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Description:
I started this about 10 years ago, and made sporadic attempts to continue it over the years, but could never really get beyond the first 30 seconds or so, until...
I decided to get into a Jacobean wrestling match with this last summer, intending to finish it no matter what (within reason, of course; I didn't want to end up with a dislocated hip, as Jacob did!), thinking there might be about a 3-minute piece here. Except that it was a fairly monumental wrestling match, lasting something like 5 months, during which lots of re-writes and edits took place. But I finally finished it, and it's about 9 minutes long.
A few features that may be of interest:
•There is almost constant 16th note motion from beginning to end;
•It is tonal, but has some pretty freaky modulations!
•The left hand often has to play in the middle of the right hand's notes; the hands are literally right on top of one another at times, requiring fairly gymnastic hand choreography on the part of the pianist;
•It is REALLY hard to play, despite the simple sounding opening;
•It is a kind of stylistic hodgepodge, evoking at various times minimalism, Haydn, Bach, Gershwin, Joplin (at the very end), and maybe others as well.
•It's a crazy piece. And,
•The pianist is my colleague and friend, Kristina Szutor, who is one of this country's finest.
•This is a live performance; one take, no edits.
Other submissions with Kristina Szutor as pianist:
Jennifer's Tune
Late Night Music
Last Dance
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Dream Dance &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:08:48 AM
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I've fallen and can't get up! I'm in complete awe at the masterful playing of Kristina Szutor - and in ONE TAKE - holy smokes. What an incredible achievement, what TALENT! As a pianist, I can hear how impossible this would be to play - and yet - there she is doing it like it's child's play, with perfect dynamics. The composition is exquisite and we are all so lucky that you had this gargantuan wrestling match and came out the other end with this wonderful masterpiece. Congratulations to you both - I humbly bow at the feet of the master(s)! THANK YOU! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:46:30 AM
Thanks for your enthusiastic response, Karen! I really appreciate it. If it's any consolation, I am equally in awe of Kristina's abilities. When she began playing this performance, I thought, "oh no! She's going too fast!", fearing that she might therefore stumble along the way, but nope, never happened, not even once. She is amazing. [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:11:37 AM
I can't find words to say something about this more then this is so beautiful and dramatic writhing it's mind-blowing.. Kudos [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:49:36 AM
Beautiful &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:18:19 AM
This is just a gorgeous creation. I would love to be able to play piano like this. Did she ever miss a note? Oh my...Incredible! You sir, to have written such a wonderful composition - are fantastic! Kudos to you. Seriously Amazing... [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:55:19 AM
Thanks for the lovely comment, Gail! I just left one for you latest; you play beautifully. [ Reply to This ]
DL &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:20:03 AM
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:58:58 AM
Thanks very much for listening, and leaving a kind comment. I just left a comment for your latest. [ Reply to This ]
Lard Thunderin'! &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:57:11 AM
Is Kristina from St. John's as well? If so, I had no idea there were such huge talents in my old home town, with a a master composer and virtuoso pianist.
All aspects of this are masterful. It's at a higher realm than where I hang out so any critiquing I could possibly do would just be me talking out of... well, you know! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 10:28:49 AM
She's some shockin' good, she is! Whatta ya at b'y?
Kristina has lived here for 17 years, but she's originally from Vancouver, then studied at some place called Juilliard before moving here. We have amazing musicians here; yes b'y!
Thanks for the comment. I's busier than a hen haulin' wood. [ Reply to This ]
Wow &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:57:32 AM
Not just a wrestling match, but a complete firehose of creativity gushing forth here... and what an accessible piece (for these stick-in-the-mud ears who generally cannot sit still for Debussy.) The whimsy and power are quite strong in this. And the piano playing is superb. You should be EXTREMELY proud to have created this, and have it performed so beautifully... I really ennjoyed the writing and performance, and it is SOOOOO good to see another piece from you! Thank you for sharing this gem.
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:34:41 AM
I'm really pleased that you were able to have a listen, Eduard. Thanks for leaving such a supportive comment! I realized recently that it's been a long time since my last submission (to MacJams, that is; I submit in other ways on a daily basis) - about 8 months - so I thought I'd better do something about that. I'm glad you liked it! [ Reply to This ]
I am reminded of... &mdash 04/09/08 - 10:06:50 AM
Gattica (the movie) where they attend a piano concert where the pianist plays a piece that can only be played with 12 fingers (genetic modification).
This blows my mind. I am in awe over the composition and the performance! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:28:39 AM
Thanks, Mark! I'll have to find and watch Gattica now; you've intrigued me! I really appreciate your comment. I just left one for one of yours as well. [ Reply to This ]
This is &mdash 04/09/08 - 10:25:24 AM
just a fantastic piece.What like about it:
1.Many contrasting elements-blues riffs,diatonic passages,whole tone scales,block chords,counterpoint,all integrated incredibly smoothly together.
2.I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next.
3.There is deep feeling inherent in this music.
4.I just love the way you alternate dissonance and consonance-kind of like going down a river in a raft, smooth for awhile, ease into some rapids back to smooth.
When I used to play classical guitar I loved playing Leo Brouwer's music(Like El Decameron Negro) for some of the same reasons.This is every bit as good as anything I ever heard from him.Very few things on this site really deserve straight 10's (definitely none of my stuff)but this absolutely does!I am placing a spell on this post to shield it from vote bombing.Ridiculous ly good performance as well. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:42:35 AM
Wow. You have a highly-developed ear! Everything you mention was something I deliberately tried to incorporate into the piece. The unpredictability thing is fascinating to me; I tell my composition students that the tension between the predictable and the unpredictable is present in pretty much all music, and one of the tasks for composers is to learn how to use this tension to their advantage. There is a certain comfort in predictability, but too much of it and we tend to become bored. Likewise, too much unpredictability and the listener can get lost and lose interest. So, one of the goals for me in this piece was to have predictable elements (the repeated oscillating thirds, themes coming back) with unpredictable ones (when the main theme comes back it is changed every time).
Thanks for hearing all this! [ Reply to This ]
It's about time &mdash 04/09/08 - 10:52:02 AM
10 years in the making ! And yet it seems so spontaneous, simple, nearly as if improvised.
I would love to know what you were wrestling with: the counterpoint, the unity of the piece, or just a sense of something not being quite right ?
In any case, it was well worth the effort. The piece is really beautiful, and flows seamlessly from start to finish. Glad you are back, and uploading.
[ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:19:06 AM
Thanks for your comment and questions!
My Jacobian wrestling match was over how to continue beyond the first 30 seconds. That's the point where the minimalist -pattern arpeggios come in, with shifting accents every bar. Initially they went on for about 3 pages, and I therefore thought that the focus of the piece would be minimalist.
But somehow that didn't feel right; why open the way it does (conventional theme and accompaniment treatment, regular phrasing) if the piece is going to suddenly become minimalist? Also, I was having a tough time figuring out how to get out of the minimalist material, so I'd try different things every now and then -- I'd go over a year without even looking at the piece sometimes -- and get frustrated, and file it away so that I could make better progress on whatever other piece(s) I was working on.
Then last summer I just became very obstinate about the whole thing and tried the tried and true 'bashing one's head against a brick wall' approach until I finally felt as if the piece was going somewhere, but even then it took another 5 or so months to get it finished. It just kept spinning off into different directions, and I felt like I was constantly trying to rein it in to maintain some thread of unity throughout.
Probably more info than you wanted, but thanks for asking! [ Reply to This ]
No, not too much info, &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:38:46 AM
I%u2019m really fascinated by the creative process, especially when things don't go smoothly.
My personal experience when I get stuck is to add more and more, and force things into different directions, to try and get a fresh perspective. In the end, I usually have to ditch the piece because it just turns into an over-complicated minestrone.
I think it's admirable that you manage to pull off something like this, which sounds so spontaneous, and fresh when in reality it was anything but.
Hopefully I can learn from this. Thanks. [ Reply to This ]
--> &mdash 04/09/08 - 11:53:34 AM
There are a lot of romantic notions surrounding the process of composition; one of them is that a work comes to the composer fully formed, in a blinding flash of inspiration. You can be out for a walk in the woods, when - BOOM - you are felled by inspiration, and can't wait to get home to write the whole piece out.
I don't believe it ever happens this way, at least not for pieces of any substantial length. There are times when the musical ideas come more easily than others, and some individuals seem to have more of these 'inspired' times than others, but one of the other things I try to impress on my composition students is that it is often, perhaps even mostly, a struggle, but you just have to tough it out. For me, composing is mostly an unenjoyable experience - a colleague of mine says you have to be a masochist to be a composer, and I think there is at least some truth to that! - but I keep at it because I know that if I persist I will eventually come up with something that I like, and be glad (or at least not mind so much) that I went through the struggles that I did.
[ Reply to This ]
Just &mdash 04/09/08 - 12:27:54 PM
Awe inspiring.... wonderful musicianship and a wonderful piece of music too... words fail me, except to say we're privileged to hear it here at MJ, regards M [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 03:36:25 AM
Thanks very much, Maurice. You are a terrific singer and musician, and we're privileged to have you here at MacJams too! Cheers. [ Reply to This ]
Some Dream &mdash 04/09/08 - 02:01:05 PM
More like being chased by a roller coaster car. Wow!
I love the Gershwin feel to this. It caught me right away.
Terrific piece, Clark and Kristina did an amazing job of dancing on the keys. I'm glad you stuck with this one. It really paid off. It gives me new hope for the hundreds of tunes I have in my musical Job Jar. ;)
--- Joe
[ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 03:41:37 AM
Thanks Joe. Roller-coaster, eh? I have been thinking for a while that "Dream Dance" isn't actually a very good title for this piece, and Kristina agrees, but I keep drawing blanks when I try to figure out what a good title would be. Maybe something to do with roller-coasters? Now you've got me thinking...
Musical job jar is a good name for it; the place where unfinished musical scraps go. I've been calling it my musical blue box (recycling bin), but I like your name for it. Thanks again. [ Reply to This ]
Amazing work &mdash 04/09/08 - 02:37:31 PM
in the last few months I kind of nosed around some other music sites, that pretty much settled me here in the end... no where on the web did I find any site, which claims to be amateur, and still produce such consistently brilliant professional, interesting and provocative work... you certainly ad gravity to MJ... real credibility... and a hail and hearty bow to Kristina... that was some performance.. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 03:50:42 AM
Thanks, Scott. I'm always happy to hear your comments, and glad you found that MacJams is your music site of choice. I looked at a few other sites too, nothing wrong with that, but none of them really stuck with me... I haven't been active here for a long time, but I still regard MacJams as my musical home in terms of internet sites, and I think a good part of the reason is that I feel I have some good (virtual) friends here, as well as the fact that there are so many amazing musicians here, like yourself. Glad you enjoyed the piece! [ Reply to This ]
Astounding composition... &mdash 04/09/08 - 03:13:47 PM
...and performance.
How lovely and generous of you to post it here to share :)
Thank you.
What a talent you have! This is marvelous!! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 03:57:42 AM
Thanks, Mysti-Cat. Very nice of you to say, but I think the real generosity here is in leaving such encouraging comments, which I appreciate deeply. You are very kind! [ Reply to This ]
as magnatone &mdash 04/09/08 - 03:58:11 PM
said this really is something. Such a creative avant gar-de of a tune.
Way to Go! I thought it was you playing then I read that you have Kristina Szutor play, wow! Sounds totally pro to me. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 04:01:33 AM
Thanks Bill. Definitely not me playing! I play a little piano (a very small one, that is, heh heh!), but certainly nothing approaching Kristina's level. I'm actually a guitarist like yourself, and I've been enjoying and admiring your music ever since I got here 2+ years ago. Glad you liked it! [ Reply to This ]
Dream Dance &mdash 04/09/08 - 05:27:12 PM
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 04:03:40 AM
Thanks, Mr. McBlues! You are a true blessing to this site, always generous and supportive! [ Reply to This ]
Dude... &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:28:40 PM
This is what tens are FOR...
Clark, this is a stunningly lovely composition, and, not being a pianist, I can only guess at its difficulty... but Kristina doesn't play it with any trace at all of that fussy "here I am playing a difficult classical piece" vibe. No hauteur, no trace of gymnastics/athletics...
And that let's it, as a piece, not founder in that, "Gee, I'm a difficult classical piece" realm, either...
It ends up having an unbounded, free, open, spacious sound... Wonderful gift from you to her of a piece she gets to inaugurate in such wonderful form, and wonderful gift from her to you in the way that it comes to life here... Hopefully puts paid to any notions of living out the rest of your days saying, "If ONLY I could hear this fully realized..."
Now you'll have to be crotchety about something else.
With respect and admiration, and I still want your brain,
Ed
[ Reply to This ]
And I'm having this fantasy... &mdash 04/09/08 - 09:34:11 PM
That in a hundred years, when this is one of those pieces everyone knows in the classical music canon, one of those ones that people use as their audition piece and that kids write term papers on, my grandson will note in the margin of something that I was among the lucky ones who got to hear this recording on MacJams...
Kind of like being a signer of the Declaration of Independence or something... [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 04:15:50 AM
Wow! You are an exceptionally supportive human being; you're clearly in the right profession! I am flattered silly to read your enthusiastic comments. They contrast markedly with the comments I received the night the piece was actually played, when some colleagues averted their eyes and said nothing as they walked past me at intermission (I was thinking, 'it wasn't THAT bad, was it??? Or maybe it was?'), and other said things like, 'Okay!' or "She (Kristina) did a pretty good job with that, I'd say" and similar non-committal expressions of non-commitment. Oh well. But you can probably see why I appreciate the feedback I get here so much... [ Reply to This ]
I am in awe &mdash 04/10/08 - 12:10:01 AM
I cannot for the life of me understand how a piece like this can be written. And it seemed like you felt the same way for some amount of time. The finished product is a wonder (as is your performer).
Composing a piece like this takes a thousand times the knowledge I possess. I am stunned. Congratulations, Professor Ross. What an achievement...
And it's great to have you back on the site. Welcome home. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/10/08 - 04:21:15 AM
Patrick, I was hoping you'd be able to have a listen, so and I'm thrilled you were able to do so and leave a comment! And very glad you liked it, obviously! Thanks so much. [ Reply to This ]
nice hodgepodge &mdash 04/10/08 - 05:55:00 AM
This piece really works and is a very satisfying listen. I definitely heard the Bach and Gershwin sounds. The perpetual motion reminds me of Prokofiev. Amazing performance by your friend. I definitely need to check out more of your music soon!
chip [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:21:52 AM
Thanks, Chip! Prokofiev, eh? I'm not sure I hear that, but it's possible; I'll think on this some more! I just left a comment for a wonderful work of yours (your latest) that I just heard. [ Reply to This ]
Prokofiev &mdash 04/11/08 - 06:59:40 AM
Well only in the motoric feeling that most of his music has.
This really is great!
chip [ Reply to This ]
got it! &mdash 04/19/08 - 05:25:30 AM
dream dance &mdash 04/10/08 - 06:46:42 AM
I never really listened to piano music until joining Macjams but I'm getting in to it now. I like things that leave you guessing and it was impossible to guess where this was going from minute to minute. It sounded like 4 hands on the key board to me! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:37:04 AM
Thanks very much for your nice comment, and a belated welcome to MacJams! You play guitar beautifully; I just left you a comment on your latest submission. [ Reply to This ]
Loitering on the way and blue sky. &mdash 04/10/08 - 08:28:59 AM
I imagined a happy loitering on the way.
And, bright impressive.
Wonderful painting.
[ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:47:06 AM
Thanks very much Tadashi! It is always nice to read your poetic comments. [ Reply to This ]
I'm no virtuoso... &mdash 04/10/08 - 12:00:26 PM
...but I studied piano for awhile and have followed/loved it since childhood. This is spectacular and you're right: VERY hard. Please give my praise to Ms. Szutor. Fantastic combination of technique and interpretation.
You like Debussy, I bet...? Woven in very nicely along with all the other influences that make up who and what is you and your music. Great piece, Clark. Great piece....
Bob [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:51:00 AM
I thank you for your nice comment, Bob! Always nice to hear from you. And yes, I am a Debussy fan (hard to imagine anyone NOT being a Debussy fan!), so maybe you hear some of him here... there are certainly a few whole tone scales and augmented chords in there. Thanks again! [ Reply to This ]
A gorgeous combination... &mdash 04/10/08 - 12:22:46 PM
of precision and passion. I love the constant restless movement and sometime syncopation of this. Tonal yet consistently fresh and very playful. It's been way too long between postings up here Clark.
This isn't always a compliment but at least to my ears this is a very accessible piece that can be enjoyed by just about everyone.
Thanks for such a wonderful treat!
Best,
Charlie
[ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:53:35 AM
Accessible is good! I don't mind that comment at all! I know that accessibility seems to have been the least of concerns for many 20th-century composers, but it's definitely important to me. Thanks for having a listen, Charlie! [ Reply to This ]
remarkable &mdash 04/10/08 - 02:42:56 PM
CC, kudo's to you for wrestling this down. Its an absolute joy to listen to. Innovative, with a delightful progression. Kristina is a wizard. I really dig the rythymic 16th note drive. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 04:58:19 AM
Thanks KTB! You have one of the most intriguing names here at MJ's. You're music is wonderful, and I'm glad you liked this! [ Reply to This ]
10 years? &mdash 04/10/08 - 06:35:09 PM
This is pretty good for such a rush job. Next time I really think you should take your time and make the most of your obvious talents...
Really, though- I don't have enough technical knowledge to critique this effecively. But I don't have to be an expert on anything to know that this was/ is an extremely enjoyable creation and a delight to listen to... and listen to... and listen to... and.. well, you get the idea. Absolutely stunning writing and an other-worldly performance.
Bravo! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 04/11/08 - 06:05:31 AM
ha! You have made me realize that a much better song description for this would have emphasized that is was indeed a rush job, like:
"I wrote this while hammered out of my gourd one day -- at least I think I wrote it, but, to be honest, I can't remember! -- and it took all of about 5 minutes. Or was it 6? It would undoubtedly have been better if I'd bothered spending more time on it, but frankly, I stopped giving a damn about anything back in 1967 (or was it '68?), when I discovered that, contrary to what my mother had been telling me, I wasn't a handsome prince, but an ugly toad. Or was it an evil weasel? No, pretty sure it was the toad... Anyways, the point is that ... what we're we talking about again?"
Thanks for your comment! [ Reply to This ]
Lost for words &mdash 04/11/08 - 03:01:29 AM
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