Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Composer's Lounge Seven Glimpses of Heaven - No. 5 - Famished

This is the 5th. in the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_d96Oelero&feature=youtu.be

Nice. It has a very 19th century sound, heavily Chopin-esque to my ears, and of course the 19th century paintings go along with that.

I'm assuming you recorded this on a digital piano, yes?

You obviously got a lot of skill both in composition and in piano playing.

I didn't see any evidence of a website for you, do you primarily do work by commission? Your original music could be great in period movies, if you were inclined in that direction. No doubt you've already thought of that or already do that.

Thanks for sharing.

Very effective throughout, and "all of a piece", Mark. By "The Age of Wendy and Pan", I assumed that this was an allusion to the James Barrie novel -- is that correct? In any event, it comes off for me as a wistful, affectionate "tip of the hat" to a genteel world of the late 19th century. A wonderful evocation, and thanks for sharing!

Dear Chris,
thanks for the compliments. I don't play piano to any degree at all, and this was written purely with Sibelius and their Steinway sound patch. My youtube site is marknicol7 but I am only compiling music at the moment. I had one piece played by an orchestra last year. Have been meeting with a very good composer, Julian Cochran, who does have a website and a very good pianist, Gil Sullivan, who also has a site. All South Australian.
Thanks again Chris, it was a slow 4 month slug on this one piece. the other pieces from the series are on that youtube site marknicol7

Thank you Tim. Yes, the piece is dedicated to my partner, Wendy, and it is indeed intended to invoke the 19th. Century - where we both agree, we would rather have lived. Many thanks for your kind comments, pleasing people is what it is all about.
P.S. I spent a few hours with Julian Cochran the other day, and you should definitely look up his name and Mazurka No. 2 on youtube/the net. Best wishes.

Yeah, I checked out your page. Nice job writing for the piano.

You say you are compiling music... what's your goal for the music you are compiling?

Hi Mark,

It has many excellent and interesting ideas (as does the other music I listened to through your youtube page). Please keep posting as more becomes available for listening.

Mvh,
Michael

Hi Chris and Mike,
thanks for the positive messages. Of course I'd like to have my pieces played, but one has to pay one's dues - so to speak. For me it is more important to write one good piece of music, and have the chance of it being performed long term - rather than write 7 average or poor pieces, and have them performed immediately. That said, I consider myself to be just a 2nd. rate musician, perhaps punching a bit above my weight. So I have come to the work of serious composition late in life, in my 50s,(where as a Music Major in the 1970s I felt I had no real skill, and, worse, nothing to say), and now I have to concentrate upon just compiling a considerable opus of works that I can be happy with, and which express what I need to say. Given that I will spend as much if not more time writing Environmentalist Philosophy/Politics, where I actually have far more to say of importance, and that I also have to earn a crust, my eventual Opus will be limited. I was aiming at 7 Symphonies, but I don't know - things are going very slowly. Many, many thanks for the words of encouragement - and please check out the music and site of another Adelaide composer - Julian Cochran.