YC FALL 2020 COMPETITION: ENTRY C

Comments from the composer:

"The theme follows a simple A-A’-B-A structure as an abridged version of the original Waltz of the Rainbow-coloured flowers by Takashi Yoshimatsu. The theme reorchestrated in the variations follows a mainly violin melody with the cello and piano largely as accompaniment. The theme’s tempo marking is Allegro con Expressivo and is in D minor. The following variations are in the ascending chromatic scale.

Variation 1: Allegretto con Spirito in D# minor

How the Theme was developed: Heterophonic texture in A section, with all 3 instruments playing the theme at different rhythms and embellishments. In B section cello continues with B section of the theme, violin and piano playing in antiphonal texture.

Concepts Explored: Heterophony, Antiphony, Martele strokes

Variation 2: Presto in E Minor

How the Theme was developed: Simple variation with strings playing pizzicato and piano playing the theme with octave leaps. In B section, violin and cello play pizzicato offbeat from one-another.

Concepts Explored: Pizzicato

Variation 3: Andante con Doloroso in F Minor

How the Theme was developed: Took on passacaglia form with new melody composed based on the theme’s chord progression, the 8-bar melody is varied, with the B section an antiphonic section where all instruments take turns playing the melody.

Concepts Explored: Antiphony, Spiccato

Variation 4: Vivace, Quasi Swing in F# Minor/A Major

How the Theme was developed: The rhythm of the theme is altered using syncopation to imitate a swing jazz style. Violin takes the melody with chordal accompaniment in the piano and cello imitates the walking bass. 

Concepts Explored: Walking Bass, Syncopation, Added 9th Chords

Variation 5: Allegro con Lyricoso in G minor

How the Theme was developed: The theme takes on the form of a canon, with all 3 instruments playing slight variations of the theme against one another, two bars apart, making this variation sound like a fugue.

Concepts Explored: Canon

Variation 6: Andante con Cantabile in G# minor/B Major

How the Theme was developed: The piano plays the chordal progression of the theme throughout. In the A section, a new melody on top of it played by the cello. The violin plays spiccato counter-melodies in the high registers. In the B section, motifs are developed and explored with instruments taking turns to play the melody.

Concepts Explored: Antiphony, Spiccato

Variation 7: Vivace in Strict Tempo in A Minor

How the Theme was developed: The strings play chords on multiple strings using martele strokes against the theme played on the piano which is altered to be in 2/4. The left hand of the piano plays octaves throughout.

Concepts Explored: Martele, Multiple Stops

Variation 8: Andantino piu calmo in B-flat Major

How the Theme was developed: Glissando is extensively used in the strings (although not audible in the mp3 file due to playback issues). A new melody is played on top of the Theme’s chord progressions in the A section. In the B section, the theme’s B section is played as the countermelody to a new melody, where all 3 instruments take turns playing the new melody. In addition, modulations to D Major are also explored.

Concepts Explored: Glissando

Variation 9: Adagio con Grazioso in B Minor

How the Theme was developed: The cello plays an inverted form of the theme with the piano playing running notes in high registers as the countermelody. The violin plays the accompaniment with natural harmonics and double stops in the B section.

Concepts Explored: Inversion, Natural Harmonics, Double Stops

Variation 10: Vivace con Agitato in C Minor

How the Theme was developed: The variation takes on an impressionistic style with its sudden dynamic changes and quick changes in tone colours. In the A section, the theme is played in left hand of the piano while strings plays tremolo doubling one another in compound third intervals. In the B section, the theme is alternated between the left and right hand of the piano with motifs thoroughly explored, with the theme serving as the countermelody to the strings taking over the melody.

Concepts Explored: Impressionism, Tremolo

Variation 11: Andante con Lyricoso

How the Theme was developed: A new 4-bar melody is played based on the theme’s chord progressions using the pentatonic scale, and varied with reiterations of the melody on different instruments. The B section of the theme is completely modified with a heterophonic version of the new melody, with all instruments playing the melody in different rhythms and embellished.

Concepts Explored: Pentatonic Scale, Heterophony

The piece rounds off with a short recapitulation of the theme with the violin and cello taking turns playing the melody."

Big work! In the end, the Form is Theme and Variations. As I thought it is not easy to go out of that field.

Anyway, this Form is good to make a variety of developments, which I thing you fulfill quite well. When one listens to the thole piece, there is also a sensation of climax with variation 10. The one in pentatonic scale sounds a bit out of the general style. But the inner development of each variation is rich. The fact you chose the tonalities step by step is a rightful method, however modulations are sudden and abrupt. Some sort of transition between parts would have been perfect.

Regarding orchestration, you make better use of the strings. The piano seems to stay back particularly in long chordal passages, or when it doubles the violin or the cello. On the other hands, some times the piano is fully independent (variation 9). I don't know if the quadruple stops and so are possible, I hope... But a recurrent issue is the expression slurs in the strings (to write it or not?). 

The score is clean and everything in its place. Some high lines of the cello should have a change of key signature. The audio is good.

The theme is recognizable in the variations and it plays a "glue" role.

Congratulations!

I love this clam music. I listened it several times. 🥰

Hi @Luis Hernández and @Karunur! I'm so sorry for the late reply, I didn't realise I wasn't following the entry thread for my work so I didn't see your reply until I stumbled across it! I'm glad that you liked the developments of the theme throughout the variations and thank you for all the positive comments!

On 12/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

The one in pentatonic scale sounds a bit out of the general style

Yea, in the end I felt that the pentatonic scale could have been worked into another piece rather than this, considering it sounded very oriental which broke tradition with the other variations. Ultimately at the last variation I was running very short of time and out of ideas so in the end I decided to do the pentatonic variation as the final variation. 

On 12/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

modulations are sudden and abrupt. Some sort of transition between parts would have been perfect.

Yea, that was the general consensus among everyone. I think I should have worked the transitions in, although it would have been challenging given that each modulation was only be a semitone rather than say a circle of fifths.

On 12/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

Regarding orchestration, you make better use of the strings. The piano seems to stay back particularly in long chordal passages, or when it doubles the violin or the cello.

Yep, I'm still not very experienced with scoring for the piano unfortunately. This is only the second major work and first original composition that I utilized piano in my work (my experience is mostly in string and chamber writing) so I guess I was more conservative on the piano writing. I'm also not very strong in my own proficiency in playing the piano and listening to piano repertoire compared to like say the violin and my experience in a string orchestra. I will try to be more adventurous in the future haha

On 12/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

I don't know if the quadruple stops and so are possible, I hope... But a recurrent issue is the expression slurs in the strings (to write it or not?). 

Yea I had to take extra precaution with that! I was caught with a few playability errors for my string quartet during the last competition so this time I was extra careful on it. What I did was I play-tested all the multiple stops through and I had to check multiple stops tables from orchestration books for the cello and at times had to rely on consulting cellist friends for advice. For expression slurs in strings, from my own experience playing the violin and score-reading string chamber music, I would advice to do without it especially for chamber music as it actually confuses the player more than helps them. A better workaround for marking down phrases would be the simple hairpins which will do a far better job. 

On 12/30/2020 at 5:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

Some high lines of the cello should have a change of key signature.

Yep I realised that after I submitted but by the time I realised it was just past the deadline haha

Thanks for the feedback though, greatly appreciate it!

3 minutes ago, Joshua Ng said:

Hi @Leonardo C. Núñez and @Karunur! I'm so sorry for the late reply, I didn't realise I wasn't following the entry thread for my work so I didn't see your reply until I stumbled across it! I'm glad that you liked the developments of the theme throughout the variations and thank you for all the positive comments!

Yea, in the end I felt that the pentatonic scale could have been worked into another piece rather than this, considering it sounded very oriental which broke tradition with the other variations. Ultimately at the last variation I was running very short of time and out of ideas so in the end I decided to do the pentatonic variation as the final variation. 

 

Yea, that was the general consensus among everyone. I think I should have worked the transitions in, although it would have been challenging given that each modulation was only be a semitone rather than say a circle of fifths.

Yep, I'm still not very experienced with scoring for the piano unfortunately. This is only the second major work and first original composition that I utilized piano in my work (my experience is mostly in string and chamber writing) so I guess I was more conservative on the piano writing. I'm also not very strong in my own proficiency in playing the piano and listening to piano repertoire compared to like say the violin and my experience in a string orchestra. I will try to be more adventurous in the future haha

Yea I had to take extra precaution with that! I was caught with a few playability errors for my string quartet during the last competition so this time I was extra careful on it. What I did was I play-tested all the multiple stops through and I had to check multiple stops tables from orchestration books for the cello and at times had to rely on consulting cellist friends for advice. For expression slurs in strings, from my own experience playing the violin and score-reading string chamber music, I would advice to do without it especially for chamber music as it actually confuses the player more than helps them. A better workaround for marking down phrases would be the simple hairpins which will do a far better job. 

 

Yep I realised that after I submitted but by the time I realised it was just past the deadline haha

 

Thanks for the feedback though, greatly appreciate it!

 

You tagged the wrong person, I think you meant @Luis Hernández right?

Just now, Leonardo C. Núñez said:

You tagged the wrong person, I think you meant @Luis Hernández right?

 

oh oops LOL sorry!

Just now, Joshua Ng said:

oh oops LOL sorry!

 

Lol np 🙂

Hi this is a terrific piece, many of the variations are particularly beautiful and I like how the thematic material is always recognizable through the very distinctive and different character of each variation. The pentatonic is different from the others (but very nice and still a beautiful variation), perhaps more fitting in a central position than at the end?

One critical note: the Italian is off (I am an expert, I'm from Italy 🙂) Here's what you may want to amend:

Andante Con Doloroso -> Andante Doloroso (or, Andante con Dolore). "Andante con doloroso" would roughly translate as "Andante with painful"

Allegro Con Lyricoso -> Allegro Lirico (lyricoso is not an Italian word)

Andante Con Cantabile -> Andante Cantabile

Andantino piu calmo -> Andantino più calmo

Adagio con Grazioso -> Adagio Grazioso (or: Adagio con Grazia)

Vivace con Agitato -> Vivace Agitato

Andante con Lyricoso -> Allegro Lirico

On 2/2/2021 at 6:02 AM, Giacomo925 said:

Hi this is a terrific piece, many of the variations are particularly beautiful and I like how the thematic material is always recognizable through the very distinctive and different character of each variation. The pentatonic is different from the others (but very nice and still a beautiful variation), perhaps more fitting in a central position than at the end?

One critical note: the Italian is off (I am an expert, I'm from Italy 🙂) Here's what you may want to amend:

Andante Con Doloroso -> Andante Doloroso (or, Andante con Dolore). "Andante con doloroso" would roughly translate as "Andante with painful"

Allegro Con Lyricoso -> Allegro Lirico (lyricoso is not an Italian word)

Andante Con Cantabile -> Andante Cantabile

Andantino piu calmo -> Andantino più calmo

Adagio con Grazioso -> Adagio Grazioso (or: Adagio con Grazia)

Vivace con Agitato -> Vivace Agitato

Andante con Lyricoso -> Allegro Lirico

 

Oh I see, thank you so much for pointing that out! I will take note in the future!