Tom

Tom-chan

October 15, 1992 - March 23, 2009

RIP

...and into dust you shall return.

Score:
http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=139568

MP3:
http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?com=streammp3&scoreid=139568

This piece started when I challenged myself to come up with a fugue subject that less than a fifth and was fairly simple rhythmically and very short. Previously my various fugue subjects tended to cover a large range and where long when compared to fugue subjects from the Renaissance. What I cam up with is a seven note subject that cover the interval of just a perfect fourth. Harmonically the subject is in the Phygian mode.

The subject is first stated by the cellos, followed in order by the violas, first violins, and finally the second violins. At letter [A], bar 23 a second subject is introduced by the second violins. This subject unlike the first subject covers the interval of a minor ninth. The second subject is then stated by the first violins, violas and final the cellos and basses together. The piece then slowly builds to the climax of the piece at letter [B], bar 39. Here the first violins play the fist subject while the second violins play a slightly modified version of the second subject. The violas are playing the first subject in inversion, while the cellos play a running sixteenth note patter and the bass play a pedal D#. The climax is held back not quick reaching its full potential, and soon peters out.

At bar 42 the piece slides into E dorian, with violins and viola passing around a Gregorian chant before coming to a rest on a E minor triad. After a brief pause the cellos play the first subject, now in D phygian. The violas then play the first subject while at the same time the second violins state the second subject. The last note of the second violins statement of the second subject in D phygian turns into the first note of the first subject in A phygian. Wile the second violins play the first subject, the first violins play the second subject, as with the second violins the last note of the first violins second subject turns into the first note of the first subject as the violas play the second subject.

The piece comes to an end after letter [D] with the Basses, cells, violas and first violins playing A (in four different octaves). In to this “perfect” structure the second violins enter playing Bb, just a half step above the violas. The second violins briefly play a Db before “resolving” to a C as the piece fades.

I am not 100 percent happy with the piece, as there are bits that feel forced, but I though I would inflicted it upon the world and see what happens.

The piece makes use of non-standard dynamic markings, the key to them is below.

• Key To Non-Standard Symbols
  ppp! As soft as possible
  P+ Between P and MP
  MP- Between MP and P
  M Between MP and MF
  MF+ Between MF and F
  F+ Between F and FF

Thank you for listening.


Note: The MP3 recording is a preliminary mix and stills needs to be mastered.

Mono No Aware

物の哀れ

Almost finished with a new piece for String Orchestra. A 11 minute fugue in A phygian, and a slow 7/4 time. Stay tune for updates.

Ursus

Prelude 0x01

Still out here somewhere, still writing music.

Today's Listening

• Threnody for a Servant of God

Sound

Hear all sounds as beautiful music.

Haiku

Ever on my mind;
madness at the abyss,
waiting for the sun.

[Sol Demens] [A Mad Sun] (2004)

Sol Demens

A Mad Sun

a meditation for two piccolos and string orchestra.

14 minutes of sureal madness

Be sure to put on your SPF 35 Sun Screen!

Disclaimer: Listening to this piece can be harmful to your psyche and the composer will not be held responsible for any damage or bruising of the listener's psyche, nor will he accept any responsibility for any negative karma that might accrued to the listener.

"... I could FEEL myself going mad with the heat listening to it ..."

"... there appears to be no total or rhythmic structure on which to hang anything. "

"I don't think I've ever had the hairs on my arms stand up while listening to music before."

Morning Prayer

Prelude:

Darkness all around me; I awaken slowly from a dream that I do not remember.

Morning Prayer:

In the pre-dawn darkness I begin to pray.

Wasuremono:

I wander through a barren landscape in search of something I have forgotten. A name eludes me, a question unformed.

Dream Time:

I fall into a dream; paths merge and diverge, the past and the future converge, merge and diverge. A truth (The Truth?) lies just beyond my consciousness.

Nightmare:

A repressed memory strikes like lighting, heralding the arrival of dark visions. Is this madness?

Dancing:

The sound of dancing drives the darkness away. I the center of a village I dance under a pagan equatorial sun.

Sleep:

Exhausted I fall to the ground and begin to dream

Postlude:

In the predawn darkness I awaken slowly from a dream I do not remember.

Shinny Objects

Where to start? Just write!

Currently On SibeliusMusic Chat there is a discussion going on about writer's block and how to over come it, or at least deal with it.

For me, however, writer's block is the least of my worries, my problem is “writer's overload”. That is I have so many ideas and project going on that I do not know where to start. I am simply overwhelmed by it all sometimes that nothing gets done. I am not good at prioritizing what needs to be done first. And I have a bad habit of jumping from one project to another before the first is done. My fried Todd says I am easily distracted by shinny objects.

Shinny Objects ...

Ursus Demens

Prelude to a Morning Prayer

I have upload a preliminary raw mix of the prelude to Morning prayer. Prelude to a Morning Prayer. It has been called austere.

Ursus Demens

Prelude to a Morning Prayer

Work on “Morning Prayer” has been pretty slow for the last six to eight weeks and while I have little to no notes down on paper in that time, I have been devoting my time thinking about the structure and overall form of the piece. As it stood last week the piece is in five sections and each section is about six minutes long. I have not been and I am still not happy with the fourth section/movement. I have been working out in my head how to rework the fourth movement, or if I would need to rewrite it from scratch. While I have yet to figure out what to do with it I have been considering adding one or more movements to the piece. Specifically a new movement before the current fourth movement or one right after it. But I was (am) unsure what “form” the new movement should take, I was leaning towards a more electronic, synthesize ambient idea, but I have serious doubts about how that “style” would fit with the overall piece. I have come to realize that just adding another movement would not solve the inherent weakness of the material in the fourth movement.

While I have not ruled out adding additional movements on either side of the fourth movement (and I think that the overall structure/form calls for another movement after the fourth movement, or at least a substantial transition to the last movement) the only way I am going to “fix” the current fourth movement is to get my “hands dirty” and start tearing through its guts.

In the middle of all this thinking and pondering last Sunday while I was waiting for my wife at the temple (Buddhist) I was struck with an idea for another movement and I began sketching it out there in the “Harmony room” (cafeteria). This new “movement” has turned out to be a short two minute section that fits well with the rest of the piece. While conceived while I was thinking through the idea of adding a movement before or after the fourth movement, this new movement is not it. Instead this new section will serve as an extend intro or prelude to the entire piece. Unlike the following movements that make use of a far number of instruments and players this “intro” only uses the Soprano Sax soloist, the string bass, and some miscellaneous percussion (Rain Stick, Two Gongs, and a Mark tree).

Ursus Demens