Wonderland Movement 5

I have completed the 5th movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium by varying the ranges, changing keys, changing articulation, and adjusting the balance as needed. For more information about joining the consortium, please go to http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

The fifth movement is called the Mock Turtle and is melancholy and chromatic. It is in an AA'BA''A''' form. This movement cried out to me to begin with a harmonic progression instead with a melodic idea. One of the characteristics of the Mock Turtle's story is the use of puns. Since puns have a double meaning, I related the idea of double meaning to enharmonic tones, hence the wondering chromaticism of this movement that doesn't seem to settle in any particular key for any length of time. The chromaticism also created the chord progression by following the voice leading tendency of the chromatic notes or their enharmonic equivalents. The key signatures that are used are more to aid in reading than to declare a specific key. 

Just like the Mock Turtle's story, there is no reprieve from the sadness of this movement. The four A sections vary slightly from each other by key, instrumentation, melodic enhancement, and rhythmic variation. The B section is created out of motives from the A section but provides contrast in texture at the beginning of the section. It also contains the climax of the melancholy through the use of dynamics and tempo changes.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B