Mockup with score video becuse I can't attach files: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOnzEUsb4EI (mockup uses an organ vst which is serviceable, but doesn't reflect the intended changing mood throughout the piece)
Apologies for two music uploads in a week, but the former was for interest whereas this may well benefit from some critique. It's an (unnamed) work for organ from last year which I want to try sending to various cathedrals and churches. Inspired by the earlier discussion here about Bach and parallels, I overhauled it somewhat and it's now about as good as I can get it.
Vital caveats to consider :) This was composed for a contest to be a companion piece to Bach's "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAXNtHdQB08), the only Bach piece I've heard that left me completely cold. A little of that DNA survives in my piece, mainly the prevailing Eb key centre, the pedal/melody rhythm in a few bars, and the generally mellow, uplifting tone. However, it was not composed to be especially Bachian - although it was meant to sound very organistic, and it's hard to escape Bach's influence on extremely organ-sounding organ works. Decent chorale voice leading goes cheek by jowl with parallels in this one.
Organs have their own suite of idiosyncratic terminology and limitations which I researched and abided by as much as possible, checking a few parts with an organist. The consensus seems to be that specific stops and colours are best left general and to the organist, which I did for the most part. This was composed for a cathedral organist and assistant, with organ to match, and so might require a simpler interpretation if played on a smaller instrument.
Undeniably a love letter to florid, majestic organ works of the past. Any thoughts are welcome, though if you hate the music itself I can't do much about that. My one specific uncertainty is the broken triplet rhythm in the top manual in b8, beats 1 and 2 - I feel like it doesn't match what's actually being played, but not being a reader can't know for sure. Thanks, all.
Replies
I did see that Chopin, as one example, is often notated for just two bars and then the triplet markings are removed. But then my pianist friend has Chopin scores where they're notated throughout.
I suppose, if the contentions are subjective things like this rather than "these 102 bars are unplayable", that's a good thing for the piece :)
Since I'm a very polite lady, and there is some Belgian blood in the family, I choose a different approach. If I think a piece really sucks, I don't reply. Of course I can choose not to reply because I'm too busy or I miss a post in this wretched forum.
Still, again, some parts have a quirky rhythm and a nice sound to them and I wished there was more of them, because I don't get the rest. It's too modern - or hostile towards the public - and I think you should try to make friends with the public.
This reminds me of my daughter when she was young. She liked me to read stories to her, but European fairy tales can be quite brutal. She listened quietly, but when I finished the story, she always said: ... and then they were all friends.
However, "modern" now feels like a blanket term for things you don't like, especially since you recently said to me that another of my pieces was too dull for modern audiences :) Is this then too *modern* for modern audiences? Feel free to note which passages... I have a suspicion, but I could be entirely wrong.
It's like being surprised that the audience doesn't like medieval music, nor does it like serial music, and then ask me, how's that possible?