My most stressful final, I think, is my Electronic Music final. There, we're supposed to compose a piece of music that is 3-5 minutes long, and it has to have all sorts of things that we worked on in class before, stuff like panning, sound effects, and sound recording. It's very stressful because not only do I have a deadline, I have to adhere to some very specific rules! That's not even all. Having to stick to specific rules would be okay I suppose, but I also have to stick to an outline that I drafted before I started writing the piece. I am allowed a little leeway in instrumentation and duration, but the rest of the outline must be present in the finished product!
Well, being a film composer is something that I would love to do, and if I'm going to do that, then I have to be able to compose with a strict deadline, and with strict rules. Some directors give the composer a lot of freedom. Take for example, Hans Zimmer and his magnificent score for the movie Interstellar. Christopher Nolan, the director didn't even tell him the plot or setting of the movie. He gave him the basic idea of the story, a father leaving his child, and the composer got to work with just that. The next day, he had the main theme, and that was when Nolan told him the plot of the movie. That's how such a large, epic film ended up with such beautiful, personal music. Nolan gave Zimmer a lot of creative freedom when coming up with the main theme, and that's really amazing.
Most of the time though, you'll probably not be given so much freedom. That's what I think I will learn from this challenging final. I will learn how to work within strict parameters, and hopefully I will learn how to write something really good within those strict parameters.
Another important skill I'll learn from this final is how to not be such a huge perfectionist. I could work for days on just one section of my song, but in the end, I have to move on, because of my deadline. To a point, you have to push yourself and be critical of your own work. It does not do to be complacent! But you also have to understand that even if it's not perfect, it can still be really good, and you just shouldn't end up obsessing. I don't know if my point is coming across, but yeah. I'm a huge perfectionist, and I feel like it stops me from enjoying things. I hope that as I complete this final and the Music Theory final, which is to write a 'Species Counterpoint', I can let go of a little bit of that obsessiveness.
Please enjoy this epic and wonderful Hans Zimmer!
Monday, November 28, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Ravel: Mother Goose Suite (Piano Duet Version)
Ma Mere L'Oye, or Mother Goose, by Maurice Ravel is one of my favorite pieces ever! I fell in love with the orchestral version first, and quickly discovered the original piano duet version! I like the orchestrated version just a little bit better, with it's lovely and enchanting colors, but the piano duet has such an intimate charm- just two people sitting at a piano, weaving stories.
Ravel wrote this duet for two students of his, Mimi and Jean Godebski, who's parents were good friends of the composer. Ravel was very devoted to the children, and wanted them to give the world premier of the piece, but they were too young, so another pair of children gave the premier. Ravel's composition style is usually densely layered and complex, but this duet is strikingly simple.
There are five movements, the pattern going Slow, Moderate, Fast, Moderate, Slow. I think this is an interesting way to do it, because most multi movement compositions follow a different pattern, like the ever popular First 1st movement and Slow 2nd movement. All of the movements except for the last one follow the story of a specific fairy tale. The last movement, titled 'The Fairy Garden' captures the spirit of enchantment that Ravel must've felt about these stories.
1. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty
This movement is slow and short, and is a melancholy little dance. It has various woodwind solos in the orchestral version, and ends very softly, like the kingdom falling asleep after the princess is cursed. It is crucial to get the yearning, gentle nature of this first movement.
2. Little Tom Thumb
'Little Tom Thumb' wanders aimlessly through many different time signatures, much like the lost little adventurer, trying to find his way out of the forest. He leaves behind little breadcrumbs for himself so he can find his way home, but nasty birds snatch them up! These birds are represented by the violin, piccolo, and flute, in the orchestral version. Birds usually sound so sweet and pretty in music, but it is important to make them sound as mean as possible here. The main theme is very warm and lovely, and is superimposed over roaming, uncertain scales.
3. Laidronette, Empress of the Pagodas
This is my favorite movement! It is a sweet little dance, with the temp marking 'mouvement de marche' so the tempo should be energetic and fairly quick. In the orchestral version, the sweet main theme is first stated on the piccolo! This is the most challenging movement, with lots of grace notes and rapid 16th note figures! It is very fun and charming, and should give you and your partner's fingers a workout!
4. Conversations of Beauty and the Beast
Here, a kind and mellow waltz contrasts with the bass range of the piano. First we hear Beauty speak, and then the Beast! It's important to capture their characters well, and also to make the piece really sound like a conversation.
5. The Fairy Garden
This is a beautiful finish to the piano suite. This movement is very slow, and features some of the most relaxing and beautiful melodies I've ever heard. It really captures the beauty and wonder that stories bring us when we're kids. The chord structure is beautiful in this, but watch out for those tricky glissandos at the end!!
Ravel wrote this duet for two students of his, Mimi and Jean Godebski, who's parents were good friends of the composer. Ravel was very devoted to the children, and wanted them to give the world premier of the piece, but they were too young, so another pair of children gave the premier. Ravel's composition style is usually densely layered and complex, but this duet is strikingly simple.
There are five movements, the pattern going Slow, Moderate, Fast, Moderate, Slow. I think this is an interesting way to do it, because most multi movement compositions follow a different pattern, like the ever popular First 1st movement and Slow 2nd movement. All of the movements except for the last one follow the story of a specific fairy tale. The last movement, titled 'The Fairy Garden' captures the spirit of enchantment that Ravel must've felt about these stories.
1. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty
This movement is slow and short, and is a melancholy little dance. It has various woodwind solos in the orchestral version, and ends very softly, like the kingdom falling asleep after the princess is cursed. It is crucial to get the yearning, gentle nature of this first movement.
2. Little Tom Thumb
'Little Tom Thumb' wanders aimlessly through many different time signatures, much like the lost little adventurer, trying to find his way out of the forest. He leaves behind little breadcrumbs for himself so he can find his way home, but nasty birds snatch them up! These birds are represented by the violin, piccolo, and flute, in the orchestral version. Birds usually sound so sweet and pretty in music, but it is important to make them sound as mean as possible here. The main theme is very warm and lovely, and is superimposed over roaming, uncertain scales.
3. Laidronette, Empress of the Pagodas
This is my favorite movement! It is a sweet little dance, with the temp marking 'mouvement de marche' so the tempo should be energetic and fairly quick. In the orchestral version, the sweet main theme is first stated on the piccolo! This is the most challenging movement, with lots of grace notes and rapid 16th note figures! It is very fun and charming, and should give you and your partner's fingers a workout!
4. Conversations of Beauty and the Beast
Here, a kind and mellow waltz contrasts with the bass range of the piano. First we hear Beauty speak, and then the Beast! It's important to capture their characters well, and also to make the piece really sound like a conversation.
5. The Fairy Garden
This is a beautiful finish to the piano suite. This movement is very slow, and features some of the most relaxing and beautiful melodies I've ever heard. It really captures the beauty and wonder that stories bring us when we're kids. The chord structure is beautiful in this, but watch out for those tricky glissandos at the end!!
Friday, November 25, 2016
Might Be Going to Spain...!
So my school has an international study program, and I'm trying out for it! Actually, I sent in the application a month ago. I just got a letter a few days ago saying that I've been selected for interview! If I'm going to be selected for the program, I absolutely must ace this interview. I have to dress professionally, give off a good impression, and present a tentative outline for my 20 page research paper that I will write as part of the study program.
My area of study is music, so my 20 page paper will be on the musical styles of Spain, with in-depth discussions of composers from Spain, non-Spanish composers who emulated Spanish styles, and what kinds of sounds make Spanish music sound... Spanish!
The trip is to Seville, look at it! Isn't it beautiful? I would just love to go. My dad is a native Spanish speaker, so he is going to help me learn Spanish! I'd like to learn more about my heritage. My last name, Mendoza, is Basque, and means 'Cold Mountain.' I know a little bit about my family history, and I know that on my dad's side there is some Spanish Basque. While Seville is not anywhere near Basque country, it's still going to feel so amazing to go somewhere that my ancestors were once living!
So yeah, I really hope to go to Seville. It would be a lovely thing to have happen. Wish me luck, everyone! I hope my interview goes well.
Please enjoy 'Capriccio Espagnol,' a piece about Spain written by a Russian guy. ;)
Monday, November 21, 2016
A Day in the Life: Piano Frustration
Yay, what a wonderful topic for me to start my blog off on, right? But this series is all about music majoring, and part of that is being frustrated. I would say that it's a pretty big part of being a music major, actually.
So if you're a music major, then you know that no matter what instrument you play, you also have to be proficient at singing and piano. Singing is allright, I'm not the best at it, but people tell me I have a nice singing voice, so I'll try to be happy with that.
Piano is... complicated. I love to play piano. I dream of being able to play Clair de Lune, and Arabeque no. 1, and all the piano classics. I want to play romantic tear-jerkers like Liebestod by Wagner/Liszt, and Romeo and Juliet Before Parting by Sergei Prokofiev. But alas, my piano skills are not that great.
I love playing piano, like I said before, but let me tell you this, I did not love it today!
Our recital is on the 8th of December (Immaculate Conception feast day!), so pretty soon, right? I'm playing the 3rd Movement of a Clementi Sonatine, and I'm playing the beautiful piano solo from the beginning of the second movement of Ravel's piano concerto in G major. I absolutely love that piece, but to quote Ravel...
Ah, that flowing phrase! How I worked over it bar by bar... It nearly killed me.
Maurice was talking about the process of composition, buuuut... it applies to performance too.
I'm extremely frustrated with piano, and it doesn't help that a whole bunch of my friends are extremely good at piano.
I couldn't be more eager for the end of the semester, because I feel like it's a reset button. I wasted a bunch of time this semester trying to learn Rondo Alla Turca, but I hit a wall because my tiny flutist hands are not stretchy enough to do the ol' octave stretches at that one part.
But when the semester is over, I'll be free to do whatever I want for almost a whole month! I can practice without feeling pressured, and finally enjoy piano again.
Anyways, wish me luck on my piano final, chums. I leave you in the hands on Monsieur Ravel. Enjoy this ethereal piece of music!!
So if you're a music major, then you know that no matter what instrument you play, you also have to be proficient at singing and piano. Singing is allright, I'm not the best at it, but people tell me I have a nice singing voice, so I'll try to be happy with that.
Piano is... complicated. I love to play piano. I dream of being able to play Clair de Lune, and Arabeque no. 1, and all the piano classics. I want to play romantic tear-jerkers like Liebestod by Wagner/Liszt, and Romeo and Juliet Before Parting by Sergei Prokofiev. But alas, my piano skills are not that great.
I love playing piano, like I said before, but let me tell you this, I did not love it today!
Our recital is on the 8th of December (Immaculate Conception feast day!), so pretty soon, right? I'm playing the 3rd Movement of a Clementi Sonatine, and I'm playing the beautiful piano solo from the beginning of the second movement of Ravel's piano concerto in G major. I absolutely love that piece, but to quote Ravel...
Ah, that flowing phrase! How I worked over it bar by bar... It nearly killed me.
Maurice was talking about the process of composition, buuuut... it applies to performance too.
I'm extremely frustrated with piano, and it doesn't help that a whole bunch of my friends are extremely good at piano.
I couldn't be more eager for the end of the semester, because I feel like it's a reset button. I wasted a bunch of time this semester trying to learn Rondo Alla Turca, but I hit a wall because my tiny flutist hands are not stretchy enough to do the ol' octave stretches at that one part.
But when the semester is over, I'll be free to do whatever I want for almost a whole month! I can practice without feeling pressured, and finally enjoy piano again.
Anyways, wish me luck on my piano final, chums. I leave you in the hands on Monsieur Ravel. Enjoy this ethereal piece of music!!
Sunday, November 20, 2016
What I Am Working On
As a music major preparing for transfer to a four-year school, I certainly have a lot of stuff I have to work on.
School expect a lot out of you during auditions, and the repertoire that they ask for is nothing short of demanding. My teacher is very eager to help me get my skills up to that level, and is assigning pretty much every piece that they are going to ask me for at my auditions. Which should be taking place around this time next year, actually! Scary thought...
Anyway, I'm assigned a lot of stuff. If you're in a position like me, and you're hoping to transfer soon, consider taking a look at these piece and getting in touch with your teacher about them. It's never to early to start preparing for the future.
1. Mozart's Flute Concerto in D Major
I can sigh and pine over the brilliantly eccentric Nielsen Concerto all I want, it doesn't change the fact that as a young flutist, I absolutely have to learn one of the Mozart concertos first. My good pianist friend is a huge fan of the D Major concerto (k. 314), so I decided to study that one. This piece looks deceptively simple. I mean, it doesn't really go that high (for a flute concerto), and it doesn't go all that low. But looks are deceiving. This concerto has some crazy fingering acrobatics, and there are some spots where it is impossible to catch a breath in the midst of all these crazy 16th notes. Nevertheless, it's still on the easy end of the flute concerto list, and I should have it down in no time. I have already performed the beautiful second movement with my friend, the aforementioned pianist! Let me tell you, it was a huge hit! Here, watch it yourself, we filmed one of our rehearsals.
2. Flute Concertino in D Major by Cecile Chaminade
This one was written by a woman! This piece was composed in the early 20th Century France, and it sounds very elegant and charming. It covers many different moods and ideas, all under ten minutes! I love it so much, it's gotta be one of my favorite pieces for flute! It's extremely challenging, with running scales and very fast passages with devilishly awkward fingerings. I like the lively middle section, though it gives me a lot of trouble. The piece ends on a joyful and energetic presto, and many players use the auxiliary D, which is technically in the flute's range, but almost never written in music, to finish out this amazing Concertino. Take a listen to the orchestrated version that Chaminade later arranged, it's really one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever heard.
3. Prokofiev Sonata for Flute and Piano
I actually don't know why the heck I'm learning this. My teacher thinks it can be done (of course, she thinks I need a better flute for it!), but I think it's a very difficult piece, one of the most difficult pieces ever written for flute. It's a really beautiful work though. Even in the first movement alone there is such a large range of emotions that it is such an experience to listen to, and to play for that matter. Remember that high D that I talked about in the last paragraph? Well this is a rare piece that actually uses it. In a very fast section. Filled with accidentals. Oh my gosh. It requires a lot of very strenuous work, but I know it will be more than worth it. Along with the Chaminade, this is one of my favorite flute pieces!
School expect a lot out of you during auditions, and the repertoire that they ask for is nothing short of demanding. My teacher is very eager to help me get my skills up to that level, and is assigning pretty much every piece that they are going to ask me for at my auditions. Which should be taking place around this time next year, actually! Scary thought...
Anyway, I'm assigned a lot of stuff. If you're in a position like me, and you're hoping to transfer soon, consider taking a look at these piece and getting in touch with your teacher about them. It's never to early to start preparing for the future.
1. Mozart's Flute Concerto in D Major
I can sigh and pine over the brilliantly eccentric Nielsen Concerto all I want, it doesn't change the fact that as a young flutist, I absolutely have to learn one of the Mozart concertos first. My good pianist friend is a huge fan of the D Major concerto (k. 314), so I decided to study that one. This piece looks deceptively simple. I mean, it doesn't really go that high (for a flute concerto), and it doesn't go all that low. But looks are deceiving. This concerto has some crazy fingering acrobatics, and there are some spots where it is impossible to catch a breath in the midst of all these crazy 16th notes. Nevertheless, it's still on the easy end of the flute concerto list, and I should have it down in no time. I have already performed the beautiful second movement with my friend, the aforementioned pianist! Let me tell you, it was a huge hit! Here, watch it yourself, we filmed one of our rehearsals.
2. Flute Concertino in D Major by Cecile Chaminade
This one was written by a woman! This piece was composed in the early 20th Century France, and it sounds very elegant and charming. It covers many different moods and ideas, all under ten minutes! I love it so much, it's gotta be one of my favorite pieces for flute! It's extremely challenging, with running scales and very fast passages with devilishly awkward fingerings. I like the lively middle section, though it gives me a lot of trouble. The piece ends on a joyful and energetic presto, and many players use the auxiliary D, which is technically in the flute's range, but almost never written in music, to finish out this amazing Concertino. Take a listen to the orchestrated version that Chaminade later arranged, it's really one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever heard.
3. Prokofiev Sonata for Flute and Piano
I actually don't know why the heck I'm learning this. My teacher thinks it can be done (of course, she thinks I need a better flute for it!), but I think it's a very difficult piece, one of the most difficult pieces ever written for flute. It's a really beautiful work though. Even in the first movement alone there is such a large range of emotions that it is such an experience to listen to, and to play for that matter. Remember that high D that I talked about in the last paragraph? Well this is a rare piece that actually uses it. In a very fast section. Filled with accidentals. Oh my gosh. It requires a lot of very strenuous work, but I know it will be more than worth it. Along with the Chaminade, this is one of my favorite flute pieces!
Bienvenue a Le Blog!
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| Do you know what piece my flute is lying on? |
I have another blog called Spilled Ink, but when I started talking about music instead of the stuff that I originally talked about when I started the blog, like musicals and books, people kinda stopped reading. So I figured, why not start all over again on a new blog I can use to rant about music?
This blog will have something I call 'A Day in the Life', which is basically that... me talking about what it's like to be a music major. Ranting may or may not be present in every entry. I will also talk about music that I love, and I will probably put of up some videos of me performing, too.
I also draw cartoons! At my school, I've got a small reputation as the person who draws on the whiteboards all the time, so I guarantee you that you will be getting a lot of comics on here too!
Thanks for coming on over! I hope you enjoy my blog. I love playing the flute, and I love music, and I want to share that with everyone!
A bientot!
-Monica Augustina
PS, If you come across this post, please comment the name of your favorite composer, I'd love to know!
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