Composer Audition - Three Preludes

The way they treated me... Gosh that sounds bad. You're not traumatized are you ?

 

@ Richard

Thanks for the support! I don't know if you knew this but I applied to PS about three times before this time. The first were not even piano pieces, the second, I played on a toy piano. Apparently the standards were lower then, but they still didn't accept it :wink:

@Chris and Monica

Here is programme notes for the three preludes:

These “Three Preludes” were originally written with a number of other pieces to help me improve my playing technique. The set now can serve a beginner who is looking for some easy material to play either for a concert or for practice. The three pieces need not be played one after the other, as the pieces were written at different times and were not made to reflect parts forming a whole.

Here is my bio. I know it's a lot for someone who hasn't won any piano contests, but I hope it is o.k. --Also, is the tense correct? I am attaching a self-portrait as well.

(Admin edit - replaced bio and photo by link to new page)
http://pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=3032

 

Ok thanks Riley. I've created your page and put up the Schumanns. Will do the rest later.

Thanks for your praise for PS, and for mentioning me recording your piece

 

@Chris,

You're welcome, I visited the new page and it does look nice! Looking back at it, I did make a mistake in the bio, the color of the grand piano I had while growning up was Mahogany, not Burgundy. Probably made out of wood of the same name, not just colored as such. Could you correct that? If not, it's not the most important thing in my bio :lol:

About mentioning PS, again, you're welcome and hopefully it will help site visitors appreciate what is available to them There are sites like Naxos and youtube but each one does not have the same type of info about composers and a forum for so many topics.

About mentioning you, don't mention it! When someone does me a favor I feel the duty to recognize it! And it was a nice favor!

~Riley

 

It's changed. Details like this are absolutely essential :roll: :lol:

It was my pleasure. I won't record a piece unless I like it, and/or feel it deserves recognition.

 

Ok, all of these are up on the site now (except the Strauss which I'm not sure we agreed upon).
You better check if all is ok.

 

Re:

Hi Chris,

I see them on the site, thanks! About the Strauss, we didn't agree on it, as I remember you said the una corda pedal makes the piece sound lousy or something to that effect , and I can see why you would say that. I see you put up the Bartok pieces I am surprised you are the only other person to have recorded them all and the first (with no other pianist recording the pieces in a piece-mail fashion as some have for example with the Chopin Preludes though I suppose I now have changed that )

About my own preludes, they are up and thanks for putting them up. If I could ask one thing it would be could you put the program notes on the page, and also I have a thumbnail image of the front cover if you want to use that. One annoying thing about the pieces is I wrote adagio sostenuto for the "final" score text but the no. 2 should be Largo (and a slow largo at that), as I have played it in the recording.. But that's something to note, I'm not going to resubmit another score unless I put it up on Imslp, or if someone expresses interest in another copy

Another question I have is do you intend to put me under the "composers" heading? I noticed that you have taken out some of the contemporary composers from the category on the main site, for example Mr. Larrard and Mr. Froschammer. Personally I think they are much better composers than I, though the idea of putting all piano composers into long list appeals to me, though I can see how it makes sense to separate contemporary from classical writers.

~Riley

 

Re: Re:

I don't think anybody else would want to bother with all of these. But I am cursed with the desire of recordings complete sets...

Ok, done that.

Yes we've recently changed things around a bit. I believe Monica is going post a note about that.

 

@ Chris

If recording entire sets is a curse with desire, I say it is a good curse :twisted: !

I see it thanks, it somehow looks a lot more official, and that was a fast update! I appreciate it, and now will stop giving you orders :lol:

@ Monica

I just saw it now, and think it makes a good point. I don't think a composer who composes for piano can be worth his or her salt composing pieces unless he or she has played works by influential composers with some demonstration of skill and understanding of the music. If this analogy is fitting, a novelwriter only matures as a writer when he or she has read stories from authors who have thought about what has come before and have created something new based on that knowledge. Now I am ranting.. but hopefully it makes some sense :roll: 8)

Riley

 

Hi Andreas,

Thanks for listening and your detailed response.

About the enharmonic spellings, you aren't the first, Eddy and Scott called me out on them as well. It is an issue with the program I have. My composition professor said it would be better to write a b sharp instead of a c natural, so it's a notation issue I am still trying to work on .

About the first piece being like film music this is a high compliment! I am a studying filmmaking in college (though in the future I yearn to score music for movies not make movie) so this is a special observation, thanks.

About the 2nd and 3rd yes the repeat is not really necessary and I am told the ending is just about as queer as a clockwork orange :cry: I spent days and hours on it and I'm still not totally happy with it, such is the life of a composer. Just as a side topic I wonder how long it took Mr. Strueff to write his Intermezzo suite.

Glad you were able to enjoy them,

~Riley