Acciaccatura Study for Violin and Piano

Greetings.

It has been a while since I posted something on this forum. So, I want to present a composition of mine, which I started working on in December 2022. However, the piece was finished after a six-month hiatus because I severely lacked inspiration.

This Humoresque is a short piece for violin and piano, and I named it "Acciaccatura Study" since the main theme features grace notes in the violin part. As you might know, I rarely write chamber music and do not play the violin, so I may need advice on some aspects of violin part writing, such as bowing, double stopping, and harmonics.

Let me know what you think about this piece. For the violinists: are the bow directions comfortable? Also, are the double stops playable on the violin? How about other aspects, such as staccatos and harmonics?

Carl Koh Wei Hao

P.S. The audio was generated on MuseScore 2.3.2.

Hi @Carl Koh Wei Hao,

I think this is a really delightful and graceful little rondo piece, It's very elegant and I really have nothing to say except enjoy it!

1 hour ago, Carl Koh Wei Hao said:

Let me know what you think about this piece. For the violinists: are the bow directions comfortable? Also, are the double stops playable on the violin? How about other aspects, such as staccatos and harmonics?

Sad I'm not a violinist, but I think they should be fine. I just hope there will be more melodic importance for piano as a pianist haha (except in b.72 when the melody goes to piano)! But this is absolutely fine for a piece featuring violin and I'm just fulfilling my selfish wish here!

Thanks for sharing Carl!

Henry

Hi Henry,

Thank you for your positive feedback! I am glad that you enjoyed this piece!

Great job with the progressively more difficult variations of the original melody and with including interesting countermelodies in the piano upon returning to the final recapitulation!  I guess the form is a sort of rondo?  I think this piece would be even more delightful if actually performed - I'm not a violin player but I didn't see any problems with the part making it likely that this could actually be performed at some future time if you find willing candidates!  The piece also accomplishes what it sets out to do - namely being a study on the acciaccatura.  But - and I always try to get composers to expand their harmonic language, have you considered the use of chromatic mediants, using stressed non-harmonic tones, or distantly related chord relationships?  Your harmonic language is very classical/early romantic and in a way, conservative, and I know I would enjoy your music even more if you ventured into more remote areas.  Thanks for sharing!

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your comments! I actually intended to write a theme and variations for the A theme; however, I later wrote the B section that I thought fit pretty well with the rest of the music and gave up this idea. I am unsure if I will call this a rondo despite having a similar form (ABACA) due to its slower tempo.

On 6/4/2023 at 8:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

But - and I always try to get composers to expand their harmonic language, have you considered the use of chromatic mediants, using stressed non-harmonic tones, or distantly related chord relationships?  Your harmonic language is very classical/early romantic and in a way, conservative, and I know I would enjoy your music even more if you ventured into more remote areas.

I think this is all about influence: when I think of violin music, it gives me classical vibes since most pieces I listen to are by Paganini, Kreisler, Elgar, and Tchaikovsky. Consequently, most of my violin and piano duets are influenced by their styles, which have also affected the choice of harmonies in my compositions. However, when it comes to composing piano pieces, I am comfortable with using slightly uncommon harmonic progressions or modulations, such as chromatic mediants, since I have listened to many piano pieces in diverse styles. Perhaps, in the future, I may venture into this type of harmony writing when composing chamber music pieces.

Carl Koh Wei Hao

@Carl Koh Wei Hao There's a 2-3 minute section in my next video that explains the grace note (specifically the acciaccatura!). And the timing, mood and notation of your music is the perfect fit. Stay tuned for my next upload.

As for your piece, around 2:00 in, this is where your strongest writing is because you effectively use the piano and violin to talk to each other.

This is a nice piece! Im really loving how the piano compliments the violin! This has a Romantic era feel! Who are some composers who inspire you?

Hi @chopin,

Thank you for featuring my music in your video! I am glad you liked the piece! The conversation between both instruments after the two-minute mark was a tough one to write since I rarely venture into this compositional style.

Hi @Guardian25,

Thanks for your kind feedback! This duet is inspired by the works of Edward Elgar and Fritz Kreisler.

Kia Ora Carl,

This is a brilliant piece for violin and piano. First I'll address your questions:

• The bowing looks comfortable enough to me, though the ending in my opinion should be on a dwon bow as up bows are much harder to accent.
• The double stops are mostly playable on the violin, though the section from bar 77-80 is not that playable as written right now. I'd extend the high D to a dotted crotchet.

My only real problems with the piece are that section from bar 77-80 and that this audio really doesn't do it justice. I'd love to learn this and record it with a pianist if you wish, I think it'd be benefited by a real performance.

Nga Mihi,

Arjuna

Hi @expert21,

Sorry for the late reply, and thanks for your valuable feedback! Regarding the bowing in the last chord, I was unsure whether the grace notes should be played on a down bow or an up bow. I agree that the final chord should be played on the down bow, and maybe the grace notes could be played on an up bow.

For the double stops, I think it would be best for me to change the duration of the high D if it cannot be played easily. The double stops in bars 45-48 and 77-80 may be harder to play because they require the fingers to be placed in a higher position.

On 7/27/2023 at 2:32 PM, expert21 said:

I'd love to learn this and record it with a pianist if you wish, I think it'd be benefited by a real performance.

It would be great if you could record it!

Carl Koh Wei Hao

Thanks for sharing your composition with us! Looking forward to hearing more about your piece and the feedback you receive!

Lovely, I am sitting in a lovely outdoor cafe - it's 1895!  A well crafted work with lots of energy and spirit.

Mark