Varied Gestures

So I've dug up another theme and variations piece again!  This one is from about 2019 probably - I was already writing on paper rather than into the sequencer although I added some things to this after inputting it into the computer (and then I took the old midi and imported it into MuseScore and beautified and corrected it).  There are 11 variations some of which have special titles such as V - "Fanfare", VI - "Epic", VII - "Celtic", IX - "Martial" and XI - "Wild".  I've scored this for sparse orchestra which includes only one alto flute and contrabassoon.  Some of the instruments don't play except for one variation so all they should have to do is count the variations and come in on the right one (rather than counting all the measures which would be a pain in a**).  The form of the main theme is basically to state an idea - then to state a contrasting idea - then to return to the first idea as a kind of little coda so I guess it's kinda a rounded binary.  If you feel like leaving a comment I would greatly appreciate it!  Do you have a favorite or least favorite variation?  Thanks for listening!

Hi Papercomposer! It always means a lot that you take the time to comment on my posts when I come around every few months. 
 

Now, it is probably your midi sounds, but this varations sounds very similar to the last one I listened to. And I think my same comment about the variations not sounding all too different applies here. At least the first 3-4. The one with the trumpet is cool. And the one after.

Sorry I am not following along with a score! I realized this morning my phone is going to be used for the GPS so I am quick typing this out before I go!

The timpani and trombones have been really cool. Yeah, once we get to the trumpet melody one, this gets really cool! 
 

I know that variations literally have it in the name to jump to variations, but couldn’t you write a piece with variations like these with transitions in between? It is also probably the program you’re using holding them for too long that is jarring for me.

Definitely liking it getting more chaotic the more they go through. Nothing jumps out at me for sounding odd, and I really like the modes you chose at the end. Also, was that the end? It did not click until I just heard the music stop and scrolled up to see it restarted.

Overall, I just think each variation could be a bit longer. It is sounding like my music with how fast it jumps style!

Thanks for the fun listen 🙂

Evan

2 hours ago, Eickso said:

Overall, I just think each variation could be a bit longer.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I often hear real talent here on YC but sometimes it seems that the composer doesn't want to or doesn't have the time to really perfect and extend a piece out in such a way that its full potential is realized. Always try to extend yourself and your ideas and bring them to a full fruition and do not be quite so concerned about finishing them off even though that is often a satisfying thing to do. More satisfying would be perfection, which is not possible, but attempts at that are imminently possible...and usually worth it, in these pieces I think it would be.

Thanks @Eickso and @Advanced Blowhard for listening and commenting!

6 hours ago, Eickso said:

And I think my same comment about the variations not sounding all too different applies here. At least the first 3-4.

Yeah in the first couple of variations I think I was just stretching my legs using various different meters and rhythmic and modal transformations to become aware of the different possibilities.  Believe it or not - this piece is actually abbreviated from a previous version that had even more variations in the beginning but I threw them out because I didn't feel like they were very well thought out and/or didn't contribute enough differences.

6 hours ago, Eickso said:

I know that variations literally have it in the name to jump to variations, but couldn’t you write a piece with variations like these with transitions in between?

Yes - I do have a variations piece that does just that but it's not yet finished.  It is also from around 2019.  Also, I have an orchestral piece called "Variations on a Chase Scene" in the forums if you'd like to check it out!

6 hours ago, Eickso said:

Definitely liking it getting more chaotic the more they go through. Nothing jumps out at me for sounding odd, and I really like the modes you chose at the end. Also, was that the end? It did not click until I just heard the music stop and scrolled up to see it restarted.

Yeah I didn't really feel like I could top the last variation and I felt like it was sufficient to end the piece since it was fast so I just left it like that.  I don't know how I would go about writing a coda or adding some kind of finishing variation.

6 hours ago, Eickso said:

Overall, I just think each variation could be a bit longer. It is sounding like my music with how fast it jumps style!

Yeah - sometimes the whole reason that I resort to write variations is because I come up with an idea that is really too short to stand on it's own so I go through the variations process to easily extend the length of my piece.  And as each variation progresses it gives me more ideas for succeeding variations and it kind of snowballs in length.  I have done this without pauses between variations like my Variations for Wind Trio in Bb.

6 hours ago, Eickso said:

Thanks for the fun listen 🙂

Thanks for listening and reviewing!

3 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

it gives me more ideas for succeeding variations and it kind of snowballs in length

i have encountered such a phenomenon before. i was writing a piece and every time i got to what i thought would be a conclusion i would hear other things in mind suggest themselves. eventually i was like, can you please stop doing that, i do need to conclude this piece eventually! ideas can sometimes be a bit annoying but i suppose it is better to live with them than live without them.