Hi All,
Recently sketched the Act 2 ending to my opera. At the very end of it, one of the characters & his team are fired by another character and they all descend into a pit in the stage floor. Remind you of anything?
I lifted several measures from the end of Don Giovanni, but so far everyone I've played it for hasn't noticed the reference. These folks are just regular music nerds, so I turn to you, super music nerds, for your thoughts.
Do you all think it's too subtle? Or maybe it's good that it's subtle? It is rather fast, so I think perhaps I need to write it twice as slow...
Skip to 2:47 if you just want to listen to the immediate lead-up to the part in question...
Replies
I have to say, John, that I didn't hear the Mozart reference at all, and I know Don Giovanni well. Maybe that very last chord sequence is vaguely reminiscent ... but the ascending piano part and the atonal "ahs" in the voices get the attention, not those chords. I'd have to hear it in context with words, real instruments and so forth to make any kind of intelligent comment. ;-)
Well, I guess that means it didn't work! After the ascending piano part, the chord progression and vocal lines are lifted directly from the very end of the Commendatore scene in Don Giovanni. It might be clearer with the orchestration, but I think I've got to keep working on this...
John, though bizarre to my taste in music, I sense an architecture and purposeful drive here.
I agree with Julie, and need more context to evaluate. Is this an artistic experiment for you, and do
you have a potential audience in mind? Clever only sells to a very limited audience, at least until it is
divulged, defined and 'accepted' as safe. I look forward to the full work. RS
Thanks for the honest feedback, Roger. A lot of the opera is very tonal, but this moment is a bit of chaos (hopefully controlled). I do think it sounds weirder/more dissonant in its piano version than it will when orchestrated.
I like this John, I think it will be very effective and dramatic. I didn't get the Mozart quote but that's probably OK, hidden "easter eggs" will appeal to your fans. Since this is just a sketch I won't complain about the strident and loud soprano patch. Good work!