I am currently working on tweaking my 1st and 2nd movements of my atonal witch piece!
for the first one that I played in class (my 2nd mvmt) I am adding in some more creepy harmonies over my repeated bass line and to increase the intensiy and changing my last chord so that it leaves the listener a bit creeped out. Also, I have decided to call it The Hunt. I don't like the title that I have for the 1st movement yet. I don't think 'Spooky' is descriptive enough. I want to to sound like the witches cave and all magical and mystical but weird- so I need to find a word to describe that.
Played my 1st movement in class was really helpful! I didn't relaly have a vision for my violin line but with all the suggestiongs from class I have lots of ideas to play with now.
Some of the things that i want to try out are the tritone oscilating on sul pont somewhere, and maybe a snap pluck - I'm not sure what its called but i just mean a really obnoxious pluck and snaps back and hits the bridge. Oh! and I loved the suggestion of havnig a note that starts out of tune and then adjust it to be in tune.
Right now I'm not sure how to make the construction less regular- i know that I 've made both my pieces really even sorta of in the construction - like they have regular phrase lengths and textures change with bar lines and stuff - so I'll try to off set that some. I wanted to created a timeless feeling but I don't think I was successful there so I might try that again.
And something I just found at the piano and want to add is having the pianist use something to skim the strings of the piano inside and hold down the sustain pedal! I think that's got the right feeling for a magical cave sorta place where a witch is brewing things!
So that is what I am working on for next week! :)
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This is a good entry, very detailed! The snap pizz. is called "Bartok pizz.", and is usually notated with a ° (tiny circle) with a short straight line sticking out the top. Will you be using Sibelius or Finale? There is probably a symbol for this in both.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have been wondering about is whether it is necessary in your titles and/or descriptions to actually use the term "witch"? I ask because I know there are practicing Wiccans around, including right here at MUN (my wife teaches about Wicca in some of her courses and sometimes invites Wiccans to speak to her classes about their beliefs; I went to a wedding of Wiccans last spring!), and my understanding is that many Wiccans are troubled by the stereotypical portrayal of witches as evil, or "hag"-like, etc.
There are lots of descriptive terms that convey a sense of spookiness that don't involve the word "witch," however, such as All Hallow's Eve, Spooky, Bubbling Cauldron, Samhaim, Ghouls, Goblins, The Dank Cave, Apparitions, etc.
Your choices of titles and descriptions are of course up to you though!
Thanks Dr. Ross! I agree I shouldn't use the term witch, the last thing I want my pieces to do is insult people!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't read this when I titled my 2nd piece Spooky! Good suggestion!!
I think I want it to be more mystical than spooky now. I don't want to portray the Wiccan as hag like and I went with the a spooky sound because I couldn't quite figure out how to get it to sound mystical - so that's what I've been working one. I am trying to make my 2nd piece / 1st mvmt more mysterious and elusive or obscure sounding now....I think I've just had an epiphany! I want to make it Atmospheric!!! Ok! So I'm going to go try to do that for next class!!
Oh! And now I have Sibelius and am working on putting my stuff in there. So far its a little hard to work, but if I start now I should have everything in by the concert!