For my creative project this year, I decided to record a piece I recently wrote for voice and piano. It is meant to be thoroughly silly, and in the style of Russian folk music (hence the words are in Russian). All cat sounds that sound like a real cat are from when I recorded my cat. I specifically decided to use an out-of-tune piano and a person with an untrained voice to further evoke a folk-like feel in this piece. Enjoy :)

Creative Project 2014: Что ж мне делать с моим котом? (Darn That Cat!)

preceded by a short free improvisation
Music by Lauren Barnes
Arr. Maria Kouznetsova

We Shall Fight On The Beaches

Why I Despise Eye Rhymes

eye rhyme
n. a pair or group of words in which the final syllable(s) of each word have the same spelling but are pronounced differently

When poets can’t find a rhyme to use,
Eye rhymes become their feeble excuse.
They should not be able to get away
With rhyming words like ‘day’ with ‘quay’
Or ‘Renee’ or ‘bris’
With ‘knee’ or ‘debris’
Because rhymes can look different, you see.

The clever half rhyme I can bear
But eye rhymes only hurt my ear—
You know, that body part with which you hear—
I see why eye rhymes might look good,
Though all they do is chill my blood
And banish my appetite for food…
Eye rhymes, dear friend, are everywhere,
Everywhere including here;
They make me want to sit and brood
…and burn highly scented wood.

When a true rhyme comes along,
My heart breaks into joyous song,
For eye rhymes are horrid, yes they are!
Those who disagree may stare, 
But remember, these rhymes exclude the blind
Who won’t, I’m sad to say, catch wind
Of the so-called ‘beauty’ of these words
That shred my soul to bits like swords.

Haven’t we kind folks been taught
To judge by quality, not look
Or cover of book?
Evidently not.
—Maria Kouznetsova

Why I Despise Eye Rhymes

Marnie Van Weelden & Maria Kouznetsova, pianos
Composed by Maria Kouznetsova
Performed on November 19, 2014
For more info, see http://wlucia.weebly.com/blog/student-composer-feature-maria-kouznetsova-sonata-for-2-pianos

Sonata For 2 Pianos

A mashup of Autumn Leaves and Прощание славянки (Proshchaniye slavyanki, or Farewell of the Slavic Woman).
Original tunes by Joseph Kosma and Василий Агапкин (Vasiliy Agapkin), respectively. Arr. Maria Kouznetsova.
Performed by the arranger at the Jazz Room on December 27, 2014.

The Fall Farewell Martchango

Trevor Tokola - tenor saxophone
Maria Kouznetsova - piano
Composed by Maria Kouznetsova
Performed March 11, 2015

Babaga Variations

Curae - for low string quartet

Judith Souman, Erik Johnson-Scherger - violas
Chris Yoon - cello
Ian Slade - double bass

Composed by Maria Kouznetsova

Performed November 18, 2015 at Wilfrid Laurier University

Thank you to the MFRH staff for recording the concert!

See also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihkzecveJkU

Curae

A composition of mine where I constrained the singers to 1-2 assigned pitches for the first half, asking them to give life to the composition through timbre, vowels/consonants, and dynamics. The piece is concluded with a free improvisation.

I would love to hear other versions of this piece - please message or email me (through my website: mariak.ca) if you would like to perform it and I'll send you a copy! All I ask for in return is a recording.

Performers: Audax (Dylann Miller, Sophia Vogan, Heather Primerano, Grace Scheele, voice) and Kyla Lance, voice
Composed by: Maria Kouznetsova

Five Notes 2016-04-01

The first of three movements depicting landscapes: one barren, one populated by pools of water, and one where everything seems to be in constant motion.

Performed by the Prometheus Trio at the KWCMS on February 2, 2016

Eric Kavcic, flute
Josh Marshall, bassoon
Connor O'Kane, piano

Music by Maria Kouznetsova

Three Scenes, i

My first venture into the world of electroacoustic music. Composed at the Walden Creative Musicians Retreat, June 2016. (Thank you to T.M. for your guidance!)

This is gonna be loud

Première performance by Carlos Cordeiro, bass clarinet and Victor Lowrie, viola at the Walden School Creative Musicians' Retreat in Dublin, New Hampshire

Music by Maria Kouznetsova

Baclavala

MK Improvisation 2016-10-05

MK Improvisation 2016-11-16

I am an improvisor, collaborative pianist, and composer based in Waterloo, Ontario.

Maria Kouznetsova

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