# Two new piano sonatas



## StevenOBrien (Jun 27, 2011)

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https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien%2Fsets


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https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien%2Fsets

I also posted a revised version of a sonata I posted here a while back, if you're interested:

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https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien%2Fsets

Sheet music for all of these can be found in their soundcloud descriptions.

Enjoy,
-Steve


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Thank you...listening now,...I know I like it already just from the markings:

_I - Allegro con brio 
II - Adagio Cantabile Apassionato 
III - Allegro con Fuoco_

Halfway through the 'con brio'. Somewhat convoluted but good stuff throughout.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Look, it's Rory Gallagher.

What's wrong with 1st movement, if you won't control the speakers you either won't hear anything from silent part or get killed by the louder. 

I would call this stuff skillful pastiches with few enjoyable moments.


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## StevenOBrien (Jun 27, 2011)

Aramis said:


> What's wrong with 1st movement, if you won't control the speakers you either won't hear anything from silent part or get killed by the louder.


I'm terrible at this sound mixing business, sorry . I just listened to it on two different computers, with two different sets of headphones, and I can't hear anything wrong. Is anyone else having trouble?


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## chopinsky (May 20, 2011)

I am not having these issues. The Sonatas are very good. They are Structured like some of the Beethoven Sonatas of Mid-Range Difficulty. I quite enjoyed the Second Movement of the First Sonata. Only thing I would suggest is to maybe add a bit of Dissonance to that movement. But its also great just the way it stands.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

I didn't have trouble with the sound. I would need to listen to these pieces more to really give an accurate critique. I like the sound of them, but from what I heard they are either quite ramblely and formless or they are fantastically structured and I just need to listen more. 

Bottom line, I was having trouble picking out consistent themes running throughout the movement. Whether that is my fault or your fault remains to be decided.  

Unless you would like to tell me it's my fault straight up.


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## StevenOBrien (Jun 27, 2011)

chopinsky said:


> I am not having these issues. The Sonatas are very good. They are Structured like some of the Beethoven Sonatas of Mid-Range Difficulty. I quite enjoyed the Second Movement of the First Sonata. Only thing I would suggest is to maybe add a bit of Dissonance to that movement. But its also great just the way it stands.


I agree, I'm trying to train myself to use resolving dissonances in my music more often. Glad you enjoyed them .



violadude said:


> I didn't have trouble with the sound. I would need to listen to these pieces more to really give an accurate critique. I like the sound of them, but from what I heard they are either quite ramblely and formless or they are fantastically structured and I just need to listen more.
> 
> Bottom line, I was having trouble picking out consistent themes running throughout the movement. Whether that is my fault or your fault remains to be decided.
> 
> Unless you would like to tell me it's my fault straight up.


It's really strange, about 30% of the people I've showed these sonatas to have told me that they can't find any form at all in them. One person even recommended a certain book on classical form to me to study, the only problem was, it was the exact book I had read before writing these sonatas, and these sonatas are practically "exercises" or "practice works" that follow the guidelines (not too strictly though) laid out in that book! The remaining 70% seem to praise the structure and form. I suppose the most "rambley" parts of the sonatas are the introduction of the F minor sonata, and the development sections, but I like my development sections that way . I think it's good to have things a bit chaotic there, as it seems to make the recapitulation more effective.

I try very hard to keep a strong sense of form in my music, not just in the sense of writing in sonata or rondo form or whatever, but also on the micro level as well. I try very hard to make sure that the music flows into itself well, that every phrase feels properly balanced and resolved, especially in the more "rambley" parts. I believe that even if a listener isn't an expert in music theory and doesn't fully understand what's going on, they still have an innate sense of form on the micro level, and that if a piece of music is just left to wander around aimlessly from note to note, the listener will get bored quickly. So, as you can probably imagine, I'm a little disappointed that you can't really discern any form in these works, but I suppose we all hear things differently, I just hope I haven't missed something. Thanks for listening!


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

StevenOBrien said:


> So, as you can probably imagine, I'm a little disappointed that you can't really discern any form in these works, but I suppose we all hear things differently, I just hope I haven't missed something. Thanks for listening!


Don't be too disappointed, I didn't listen to them THAT closely either. I'm a busy man! But I will get around to listening to them again closer now that you tell me that. Thanks!


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

I, for one, had no trouble finding a recurring themes in the _Allegro con brio_ of the F minor sonata, though they really seemed more like recurring textures. Definitely some strong rhythmic motifs going on, though. I had a little trouble following the form of the first movement, but the form of the second was very clear, and the form of the third only slightly less clear. I enjoyed the whole thing.


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