3 Piano Sketches

There are descriptions from the cideo, here I just copypaste it here.
Here you go, after a longgggg time, I have finally managed to release this xD The engraving is a disaster, because I used a MS3 beta feature, so that I could ignore the barlines. The drawback is that I cannot really save, as most of the times after I reopen it, the cross-bar notes are separated again.... So you could see I still have some minor errors (more than 3), mostly at the last sketch. Anyway, the work is written almost entirely in manuscript, with the last stretto section on 3rd sketch the only section that is composed on MS entirely. the first 2 sketches are completely on manuscript, with some deletion of notes due to the playability. 1st sketch is basically a preview of the whole work. It contains 3 segments both are introducing same theme and unique characteristics, with 1st and 3rd segment hinting at the following 2 sketches. This movement is named Allegro, only because it is the original tempo I set before, which turns out to be extremely difficult with the later 2 segments.... 2nd sketch is a quiet, crystal-like work with lots of fifths, except the middle section xD Named Amorioso, the tempo actually should be Amoroso, here however I follow what I have written in my manuscript. 3rd sketch is named Calmo, but the tempo here is just showing the first section of this sketch... The whole work is separated into 4 parts: Calmo - Chorale - Toccata - Stretto, with the latter 3 being veloce and sometimes struggling, kinda to do what 1st sketch cannot do lol The last Stretto section is the longest section of the work, even longer than the 1st sketch. It is a banger to me ever since when I was experimenting with the theme in 3rd sketch, and decided to make it as a finale of the whole set of sketches. It deserves its own sketch, really.... Anyway, this work is really personal: it is not classical, romantic or what. It is just me. Happy Birthday, myself 🥳 Hope you enjoy~~ (P.S. this set of sketches was written after I had heard the entirety of Sorabji's OC and SC.)
Comments/opinions are welcome.

I really appreciate some of Sorabji's works, and this is definitely a much more tamed Sorabji. I think these types of piano works can really bring out an expression that typical "tonal works" have trouble with. As discussed in the Discord, I think that the actual 4 stave system may be really difficult to read as a performer, although there is a huge "cool factor" when you see the piano score broken up this way. And your sheet music is beautiful! I see you've pushed the limits of MuseScore, which is cool!

You definitely have a theme / motif, that you are incorporating in these sketches, and it's hard for me to point this out on text. But if I decide to record parts of this piece, I will point them out on a video review. I think doing an "atonal" work like this might be kind of interesting for my channel. This way Music Jotter is not just "associated" with classical music.

But overall, I think this atonal piece is actually a great introductory piece to listen to for those who want to venture into this style. You have the style down quite well in my opinion, and it is fairly well structured from what my ears are telling me at least. There are parts of the recording that need my "nuancing" touches though, because the louder sections are way too mechanical. But I think with my techniques, we can turn those sections into some pretty convincing recordings.

PS: I thought I was the only one who knew of Sorabji. Glad to see he has another fan.

This may just be personal preference, but this was really hard to read. Why the insistence on 3 or 4 staves? Just curious

The language you used was cool, care to share a bit more on it? What scales or harmonic structures were you thinking about when writing?

I liked the 2nd and 3rd ones better than the first. At times it felt like you were writing this to make it difficult for difficulties sake. 

Interesting music, thanks for sharing 🙂

On 6/27/2023 at 12:06 PM, Thatguy v2.0 said:

This may just be personal preference, but this was really hard to read. Why the insistence on 3 or 4 staves? Just curious

The language you used was cool, care to share a bit more on it? What scales or harmonic structures were you thinking about when writing?

I liked the 2nd and 3rd ones better than the first. At times it felt like you were writing this to make it difficult for difficulties sake. 

Interesting music, thanks for sharing 🙂

 

Hard to read, it is true. for 3-4 staves part, because it is easy for me to compose (excluding those that are really necessary due to complicated voices).
1st sketch is basically just a bunch of improvisations from several scales, changing on every few beat (not based on the barline) 
For example, after the opening I starts from Em scale on C, then an altered scale with D#, F# and Bb to play on several key center while using the same scale in first section.
Fun fact: I actually have quoted the similar playing from Sorabji's Piano Concerto No.1 (not the No.5 in IMSLP) at the near end of the sketch.
2nd sketch is originally a short interlude that based on perfect fifth, ignoring the counterpoint rule and just let the fifth crashes with each other in-between voices, everything built based on the first 20 notes. I also intentionally pick a B without key, then a F# at the opening, as normally it reminds me of a C major but strange appearance of B+F# (which is pretty personal here) The scale smashing section is originally for ringing the harmonics created by this, and only played once instead of a 30 sec section, but I turn that into what you see here due to the practicality from midi of MS 3.
3rd sketch is actually the one I put quite a lot of effort on, even when excluding the Stretto section. I created a fugue subject that seemingly lack of accurate tonality. (Remark: actually this set of sketches are my first ever semi-tonal work lol) under the theme of chromatic descending. (This is actually the theme throughout the 3rd sketch, instead of the fugue subject: a chromatically descending scale starting from the topmost note to the lowest note on piano) Afterwards, I just created a seemingly lost and surprising (or abrupt, depends on what you think) fugue, then jumps to a chorale that is really contemporary. The key center afterwards actually shifting due to my focus and my use of E-flat. The scale is meant to be only with Bb, Ab and F# with key center of G. And I think I really get a heavy influence on Bartok's canonic passage, so that I put so many canonic occurrences. The Stretto is basically a literal stretto of all the themes appeared so far on all the sketches, which form that monstrosity. The coda part is also mostly formed on the same materials.
...And no, I am not for the sake of difficulty LOL (maybe excluding part of 1st sketch.)

This one was pretty wild to listen to, and it's been a while since I've listened to "Sorabji-like" music. I basically second Vince's opinion: I wasn't really "on board" throughout the first movement, but the second movement started to sway me, and the third movement eventually won me over. (The 3rd movement's initial theme sounds suspiciously like the famous Dies Irae theme, LOL. I'm 90% sure on purpose) The effort you put into the 3rd one is evident. The Toccata section sounds awesome, and is easily my favorite part of the entire work. I think the section just works really well in context, too, because the piece has a lot of muddy, thickly pedaled passages, with thick chords to boot, and then the toccata's crisp staccatos and thin bass octave accompaniment works as a welcome contrast. I do kind of crave a rit. and bigger cresc. at mss. 60 - 61 leading into ms. 62, I'm thinking that could be pretty effective.

I actually really enjoyed this work. Thanks for sharing!

37 minutes ago, SergeOfArniVillage said:

This one was pretty wild to listen to, and it's been a while since I've listened to "Sorabji-like" music. I basically second Vince's opinion: I wasn't really "on board" throughout the first movement, but the second movement started to sway me, and the third movement eventually won me over. (The 3rd movement's initial theme sounds suspiciously like the famous Dies Irae theme, LOL. I'm 90% sure on purpose) The effort you put into the 3rd one is evident. The Toccata section sounds awesome, and is easily my favorite part of the entire work. I think the section just works really well in context, too, because the piece has a lot of muddy, thickly pedaled passages, with thick chords to boot, and then the toccata's crisp staccatos and thin bass octave accompaniment works as a welcome contrast. I do kind of crave a rit. and bigger cresc. at mss. 60 - 61 leading into ms. 62, I'm thinking that could be pretty effective.

 

I actually really enjoyed this work. Thanks for sharing!

 

ACTUALLY NO, I DIDN'T INTEND TO DO THE DIES IRAE
I only realize that when I was typesetting up to 5:43 where it starts to sound like Ysaye's Sonata No.2 with that theme XD
That cresc. may actually work... I may actually add a crescendo for that XD