Meeresboden

[CelestialPhantasm]

It is not exactly fan art, but I just finished a weblog entry about how a song of mine was inspired by Chrono Trigger:

http://stephanperez.tumblr.com/post/7735427046/schneekreis-2009-6-meeresboden-sandra

It is part of a cycle of ten songs.  The third song's title is also a germanisation of the name of a track from the Chrono Cross OST ("leaving the body"), though I would hardly call it a remix.

http://stephanperez.tumblr.com/post/7468869862/schneekreis-2009-3-den-korper-verlassen-sandra

[CelestialPhantasm]

I hate to complain, but I would have preferred it had someone posted "you call this music?" or "this isn't really fanart" instead there being absolutely no replies.

[tushantin]

Actually, I'm usually the first to notice, but somehow this thread slipped under my radar (eProject and stuff). Whoops! 

Ah, I can't seem to hear the music. Seems to return an error constantly...

[Mr Bekkler]

I never saw this either. Neat!

[CelestialPhantasm]

Actually, I'm usually the first to notice, but somehow this thread slipped under my radar (eProject and stuff). Whoops! 

Ah, I can't seem to hear the music. Seems to return an error constantly...

Try it at Myspace.  Here is the song from the first post: http://www.myspace.com/stephanperez/music/songs/schneekreis-6-meeresboden-75568047

and from the second: http://www.myspace.com/stephanperez/music/songs/schneekreis-3-den-k-rper-verlassen-75568014

[tushantin]

Okay, heard em. 

These are just my opinions, so do take them with a pinch of salt and I could be wrong. The first one I found it hard to appreciate because the vocals sounded to me as an artificial feel of gargling water. The second one, on the other hand, I got hooked onto the potency of the vocals. It was a good practice, but it felt unfinished; the pitch and composition still needs a lot of work in case you're hoping to use it in future works.

Good luck! 

[CelestialPhantasm]

Okay, heard em.

Thank you for listening.

The first one I found it hard to appreciate because the vocals sounded to me as an artificial feel of gargling water.

The singer is gargling water.  This is no less artificial than any other singing technique.  

I was inspired by the idea of someone searching for a beloved while drowning at the bottom of the ocean and was surprised by how well the singer was able to pronounce the words with water in her mouth.

The second one, on the other hand, I got hooked onto the potency of the vocals. It was a good practice, but it felt unfinished; the pitch and composition still needs a lot of work in case you're hoping to use it in future works.

The unisono between the soprano and viola in the performance isn't at all perfect, if that is what you mean by "pitch", so in that respect I agree with you and regret than Sandra and I just weren't good enough in that respect.  

How would you suggest improving the composition?

[tushantin]

Ah, sorry for the late response, Celestial.

For the gargling bit: I assumed so. I'm sorry, but that music just didn't appeal to me.  Though hopefully my comment doesn't discourage you, because you did the best thing following your inspiration. Get inspired, feel the spirit, and go forth: that's how artists work, and if things don't go well they get better with every try.  What impresses me is that you dared to try the unique idea. What music was it that inspired you?

For the second one, I'm afraid I'm not the best person to hand critique, nor can I say how you could improve. The most I can think of when I hear it is that it was a practice recording by a professional musician, not for studio use. The pitch synchronization between the viola and soprano were fantastic, but depending on what you were trying to achieve here, that was basically the problem. As for the composition itself, I just didn't feel any spirit into it.

But anyway, that's just me. These aren't so much as "criticisms" as they are my honest thoughts of it, so hope you take it as such. Of course, I do appreciate two things greatly here: 1) Your skill at viola and her skill at soprano, which I'm hoping to hear more of, and 2) your will and drive to try the unthinkable. 

[CelestialPhantasm]

For the gargling bit: I assumed so. I'm sorry, but that music just didn't appeal to me.  

Upon listening to it again, what actually bothers me is how square and regular the rhythm is...

Though hopefully my comment doesn't discourage you, because you did the best thing following your inspiration. Get inspired, feel the spirit, and go forth: that's how artists work, and if things don't go well they get better with every try.   What impresses me is that you dared to try the unique idea. What music was it that inspired you?

Oh, no worries.  If I were discouraged every time someone did not love my music, I would be a very unhappy man.

I think my biggest influences are Edgard Varèse, Morton Feldman and Arnold Schönberg in terms of the way that they thought about music (not in terms of mine sounding so similar).  In general, when I sit down to compose something, I am not thinking about imitating an existing music.  When composing these songs, however, I had a little bit the feeling of the songs of Robert Schumann in my head (like the song cycle Dichterliebe) and wanted to create group of songs with a gesture similar to that of his songs by means of a more contemporary expression.

For the second one, I'm afraid I'm not the best person to hand critique, nor can I say how you could improve. The most I can think of when I hear it is that it was a practice recording by a professional musician, not for studio use. The pitch synchronization between the viola and soprano were fantastic, but depending on what you were trying to achieve here, that was basically the problem. As for the composition itself, I just didn't feel any spirit into it.

hm, ok.

But anyway, that's just me. These aren't so much as "criticisms" as they are my honest thoughts of it, so hope you take it as such. Of course, I do appreciate two things greatly here: 1) Your skill at viola and her skill at soprano, which I'm hoping to hear more of, and 2) your will and drive to try the unthinkable.  

Well, I think you are overestimating my technique a bit, but thank you. If you want to hear the rest of Schneekreis, the song cycle from which these two were taken, go to http://www.myspace.com/stephanperez, click on "play all" and choose "Schneekreis 1. Fall" from the playlist that will pop up.  The rest will play automatically.

Or you can listen to the 4 Weisen for viola and piano (I am more happy with my playing there), or the string quartet, Löcher.  Thanks again for your feedback.