And about the chords, like I said, the analysis was very rough so I did not write inversions at all.

By C3 I mean a C with just the major third.

Hmmm... this sounds eerily similar to the theme for the Legend of Zelda. I adore that.

Let me review it some more and I'll provide a more in depth review.

Just now, jawoodruff said:

Hmmm... this sounds eerily similar to the theme for the Legend of Zelda. I adore that.

Let me review it some more and I'll provide a more in depth review.

 

You mean this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI6jZ8muDtU

Maybe is because of the triplet motive.

Could be. Awesome, motif.

Hello Tortualex

I really enjoyed this piece. The rhythm is rather unusual, and fits perfectly well with your motif and its variations. I recall that I have heard this rhythm before (but no idea when and where). Somehow, I got an association of early music (pre-baroque or renaissance, I don´t know). But it is certainly compelling.

 A-minor (and A-major in the trio) is just the perfect key. The modulations are fine and I also experience some drama in some of the phrasings.

Occasionally, some of the harmonic transitions (like in ms 8 or 16) felt a bit odd. I would have used a more common practice half-cadenza transition. I would also have sculpted the dynamics a bit different. And here and there, the melody is a bit jumpy. But…. that´s just my personal opinion.

Otherwise, I think that the piece is coherently structured, including the nice recurring to the original motif.

There is only one more thing: I think that this piece is a wonderful platform for further development. To me, it is just begging for an additional set of free-standing variations.  

Thanks for uploading this piece. It is a source of inspiration for me.

Just now, panta rei said:

Hello Tortualex

I really enjoyed this piece. The rhythm is rather unusual, and fits perfectly well with your motif and its variations. I recall that I have heard this rhythm before (but no idea when and where). Somehow, I got an association of early music (pre-baroque or renaissance, I don´t know). But it is certainly compelling.

 

 A-minor (and A-major in the trio) is just the perfect key. The modulations are fine and I also experience some drama in some of the phrasings.

 

Occasionally, some of the harmonic transitions (like in ms 8 or 16) felt a bit odd. I would have used a more common practice half-cadenza transition. I would also have sculpted the dynamics a bit different. And here and there, the melody is a bit jumpy. But…. that´s just my personal opinion.

 

Otherwise, I think that the piece is coherently structured, including the nice recurring to the original motif.

 

There is only one more thing: I think that this piece is a wonderful platform for further development. To me, it is just begging for an additional set of free-standing variations.  

 

Thanks for uploading this piece. It is a source of inspiration for me.

 

 

Thanks for your comment :3, Maybe I'll developt this a little further some day.

Hello.

I really enjoyed this. I'll comment on some things in the first section, which apply to this pieces and others.

I like the harmonic transition from Emaj in Bar 2 to Dmaj in Bar 3. However, moving back to Emaj in Bar 4 doesn't work as well in my opinion. I think a different transition back to Amin would work a little better. Perhaps a sequence of D-Dm-Am?

Bar 5-6: The number of harmonic voices changes often in these bars. It could sound slightly unstable in a performance, due to lack of cohesiveness.

Bar 16: A tiny comment, but make sure you have the correct number of rests in each voice.

Good job! You have evidently put a lot of thought into this piece, yet it still flows naturally.

Just now, aMusicComposer said:

Hello.

I really enjoyed this. I'll comment on some things in the first section, which apply to this pieces and others.

I like the harmonic transition from Emaj in Bar 2 to Dmaj in Bar 3. However, moving back to Emaj in Bar 4 doesn't work as well in my opinion. I think a different transition back to Amin would work a little better. Perhaps a sequence of D-Dm-Am?

Bar 5-6: The number of harmonic voices changes often in these bars. It could sound slightly unstable in a performance, due to lack of cohesiveness.

Bar 16: A tiny comment, but make sure you have the correct number of rests in each voice.

Good job! You have evidently put a lot of thought into this piece, yet it still flows naturally.

 

In some parts I just followed the bass, in this piece I used a chromatic bass.

in measure 16 you are right, I forgot the dotter crotchet rest.