Luna's Lament

[Dr_Dissonance]

So, I know this isn't specifically a 'remix' of sorts, nor does it have any pony based themes, but it was inspired by ponies and I feel the need to post!



Luna's Lament (2011) for Piano: This piece depicts Luna on the moon. Luna was up on the moon for 1000 years, imagine what she went through! The music represents the emptiness of the moon's surface and the emptiness that Luna feels. She then realises what she's done and feels remorse for her grave mistake. We then leave her in the darkness of space.

If anyone asks, I can post the sheet music up for it!

*edit* Dropbox is being a pain, so here's a mediafire link to the sheet music!
http://www.mediafire.com/?8yiwpxow89a8488
*editedit* A pain no more hopefully!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/34092993/Luna%27s%20Lament.pdf

[Overkillius]

It's so... contemporary. Not that that is a bad thing. My ears just don't comprehend all that is happening...

Sheets please
I was going to put this on your youtube when I heard it, but then I saw you posted it here.

[Senator Myth]

It's awesome. Now, I'm a complete amateur when it comes to composition, so I might be using terms embarrassingly wrong here. But I'm curious: My ears can tell that it's atonal, but not the kind of atonality you use. I would guess whole-tone, is that right? Or the 12-tone system? Or random chromaticism? None of the above?

Truth be told, if it does happen to be whole-tone, I had a similar idea: a whole-tone piece for string quartet or something to represent Luna/Nightmare Moon. You did a fantastic job.

Also love how you just let all the notes sustain forever so that it makes a big soupy mess of dissonance. It's amazing.

[Dr_Dissonance]

Thank you and thank you to both of you!

I would guess whole-tone, is that right?

That is correct! I've put the sheet music on the main post now, so see for yourself!

[Overkillius]

*edit* here's the sheet music!
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Luna%27s ... w=fd25791f

The link didn't work... :[ do my links work?

[Dr_Dissonance]

The link didn't work... :[ do my links work?

Hmm, yours work perfectly fine, could you tell me how you get the link for yours from Dropbox, as clearly my way is the fail way!

*edit* Put a mediafire link instead!

[Overkillius]

First I go to the file on my computer it should be at
C:\Users\yourname\Dropbox\Public

Make sure it is in the public folder.

right click and
Dropbox -> Copy public link

That SHOULD work. (if that wasn't what you were already doing.)

[Dr_Dissonance]

First I go to the file on my computer it should be at
C:\Users\yourname\Dropbox\Public

Make sure it is in the public folder.

right click and
Dropbox -> Copy public link

That SHOULD work. (if that wasn't what you were already doing.)

OH! It wasn't in the public folder...woopsie...

Thanks a lot! Should work now!

[Overkillius]

Success with Dropbox btw.

Based on the stuff you write it seems like you would like Eric Whitacre a lot. Particularly "Cloud Burst."

[Dr_Dissonance]

Based on the stuff you write it seems like you would like Eric Whitacre a lot. Particularly "Cloud Burst."

Yes, well, I like his old stuff, he hasn't come out with anything decent in a while though...although, I've only heard snippets of "Paradise Lost", so I guess I'll judge when I hear that!

But yes, the harmony for Luna's Lament is more Impressionist than anything, more along the lines of Debussy...but I rarely write impressionistic stuff. In this case I did, because it removes the sense of a tonal center, thus creating a very mysterious sound...
And I think the moon is mysterious! So I thought it worked well!

[Bagpipe Brony]

I feel somewhat akin to an arse for asking this but, what is whole tone? I'm afraid I have never had extensive piano or theory training ^^;

[Overkillius]

Same situation as you (mostly)

While I believe friendship is magic, I have also recently learned that Wikipedia is so magical that in fact it is mostly composed of wizards, fairies, some kind of magical dust, and balrogs for the most part.

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

Whether that is true or not, I believe it.

[Versilaryan]

Loved it! The parallel fourths in the beginning really do convey that empty feel and the whole tone scale gives it that alien, barren moon-desert feel.

Some criticism, though. If that's you playing it, congrats on getting most of it spot-on (there was one note that seemed to be a little late somewhere... I can't remember where it was). If not, then this'll be easier for you to fix. =P I think you could have A LOT more dynamic contrast in there. That beginning, I didn't know there was supposed to be a decrescendo until I looked at the music. That "getting softer while going higher" thing can be really powerful, but only if the last note is noticably softer than the preceding notes, especially the first.

The section most guilty of this is measures 38-43. Fortissimo to piano in three measures -- that's nothing to scoff at. You could do more with the first diminuendo, and IMO, that last piano chord should be barely audible. Triple-piano. I wish I had a piano by me so I could record stuff and demonstrate what I'm talking about, but you should get the idea.

Additionally, I think you could ease off the pedal here and there. You get a really cool background noise effect by holding it down most of the time, but there are times in the fat chords towards the beginning where it clashes with what's being played, and not in a good way. Additionally, you could let off the pedal during the big pauses. Having negative space could convey loneliness even moreso than the gaps between notes.

I think you overused the whole tone scale a little too much. Having the scale itself in the piece, at places (where it comes in measure 16 is the most guilty of this, IMO) makes it sound cheesy. When you have it at measure 32, it sounds cool because you're actually doing something with it. But just having the whole tone scale playing as a melodic theme, I think, is as cheesy as having a major scale as a part of the melody (not counting fast runs and ornaments).

And lastly, I loved the warm major you added in to the end. It contrasts a lot when you go back into the whole tone scale at the end, and that makes a really cool effect. Measures 47-48, though, I didn't like that whole tone scale playing under the major theme. It took away from the whole warmness effect you had with the major key. Maybe you can have a lydian scale under it or something? The lydian scale would keep a pseudo-whole-tone thing going without the flat 6 (sharp 5) clashing with the major chords in the right hand.

Great piece, though. I really enjoyed it. ^.^ Looking forward to hearing more of your work!

EDIT: Forgot to mention. The whole thing reminds me of the fourth movement of Charles Ives' fourth symphony, so bonus points for that. =) (If you haven't heard it yet, you really should -- it's an excellent piece of work, and a prime example of how you can contrast harmony and dissonance for emotional effect.)

[Dr_Dissonance]

Really big wall of text!

Thank you! I love criticism like this!
Half of it would be handy if I did play it, but I'm too lazy and let the computer do it...
So the dynamic contrast fail and the pedal refusing to budge is actually my fail computer skills, rather than my adequate piano skills...for some reason, if you leave the pedal on too long, Sibelius (program I use) likes to keep it down, and I have yet to figure out how to slap it on the wrist and tell it it's bad!
It was also set to 'rubato', hence notes being off here and there...

But thanks, I didn't think of the whole, "whole tone scale playing as a melodic theme" thing...I guess whole tone is quite common now, so using it in its purest form would be cliche!

But thanks, you definitely sound like you know what you're doing with music! Have you written anything yourself? I've only seen your Gala transcription and I'd like to see!

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

Yeah, that's pretty much what whole tone is, I used it because it has no feel of a tonal center, so gives the sense of drifting through the piece...

[Versilaryan]

Was that really Sibelius? It sounds real -- am I missing something, or how did you get it sounding like that? I assumed you used a synth to play it if you didn't record it yourself.

What I like to do with Sibelius is have two separate files: one that looks pretty and one that sounds pretty. I usually write it how I want the sheet music to look, and then make a separate save file where I play with all the expressions and dynamics until it sounds more like I want it to sound. If you look at the Gala transcription, those harp runs look REALLY ugly in the "sound" file. xD

I actually haven't written too much original music -- I'm working on making some of it presentable so I can get it up online. Most of my knowledgeable-sounding-ness comes from having played and listened to so much music and from knowing how to critique. xD

[Dr_Dissonance]

More words!

Yeah, I bought the "Garritan Personal Orchestra" VST set as well as Sibelius and the piano vst in that set is as close to perfect as you're gonna get!

I tend to write for live ensembles, so I haven't thought about the sound much...but I'll try that tactic from now on!

Ha ha, well, I look forward to it!