# What are the more interesting pieces to analyse as a composer ?



## Praeludium (Oct 9, 2011)

Hello,

I'd be curious to have your thoughts about that. 
It seems to me that great (and even "just" good/decent) composers always knew very well how their peers worked before them, as well as during their time. For instance, in an interview with him I read, I noticed Dutilleux seemed to know very well and deeply pieces such as Ravel's SQ or Debussy's Pelleas et Mélissandre...

So, I'm on my way with getting to know as deeply as I can the music I admire the most.
ATM, my list includes (I don't have a particular order or time limit, those are just the piece I feel I must know before saying "I'm a composer") :
*Bach* : Inventions, Sinfonias, WTC, Art of the Fugue - because he intended them to be peadagogical pieces for writing as much as for playing if I'm right. 
*Haydn* : late SQ, late piano sonatas, late symphonies

That's at least what I'd like to have done before I try to enter in a conservatory to study composition. I know those are two "classic" choices, but I'm seeking for other pieces who would be particularly interesting to analyse, staying in a doable difficulty range (I'm not partisan of a superficial pseudo-analysis).

Thanks for the replies


----------



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

There's a wonderful piece by Ligeti, the "Hamburg Concerto". I have learned a lot about the use of percussion and colors in the context of modern music. The good thing is that the chamber ensemble is small, but sufficient. Ligeti uses there all his tricks, but in a very simple and effective way.
Here you have the free (but legal) score: http://www.schott-music.com/shop/resources/perusal_score_files/165679/MDS_165679.pdf

The movements I particularly studied are III, IV (the second part), and VI.
I used some of those ideas in my piece, "Chamber suite".


----------



## kitaro (Mar 6, 2012)

If you try to enter a conservatory to study composition, I would recommend you the following composers/styles:


- Absolutely Bach: 

His chorals are excellent to learn harmony: I actually learned modulation reading his chorals. If you are pianist, the best way to learn them is to play them at the piano and try to analyze them at real-time. This helps you "feel" the tonality, chord functions and chord progressions.

His fugues are excellent for counterpoint. They are more difficult to play on piano, but you can analyze them on paper: Try to find all subjects, modulations, ...

- Mozart:

His style is simple and clear. The best composer to learn classical style. I recommend his piano sonata, string quartets, and symphonies.

- Schumann:

His lieder are excellent to learn romantic style. He uses lots of chords that Bach, Mozart or Beethoven did not use. His music is more difficult to analyze, but will show you lots of new possibilities.


These are the three composers which are studied most in conservatories. The best way to learn is to listen music: Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Fauré, ... and the atonal composers of course, but I really recommend to start with the tonal music.


----------



## Praeludium (Oct 9, 2011)

aleazk -> thanks for the link and the advice  I confess I've never listened to this particular Ligeti piece.

kitaro -> It sounds like what I'm doing in my harmony lessons  Mozart, Schumann and chorals (this year it looks like I won't be doing much chorals that said). His fugues are a little bit too much for me now ! I could do it of course but I don't feel my ear and my understanding of music is developped enough to really understand a fugue from the WTC or the AoF.
Thanks ofr the tip !


----------



## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

Handel, Messiah, Harpsichord suites (Note the difference in the way Handel and Bach write for voice, keyboard and contrapuntally, especially when writting fugue)
Bach Passacaglia and fugue in c minor
Mozart, Symphonies especially 40 and 41.
All the Beethoven Symphonies
Schuman, Dichterliebe
Brahm Symphonies
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde (especially the prelude), Der Ring Des Niebelung, not chord by chord but the leitmotiv orgnaization and the over arching form and direction. 
Debusy, standard piano works, La Mer
Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Soldiers Tale, Symphony of Psalms.
Shostakovich, 8th string quartet, Symphonies 1 and 5. Preludes and fugues.
Prokofiev sym 5
Hindemith Matis der Mahler, symphony
Read the orchestration works by Berlioz, R. Strauss and Rimsky-Korsakov. Listen to their works with a score to see what they are talking about.


----------



## WavesOfParadox (Aug 5, 2012)

Webern. I don't think I've ever seen a composer that has such condensed, complex, and layered music.


----------

