# Mirror Canon with score



## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Hi everyone, I would like to get some feedback on a work that I finished recently.

It is a canon in inversion for two voices

Score:

















Sample:
View attachment IV - Mirror Canon.mp3


A small walkthrough of the piece:
It begins with the fugal subject of Beethoven's op 131 quartet, but transposed and not verbatim in rhythm. Then midway through measure 5 the first voice recites a tone row (this row is a transposed paraphrase of the row that closes Schnittke's concerto for piano and strings). After some development and a few crescendos, DSCH appears in the first voice, which is shortly afterward synthesized with Beethoven's fugal subject, while the tone row plays as a sort of counter subject. This is followed by a big crescendo to fff, which then starts the recapitulation, ending with the mirror voice playing Beethoven's fugal subject in reverse.

It was rather interested writing this, because most of the planning for the piece came from the follower. As if recalling the past to build the future.

I chose these themes as material as a sort of homage to the past. It made me realize how similar and almost interconnected DSCH and the op.131 subject are: in a way, both themes are permutations of a step-jump3-step pattern.

anyway, enough technical rambling. Any feedback would be appreciated, the score is still rough, so please point out any errors/mistakes in the score (I'm slowly proof reading it). Also, the playback is kind of inaccurate about some of the dynamics, and kind of makes it difficult to follow the melodic lines.

Cheers


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

It seems a little bit long for the relative lack of contrast, outside of the dynamics, which seem a little extreme. The relative lack of sharps, especially in the later half of the score, makes it difficult to read (G-Bf-Cf-C rather than G-A#-B-C, which, despite the A flat in the same measure, seems preferable).

I also feel the ending is a little weak, with both voices ending on E-F. Why don't you make the last notes in the lower part either G-F or Gf-F, which leaves the implied harmony less empty?


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

thanks Mahlerian for the honesty - I didn't plan out how this canon would be structured, so it is mainly through-composed, which is why the contrast is lacking (to be honest, I'm not sure how I would apply that within this form). Do you have any suggestions for making it more interesting in this regard?

Thanks for the other suggestions, I'm going to take a look at the measure you mentioned as well as breaking form at the end.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Regardless of the playback's exaggerated sforsandos, I don't think they belong in this piece at all. I do like the overall depressive mood. Perhaps a tiny touch of a rhythmic change or two could help break the early sense of rhythmic dullness, but I'm not convinced much needs to be altered.


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## Ian Moore (Jun 28, 2014)

It sounds like a deeply profound moment form a Shostakovich Symphony.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Vasks said:


> Regardless of the playback's exaggerated sforsandos, I don't think they belong in this piece at all. I do like the overall depressive mood. Perhaps a tiny touch of a rhythmic change or two could help break the early sense of rhythmic dullness, but I'm not convinced much needs to be altered.


I'm starting to agree with this as well too, I think there's too many sforszando, which ruins the effect. I'm going to cut back on some of them as well as doing some small changes in rhythm to keep it from being monotonous. Thanks!


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