Introduction...and a wordless song for Mezzo-soprano and Strings.

[Ivor]

Just a way of introducing myself. On the old forum I was known as Dane - my stage name for a long time - times that fade increasingly into the past so I'll use my "real name" here (which means having my user id changing if that's possible. 

This short piece is representative in a way, semi-tonal, through-composed; lyrical (I hope) but without formal melody, making the best of samples at my disposal.

It was writtin in 2020 so it's done and dusted so I'm not soliciting crits here although any comment will always be gratefully received. 

Thank you if you can give it a listen - but I hope to submit something new fairly soon.

All the best.

Ivor

Song without wds mezzo-strings 011023-192.mp3

Song without words mezzo strings (cantata X).pdf

[Mike Hewer]

Even with a poor samples, I found the work exciting and clearly deeply expressionistic. I've only had the one listen but as you are not soliciting critique I shant delve into the nitty gritty. What formal procedures did you use, presumably serial? The work would come to life with expert and sensitive programming and well thought out spacial mixing. Given the antiphonal nature of the scoring, it'd probably sound great in DolbyAtmos too by exploiting the 360 degree sound.
If I where you I'd get someone to programme it with top of the range samples and then get a soprano to record over it. I think it's worth the effort because it feels good to me on one hearing and deserves to be musically fully realised and also because poor demos tend to go against composers chances of live performance.

[David]

didn't you post this one on the old forum, Dane -- er sorry Grove....? Perhaps I expected your first contribution to be one of your more "accessible" (God, I hate that word) works but no. Yet this is curiously compelling even if not every detail necessarily worked for me. I don't think you've ever posted a dull piece and I look forward to more.

[Raymond Jacob]

I agree with all of Mr. Hewer’s comments, with emphasis on “exciting and deeply expressionistic.”

[Mike Hewer]

Please Ray, it's just Mike...:-)

[Ivor]

You've been very kind with your comments. Thank you, and for listening.

The composition followed no procedure - I could hear it vividly in my mind but writing it out was difficult.
Inspired by that mezzo voice. That and the coloratura from VSL really grabbed me, limited as the offerings were. I decided to write more for this mezzo.

I rarely get involved with "theory" and structure now. I did study theory at school which was a waste of time as I'd previously studied Kitson Part III while in a choir. School enormously limited what was allowed in 4-pqrt harmony. I'd also worked through species counterpoint.
The only time composition seemed more restrictive was at college which I left prematurely.

So now my efforts are recognisably "disrupted tonality"!
.
Again, thank you.