My Senior Thesis

[Michael Zavorskas]

I created this orchestral work for my senior thesis at Stevens Institute of Technology. The themes are based loosely on characters from Douglas Adams' novel, Life, the Universe, and Everything.

This is my first attempt at sequencing using Cubase and EWQL's sound library, so any sequencing-specific comments would be greatly appreciated, as well as comments on the composition itself.

The only version of the score I have is attached to my thesis, and set to very bizarre margins (just one of the downs of being a music major at an engineering school). I've attached the thesis for anyone interested. It gives a very in-depth analysis of my work, but as I believe the piece stands on its own the paper is certainly not required reading.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Jack Pickett]

Yeah - its ok for a first attempt. It does sound a bit too blatantly like a midi-orchestra. I actually preferred it at the start when it was less tonal. The sequencing is ok - but you need to eq the sounds better. Midi sounds are very muddy. I notice you use a lot of brass too so I would definately get eqing on that as well as compression. Then a LOT more reverb. Then some more compression - then some stereo delay - then some more eq - then some more reverb - then some.....get the idea?

I dont want to be critical though - its a good piece and has moments that I really like. This passage around 3 minutes with the clarinet solo is beautiful.

[Michael Zavorskas]

Yeah, I guess I put too much trust into the sounds. I completely failed to do any EQing or reverb. Thanks for your help!

[Adrian Allan]

Before I listen, can I clarify that it's a phd in composition you are submitting ?

[Bob Morabito]

Hi Michael--

Apart from the sound of the midi orchestra, its a really good piece--ambitious, and musically sound:)
(I watched an old Start Trek movie last night, and it has that same kind of good spirit.)

I see you used your original thematic material varied throughout the piece, which gave it a sense of cohesiveness, movement and making sense--a professional move, and good technique.

I would really like to hear this with better instruments, and production, as there were places I couldn't really appreciate what you were doing, due to the poor instruments.

Keep up the GREAT work, Michael..very impressive:)

Bob Morabito

[Tyler Hughes]

VERY GOOD PIECE, excellent work. This is going to be short critic for right now because I kind of want to really read the score as well as read your thesis.
My only issue is that some parts sounded too much like John Williams, which I feel takes away from your incredibly original ideas. I feel in some sections, its so hard to not compared you to him which can just ruin the experience of listening to this work.

Other then that amazing piece.
More will come later after I read the whole thing.

[Michael Zavorskas]

Thank you all for your comments. I can see that I definitely going to need a major overhaul of the MIDI.

Adrian, the thesis was for my Bachelor's degree.

Tyler, I certainly soaked up a lot of John Williams before and during the writing of this piece. It was intentional to emulate the man. As a student, I had no problem wearing my influences on my sleeve, as I feel that is the best way to learn from the masters. However, its possible that I over did it. I am interested in your further comments!

[Christopher Sahar]

What is odd about this piece is perusing your thesis (esp some of the construction ideas behind the harmonies) I thought it would sound far more ambitious manipulation of somewhat generic thematic ideas (I mean the triplet and rising figure of your opening theme suggests William's Star Wars theme) - but I was a little disappointed by how straighforward it was - except the end which needed thicker orchestration to create some finality - unless this is your reference to the improbability, which would have benefited from bringing in more "improbabilities" - either orchestrally or your harmonic laws (some of the rules are quite old, standard ones which could easily been "broken" or even parodied by throwing in incongruent styles - think Schnittke's 1st Symphony)

Note - this is a pretty good orchestral piece following in the footsteps of in the John Williams vein. ANd when I think about the sound production comments I have to agree - though I am not knowledgeable about this - listen to the horns - how overly round and consistent the tone is as well as the strings - a group of strings rarely perform live musical poassges with the same exact vibrato.

Two things that may have brought the surprisingly straightforward result which a good experienced composer could have produced as a final or second draft:

a) Your aesthetic choices: I have to question your musical associations -for example, granted a whole tone scale tends toward irresolution but you can create a "home " tone by sheer repetition and manipulation of tessitura/voicing. Granted your models are more conservative (well except some Debussy)

b) Your thematic material - again, I wonder why are they much more triadic when you also employ secundal harmony? Why not have this synthesis be heard to a greater extend in your melodies? Also, a good deal of your melodies rise or fall by filling in a third, the exception being the leaping fifth though that hints strongly of a full triad.

c) Finally - You show some attempts at breaking out of a generally embellished four part chorale counterpoint but too few and the counterpoint could be improved - the freer lines y don't seem to have a strong role except as nice embellishments (once in awhile slightly clumsy) but nothing else. Also it could explain one reason for the overly consistent sound throughout - very full, genial sound than dark and rich - so I wonder how much practice you have had with orchestral writing with smaller forces or writing chamber music. You do show a nice solid base in this area - this piece just reveals a need for greater versatility and practice with free counterpoint.

[Simon Godden]

Christopher, it's not often that I review a review, but feel compelled to inform you that this is the best and most thorough review I have ever had the pleasure to refer to.

Christopher Sahar said:

What is odd about this piece is perusing your thesis (esp some of the construction ideas behind the harmonies) I thought it would sound far more ambitious manipulation of somewhat generic thematic ideas (I mean the triplet and rising figure of your opening theme suggests William's Star Wars theme) - but I was a little disappointed by how straighforward it was - except the end which needed thicker orchestration to create some finality - unless this is your reference to the improbability, which would have benefited from bringing in more "improbabilities" - either orchestrally or your harmonic laws (some of the rules are quite old, standard ones which could easily been "broken" or even parodied by throwing in incongruent styles - think Schnittke's 1st Symphony)

Note - this is a pretty good orchestral piece following in the footsteps of in the John Williams vein. ANd when I think about the sound production comments I have to agree - though I am not knowledgeable about this - listen to the horns - how overly round and consistent the tone is as well as the strings - a group of strings rarely perform live musical poassges with the same exact vibrato.

Two things that may have brought the surprisingly straightforward result which a good experienced composer could have produced as a final or second draft:

a) Your aesthetic choices: I have to question your musical associations -for example, granted a whole tone scale tends toward irresolution but you can create a "home " tone by sheer repetition and manipulation of tessitura/voicing. Granted your models are more conservative (well except some Debussy)

b) Your thematic material - again, I wonder why are they much more triadic when you also employ secundal harmony? Why not have this synthesis be heard to a greater extend in your melodies? Also, a good deal of your melodies rise or fall by filling in a third, the exception being the leaping fifth though that hints strongly of a full triad.

c) Finally - You show some attempts at breaking out of a generally embellished four part chorale counterpoint but too few and the counterpoint could be improved - the freer lines y don't seem to have a strong role except as nice embellishments (once in awhile slightly clumsy) but nothing else. Also it could explain one reason for the overly consistent sound throughout - very full, genial sound than dark and rich - so I wonder how much practice you have had with orchestral writing with smaller forces or writing chamber music. You do show a nice solid base in this area - this piece just reveals a need for greater versatility and practice with free counterpoint.

[Simon Godden]

I was very impressed with the work you put into this and apart from the lack of quality of the midi mix (I was stunned when I learnt that you were using EWQLSO), you have produced a very worthy piece of music. Film music in the style of John Williams isn't especially dear to me, but I can see its merits when employed in the function its written for. Therefore, I cannot really give you the analysis that you would like. I appreciate that you have used a lot of popular early 20th century idioms (whole tone scale, modes, clusters, quartal harmony etc) and you've used them well and to good effect. You have also been very creative with the orchestration and it has worked (although you will only really know this when you have listened to it either on live instruments or in the hands of good mock-up artist).

The only observation when reading your thesis that caused me concern was your interpretation of pandiatonicism. I was led to believe that it was music within a diatonic framework whereby all the notes were of equal importance. You seemed to have explained it rather differently.

All good stuff though. Keep it up and good luck with your degree. I hope you do well.

[Michael Zavorskas]

Again, thank you for your comments. Christopher, thanks for such an in-depth review. I am working on freer melodic lines, which I hope will be seen in my next composition post.

Simon, after rereading Persichetti's chapter on pandiatonicism, I think my understanding of it got skewed somewhere along the line. I believed it to be writing in a singular diatonic framework and using an assortment of harmonic structures as one saw fit. So free use of secundal, triadic, quartal, etc. I can't really explain how or why I arrived at this, so it would probably suit me to remove the mention of it.

[Simon Godden]

Hi Michael. When you say "writing in a singular diatonic framework and using an assortment of harmonic structures as one saw fit.", you're not particularly wrong there, but I think that the most important element of pandiatonicism is that every note is equal to each other, which is not exactly illustrated in the music. A good example of pandiatonicism is in Gorecki's 3rd symphony where you hear a combination of "white notes" sounding as if they have no home to go to.

I'm sorry if I've given you cause to renegotiate some of your thesis (which I very much enjoyed, by the way), that really wasn't my intention.

Michael Zavorskas said:

Again, thank you for your comments. Christopher, thanks for such an in-depth review. I am working on freer melodic lines, which I hope will be seen in my next composition post.

Simon, after rereading Persichetti's chapter on pandiatonicism, I think my understanding of it got skewed somewhere along the line. I believed it to be writing in a singular diatonic framework and using an assortment of harmonic structures as one saw fit. So free use of secundal, triadic, quartal, etc. I can't really explain how or why I arrived at this, so it would probably suit me to remove the mention of it.

[Michael Zavorskas]

Ok, I understand what you're saying. I am not familiar with that symphony, but I will check it out right away. Thanks!