Danse Russe

G'day fellas!

I hope you are well. As somebody who has a deep affinity with Russian music, I've wanted to write something that reflects on the country's style for a very long time. So far, what I have here is a 16-bar long dance tune in 2/4 time. I've been having conflict thoughts over whether it should be a section of a larger piece, or a movement in a suite.

Also, if you are Russian or have had experience in writing Russian-style music before, how would you rate this piece as far as authenticity is concerned? I'd always be keen to learn more!

Cheers! 🙂

Quinn St. Mark.

Russian Dance Draft 2.mid

Hi @Quinn St. Mark,

I don't have experience in writing Russian music though. For me the harmony does remind me of Tchaikovsky's music.

42 minutes ago, Quinn St. Mark said:

I've been having conflict thoughts over whether it should be a section of a larger piece, or a movement in a suite.

It depends, but there's not much different whether to be a section of a larger piece or a movement in a suite for me. The content is very much the same except for the conclusiveness of it and whether it will be isolated or connected to other music passages.

Thanks for sharing.

Henry

G'day @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu,

I hope you are well.

1 hour ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

For me the harmony does remind me of Tchaikovsky's music.

Wow, you think so? He's actually my favourite composer, so thank you so much! 😊

2 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

It depends, but there's not much different whether to be a section of a larger piece or a movement in a suite for me. The content is very much the same except for the conclusiveness of it and whether it will be isolated or connected to other music passages.

Yeah, that's what I wanted to say, actually; I think you worded it better than I did. What I'm currently thinking of right now is connecting it to other music passages and ultimately structuring it in ternary form, like Grieg's Norwegian Dances, Op. 35. Don't know if that would be overdoing it, though!

But thanks again for your comment!

Quinn

This is really good, and I would say it's quite authentic to the culture. I'm not Russian, but I might as well be since I listen to a lot of Russian composers. I have all 6 of Tchaikovsky's symphonies down quite well and have a grasp of the style.

Opinion: This piece should be a short single movement piece, and remain in a suite of Dances.

G'day @chopin,

I hope that you are well.

On 6/18/2023 at 3:53 PM, chopin said:

This is really good, and I would say it's quite authentic to the culture.

Thanks so much, this really means a lot!

On 6/18/2023 at 3:53 PM, chopin said:

I have all 6 of Tchaikovsky's symphonies down quite well and have a grasp of the style.

May I ask which Tchaikovsky symphony is your favourite? For me it's probably the 5th (even though they are all winners!), which to my understanding is the one he specifically disowned.

Thanks heaps for your comment and suggestion!

Quinn

21 minutes ago, Quinn St. Mark said:

May I ask which Tchaikovsky symphony is your favourite? For me it's probably the 5th (even though they are all winners!), which to my understanding is the one he specifically disowned.

Haha I will sneak in to answer before Mike. My fav are his 4th and 6th. They are absoulte masterpieces. The fate motive in the 4th is oppressing, while the 6th is so tragic. The 5th I once loved it but now I don't love them as much as the other 2 since I feel like the big promise in the 1st movement somewhat get forfeited in the 3rd movement. I love the 2nd movement very much, but the 3rd mov is too unrelatef to the gtand scheme and the 4th movement's structure is not cohered as well, making the ending less powerful.

Henry

They all have their merits! I'll break it down:

• 1st symphony has the second strongest opening, but a solid first movement
• 2nd has the STRONGEST opening out of the entire suite
• 3rd has amazing thematic development all around
• 4th may be my favorite. Watch my clipped video here
• 5th is a good "all around" symphony, and my favorite section is here, and another good part is here.
• 6th is the masterpiece in this group. His first and last movements are sublime.

So I will also say 4th and 6th are my favorite, but the other symphonies also have their merits.

G'day @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu,

4 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

My fav are his 4th and 6th. They are absoulte masterpieces. The fate motive in the 4th is oppressing, while the 6th is so tragic.

Yes, the 4th and 6th are definitely up there too! When it comes to the 4th, I especially love the second theme in the 1st movement. The 6th is a masterpiece in every respect; although I have to be emotionally prepared for the inevitable gloomy feeling it leaves afterwards, as if the composer had put literally every last ounce of his vital force into it...

17 minutes ago, chopin said:

They all have their merits!

I totally agree! I love the openings of both the 1st and 2nd although in my opinion, the strongest opening of the lot goes to the 3rd from its funeral march-like vibe before transitioning to the Allegro Brilliante. Movement 1 of the 1st Symphony also has a really beautiful secondary theme and the Finale is just epic. I love the march-like tune that constitutes the Movement 2 of the 2nd symphony, and also really like the secondary theme of the Finale. It was also really interesting to compare the original version of the symphony that Tchaikovsky wrote in comparison to the one that's mainly heard today.