Hey guys,
I'm trying to get a working repertoire of solo work for the practical purpose of being able to perform more easily. So far I've been rearranging some of my stuff but this is the first time I wrote it solo from the get go. Stylistically, I often create interest (I hope) through subtlety and layered instrumentation so I feel a bit out of my element in the solo realm. Thoughts?
-Robert
Replies
Hi Robert,
I don't quite get what you mean! This sounds of a piece to me with other things you have written, all of which I would consider to be solo works. Are you indicating that you are trying to get a "set" together - enough material to perform for an audience for a set amount of time (like a half-hour or an hour)? You mention "interest" above - are you trying to come up with a set that will keep an audience interested over a period of time? I do hear a bit more melodic material than seems usual to me for you, did you do that with an eye towards coming up with some variety in a performance of several pieces?
Best,
Gav
For me it most definitely works as a solo..a very beautiful, reflective solo that is very touching, and builds up really nicely indeed.
I enjoyed this very much--thanks so much for posting!
Thanks Bob https://soundcloud.com/bob-morabito
Robert,
You begin with a chord pattern which lasts almost 2:30 min. It is proper to introduce a piece with chords that may last up to four measures but after that something has to happen, i.e. melody. I don't hear much melody until the last two minutes. Add some melody in the first two minutes and you will have a piece that stands alone as a solo.
Im really honestly very confused..its almost as if this review below from another poster is based on a different piece than I listened to:
You begin with a chord pattern which lasts almost 2:30 min.
It is proper to introduce a piece with chords that may last up to four measures but after that something has to happen, i.e. melody
I don't hear much melody until the last two minutes
And the final bit of advice:
Add some melody in the first two minutes and you will have a piece that stands alone as a solo.
I feel this final bit of advice would totally destroy the beauty of this piece as it is written..and I hear more than enough that works as melody during that time...
To consider what was so beautifully composed to be 'improper' due to not following some rule--which is so outdated--is extremely questionable in my book, as are the observations listed above..
I would kindly suggest possibly listening to the piece again, as it is, and not how one thinks it should be written. It really is a beautiful, well constructed piece of solo piano music, IMHO, that works extremely well.
Thanks Bob https://soundcloud.com/bob-morabito
Lawrence Aurich said:
I think this works fine as a solo piano piece, but I would say that, even within your somewhat minimalistic aesthetic, there might be an opportunity for a bit more harmonic modulation. In particular, at 2:09 you seem to come a rather final cadence (end of Part 1?), and at 2:11 a new section seems to begin. However, because it is in the same key as the preceding music (I think the whole piece is in the same key?), it doesn't feel very new. If you played around with starting that section in a different, but related, key and then, say, return to the original key by the end, you would likely project a better sense of overall structure/direction (important, I think, for a piece that is of this length).
Hey guys I really appreciate all the feedback and ideas. I've made some fairly minor (aka big) changes to keep as a solo version and I'm taking the full version and going in a completely different direction. Thanks again.