[Classical Impressionism] 3 Cirruscenes

[Harbinger]

Cirruscenes 1 - 3

This is an exclusive download to users of this forum and fans of my music (altho this isn't like anything you've heard by me before!).

I am first and foremost a classical musician (though that's slowly changing ) and this music is a set of three works set for small orchestral ensemble, namely 2 flutes, 2 French Horns, 4 cellos, and 4 string bass. Originally these were written as Piano Suites, but i decided in the 90s to orchestrate them. Like an idiot i didn't date the original score, but i believe i orchestrated these by 1999.

The casual observer will notice a definite influence by Delius and perhaps Debussy. The more studied of classical music listeners may notice the similarities with Satie's Gymnopedies or perhaps his Gnossiennes, as he was one of my major influences in a lot of my Piano Suites.

If you are not into classical music, you, as uneducated as you must be, will find this music tedious and unimaginative. Now go and finish picking the mites from your collection of nipple rings! The rest of us seniors will wait till you leave the room...

There is no need for any praise or criticism; these pieces will not be changed to suit any listener with an opinion, nor will it alter how i compose my classical music in the future. I have carefully engineered this production, as brusquely as if i had directed my own orchestra, and this is the final output. I suppose i only need to know if you will keep it with your other classical music; perhaps i can draw a little pleasure from that...

And for those who don't understand English as your primary language, "Cirruscene" is simply a made-up word conjoining Cirrus and Scene, a panorama of clouds...

[Sam_Zen]

Well, uneducated is a bit inappropriate, but I will save this nice little suite, although I'm not into classical music

[psishock]

There is no need for any praise or criticism; these pieces will not be changed to suit any listener with an opinion, nor will it alter how i compose my classical music in the future

...so basically we're not allowed to comment it in any way? (then sorry in advance )
I am uneducated as well 'cause i'm not really into classical music, but i have enjoyed this one, the variations and the changing sounds. I found out that i like the ones with percussion and more dynamic more that the calmer ones.

[Harbinger]

Praise or criticism usually has a purpose -- influence. Only children (and the ignorant) say things without consequence. But i figure we're all adults here, and i hope i'm not being presumptuous when i say that most of us here are not ignorant. With my electronic music and more intellectual pieces, i seek and cherish the opinions of all of my dear colleagues.
But with my classical and more personal pieces, opinions of this artwork seem to me take away from the personal meaning, even if it's positive. Next things we'll hear are opinions about the sky's width, or opinions about the design of the human face. They are what they are.

To be honest, i was EXTREMELY hesitant about sharing this piece. But i don't fear the rejection of my colleagues here, as none of you really know me. Either the music rings with you or it doesn't. And of all of you, i knew instinctively that the 2 who would not be into this kind of music was 2 i have the most musical respect for, Sam_Zen and psishock, but only based on the output of both.

You are free to "comment" as long as it's not praise or criticism!

OH, and don't think i don't appreciate your listening to it -- i do. Thanks guys!

[uncloned]

very nice, thank you for sharing!

my only comment would be - to not have a pause because the three pieces are so close thematically.

What did you use to realize the composition?

[Harbinger]

Thanks for listening, uncloned...

These were originally never intended to be orchestrated. I had written them as Piano Suites 69, 70, & 71. All completely separate and independent paintings (a tryptich if you will). Only in the 90s did i decide to arrange them for "softer" instruments. There are artistic subtleties with the playing technique which are not evident in the hearing of the music, so the orchestration misses that part of the art. (Come to think of it, almost all of my Piano Suites were written more for playing than listening!)

I used MPT of course, with the DSK Virtuoso VSTi, which has pretty decent orchestral instruments, for free, at least. The quality is not up to my standards, but i get my money's worth!

The pause stays because they are independent of each other -- Cirruscenes 1, 2, and 3...

[uncloned]

Hi Harbinger,

Is it at all possible to ask for a piano rendition?

I should perhaps listen to the orchestral version several more times as well.

My impression now with some time distance is like boats upon waves and the waves is the repeated bass lines. When  remember your pieces this is the impression or rather the picture I see in my mind's eye.

I've given your pieces much thought to try to understand your vision.

[Harbinger]

First of all, the vision is supplied by the title. Just fields if clouds, no land, no time, no self. Just clouds and their very slow movement....

As far as the original Piano Suites that these pieces originated from, i am even more reluctant to share those than i did these orchestrated pieces. The Piano Suites are scenes directly from my eyes, whereas the arrangements are the equivalent of prints made from the original paintings.

I hope that you don't consider it an affront if i DON'T share the Suites with you or anyone else. You out of all of us would most appreciate the classical side of music it seems, but the issue is about the control of my artwork.
When someone else hears my music, they hear me, or at least the side of me i want them to see. With my Piano Suites, however, i am naked and innocent. If i let someone hear them, the music (and the scenes, and dreams, and the thoughts) are not mine alone anymore; they are within the soul of someone else. I would protect or share my music if i knew who was hearing it, but we can't see each-other's hearts. And so, on outward appearance, the deviant look the same as the saintly. And i would rather keep them home away from the sinners, than let them bring daydreams to the saints.

If you don't understand my way of thinking, i don't begrudge you. I have a very defensive and self-centered view of my artwork, in all its forms. I am like Monsieur Pauvre -- i have nothing else except my music.

Forgive me.... :cry:

[uncloned]

Its ok by me. I was just asking.

I've listened a few more times and I see them differently than the last time.

By vision I meant the method/mechanics/means/organization/ etc of your music. I know you will be unwilling to share but I wish I had a score, especially a piano condensed score, I feel rich involvement and understanding when I can read the music as it is played for me.

sometimes I load classical midi's into sonar (or my own) and just watch the music scroll by as I listen.  While I have a mild form of synesthesia watching the music is even richer yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

It is from those sessions that I have posted select classical pieces.

[bvanoudtshoorn]

You know, although the ensemble you've chosen and the clusters in the bass would, in most cases, make the sound heavy, here, they make the sound somehow fuller, whilst allowing it to remain light. I can understand, then, why this should be an image of clouds -- light, but voluminous and opaque.

You mention Satie's Gymnopédies and Gnossienes, and I can see why, but to be honest, I think that what similarities there are are fairly tenuous. Where Satie's G&Gs tend to use the bass as a 'ground' for the piece (especially when you consider how much two-bar repetition and pedal-point he uses), your lower-end is more dynamic. Your pieces also don't have the same high floating melodies. Really, I'm reminded more of the second movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto (although, to be fair, that itself bears many similarities to Satie). I'm not being critical -- just making an observation.

At the end of the day, I enjoy what I hear, and I'll probably listen to it in future.

[Sam_Zen]

2 Harbinger
(I don't see any affront by the way, just having some thoughts)
I fully understand your caution publishing work in this world full of predators. But there is something double about this.
Here, quite some people use the western classical tradition as some kind of basic perspective.
Strange thing is, as soon as electronic means to make music is involved, the tradition of performing a score written by someone else is almost vanished.
What, if Satie or Ravel would have been that cautious ? Nobody could have enjoyed it anymore.

Almost 40 years of electronic music now, and the number of scores played by another person can be counted with fingers.
Quite peculiar, partly caused by too much different notation systems that have passed in time.
Of course an artist has nothing else except the music, so I would say, be proud of it, and don't be afraid to be vulnerable, naked sometimes  

[uncloned]

Sam, let me throw in this perspective.  The argument was made by my theory teacher that the advent of better electronic recordings was removing the necessity of live performances. Now, so it went, you can have virtuoso performances on demand and not settle for mediocre performances. And this is becoming more important as the scores written by composers become more demanding meaning less people are even capable of performing the score.  

In my opinion the format of a score should be decipher able by a dedicated performer otherwise the composer is still born.


Another result of electronic recordings is that more music is accessible - composers you'd never hear the london symphony perform have works available on recordings.

[Sam_Zen]

You've a point about the introduction of the possibility to record things. It has played a role too in this process.
I've been to concerts of electronic music in the beginning where the audience just was watching a running taperecorder. Of course this didn't work.

In the meantime technical progress has been made. A studio with 4 tons of big boxes has vanished. Things are light and portable. So the time is right for live performances again. Thats why I consider this as a different art next to a studio production. But will agree that watching someone on stage moving a mouse is not very exciting.

Media with recordings made music more accessible indeed. I was able to buy my first LP's with jazz music.
Instead of being in some club in New York. Since things like that were live improvisations, so every time different,
you could speak of 'snapshots in time'. It meant a lot for my musical education.

The kind of notation of a score of el. music is a story apart..