Prelude No. 1 : In C Minor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYuGpA9H0MI

https://musescore.com/user/62605720/scores/22077772

It's been quite a while since I have last published a piece which was before my university education started. Now that the first semester has ended ( and the finals for 1st sem ) I have sm time to come back to finalize this piece.

Back then, after publishing my 30th piece " Childhood Scenes" I was like I am content with having my 30th out before Uni starts... then I composed my 31th, the Uni started and I was lie this shall wait... and now finally it's out...

Hope I have not kept Y'all waiting for too long and Thank You and Please Enjoy ( and give comments if you wna ) !

( I know, the first impression of this is perhaps a ripoff of Rachmaninoff's Op. 23 No. 5, but if you are willing to, give it a ( chance and ) listen to the end, even if only once. I hope that this piece manages to manage a delicate balance, where it only follows 23/5 in style and form, but not overall narrative and direction ( which hopefully can be heard especially in the middle and end parts ) - though all that said, I still have those self-doubts that this is too similar to Rach's 23/5 haha. If this is plagiarized from that prelude - which I also adore a lot - then I would say this piece is kinda a failure. So if it is unique enough standing by itself, I'm grateful! )

And oh yea, this is my first ever published Prelude hihi : )

Hi @Aw Ke Shen!  Glad to see that you're back.

For me the problem isn't that it uses Rachmaninoff's accompaniment pattern too liberally.  That alone is not something that can be copyrighted, neither can a chord progression.  What sticks out to me is once again that you use too much repetition of the main idea (the famous accompaniment pattern).  And you don't pay attention to the fact that your melody is basically just an Andalusian Cadence and lacks individuality and definition.  I was so relieved once the A section ended and you brought the listener to the contrasting middle section in G major.  That section was a bit better since the accompaniment pattern was not as annoying and hammery despite being just an ascending and descending arpeggio.  Sometimes, simple accompaniment is good.  But, what I miss is a memorable theme that isn't just based on step-wise motion.  After having listened to this piece, I can't easily sing or whistle any of the tunes.  I think you're writing in a style where a certain melodiousness is expected.  Those are my thoughts.  Thanks for sharing!

Hey there, @Aw Ke Shen! Thank you for giving us this new work.

Congratulations on publishing your first work, by the way! I'm sure it is an exhilarating thing (speaking as somebody who has never published anything before 😅).

Speaking as somebody playing Rachmaninoff's prelude for an upcoming recital, I have to say it is... well, a little reminiscent, to say the least. I would have to agree with what @PeterthePapercomPoser said: it feels like your work borrows too heavily from Rachmaninoff's, while simultaneously offering only a handful of its own memorable musical moments. Just on a whim, I gave your other works a listen, and they seem to have a more developed and interesting harmonic characteristic that I feel is much more 'you', in a way. Because you were trying to 'thread' that proverbial needle, all of those little 'you' moments were swept away in this piece.

That being said, I don't want to be a complete downer: it's an interesting work overall, and you took it differently in the B section and the repeated A section. That change to the original music was a breath of fresh air, and I didn't mind listening to it. But then again, we're just the critics: you shouldn't feel too bad about constructive feedback! It's always good to learn from your mistakes.

Thank you for sharing anyway! It was worth my time listening to your work 😊

On 12/1/2024 at 11:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

lacks individuality and definition.

@PeterthePapercomPoser Thanks for pointing this out - especially since this is something I personally am not supposed to be very fond of and ofc wld not want to find in my own works as well, since it seems to strip away the identity of and space for the artist.

I think these are my main takeaways ( among others ) from you two @PeterthePapercomPoser @Awsumerguy

here:

A memorable melody

On 12/1/2024 at 11:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

a memorable theme

On 12/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Awsumerguy said:

memorable musical moments

rather than a

On 12/1/2024 at 11:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

step-wise motion

or feel it

On 12/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Awsumerguy said:

borrows too heavily

that can be remembered 

On 12/1/2024 at 11:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

easily sing or whistle any of the tunes

I think I need to be more careful in the future if I were to be

On 12/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Awsumerguy said:

trying to 'thread' that proverbial needle

at the risk of losing 

On 12/1/2024 at 11:55 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

individuality

Thanks!

On 12/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Awsumerguy said:

differently in the B section

Yup, though, it is still very much taken from the same prelude haha 😅 but it's made more differently and hopefully different enough.

Hi @Aw Ke Shen,

Again as a late reviewer (and copycat) I agree with everything @PeterthePapercomPoser and @Awsumerguysaid. The melody in the first section is not interesting enough as in Rach's G minor Prelude. 

I love your care on both the transition to the middle section and returning to the C minor March. 

1 hour ago, Aw Ke Shen said:

On 12/1/2024 at 4:43 PM, Awsumerguy said:

borrows too heavily

that can be remembered 

Don't be too worry on that, I literally borrowed and stole from Beethoven in all of my early "works" (and still so!).

Thx for sharing!

Henry 

22 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I literally borrowed and stole from Beethoven in all of my early "works" (and still so!)

😊