Igor Stravinsky: 3 movements from Petrushka - 2 Chez Petrouchka

I'm away from the piano at the moment, so I thought I'd share this with everybody...

Compositional sketch for a modern Pastoral Appassionata String Quintet.  Primary composition sometime in November 2013.  Work in progress.

Somebody asked if this is a "sad" song.  Here is my answer:

It is not a "human emotion" song.   It is more a divine/nature/universe  song.  It does not have human emotions like happy/sad.  It has only what is.  It has only pure beauty. Like a waterfall.  Or a mountain.  Or a star. A waterfall is not sad.  Or happy.  It only is. It is simply pure beauty.

Pastoral = of or referring to nature or the creator

Appassionata = with passion  (but in this case, it is not passion like between a man and woman.  it is more passion of the creator for his creation or created for his creator.)

It is more of a spiritual music.  This is what I will do more of later in life. Like these guys:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_minimalism

I aspire to follow in their footsteps one day.

Somebody asked about the plug-ins used:

Solo Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin 1, & Violin 2 from NI Kontact (standard set from Komplete) for this sketch.  Sometime later I will ideally record the real thing... (Or at least use more advanced string libraries.) 6 Instances of 2CAudio Breeze (which I am the developer of) are used here to make the Kontact Strings sound reasonably good. 

http://2caudio.com/products/breeze

The strings samples themselves are not that good.  The reverb is!  :)  That's the trick here.



Many new solo piano compositions to share with you all soon!  Happy New Year!

Andrew Souter -- Pastoral Appassionata For String Quintet (Sketch)

Paul Biss conducts the New England Conservatory Symphony in a performance of Sibelius: Symphony no 2 in D major, Op. 43. Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston, April 9, 2014.

Sibelius: Symphony no 2 in D major, Op. 43 Allegretto

Piano 5-4

Franz Clement (1780-1842)
World premiere recording

Franz Clement Violin Concerto in D major - II. Adagio

Sonata Op. 5 - A major - Allegro, Adagio

Grand Duo Concertant Op. 48 II. Andante con moto

Alone was recorded in December 2008 by Robert Ian Winstin and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra on the ERMMedia label, which ceased to exist following the untimely death of Maestro Winstin. The recording was set to be released on the Masterworks of the New Era series that was in its sixteenth volume at the time of Winstin’s death in 2010. After securing the recording masters from Susan Winstin, I was approached by PARMA Recordings with an offer to release the recording on their label. I am excited about the opportunity to work with PARMA on this, my first release with them.

Alone: Suite for Orchestra

Recorded August 8, 2012 by members of the Callithumpian Consort at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT.

String Quartet No. 3: IV. Presto

3. WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Cello: Nil Kocamangil
Piano: Kira Ratner

F. Schubert, Arpeggione Sonata for Cello and Piano in a minor D.821, I. Allegro moderato

Nil Kocamangil