Opera - first attempt...so far as you know. My first pretend attempt not to write Opera obviously doesn't count. We are playing Opera 'you are allowed to forget one or more earlier catastrophic attempt' rules. Under these rules (which I made up as I went along)...the integer representing deniable (discountable) previous operatic atrocities can only increment. It cannot decrement. Hence, the number of deniable previous attempts may only rise.

Cinque Secondi - Act I

Short piano theme

Sonata No.20 Op.2 - 4th movement

Experimenting again here with different divisions of strings. Why is getting the balance right so difficult? Part of the answer is that conductors (not composers) are the experts. They ensure, for example, that large numbers of divisions of second violins, avoid blasting smaller numbers of viola divisions into acoustic oblivion.

Small, medium or large orchestras plainly have very different numbers of divisions of the different string instruments. It is very complicated to get the balance right, to say the least. Conductors know how to handle all sorts of different orchestras (small, medium and large)...and therefore all sorts of different divisions, of all sorts of instruments.

The best way for composers to learn (from conductors) is to attend rehearsals of pieces made by famous composers. Making notes of everything the conductor says to the orchestra during rehearsals.

Gustav Mahler was a conductor who happened to compose in his spare time. Being a good conductor, in my opinion, is orders of magnitude more difficult than being a good composer. Controversially, I suggest good conductors should not be required (by the performance notes of a score), to adhere strictly to performance notes. Good conductors should be positively encouraged to interpret scores ad libitum.

Efforts were made in the above study to think about string divisions, in relation to other string divisions and piano. A technical study. Which became the first movement of my first piano concerto.

Piano Concerto No.1 (1st movement) Op.22

Sonata No.67 Op.9

Jazz Polonaise

Étude No.74 Op.3

Étude No.75 Op.3

Sonata No.71 Op.9

Strictly, this is a quartet (because of the organ right at the end), but my sense of the piece is that it is a trio at heart (piano, bass and muted Bb horn).

Jazz trio

Étude No.77 Op.3

For my friend Wiggy, who played Mozart's miraculous Piano Sonata No.11 for me recently.

Variations on Mozart's Piano Sonata No.11

Nocturne No.10 Op.27

Untitled 07.06.25

Étude No.78 Op.3

Sonata No.76 Op.9

Prélude No.36 Op.11

Sonata For Two Pianos (No.77 Op.9)

Prélude No.37 Op.11

For Helen. I like this piece (which I rarely say) from the beginning...certainly until 01:02.

Adagio for Piano and Strings Op.31

Variations on 'Reverie' by Debussy

This began life as a proposed second engraving of an Adagio for Piano and Strings Op.31, before becoming a short PC movement.

Piano Concerto No.2 (1st movement) Op.32 - Adagio con tenerezza

I know it is very short for a PC movement :)

Piano Concerto No.2 (2nd movement) Op.32 - Adagietto con tranquillo

Innamoramento

Sonata No.84 Op.9

Sonata No.89 Op.9

Spanish Dances No.2 Op.34

Spanish Dances No.3 Op.34

Étude No.82 Op.3

String Quartet No.1 Op.37

Begun with jazz before becoming classical without noticing.

Sonata No.91 Op.9

An improvised track was recorded, following which that track was improvised upon again with a second piano.

Improvised for two pianos

My careless languorous muse was kind tonight

Rectangular light

Nocturne No.15 Op.27

Piano Concerto No.4 (1st movement) Op.40

Second Engravings No.18

Piano Concerto No.4 (2nd movement) Op.40

Piano Concerto No.4 (3rd movement) Op.40

Red light rain

A movement of (barely) sufficient length for once.

Piano Concerto No.4 (4th movement) Op.40

My constant aim is to attain a flow-state

Paul Maurice Roche | Composer

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