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An Homage to Beethoven: A Bagatelle of my own

in Piano

Anybody here remember back in January this year when I uploaded my Piano  Sonata no. 4 as an homage and birthday piece for Mozart? I have improved quite a bit as a composer since then. Mozart is my second most influential composer. But can you guess who my most influential composer is? Hint: He was completely deaf by the time his ninth symphony was composed and he had to be physically turned around to see the applause of his audience.

Yep, it is Ludwig van Beethoven. That is my most influential composer. Even when I don't aim for a Beethovenian vibe, there is often a part of one of my pieces that has that Beethovenian vibe. I figured that if I composed an homage and birthday piece for Mozart, I should do the same for Beethoven. But unlike with the sonata and Mozart, time is not on my side. I had more than a month to compose Piano Sonata no. 4.

But, even though it isn't known when Beethoven's actual birthday is(unlike how it is known that Mozart's birthday is Jan 27), it is hypothesized to be on Dec 16. I don't know about you, but I have never been able to compose a full sonata in 16 days. I would be lucky to get a first movement finished in 16 days. So, the sonata is out as are other longer pieces. However, there is another type of piece for which Beethoven composed a lot of them and is generally short and which doesn't follow a specific form. 

That is the Bagatelle, which literally means a short piece. Beethoven's bagatelles tend to divide into 2 groups, those like Fur Elise, that follow a shortened Rondo form such as ABACA, and those like WoO 52, that follow a Scherzo and Trio form. But that isn't to say that Sonata Form, Ternary Form, etc. aren't valid musical forms for a bagatelle as well. If the piece is less than 5 minutes in length and clearly isn't a dance piece, chances are that it is a bagatelle.

I figured that if I don't have the time to compose a sonata as an homage to Beethoven, that I can at least compose a bagatelle in this 16 day time window that I  have. Since it is an homage to Beethoven, I will be doing things like sudden dynamics, having an octave heavy bass, and having a single motive that gets developed throughout the piece, which are all integral to Beethoven, especially middle and late period Beethoven, but of course have a melody that I wrote myself. 

4 days ago
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A Christmas Music Mashup of 33 songs!

in Piano Compositions

Hey all,

Using Musescore (Salamander piano font), I've made an original mashup of 33 classic Christmas tunes just in time for the holidays. Link here: https://youtu.be/zRaazQpWrCs

I thought it was pretty cool to share, and since it's my first polyphonic mashup-type piece (as well as my first post here), I'm open to any feedback and critique. Depending on the response, I can also post the full score here soon. Hope you all enjoy!

4 days ago
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Let her go (Passenger)

in Piano

I'm looking for sheet music from Let her go (Passenger). It has to be for the piano and without the melody, so for example chords with little variations, because I will play piano while another one is singing. It would be nice if the beginning is quiet and later, where in the real song the drum starts, more powerful (for example with octaves).
I hope someone can help me by finding/making sheet music!

4 days ago
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Some cello duet (and trio) arrangements.

in Strings Group

Hello! I am a cellist & I have been arranging pieces into duet & trio form, both for use in ensemble performances as well as for students to play with me in their lessons.  I am going to upload a couple of Christmas tunes to see how they work for you. These are easily transposed into viola - cello duets & generally work very well (though you may have minor adjustments on notes that go below the normal instrument range).

Carol of the Bells
Il Est Ne - cello duet
Wassail Songs ( Here We Come a-Wassailing / Wassail, Wassail) 
White Christmas

5 days ago
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