Feather (A piece written in a day)

[Tyler Hughes]

So my professor has asked all of the composition students at my university to enter into a competition for solo piano.
The rules of the competition are as followed:
Instrumentation: solo (unamplified) piano. Playing inside the piano to be avoided.

Duration: Maximum two notated pages, maximum 4 minutes in length.

Composition time: The composer must include a declaration stating that the submitted piece was written within a single day. Typesetting time may be additional to this single day.

The theme of the competition is momentary pleasure.

I wrote my piece on Sunday September 20th and finished and in the same day.

Please tell me what you think of my momentary pleasure.

[Michael J Lawrence]

Ah, very interesting. Invented scales, now that's composing! As for the D tonic, I would say that *aurally*, it *sounds* like you're in Gm at the end simply because of the cadential effect of the suspension. But tonically, I can see the basis for D. This just adds to the whole ambiguous effect, which you achieve quite well.

Tyler said:

The piece instability comes from the lack of a key really.
I used an invited scales with a raised 4th and 5th and whole tone scales through the first half of the piece. In the second half I modulate to another invented scale using a raised 4th and a lowered 7th.

The piece begins with the tonic being C and modulates to a scale with the tonic being D, so actually the piece does end on a tonic chord.
I did this to make the piece very ambiguous. I wanted the ear to go "where are we going, where are we now. This isnt familiar but its not foreign either."

Michael J Lawrence said:

Amazing that you cut this in a single day. (Maybe we should have a similar contest on our forum here. Might be fun.)

I have to ask: what's the deal with instability? It's a serious question, not a rhetorical critique. I don't see or hear consonance until bar 25. Why?

I'm also intrigued by the decision to use V as the cadence rather than the tonic. Now, in this piece, I'm not sure there is a key to actually hang the tonic on, but my guess is that it's Gm. My real clue to this is the suspension in 35 that resolves to Gm (despite the F#). You then go back to V (or II if we want to use the actual key signature.) I'm also struggling with this suspension because the preparation looks like it has it's own leading tone. (Gm triad with its leading tone of F#) and yet the suspension is clearly A. Can't get my head around it. I get the feeling I'm not seeing this correctly.

It is kind of neat because it leaves you wondering. It allows uncertainty to linger. But, what were your artistic reasons for doing this?

[Tyler Hughes]

I go to the Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches Texas. My prof is Dr. Stephen Lias.
I cant open sib. files as that I use Finale. A pdf. might be better.

Daniel live McCallum said:

What university do you study at. And may I ask who is your composition teacher. I went to the conservatorium of music High school in Sydney, but Im in London now doing my undergrad at the Royal Academy. I was sent an email about this composition and I entered, I thought it would be a bit of fun. Thankyou for posting your work up. I'd love to hear what you think of mine. I didn't spend as much time on it though, just an hour (and another hour imputtng it), , so If you want a Look, Ill upload it below, Its a sibelius file though. If you cant open it, I'll send you a PDF. my email is [e-mail].

Kind regards,
Daniel McCallum