The Women Composers Challenge Week Two
Welcome to week two of our community-driven challenge on women composers! In week one, we heard some wonderful music by Laura Snowden, Annette Kruisbrink, Maria Linnemann, Elba Rodriguez Arenas, and Catharina Josepha Pratten. Let's keep it going into week two!
So, the goal is to choose a piece (or several pieces), and to work on it throughout the course of the challenge, posting videos or audio files of your progress along the way.
Or maybe you are a woman composer, and you would like to take this opportunity to share some of your work with the community.
The challenge will last for four weeks, ending on Saturday, May 3rd. A new discussion thread will be posted for each week of the challenge.
If you are looking for a place to start your search and pique your interest, Candice Mowbray has an excellent website on the subject. Here is a link.
If any beginners would like some suggestions for your playing level, feel free to ask the community by posting a message here.
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Sofia Gubaidulina - Serenade
discover this piece thanks to this challenge. It is difficult to count even with a metronome and this piece has many pockets of pure tone and that if you are not careful, you find yourself pausing, enjoying the sound of your guitar and losing count again..:-)
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don great, Don. Well done . I’m working on this piece since 2 weeks now, and still trying to discover the colours and intentions of this unique composition. Sofia Gubaidulina is a true composer. I attended a symphonic concert in Amsterdam where she was present. Never forgot. When I learned about her passing away in March this year, I started working this piece. You did really well, Don!
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don Very good start, Don. This piece is especially challenging musically. Btw, Marcin Dylla has a really nice YT video of this piece, as does David Tanenbaum. I have tried to transpcribe some of her shorter piano pieces from Musical Toys, but so far have not been able to get them to work.
She also has toccata for guitar.
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joosje Thanks! Jack Stewart I'm just looking at her Toccata, wow, definitely too difficult for me to complete for this challenge, But definitely will be a piece that I want to pick up.
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Jack Stewart I hadn't heard of Musical Toys, but I've listened to it a couple of times. Great music, but I can see how it would be tough to transcribe. Such a good set of pieces.
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Emilie Mayer - from 6 Klavierstücke für die Kinderwelt Op 48, Nr 2 - Originally for piano, transcribed by Annette Kruisbrink.
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Steve Price Excellent! It’s a pretty thick texture, but it definitely works on the guitar.
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Steve Price very nice! I agree with Eric, it doesn't sound like an transcription at all and works really well on a guitar!
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Steve Price nice interpretation. Sweet music.
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Steve Price Really nice, Steve. Kruisbrink is amazingly prolific in both composing and transcription. Thanks for sharing.
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Here is the Venezuelan Waltz bij Tatiana Stachak. She writes very playable and entertaining music.
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Bart Versteeg Very enjoyable and well played. Thanks for sharing!
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Bart Versteeg you’re great in these pieces, Bart. You are becoming a specialist of this nice composer.
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joosje thank you Joosje! It’s just my kind of music.
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Bart Versteeg This is really nice piece and you perform it beautifully as well, Bert. Thanks for sharing.
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Bart Versteeg really beautiful. It has certain lightness to it that makes so enjoyable.
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And, as promised, Nowhere, composed by Angela Mair.
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Bart Versteeg I really like this one as well. A fun challenge. I’m inspired to see what I can come up with.
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Bart Versteeg Beautifully played, Bert.
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Bart Versteeg Very nice! I swore it felt much longer than 2 mins. So much going in a such a piece! Thanks for the discovery!
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Pratten - Elfins Revels
I have decided to take Pratten's words from her score and incorporate them into the video with text on the screen. Let me know what you think.
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Eric Phillips Your performance of these pieces is always excellent, Eric. I think the text overlay works pretty well though I wonder if it would be helpful to indicate it is actually Pratten's description.
I am still having difficulty with the frisky gnomes frolicking - it seems more like a philosophy department faculty party.
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Eric Phillips It would be even better if you can convince your family to take part, you know, prancing around in Gnome costume in the background holding the cardboard with the narration ...kidding.
Think the subtitles and switch screen really works! Just a suggestion, maybe to use a darker font instead? Beautifully played as usual! I especially love the part where at 3:25. I can really imagine a shy and reluctant little fairy being pulled back into the dance.
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I actually did explain the origin of the text in the description of the video in YT.
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don How about you ask my wife and kids to do that. I'm sure they will be into it!
Thanks for the kind words. I did mess around a bit with the color of the text, and yellow seemed to be the most visible. The multi-colored view behind me in the video is not very conducive to any color text. I also find it hard to change the exact placement of the text using my video editor (DaVinci Resolve). If I were more fluent in the program, I'm sure I could make it better.
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Pratten - Three Sketches
Here is one last go at these three pieces.
End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
