# Paul Evan Magee - Void



## bootheven (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi,

I have been writing music for 22 years.

Recently, I came up with 'VOID' in E minor for solo piano and it is the first piece of music in 22 years I have fallen in love with composed by myself. My friends and family love it too.

Please listen to it all. Do not switch off before it is finished.

Good music by new composers should not be ignored by broadcasters.

Radio 3 and Classic FM have this music. I have worked hard to arrive at this composition and they should work hard to make it available to performers and the public.

Thank you for listening. 

http://paul-magee.com/2010/04/void-in-e-minor/


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## Jules141 (Nov 20, 2009)

Brilliant! You should be very proud, it feels very natural and flows wonderfully! Reminded me somewhat of the piano music in this film:


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## bootheven (Apr 22, 2010)

Interesting Jules. I guess the similarity might be something to do with piano technique.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

Personally, it's not something that I would usually enjoy listening to, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's a bit too simple and minimalist for my liking - Ludovico Einaudi was the first comparison that came to mind. In honesty, then, I don't really feel that I can judge the piece, because it's simply written in a style that is incompatible with my tastes so it would be unfair of me to judge it. Having said that, it _does_ sound much better crafted than a lot of Einaudi-style-imitators I have heard before (that's just to give an understanding of what I hear, I know that you're not trying to emulate anyone), and I think your spectacular enthusiasm and perseverance is admirable


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## bootheven (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi,

Accounting for peoples particular musical tastes is not easy and finding out what kind of music excites people usually depends on what people think, or insist they like at any given time and that is potentially quite random and up to them essentially.

My only concern as a composer is finding a way of expressing myself at the piano the way that I want which is aesthetically pleasing to my ears and true to me. I do not see any similarity between my music and the music of Einaudi. Einaudi writes music by Einaudi, I write music by me.

I also do not understand your concept of mimimalistic. My piece is in ABA form which is simple form, the music within it is far from simple and quite mathematical. There are 12 tones to my ear (for now) and 12 tones only. I usually use between 1 and 5 of those tones at the same time at all times and use rhythm and dynamics in 'Void' to develop the initial exposition so that it arrives at a melodically pleasing and correct place after a long crescendo.

All the classical masters used variation and development to acheive the same effects in their music although those effects were crafted with more freedom and embellishment and the form was longer. Void is not meant to be in sonata form or over embellished, or long winded. It is what it is but it is not minimalistic. The rhythms are also quite complex especially for the left hand which incorporates some of the right hand parts.

As such, the entire piece is difficult to play and requires a virtuosic and sensitive touch but you will not find any antique, victorian architecture in it.


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I hope you haven't taken my criticisms too harshly, I was just describing what I heard.

I acknowledged that you write music on your own terms and do not wish to emulate any specific composers, but no artist exists in a vacuum. Whether it is conscious or subconscious, a creative piece owes some part of its existence to art that has come before it. Even if you have never heard any of Einaudi's music before, the similarity is still there because, at the very least, you both exist within the Western Classical music tradition and are affected by it.

By minimalistic, I wasn't solely referring to the form, but also the style. The range of harmonic expression is fairly narrow and the thematic variation is too repetitive to be called 'development' in my opinion. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with these characteristics, I'm just describing what I hear. Also, from what I hear, we have very different abilities/concepts of virtuosity. I don't think it sounds like it requires that much skill - this is no bad thing, and I'm not being arrogant, but with my standard of playing and experience in recognising the difficulty of a piece by listening to it, I imagine I could learn to play Void rather quickly :/


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## bootheven (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi,

Not at all.

Classical/Romantic music is ornamental music, perhaps you prefer that style of music. 'Void' represents a break from my previous compositions which were influenced by the same classics I am guessing you have great admiration for. As such your comments do not surprise me at all.

I do not believe there is any thematic variation for the right hand, it finishes exactly as it started. The only development I felt inclined to write was rhythmic and for the left hand. I wouldn't change a single note of this composition. It is what it is and it is not easy to play well. The left hand part is rather taxing


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## prustage (May 22, 2010)

Found this quite interesting. Love the acoustic you have given it. I can see that repetition is key to this and an important part of establishing rhythm and texture but there were points where I found interest waned for the lack of new material. From 2:00 to 2:30 (roughly) all that is really happening is a change in dynamic. Nothing wrong with that per se (Rossini made a fortune using just such a device) but the melodic material is already well established and during this section there needs to be a bit more happening than just "repeat with greater intensity". Like many works I think it would benefit from a little editing.


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## bootheven (Apr 22, 2010)

Hi,

I'm never quite sure about acoustics or reverb. Although I do like to dabble using the free open-source program 'Audacity.'

When I began the section of Void beginning in B minor, I was reminded of the 'Lie, la lie. Lie, la, lie. Lie, la, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, la, la, la, la, lie.' section of 'The Boxer' by Simon & Garfunkel. I was playing 4 bars of the B minor section melody repetitively and I just went with it. Sometimes it occurs to me that there is no point in forcing music for the sake of it.

When I used to listen to 'The Boxer' as a young boy, it also occured to me that no effort was being made to vary the 'Lie, la, lie...'section of the music and although it all seemed very repetitive to me as does 'Bolero' by Ravel for instance, it wasn't unpleasant.

My sole intention here though, was to retain 4 bars of my melodic material and develop a suitable rhythm from the rest of the harmony using piano technique for the restatement of the initial theme. That rhythm occurs in the left hand where the music is marked 'arrabiato e con fuoco' and I was more than satisfied.

I have tried to illustrate my point here, from the score. There 'is' musical development from B minor onwards which compliments the dynamic crescendo required of the performer as indicated, but it is so subtle it is easy to miss it by listening alone.


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## Earthling (May 21, 2010)

Within the context of a film score, it would be perfect (the opening is certainly lovely). But outside of that context, it doesn't appeal much to me-- not enough variation in rhythm or harmony for my own taste. You should seriously consider writing film scores.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Interesting .............................


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