The World Turns (finished work)

Hi to all!

Have posted this before in the Incomplete section; but it's now finished.

Hopefully it's better than my original draft?

It was supposed to be performed at a concert in September; but sadly we couldn't find a pianist to rehearse with the other musicians: so they're playing one of my solo piano works instead. 

Hi @Alex Weidmann!

I really like this piece!  I think it shows an evolving sense of individuality in your melodic and harmonic choices.  One thing that I find objectionable is how separated your melody is when it is first heard on the Violin.  I think it would sound so much more flowing and beautiful if it was all played legato and connected which the Violin is much better at playing.  It would sound much more idiomatic too since the Violin is more suited to playing connected phrases and it's actually more difficult and laborious sounding for it to separate the notes the way you have them.  If you had the main theme legato it would also create a nice contrast between that and the section at measure 46 where the Violin has repeated staccato notes.  Also, what if you had a ritardando into measure 58 instead of keeping everything at the same tempo?  I think it might help create more space and give the listener a respite from the continuity of the tempo up to that point.  But I really like the modulation and harmonic adventurousness you exemplify between measures 44 and 58!  And you keep the phrases short enough for them to played in one breath by the Clarinetist!  Thanks for sharing.

Hi,

I really enjoyed your musical language ... the harmonies and thematic material are very different and intriguing.  The mid-section -with it change of tempo- I especially enjoyed - yet, I found it a bit short in its development and I really wanted more ... I hope you revisit it and do more with it.

Mark

Hi Mark and Peter, many thanks for your reviews.

My composition tutor made a similar comment about the middle section being too short.
Problem is, it's already very taxing for the pianist: so extending it would be even more demanding!

I'm not sure why my violin melody ended up broken. Guess that's just the way I heard it in my mind's eye.

It would have a very different character if it was fully legato; but I might try reducing the number of mezzo staccato markings.

Hello @Alex Weidmann. This piece evoques in me a feeling of internal void and melancholy, like a reflection on a past time.

I think the various repetitions of the main theme at the beginning could get monotonous for the listener. Perhaps varying or thickening the piano accompaniment could help, and there should not be a problem with the difficulty, since the middle section is already much harder. Or maybe twisting the melody could work as well.

There could have been more motivical connectivity, and it would have been nice to implement some motifs or themes (even if they are extremely distorsioned) in the middle section, because it is very different, and if it lacks of thematical connectivity it feels like it could have been a different piece on its own.

2 hours ago, Alex Weidmann said:

it's already very taxing for the pianist: so extending it would be even more demanding!

Some thoughts on this: The repeated notes in this context should be marked staccato (if they were faster there would be no need to, and the same if they were slower, but at this speed, I think they should). I think a “poco meno mosso” marking would be useful to not make it overly virtuosic. Another alternative is to vary the right hand so most repeated notes can be struck one with the left and the other one with the right. I don’t think maintaining this technique for a longer period of time so the section can properly develop would be a problem, since it is not an exhausting lisztian type of virtuosity.

My favourite part is the part just before the middle section with the trills. Very evocative

Thanks for sharing 

Manuel

Thanks Manuel for your review.

Will definitely bear in mind what you say, if I come to revisit this work.

Am hoping it may be performed at a chamber music course next year.

Very Very beautiful!!! Bravo ...... 🥰

Mark