2014/11/16
minute-long quartet
Written a while ago, revised it recently. Some voice crossing, welp.
Also, this. Can’t believe from version 2.10.33 to 2.18.2, Lilypond changed the base of relative pitch notation and removed a bunch of definitions syntax.
There is also a piano version, dedicated to a friend who passed.
2013/10/8
what’s wrong with art music
By art music I mean contemporary classical music. I could say that everything is wrong with it, but that’s probably too glib. Instead I’ll break it down into progressively deeper reasons.
1. The soundscape
Noise, texture, gesture over pitch, rhythm, harmony. You thought serialism was information poor. Well contemporary music is possibly worse.
(Read the article)
2010/01/16
a favorite day
My favorite composition so far, on a theme by cw.
…and a mechanically re-arranged brass version
2009/04/9
2003-2009
Rhapsody on Chinese Themes
The seemingly celebratory language is farcical. It is in fact a most depressing and suffocating piece.
Terribly orchestrated in this draft, but the instrumentation outline is there.
2009/03/27
classical period music on classical period instrument
Melvyn Tan plays the same Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 discussed here on the fortepiano with, I believe, non-equal temperament tuning, too. This is quite amazing, with its clarity and register color contrast that can only be approached with deliberate care in that video by Barenboim. This recording actually makes the second movement make sense finally.
(Read the article)
