Compass(ion) for Solo Cello

[Dr_Dissonance]

So, if anyone wants to know what I've recently been doing at University, here's an example...

Enjoy I guess?

[X-Trav]

Please excuse me while I throw my music theory books out the window. My eyes had little idea what was going on. Only you NON-HAMMERED string people know what a quarter sharp is. (Funny, I want to be a composer and I didn't even know those existed.) /end digression

I don't listen to contemporary music often nor dissonant pieces, and I've really never heard a cello do such things. So i'm going to be lost for words often in the following:

West

You really caught my attention here at 27, with that long glissando and the switch to those low tremolo's and I love that sound at 53. I need more of it. Preferably in some kind of Vivaldi Winter-esque note fest. I cant really say much on this though, considering you just threw a new science of intervals and new playing styles at me.

East

When your cello is playing eastern percussion correctly, SOMEBODY is doing SOMETHING very right. You really get the eastern mood down. My favorite parts i'd say are when the strings are strummed, as if the cello is a guitar or something.

North

This one is my favorite of the four, I love it. I imagine some traveler in a wintry scene and the slides(?) being some kind of screeching heard in the distance. I don't know, but I just love that sinister sound it gives off. If I heard this, i'd run my ass off, those slides are scary as hell, only for some staccato notes and dissonant intervals. Stay away from the north.

South

MORE CRESCENDOS.

I'm really a fan of those gliding 8th notes and all the 8th notes with the diminished thirds followed by the rests. One compliant I have though is the unresolved ending, But that's an opinionated complaint. Keep doing it, it's very unpleasant.

Great stuff overall, I DO want to ask: has this broken any strings?

Now excuse me while I go rethink music.

[Dr_Dissonance]

Ha, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure whether my more abstract works would be accepted, considering most classical around here is fairly tame...

With West, that sound at bar 53 onwards is caused by bowing really close to the bridge of the cello. It causes the higher overtones to become way more apparent. The technique is called "Sul Ponticello" (I use m.s.p or 'molto sul ponticello' to really tell them to get as close to the bridge as they can!)

In answer to your "Did any strings break?" No, none did, BUT, the performer did lose a bit of nail with East...I apologised profusely and bought her chocolates as a sorry...

Those slides in North are harmonic glissandos, but the glissando varies between the pressed note and the touched note, causing that indeterminate ghost screech type thing...

And ha with the unresolved ending, it's a similar ending to West, but the context is different, which I thought was kind of cool!

Thanks for the comments, it feels great to see someone enjoying my work!