This is a little twelve-tone-piece I have composed in 1990. It was one of my last experiments during the class of composition in the Musikhochschule of Cologne (Köln) of Prof. Jürg Baur (1918-2010). He has shown me a technique of composing with twelve-tone-system by creating tonal relationships. So the first half of the serie (tone 1-6) contains material of the c-major-scale, the second half (tone 7-12) of c-sharp-major. I´m also working with the 4 "modi" and several transpositions in this piece. There is an A- and a B-part, which you easily will recognize. The A-part ist a bit inspired by the mood of Debussys "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" of "Children´s corner", the B-part is only working with tritones (so there is no twelve-tone-technique in the B-part, it´s a more free part). I know, not all of my listeners like modern music, but may be you can try to feel in the structure and musical ideas and motifs of the piece, which are very traditional. If you try so, there is a chance to really enjoy it.

The video-link, I present you below will carry you to my third 3D-video. It´s recorded with Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 camera and it´s in HD-quality. But you can switch to 2D, if you haven´t 3D-glasses, by the little button on the right below side of the video frame. If you don´t switch to 2D you will not enjoy the pictures without 3D-glasses, because you always see two pictures (one for the left and one for the right eye). (You also can watch my two new guitar-videos with one of my pupils in 3D, if you like.) All you need is a red-cyan or a magenta-green glasses for example, which can be purchased for low money (or may be you can borrow it from a friend). You don´t need to have a 3D-ready computer. I think, every normal computer can show the anaglyph pictures. IMHO it´s a fascinating real feeling, if you see someone playing in an areal (stereoscopic) manner!

Here is the video-link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNBI1iq ... ideo_title (Andreas Pfaul, Kleine Zwölftonetüde (Little Twelve-Tone-Etude) in 3D)

The mp3-file below is exactly the audio-track of the video above:

Pfaul - Little Twelve Tone Etude (1:51)

Quite interesting : I didn't read the preamble and listened to the music straightway. My first thought was "this isn't 12-tone because it's not atonal" (now whether that is a philosophically viable stance is dubious, in my opinion some Berg sounds tonal). I initially perceived it as alternating between two different tonal centres, C and F#, and thus the tritones made absolutely perfect musical sense when they emerged. Having now read the preamble my instinct is that intellectually it holds together; as to its overall worth I don't think I'm sufficiently literate in this type of music to comment, though it seems well played and there are certainly moments of musical wit.

I played through his piece a while ago and it didn't do much for me. I quite like the outer parts, especially the humorous ending, but the free-tonal B part (which I thought was the twelve-tone bit ) kills it for me. This kind of abstract pointillism seems arid to me. Probably one needs to have studied music theory and composition to appreciate it. Very well performed.
Now, this would probably have to go in the __Various section, unless there are more of your compositions to come ?

Techneut wrote:


No, I don´t think so, one just has to feel and to think in the structures, motifs and expression of that piece. (And I think the more you engage in that matter the more you can enjoy it.) And the understanding becomes probably easier, if you engage generally more with modern music like twelve tone music and similar stuff.



Yes, various section seems o.k. to me. I don´t know, if I will play more of my compositions in the next time. (I could offer the digitalized recordings of my concert of just compositions of my own from 1987, but I don´t know, if they can keep up to the standard of sound-quality of this site today. Concerning the aspect of playing they were really very well prepared and they are absolutely flawless. What do you think?) I have to do on so much other stuff, which really is dear to my heart and my time unfortunately is very limited. (But one never should say no, of course. )

Thanks for your frank comment, Chris. Music is always a matter of habit and understanding as we can always see, when it comes to more modern music. (Though I have to say my piece is quite conservative and retrospective compared with original twelve tone and even more serial music or some other directions of musical avantgarde.)

Andrew wrote:


I think, you have recognized an important fact of the structure of my piece here! I´m impressed how well you could recognize all that just from hearing and this demonstrates a quite good level of being "literated" in music respective in listening to music from my view! Thank you for your competent feedback. Of course, Schönberg wanted the "emancipation of dissonance" and he tried to avoid tonal structures. In Bergs Violin-Concert the g-minor-chord is an intentional expression of teariness because of the death of his daughter, when he wrote that work f.ex., but also in other works he was a bit more retrospective than Schönberg.
My attitude is a complete other one. I wanted to create tonal structures with some kind of twelve-tone-technique, but since 22 years I haven´t followed this idea any more. May be I will catch it up one nice day, who knows....



Thanks for this.

Andreas,
I like this little 12-tone etude, but I too at first thought that it didn't sound atonal, but these are not exatly the same thing. The issue I think is that your choice for the first hexachord used "material of the c-major scale." Nonetheless, I found it to be a successful exercise in 12-tone writing.

@musical_md: thank you for your feedback, Eddy. Yes, the first half refers to c-major and the second half to f-sharp-major, that explains also my choice of tritones in the B-part like Andrew has recognized correctly.

Cute piece, Andreas. I like the beginning section most - the way the harmonies transition is pretty cool!

Hi Andreas,

I listened to your recording of your piece, I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the pauses and how you handle the cadenza. Your phrasing made the piece a lot more playful and suspenseful. I am glad that you played this piece because I feel the way you play it there is a special authority because you have the familiarity of writing it. It is somehow more authentic for this reason, IMO.

The 3D video is really cool . Of course, I thought that the cheapest 3D video cameras cost somewhere in the range of 10-$20k, so I am shocked that you are able to use it. I do not have 3D glasses but when I find a pair I will be sure to rewatch this piece in 3D. It is an interesting concept, a performance of a twelve tone piece in 3D video! I also enjoyed your guitar duets, though I realize that has little to do with PS.

Look forward to hear more from you,

Riley

Pianolady wrote:


Thank you, Monica, I´m glad you like my little piece!

pianoman342 wrote:


Thank you very much, Riley. I´m glad you enjoyed my little piece. Yes, may be its the most authentic version, if the composer plays his own piece, but it has not to be always the best (f.ex. I know some better Rachmaninof-interpretations than the ones played by himself, but that´s a matter of taste, of course).



I´m happy you like my 3D-video! (It was quite a lot of work to produce it.) Sorry, I can´t read your price-advice, but I have bought my Finepix Real 3D for nearly 250 Euro. I wanted to buy a good digital foto camera and I decided to try out the new 3D-technique, because I was so enthused by a performance of some 3D-fotos I have seen. 3D-glasses should be available for 5-10 Euro. (Don´t know what it is in dollar.) Of course, the guitar-videos have nothing to do with PS and I just have mentioned them because of the 3D-technique (just if someone is interested).



I will let you know as soon as I have found and scanned (may be also transcribed) my early sonata in d-minor for piano. (As I wrote in my pm I have just a lack of time at this moment.) It´s really very kind of you, that you are showing so much interest.

All the best
Andreas

Sorry, Chris and Monica, I have discovered right know, that I have forgotten to overwork the tags of my submission. (Where is my head?!) I think, I should do this as soon as possible.

Hi Andreas,

I enjoyed your composition a lot. 12-tone aside, it's always musical, stylish and urbane. At the very start of the piece, for some reason I'm reminded of Holtz's "Jupiter" from The Planets, specifically those few seconds of introductory orchestral accompaniment before the entrance of the main theme, although there is probably no similarity at all. Good work!

David

This is a well crafted Etude, Andreas. I didn't know that you composed music? It's tricky to maintain the 12-tone continuity throughout, but you maintain a good sense of form, which most "composers" lack these days. I admit I wasn't sure where you were going to go thematically, but the suspense was worth the wait. Now you need to follow it up with 1 or 2 more Etudes to make a nice little set.

So, I see that you fell for the 3D craze?... Too bad I through away my 3D glasses. Keep up the composing!

George

Rachfan wrote:


Thanks for your appreciated comment and your praise, David. As you know, coming from a profound pianist like you that means much to me. I absolutely love the cycle "The Planets" by Gustav Holtz. That´s really mighty music, isn´t it? Yes, I can follow your association with the beginning of "Jupiter", though I was inspired by "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" by Debussy (from "Children´s corner") when I have written my little composition.