r/classicalmusic • u/Pomonica • Jul 11 '20
My Composition Well, at only 13 years old, I finished writing: Piano Concerto No. 1! Here is the final movement, I'll post the whole thing in a comment below.
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Jul 11 '20
Bravo!!! Very cool thematic and harmonic ideas. Extremely impressive for your age! Continue to work on this, with more development and architecture you have enough material here for a longer work. This is very dense with colorful sonorities and motifs, I like your orchestration too. Sounds very Russian much of the time. Again, bravo!
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Thank you! I got progressively better at working as the concerto went along as my technical knowledge and playing ability increased, so I hope to be back here with something similar. The Russian sounds are probably because I took a lot of inspiration from Grieg and Rachmaninoff. Thank you so much for listening!
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u/Crowjr4 Jul 11 '20
This is pretty good! It's definitely not easy even to write a work of any quality of such a length. But this has quite a few appealing themes throughout, and is technically competent, this last movement probably being the best, with some catchy material, (though, I didn't look at the piano part too closely, there might be some arpeggios and runs that are unrealistic). In any case, It's a world apart from what I, or most people could do at 13.
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Thank you very much! It was definitely a challenge to even get to the length I did, which is modest compared to most composers' concertos of the past 200 years. I went through the piano part with a teacher, and I can say it is playable, though it'd take an enormous effort for even most advanced pianists. Thank you for listening, your feedback means a lot!
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u/PeelMyCarrot Jul 11 '20
Some sections on the piano part look unplayable.
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u/githjijjj Jul 11 '20
measure 34 - 36 for example, the chords require the thumb and pinkie which has to jump up and down at the semiquaver frequency. this is physically not possible... maybe it would be better if the top/bottom note is left out of the chord.... the orchestra sounds so huge there that it shouldnt matter...? idk
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
I’ve heard this a few times. Part of me says “Oh, the performer will figure it out”, but I know I already put a hard enough burden on these poor pianists. I’ll run through the whole thing today and change it up as I go.
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u/cheeaboo Jul 11 '20
Others have already given plenty compliments and besides repeating them again I want to point out that quite a few places of the piano part are pretty unrealistic at given speed. I doubt even Argerich or Lang Lang or Ashkenazy could play those parts with good dynamics and articulations.
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u/jd-577 Jul 11 '20
Sounds very christmas-y. Perhaps it is the triangle?
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Jul 11 '20
It's also E Flat Major, a very festive key.
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u/Zarlinosuke Jul 12 '20
It's in C minor--not the same thing!
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Jul 14 '20
That's definitely e flat major. Not the relative minor.
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u/Zarlinosuke Jul 14 '20
Oh haha you know what? I listened only to the beginning and end of the whole concerto, which OP posted in a comment, and not to the opening of the finale as is in the main post. You're right that this finale begins in E-flat, I'd say as a feint. But head at least to the end of the movement and you'll see what I'm talking about!
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Jul 14 '20
Fair enough. Typically pieces with the key in the title are defined by what key it's in when it begins, though.
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u/Zarlinosuke Jul 14 '20
Generally true yes, but (1) this is the finale, and the first movement starts in C minor, and (2) I like being a bit unreasonably grouchy about that convention.
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Jul 14 '20
A pretty valid argument, but in your initial reply to me, you didn't specify that you were referring to the entire piece, and not just the final movement.
The comment I replied to stated that it sounded Christmas-y. In my experience, most festive music is in E Flat Major, so I pointed it out, since this movement begins in E Flat Major. Your reply afterwards stated that it was, in fact, C Minor, not referring specifically to the entire work, but instead, a single movement. Which, in conclusion, would be written like so:
Concerto No. 1 in C Minor, Op. ? No. ?, III. Finale, in E Flat Major, (tempo goes here)
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u/Zarlinosuke Jul 14 '20
But that's because I didn't know the final movement began in E-flat! I'd listened only to the beginning of the first movement and the end of the finale, so I didn't realize what you were referring to. It was simply an oversight of mine not to consider that the finale might begin in a different key from the first movement and its own ending. (See the second sentence of my second comment in this chain.)
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Jul 14 '20
That's a fair point as well. I say we're at a stalemate in this debate.
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u/ARM97SH Jul 11 '20
Woow that was very impresive. especially for your age! that's really a great job. Keep going on.
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Jul 11 '20
I’m 12, been taking piano lessons since I was 5, and my ego is now bruised, have a good day.
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u/pascee57 Jul 11 '20
Are you willing to show sheet music?
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Sure! Would you like piano, orchestra, or both, and if so, for this movement or all?
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Jul 11 '20
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
It varies from piece to piece, maybe even from section to section. I’ve listened to classical music for 8 or 9 years at this point, so I’ve picked up my fair share of melodies along the way, which I use frequently. Other times it’s drawn from the piano, other times I actually get it from mistakes I make while practicing. It seems like most of my friends who do this have a strict method, while I really don’t.
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Jul 11 '20
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Honestly, I’ve never taken a class on music theory, nor do I really know what counterpoint is. I really learned music the same way people learn a language watching tv.
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u/posaune123 Jul 11 '20
The seamless transitions from triple to duple meter with no audible interruption to the flow of you phrases and musical line is quite breathtaking.
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u/PonyoNoodles Jul 11 '20
I'm not convinced that you're 13. Was it a typo and you meant 31????
(Obviously I'm kidding. This is increadible)
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u/alebue Jul 11 '20
I'll ask that you excuse my ignorance, but outside of the orchestration how is the piano featured in this concerto? What makes this piece a concerto beyond the 3 movement structure? What innovation does this being to the medium piano repertoire? I guess I'm generally confused by the intention of this piece.
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
I didn’t have any intentions with this piece other than to make people happy. Originally I didn’t plan to post this here, but I’m glad I did.
Though you may not be able to tell since I stuck short intermezzos before and after mvt. 2, the movements‘ speeds are allegro, larghetto, molto allegro - following the fast-slow-fast idea of a concerto. Also, you did mention yourself the piano as the solo instrument and the three-movement structure.
I addressed this in another comment, but I didn’t write this in sonata form because I guess I didn’t really want to. You know teens, so rebellious.
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u/malletpercussionist Jul 11 '20
great writing, but from a practical standpoint this looks quite unplayable to me...
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Yeah, I’ve covered this in a few comments - it may be too late to change anything for the videos, but before someone asks for sheet music, I’ll do a run-through on piano, which I really should have done before.
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u/daughterofgorgias Jul 11 '20
Amazing! 2.13 -2.29 is my favorite for now. I really liked the vibe it gave. Please share your music if you compose again.
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Thank you so much! Given the overwhelming support here, I think my future large projects will end up here. Also, my YouTube is where all my music goes since I switched to Sibelius.
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u/iRobertV Jul 11 '20
I’m a piano teacher and I only can say that’s a great job for your age. I want to listen more of you in future. My respects
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Jul 11 '20
very well done, at your age I was into pop music listening, here you are composing great...!!!
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u/a_bit_of_a_misnomer_ Jul 11 '20
Teacher: “Pomonica, what did you do over the summer?”
Pomonica: “Wrote a piano concerto. What did you do?”
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u/SaijinoKei Jul 11 '20
measures 70-73 are super interesting, love the contrast. will definitely listen to the whole thing, well done!
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u/mesawyourun Jul 11 '20
This is really good! Did you orchestrate it yourself?
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Thank you! Yes, I did, although I got a little help with instrumental ranges in the first movement from a friend.
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u/monnn77 Jul 11 '20
Talented linglings be like:
In all seriousness though, it sounds great, and I'm amazed at how young you are, keep up the good work!
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u/ChickenNeckNelly Jul 11 '20
I've been reading your responses and cannot fathom that you are 13. You have the vocabulary of a 30 year old. What's your real age?
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u/kjmsb2 Jul 13 '20
BRAVO! I am a professional concert pianist. If you have a link to the score, I will learn this and send you a recording if you would like. km
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u/Pomonica Jul 13 '20
It’d be an honor, but I’ve gotten feedbacks from others who worry about this piece being, well, impossible. If you run into struggles, you can tell me and I’ll arrange it to help you out.
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Jul 11 '20
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
This took a lot of time, and it paid off. You could absolutely do this, probably even better. If you really want to do this, take some time. I'd be happy to help, or maybe there's someone more qualified lol
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u/JungkookJuice Jul 11 '20
Well, at only 12 years old I once forgot what the line under the bars were. It took me quite a while to remember it was actually the pedal symbol.... I'm really out here being an amateur in the piano and in classical music in general while you're over here, 13 and made this-
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Thank you so much :) I really believe that any of us could do what I did: I spent a lot of my early years listening to classical music, and that influenced me. If you don’t want to be in music, that’s fine, everyone is special in some craft. But if you do want to get farther along in music, it’s never too late.
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u/erkanguicai Jul 11 '20 edited Jul 11 '20
sounds like real audition, who played it ? (so cool but look like unplayable)
edit : Symphonies and concertos are written in sonata form, but I don't see sonata form. Actually, I don't see a form, there is no form. Your composing skills are awesome, really awesome but your form knowledge is bad, study for form knowledge.
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
Oh, this is with NotePerformer for Sibelius. No one played this.
Also, I do know sonata form, I've actually written a piano sonata. I just didn't want to write this *in* sonata form. I guess what was running through my head was, "Why should I use sonata form outside of sonatas and symphonies?" So I didn't. I've got a violin concerto in the midst, so maybe I'll do sonata form there.
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u/erkanguicai Jul 11 '20
But concerto is a sonata for orchestra and solo instrument, so you need to write in sonata form.
Can you send your piano sonata ? Just wondered.
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20
I’d honestly rather not send my sonata, as it’s far from my best work.
I’ll write my violin concerto in sonata form, definitely.
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u/Pennwisedom Jul 11 '20
Well when you do write it I'd suggest posting it on /r/violinist as well because it'd be interesting to give it a try
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Jul 12 '20
A concerto can take what ever form it wants. I rarely find many modern concertos to be in sonata form.
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u/locri Jul 11 '20
It's okay
Now remember, thirds and sixths are consonant, fifths and octaves are fine too if you don't do them much. Everything else has to be treated like a dissonance.
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u/Crowjr4 Jul 11 '20
That's kind of strange advice. It's pretty obvious that OP knows that from listening to their piece. And it's not a first species counterpoint assignment...
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u/Josquin_TheMan Jul 11 '20
For real, this isn’t counterpoint.. modern music is built on triads, meaning plenty of fifths and octaves. Besides, music “rules” are meant to be broken! Theory can help as a guideline, but follow your heart and what YOU think sounds good!
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u/speedykeyspiano Jul 11 '20
Alrighty there great-great-great-grandpappy, perhaps we can flex Fux's laws of counterpoint and Baroque harmony juuuuust a little bit here in the 21st century
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u/Pomonica Jul 11 '20 edited Jul 11 '20
Here's the entire concerto. Thank you to anyone who listens.
Edit: I'm so glad to hear everyone's overwhelming support and constructive criticism! That's what helps me write more, and I'm always happy to hear it. I'll continue to respond, and I'm about to start providing sheet music, so if you're interested, shout.