MUSIC
W hen I heard that there was a composition competition free for anyone to enter, I saw a chance to improve my composition skills and win something for the effort. At the same time as the competition, I was revising for a Grade 5 theory examination. Although the studying of theory was complementary to my composition, I am still trying to appreciate and understand the key elements of harmony and melody – even after the theory examination. Theory was not a dominating method of composing this piece. Instead, my classical music influences (especially from the Romantic era) became the foundations of my piece, along with melodic ideas. My most influential composer (and in my opinion, the best piano composer of all time) was Chopin. Over the past year I have learnt and performed many pieces of Chopin – mainly his Nocturnes , but also the Waltz in A minor and the Raindrop Prelude . Chopin was a master in melody and his contrast in tonality from brightness to darkness distinguishes him from many other composers. After playing so much Chopin, I started to see the pattern in his music (especially his Nocturnes): the use of colourful chromatic melodies with a broken chord bass line, modulation and contrast in tonality. When I sat down to compose, I had to decide what type of music I was going to write – classical or modern, the fact that it was risky attempting a progressive or psychedelic rock song (which would have been my second choice) as I had never experimented or studied the actual harmony for that genre of music. I would have also had to study the pentatonic and modes of scales – an entirely new topic for me. Simplicity was key to the piece – I major or minor. I decided to stick with a classical piano piece due to
Dulwich’s Composition Competition has entered its second year. In the first of two accounts of how pieces entered are created, first prize winner Alex Matthews (Year 10) describes the choices he had to make and how he drew on Chopin for inspiration MONSTER OR MASTERPIECE?
kept a left hand bassline of broken chords; 6/8-time signature in the key of A-flat major; and I tried to emphasise a good melodic sequence. The melody developed as ideas came into my head. The main problem was that as I was writing this piece on the notation software Sibelius I needed a MIDI keyboard to help create the ideas. However, at the time I did not have one, which meant I had to try to continue the melody by the pitch in my head or by running down to my piano and attempting to memorise and transcribe a sequence. I knew, though, that simplicity is not enough: you have to add something interesting. I introduced a number of elements to create a contrast in mood and pattern. This first incorporated a technique Chopin used very frequently, which is to exaggerate tonality and then to contrast it completely. This changed the mood entirely: for example, as this piece was written in A-flat major, the harmony consisted of major chords in the tonic (I), dominant (V) and subdominant (IV) – all frequently used degrees due to all chords being major. Modulating in parallel from a major chord into a minor is an example of the contrasting effects that I was able to create. Another thing that I did was to add a cadenza (an elaborate solo passage, typically towards the end of a movement of a piece). I had learnt about cadenzas after learning Liszt’s Liebestraum No.3 . It was a simple cadenza – arpeggios up and a chromatic scale down – to enliven the piece. I also made the B section of the AB structured piece a waltz in the key of C-sharp minor. This was a complete contrast from the first section as it created different style and time signature in a different key. This further enhanced the contrasting major to minor effect. If I am honest, there was no reason for the minor key being C-sharp – it is just a
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