# An Art Song - old, live recording



## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

It's not often here at TC's Today's Composers that we actually hear real trained Classical singers. Synthesized voices almost always sound "sucky" and of course there are no words to hear.

I'm posting this because in recent days, I was reflecting on the singer of this recording and how he influenced me in a number of ways.

This recording was done 40 years ago. There is a pause in the middle as the piano is "prepared" with a small, tambourine-like instrument. And for some strange reason, there are some soft echoes after the song ends which is not part of the composition.

The song itself is about an ancient American Indian and his thoughts about an occurring lunar eclipse.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dksou8lpixmkvbx/Art Song.mp3?dl=0


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## Zeus (Jan 6, 2018)

Very funny you would talk about the difference between synthesized voices and real singers in your post. Listening to this, one can appreciate how horribly pathetic would this work sound if it had been recorded with MIDI sounds. Great work, didn't lose my interest for one second there, not much to say really.

The Debussy wink wasn't out of place either with the mood of the work.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Zeus said:


> The Debussy wink wasn't out of place either with the mood of the work.


There's a wink at another composer at the very start with a moon reference too. A 20th century composer who some think was a one-hit wonder.

The vocalist, who passed away a few years ago, had a musical daughter who I saw on Facebook recently. I contacted her and asked if she would like me to send her a mp3 of this recording. She did and was thrilled to hear her father singing....oh and she caught the Clair de Lune too.

Anyway, thanks for the listen, Zeus.


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## Zeus (Jan 6, 2018)

Vasks said:


> There's a wink at another composer at the very start with a moon reference too. A 20th century composer who some think was a one-hit wonder.
> 
> The vocalist, who passed away a few years ago, had a musical daughter who I saw on Facebook recently. I contacted her and asked if she would like me to send her a mp3 of this recording. She did and was thrilled to hear her father singing....oh and she caught the Clair de Lune too.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the listen, Zeus.


Hmm... I don't know if I recall a one note motif, with an an apoggiattura, which repeated in a section at the beginning of your work. Could that be the other reference? I'm sorry I can't listen to the work again as my ears are tired after a day of music...


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Well, the touch of melody around the 0:35 mark is what I meant. Rest well, O weary-eared one.


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## Zeus (Jan 6, 2018)

Vasks said:


> Well, the touch of melody around the 0:35 mark is what I meant. Rest well, O weary-eared one.


I'm not sure if you meant the lower pedal motive (b, c sharp, d b, so on) or the voice (g sharp d.... g sharp d....). In any case, tried to do some digging to no avail, I surrender. What was it?


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

*O Fortuna velut luna*

Hey, I'm about to hit the road traveling far for a week. I'll comment about your piece sometime. I like many aspects of the score but I see (barely see) some things that could improve it. And I had a problem with the audio; one ear only and distortion.


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## Zeus (Jan 6, 2018)

Vasks said:


> *O Fortuna velut luna*
> 
> Hey, I'm about to hit the road traveling far for a week. I'll comment about your piece sometime. I like many aspects of the score but I see (barely see) some things that could improve it. And I had a problem with the audio; one ear only and distortion.


Oh wow. When you said one hit wonder, my first thought was Carl Orff, but couldn't make the connection between Carmina Burana and the segment in your work. I see it now though.

About my score, I would appreciate any feedback. Of course I'm not going to touch it anymore, since it's just a student work and don't expect it to be performed anywhere, but I can always learn things I didn't notice. What I know is: 1) What the first commenter said, the beginning is very stale until the start of the fugato. It's like a boring mass of sounds. I've actually come to hate the first half of this piece. Now, the fugato I could have prolonged slightly, specially in the transition to the D pedal point, because it feels rushed (to me). After that, I have almost no qualms. I can accept someone saying the cluster before the recapitulation is out of place, but to me it isn't. Finally, the tense part before the G.P. at the end I could also have added one or two more bars.

Oh and about the sound, I really apologize for it, but I'm very bad at recordings and all that thing and I don't know how to fix either of the one ear only problem and distortion things. I could accept suggestions on how to fix that... It's not the first time somebody tells me that


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