MacJams.com - Song: Old Friends by composerclark

thoddi	thoddi said 1301 days ago (April 30th, 2006)
	some friends... you have;) No doubt you have composing skills in the league of professionals. To be able to think this music is one thing, but then putting it down on paper... The performance is top of the shelf on both instruments. Impressive! Check out my latest song called Don't tell me what I can't w/KTB and Ingve

composerclark

composerclark said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)

some friends...
Thanks very much, Funkmaster Thoddi; I've been enjoying your stuff too,
although the music we produce seems to come from very different places on the
musical spectrum. Another reason why MacJams is a great place; I can't think of
a genre of music I don't enjoy.

Cheers!

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Tadashi Togawa	Tadashi Togawa said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)
	Impressive. What did the music scale and the rhythm express? Is it a betrayal? It chance? Walking of night by oneself. Check out my latest song called Mexican taste

composerclark

composerclark said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)

Impressive.
Tadashi,
You ask deep questions! And your musical instincts
are second to none.

Re: Music Scale. There is no "scale"
per se, just a
12-tone row, used strictly for the first stage of composition, and then,
when I began revising everything, used more loosely.

Using tone
rows to compose is arguably very old-fashioned (the technique is almost 90
years old), and it's something I stopped doing years ago, but for some reason
I thought I'd give it a try again for this piece. I tried to pick "blues-like" note
relationships for the tone row.

Re: rhythm. Nervous at
the beginning, kind of awkward, as if the old friends had not seen each other
for a while, and are uncertain as to how to proceed. The rhythm becomes
gradually more regular towards the end, as if the friends are beginning to get
into sync once again.

"Is it a betrayal?" Whoah! Are you
psychic? There's not much I can say about this, except this: When I was
writing it, it wasn't "about" anything; it was just pure music, not consciously
linked to any story or emotional framework. But the truth was that it was a
very difficult piece to write, for reasons related to your question.

"It chance?" No; I don't think of this as being chance-
related at all... more the opposite, really, although I know it can sound a bit
random at times.

"Walking of night by oneself." Maybe;
certainly the "walking bass" that comes in at the end can feel as you
described.

It's funny how the circumstances of one's
personal life work their way into one's music at times, whether intended or
not...

---
12-Tone Blues

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

	said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)
	Excellent I much enjoyed the interplay/balance between the piano and violin parts. Excellent playing and recording. The blues interlude towards the end made me think that the next thing I was going to hear were 'woozy' trombones a la Zappa.

composerclark	composerclark said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)
	Excellent Thanks for the comment, as always, very original. Woozy trombones, á la Zappa, eh? I like it! Must do this in my next piece! Thanks again. --- <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a> Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

TobinMueller

TobinMueller said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)

Chamber whimsy, Part 1...
You are going to post the other 2, right? Can't leave us hanging like this!
Nice recording of a chamber performance. So hard to stay tight in a piece
like this, but they also remained able to capture the flight of whimsy with
which you infused the piece. I think Macjams is very receptive to musical
experimentation (much more so that MTV) and classical music has long
been relegated to museum works. I heartily endorse this track and hope
for more!

Check out my latest song called Forge A New Life (MJRF)

composerclark

composerclark said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)

Chamber whimsy, Part 1...
Hi Tobin,

I wasn't planning on submitting the other two, although I suppose I could.
The third needs some revision IMO, but I could submit it anyway and see what
sort of reaction it gets.

This duo commissioned the piece about 10 years ago and have played it
many places, including in different countries, and I agree that they do a fine
job.

Your statement that MacJams is very receptive to musical experimentation is
welcome news to me. I know that some of my favorite MJ's stuff has an
experimental/explorational feel to it, I just don't know how many other
people like this sort of thing too.

I very much appreciate your enthusiasm!

Thanks.

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

	said 1301 days ago (May 1st, 2006)
	Chamber whimsy, Part 1... I'll second Tobin's request. :) --- Ars longa, vita brevis.

Cori Ander

Cori Ander said 1300 days ago (May 2nd, 2006)

Accessible to me...
Ok, count me as one accessible!

I don't dig either atonal or chance music much, but I don't experience
this piece as any of these. That is because it is a warm soul behind it,
that make it so something ordered and something that inherits ... love
... it is a grand word but that is what make it differ from, and grow
above, chance. And the difference is huge!

And yes. I can hear what you mean by blues!

To conclude; I like this a lot, download and hope more parts will come!

Also I want to compliment the musicians. A splendid job!

/Johannes "Curry" Cori Ander

Check out my latest song called Guitar test — Martin CSN (Gerry Tolman Tribute)

composerclark

composerclark said 1300 days ago (May 2nd, 2006)

Accessible to me...
Hey Johannes, thanks for the kind words, my friend! And you're right; there was
nothing chance-like about this piece. It's great to see that there are a few hardy
souls (4 now!) who seem to have enjoyed it.

Thanks as well for your compliment to the musicians. They are collegues of
mine, and they have very busy tour schedules. They went to China earlier this
year (but they didn't play my piece -- grrr!).

Cheers!

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Cori Ander	Cori Ander said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)
	Accessible to me... Show them these comments! And this: Hi China travellers, I dig a lot the way you are playing Clarks peices. It is wonderful. Why don't you play Old Friends too? People would love it! --- /Johannes "Curry" Cori Ander Check out my latest song called Guitar test — Martin CSN (Gerry Tolman Tribute)

composerclark	composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)
	Accessible to me... That's great, Johannes! You tell 'em! (Thanks!) --- <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a> Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

renecalvo

renecalvo said 1299 days ago (May 2nd, 2006)

weeping
Recently I took my girlfriend to hear some chamber music. I have two friends who teach and perform at Mannes College of Music. She gave me a funny look like... is that like House Music? She didnt care much for the Mozart but Shostokovich made her weep. Afterwards she told me she had never experienced anything like that before. So there you go. You do never know. Your piece is more like the Shostokovich, but I am waiting for the second and third movement.

rrenecalvoband
The Reason We Are Here

Check out my latest song called Firefly

composerclark

composerclark said 1299 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)

weeping
René, it's great to hear reactions from people who don't normally hear this
kind of music. I didn't grow up listening to this kind of music either; I grew
up playing rock and pop music, but for whatever reasons, I ended up
composing contemporary classical music.

Hearing your description of your girlfriend's reactions to Mozart/Shostakovich
is interesting. When I was in my 20s I fell in love with Shostakovich's music--
some of it is very powerful, and he had an extremely difficult life. I'd be
curious to know what the Shostakovich piece was that moved her so, but if
you can't remember, don't worry about it.

Thanks again for the feed back. Very much appreciated.

---
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Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

renecalvo	renecalvo said 1287 days ago (May 15th, 2006)
	weeping The Shostakovich piece was the piano trio number 2 in e minor, op. 67 Check out my latest song called Firefly

composerclark	composerclark said 1287 days ago (May 15th, 2006)
	weeping Thanks for the info! Op. 67 is a beautiful work. --- New work for <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20829">live orchestra</a>. Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Mcboy	Mcboy said 1299 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)
	arnold schoenberg would be proud of this piece.......i can hear all his teachings here from the germ, the phrase, the motive to aysemmtrical construction......i really dig pieces like these , modern chamber music.....bravo.... Check out my latest song called Heros( aclarke/mcboy)

composerclark	composerclark said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)
	arnold schoenberg Thanks for the kind words, mcboy! Much appreciated. You are obviously an individual of both huge talent and very wide tastes. --- <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a> Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Stun Nutz	Stun Nutz said 1299 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)
	)(#)(#)(#)(#)(#)(#)(# I love this kind of stuff... great work. Please do submit more! Check out my latest song called Gossamer dissected

composerclark

composerclark said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)

)(#)(#)(#)(#)(#)(#)(#
I'll repeat what I said in one of the above comments, which is that I'm very
pleasantly surprised that there are some people here who appreciate this. I
understand why this kind of music isn't to everone's tastes, but I was
harbouring the hope that it would appeal to some folks. Thanks once again!
This is encouraging.

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

kristyjo

kristyjo said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)

As a neo-romantic, this piece didn't 'move me,
but I appreciated the talent of the musicians very much, and there were
some nice moments in the interplay between the unison rhythms between
instruments, and the call and resonse. I don't 'get into' the atonal and 12
tone stuff, much ( yes I'm a Luddite in some ways, and I don't care who
knows it anymore.) but I enjoyed the end, where the jazz type
progressions were being played under the melody.

Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

composerclark

composerclark said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)

As a neo-romantic, this piece didn't 'move me,
Hi Kristine, thanks for the honest reaction! Regarding not being "into" 12-
tone music, that's fine; most people aren't, and I'm not even sure how "into" it
I am. I teach some of the seminal 12-tone works by Schoenberg, Webern,
and Berg in some of my courses, and they have grown on me (no, not like
moss...) over the years. They are fascinating studies, but I mostly don't go
home after a hard day and kick back with a martini and some Schoenberg in
the background. For most people, it's an acquired taste, and it requires some
effort to appreciate, something I'm not always willing to give.

I stopped writing 12-tone music years ago, as have most living composers.
I'm not exactly sure why I used the technique here, except that the thought
crossed me mind one day, and I thought, "oh, why not? Maybe I can come up
with something I'd enjoy listening to," and I did.

Thanks again!

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Scott Carmichael

Scott Carmichael said 1298 days ago (May 3rd, 2006)

musical knowledge
I've read the comments so far and see that many here are more
knowledgeable than myself, so I will make no pretence toward
sophistication... but I can still recognise mastery when I hear it....
music is languge that does not get interprted by the head, but by the
heart... the POP EARS that have trained us (me), keep us (me) from
understanding the vocabulary of, what might be angels... One of the
most valueable traits of MJ is that, if we let it... it stretches us past our
comfort zone... but what an opportunity to grow

thank you

Check out my latest song called Good Morning

composerclark

composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)

musical knowledge
It's great that you were able to stop by for a listen/comment, Scott. The
reactions of people who have never heard this kind of music are very
important to me. I'm never conscioiusly composing for a musical "elite;" I just
try to write what I think I'd like to hear, and as I said earlier, I
sure didn't grow up listening to this kind of music.

If you or anyone else want to compare this to a couple of pieces that are, in
my mind at least, on the opposite end of the accessibility spectrum (i.e.,
highly accessible, I think (?)), you could try Julia's Prelude, or Jennifer's Tune, both written in the
key of C, and both written for family members who are very fond of the key of
C.

Thanks for the comment and listen!

---
12-Tone Blues

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

composerclark	composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)
	musical knowledge (well, not sure what I did wrong, but the song links I just posted don't work. They are to MacJams songs 17091 and 18317, respectively, if anyone wants to check 'em out.) --- <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a> Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Cameron

Cameron said 1298 days ago (May 4th, 2006)

Shostakovich meets Schoenberg
The free-form rhythm section at the beginning serves as an excellent introduction for what follows, the faster recurring sixteenth-note patterned section which takes up most of this piece.

This sixteenth-note rhythm somehow reminded me of Shostakovich, in that driving, insistent dark Russian mood. Rather filled with angst, but not morbidly so.

This more "traditional" rhythm makes the twelve-tone row more accessable to my ears. I especially liked the rippling piano arpeggios moving upwards from the bottom range; very nice dove-tailing with the violin part.

The bluesy walking bass-line towards the end was captivating but didn't seem to fit the rest of the piece, to me anyway.....it was almost like it could have been a whole new movement which needed to be developed much more. As is, it was so short; my ears didn't have a chance to "settle in".

Then again, perhaps this is okay....it was a very interesting coda!

The loud inhalations of breath in the beginning section (to synchronize the difficult entrances) reminds us that these were LIVE MUSICIANS playing, which is always wonderful to hear.

Wonderful performance, and excellent composition. I, too, would like to hear the other movements.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

composerclark

composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)

Shostakovich meets Schoenberg
Thanks Cameron; as usual, a highly detailed and thoughtful comment.

You mention Shostakovich and Schoenberg; I associate the opening, unison
section with the nervous, irregular rhythm with Messiaen, one of me all-time
favorites.

Your comment about the walking bass is interesting. I'm not sure about it
either; it isn't structurally necessary, because the opening theme has already
been recapitulated. But the movement seemed to be unfinished without it,
and it's a way of making explicit what was only implicit all the way through,
which is that there are blues-scale references in the thematic material. Plus,
it sets us up for the third movement, which has a walking bass almost all the
way through it, and, consequently, has a much lighter feel to it.

Your comments are always welcome, and thanks for stopping buy.

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

composerclark	composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)
	Shostakovich meets Schoenberg uh, "... stopping by." (Must proof better before pressing the "Submit Comment" button!) --- 12-Tone Blues Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

thetiler	thetiler said 1298 days ago (May 4th, 2006)
	love to have you caliber here at mj, very innovative, intriguing. I can imagine Sid Ceaser in his comedic hey day having a field day with this. In a mime kind of way:^) Nice going and thanks for posting. Glad I ran into this. Check out my latest song called The Bluebird Cafe (with two other guest)

composerclark

composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)

love to have
Thanks, Bill. As you must know by know, I am a huge fan of yours, and I am a
fellow guitarist.

Sid Caesar, eh? He was a funny guy all right, and you're right, he could have
made a complete mockery of this piece, and I'd be laughing my head off like
everyone else.

Glad you were able to have a listen and comment.

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Tom Atwood	Tom Atwood said 1298 days ago (May 4th, 2006)
	Inaccessible? Let me dumb down the comments a bit: this was fun to listen to, interesting as it developed, full of nerves and joy, funny, intricate, alive. To me, it opens its arms, invites us all in for a good time. Isn't that what accessible is? 10-10-10-10 Check out my latest song called Keep Looking for Jesus (MJRF)

composerclark

composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 4th, 2006)

Inaccessible?
Always glad to hear from you Tom, and I appreciate the comment. As I wrote
a few comments ago, I am always hoping music like this will touch ordinary
music lovers in some way, but I know from past experiences that it doesn't
always work out that way. I was pretty much anticipating the worst when I
posted this, and for the first few days it got very few comments and votes (3),
which was actually better than I had feared.

Then it finally got a fourth vote yesterday, which got it into one of the "picks"
boxes, which in turn got it quite a few more comments, which TOTALLY
exceeded my expectations, and I am pink from the tickling it has caused.

Great to have your input, Tom. Go ahead and invoice me for all the ten's. I'm
good for the money, although it'll have to wait 'till my kid's braces are paid
for, if that's okay.

---
<a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Doadars Uncle	Doadars Uncle said 1297 days ago (May 5th, 2006)
	Sweet! I liked it! Portions of the sections near the beginning gave a hint of some of Roscoe Mitchell (not as random.) Great recording, nice performance! Check out my latest song called Capitalist's Drag

composerclark

composerclark said 1297 days ago (May 5th, 2006)

Sweet!
Thanks, Doug. The wealth of my ignorance never ceases to amaze me! I had
never heard of Roscoe Mitchell, so I went to iTunes and listend to clips of
several of his compositions, and I'm glad I did. His free improv stuff reminds
me a bit of Anthony Braxton, a guy I have huge respect for. Mitchell is also a
very fine performer of more traditional jazz too. Definitely going to have to
download some of his stuff.

Having said all that, right now I'm not able to hear much of a connection, but
admittedly, I still know very little about his music.

The performance challenge for the beginning of "Old friends" is that it is a
very tricky rhythm that is really, really difficult to play in sync with the other
performer, but it falls apart if you don't play it in sync. I guess it's got a kind
of random quality to it, but it's supposed to be a little like the erratic rhythms
of conversation, where two people who don't know each other very well might
not say anything for a while, then suddenly begin to speak at the same time,
then stop, etc. The sense of flow is frequently broken, but when the theme
comes back at the end, the two people have developed a better raport, and
the musical flow improves. Crazy, I know.

Thanks very much for the comment, and for pointing me to Roscoe Mitchell!

---
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Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Doadars Uncle

Doadars Uncle said 1297 days ago (May 5th, 2006)

Sweet!
He is based out of the Madison area, so I've had a chance to talk with him a
few times. He has been working with classical music a bit more lately. In
fact, he preformed a recorder orchestra in which my brother in law did some
very quiet percussion! It was wonderful!

I am a fan of obscure beats and rhythms, rock on!

---
We have a cat and a fish. Our fish behaves very well...

Check out my latest song called Capitalist's Drag

Einarus

Einarus said 1294 days ago (May 8th, 2006)

If only...
...I 'knew' more about classical music, then I'd be able to give you a
detailed description of my fondness of this. What I do know, is that I did
like this - the conversation between the piano and violin. It really gave the
piece some character, or in this case characters.
But like I've stated before, I've grown up surrounded by classical music
(especially modern classical) so this is going straight to my "Exam" iTunes
playlist.
Really nice work.

Check out my latest song called Good Things Come in Fours

composerclark	composerclark said 1293 days ago (May 9th, 2006)
	If only... Thanks very much, Einar. Your comments are always much appreciated, and I'm glad you were able to hear the conversational aspect of the piece. All the best, Clark --- <a href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20446">12-Tone Blues</a> Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Bubowski

Bubowski said 1278 days ago (May 24th, 2006)

A nice blend
I like the blend of 12-tone techniques with the sensibilities of blues/jazz overlaid. Kind of like Poulenc doing 12-tone. I'm not a huge fan of the classic 12-tone academic stuff that sort of killed American classical music in the 50's, but this succeeds by remaining accessible through the blending of genres, and the integral humor in the composition. Very nice pacing and variety of articulations and phrasing keep things moving. Thanks for posting, and mentioning it in your comments.

The latest from the archives:
The Watch for Agamemnon

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composerclark

composerclark said 1277 days ago (May 25th, 2006)

A nice blend
Thanks. I'm not a huge fan of serialism either, but there are many fine serial
works out there, and I'm glad they're there. As I said in an earlier comment, I'm
not sure what posessed me to write a 12-tone piece when I had not done so
since early student days, except perhaps a perverse sense that it'd be an
interesting challenge.

Just left a comment for your wind band/guitar piece. Thanks for listening to
this!

---
New (19 May): <a style="color:blue;font-size:11px;" href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20990">#3 from "Three Lorca Sketches for Orchestra"</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Morris R

Morris R said 1269 days ago (June 2nd, 2006)

Definitely...
... a little over my head -- I used to play classical piano a long tiime ago,
but I sure never played anything like this! The guy (gal?) who's playing
sure is amazing, though, and ditto for the violinist. For me, though, the
piano is what I focus on, and I can hear the skill involved, and the
beautiful playing. I like the part with the walking bass line, and I like it
when the tune comes back at the end. You're obviously not an amateur!
I'll check out some more of your music.

composerclark

composerclark said 1265 days ago (June 5th, 2006)

Definitely...
Thanks for the comment, Morris, and welcome to MacJams. I'm impressed that
you were able to appreciate some aspects of the piece even if it wasn't your cup
of tea. I'm an amateur in the original sense of the word ("lover," or in this case
"music lover"), but you're right--I get paid to compose, which makes me a non-
amateur in the more commonly-understood sense. In spite of that, I never have
a very strong sense that I know what I'm doing when I compose.

I look forward to hearing some of your music here!

---
New (19 May): <a style="color:blue;font-size:11px;" href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20990">#3 from "Three Lorca Sketches for Orchestra"</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

pooey

pooey said 1268 days ago (June 2nd, 2006)

Oh Man!
This reminded me (esp in the latter parts) of something I did in
university: I had worked out a jazzy bass line on the piano out of a
12-tone row, then this colleague of mine and I sat down at the two
grand pianos (gotta love university) and I played the bass line and he
just improvised. We must have "jammed" for 30 minutes straight. It
was very cool and I haven't done anything like it since. I did create
variations on the fly, but stuck mostly to the same tone row. Anyways,
thanks for triggering that musical memory in me.

As with your other pieces that I have listened to so far, I find this piece
as being virtuosic (though less than others) and atonal (serial), but
enjoyable! I love the rhyhms, the intervals, and the expressiveness (the
musicians did a great job). Downloaded! and I will be coming back to
this one. We're not worthy!!!

Check out my latest song called Wake Up (Pooey Remix)

composerclark

composerclark said 1265 days ago (June 5th, 2006)

Oh Man!
Thanks for the comment, Jim. The 'virtuosic' comment is interesting... I tend
not to think much about stuff like that as I'm composing, with certain
exceptions. "Last Dance," for example, was written to be very difficult
because the pianist specifically wanted that. Performers often ask that the
piece be challenging, I guess because they want to do a bit of showing off
when they play for audiences. In the case of this particular tune, the viruosity
is fairly subtle; it's mainly REALLY hard to keep together in the first section,
and the rest of it ain't so easy either, although it probably doesn't sound as
hard as it is.

I enjoyed your jamming anecdote. One of my favorite jam memories was
jamming to 'Smoke on the Water' with some of my guitar students at one of
my end-of-year parties. It sounds like a really stupid tune to jam to, but we
ended up doing all kinds of crazy, atonal, free-form stuff, and somehow it all
worked. One of those times in life when you wish the tape was recording.

Thanks again!

---
New (19 May): <a style="color:blue;font-size:11px;" href="http://www.macjams.com/song/20990">#3 from "Three Lorca Sketches for Orchestra"</a>

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

composerclark

composerclark said 1235 days ago (July 5th, 2006)

Oh Man!
(The links don't work in my reply above, and some of the paragraphs run into
each other... here's another attempt:)

Hi John, thanks for
having a listen and leaving a comment! I really appreciate it. I personally
don't hear the 'Twilight Zone' thing too much, except maybe in the second-
last presentation of the theme when the piano has a counter-melody played
in very fast repeated notes while the violin plays the melody. Mind you, I
haven't actually watched the 'Twilight Zone' in a long, LONG time (I watched it
when I was a kid, over 40 years ago!), so I'm probably forgetting the kind of
music it used! For me this has slightly different feels depending on what
section of the piece I'm hearing, so, for example, at the beginning it feels
nervous and unpredictable, but when the walking bass enters towards
the end it feels more settled and fun. (Not FUN FUN FUN! but just "more fun"
than previously!)

I'm glad you can appreciate the performance
and recording quality. The performers are amazing!

"So is 12-
tone composing strictly for academic ears, or do some 12-tone composers go
for a broader audience? (I suppose you putting this track on MJ answers that
question!)"

12-tone composition is just one approach to
composing, and while it by definition results in atonal music, it doesn't
necessarily result in a particular style of music. So you can have 12-tone
jazz, 12-tone hyper-expressive music, and 12-tone music that seems very
intellectually-driven and not very expressive at all. I think the last variety is
probably the type most people who know anything about the term associate
with 12-tone music, but it doesn't HAVE to sound that way.

So, to answer your question, I don't see it as necessarily something that is
only for academic audiences, and if I did it wouldn't interest me because,
unlike Milton Babbitt (who wrote a famous article in 1958 called "Who Cares if
you Listen?"), I am interested in reaching a fairly wide audience. I realize that
a piece like this is likely to appeal to fewer people than a couple of other
pieces of mine (like
Julia's Prelude, or
Jennnifer's Tune, for ex.), but, as I wrote in the description, I was
curious to know if it would appeal to ANYONE here, and i was pleasantly
surprised to find that a few people seem to like it!

---
Visit my website for lots more free MP3s and scores.

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

John Stebbe

John Stebbe said 1237 days ago (July 3rd, 2006)

A good listen
Sounds like a suspenseful soundtrack to an old "Twilight Zone" episode. I
can just hear Rod Serling right now doing the voice-over on this track,
"You are entering a dimension of sight and sound . . ." Sounds like
someone is just about to open a forbidden door . . .

Excellent recording quality, and fine execution among the performers.
That grand piano sounds especially good.

So is 12-tone composing strictly for academic ears, or do some 12-tone
composers go for a broader audience? (I suppose you putting this track
on MJ answers that question!)

Check out my latest song called NECAP Test song

composerclark

composerclark said 1236 days ago (July 5th, 2006)

A good listen
Hi John, thanks for having a listen and leaving a comment! I really appreciate
it. I personally don't hear the 'Twilight Zone' thing too much, except maybe
in the second-last presentation of the theme when the piano has a counter
melody played in very fast repeated notes while the violin plays the melody.
Mind you, I haven't actually watched the 'Twilight Zone' in a long, LONG time
(I watched it when I was a kid, over 40 years ago!), so I'm probably forgetting
the kind of music it used! For me this has slightly different feels depending
on what section of the piece I'm hearing, so, for example, at the beginning it
feels nervous and unpredictable, but when the walking bass enters towards
the end it feels more settled and fun. (Not FUN FUN FUN! but just "more fun"
than previously!)

I'm glad you can appreciate the performance and recording quality. The
performers are amazing!"So is 12-tone composing strictly for
academic ears, or do some 12-tone composers go for a broader audience? (I
suppose you putting this track on MJ answers that question!)"12-
tone composition is just one approach to composing, and while it by
definition results in atonal music, it doesn't necessarily result in a particular
style of music. So you can have 12-tone jazz, 12-tone hyper-expressive
music, and 12-tone music that seems very intellectually-driven and not very
expressive at all. I think the last variety is probably the type most people who
know anything about the term associate with 12-tone music, but it doesn't
HAVE to sound that way. So, to answer your question, I don't see it as
necessarily something that is only for academic audiences, and if I did it
wouldn't interest me because, unlike Milton Babbitt (who wrote a famous
article in 1958 called "Who Cares if you Listen?"), am interested in reaching a
fairly wide audience. I realize that a piece like this is likely to appeal to fewer
people than a couple of other pieces of mine (like Julia's Prelude, or Jennnifer's Tune, for ex.), but, as I
wrote in the description, I was curious to know if it would appeal to ANYONE
here, and i was pleasantly surprised to find that a few people seem to like it!

---
Visit my website for lots more free MP3s and scores.

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Enrique Gil

Enrique Gil said 1134 days ago (October 15th, 2006)

Lovely
I really enjoyed the conversation between the violin and the piano. Its
almost like they are in a rivetting conversation full of lively and emotive
topics. What are they talking about? their cohorts? the baby piano first
sounds? I can hear what they are saying. Then on to all the travails of
daily life, and at the end, oh well, life goes on!
Thank you

Check out my latest song called Simple Feelings

composerclark

composerclark said 1134 days ago (October 15th, 2006)

Thanks, Enrique
Thanks for your comment, Enrique. It's especially gratifying to see a
comment on a piece that has not received any in over 3 months! To answer
your question, I don't know what the violin and piano are talking about, but
whatever it is, they sure seem to be pretty excited about it for much of this
piece! Then it kind of mellows out towards the end.

Thanks again, and all the best to you.

(BTW, you have a lovely family and seem to live in a very beautiful part of the
world!)

---
Visit my website for lots more free MP3s and scores.

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

John Stebbe	John Stebbe said 706 days ago (December 16th, 2007)
	Hitchcock Sounds like a passage from a Hitchcock movie -- the actress moves around the back side of the shed -- and finds -- AAAHHH! Filled with tension, and spaces for the tension to release. Well-crafted. The piano is much more than accompaniment here. A true duet. Brings Webern to mind. Keeps you on edge, in a good way. Check out my latest song called NECAP Test song

composerclark

composerclark said 695 days ago (December 28th, 2007)

thanks
Thanks, John! Very nice of you to leave a comment. It had never occurred to me to relate the mood of this piece to that of a Hitchcock movie, but now that you mention it, I can see what you mean... at least until the last part, where the walking bass comes in, which dissipates much of the tension, for me anyway.

Thanks again for the comment, and for making me look at this differently!

Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

	said 590 days ago (April 11th, 2008)
	Nice! Wonderful friendly music. Enjoyed the piano lines with the violin very much..... Great piece of work! KUDOS! Take Care - Yeman A. Al-Rawi

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