Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic Monzo: 2nd Symphony, 7-limit adaptive JI by JdL

Thanks, David Beardsley, for your encouragement to post a big
file here, and thanks especially, Jon Szanto (list-Mom) for
allowing me the privelege outright.

With such enthusiastic response, I was prompted to do a
nice write-up about the piece. I quote it below, and it
is also available as a text file at
</makemicromusic/files/monz/SYM2cr7.txt>

The description of the tuning is at
</makemicromusic/files/monz/SYM2cr7.dbg>

The mp3 of my _2nd Symphony_ is at
</makemicromusic/files/monz/SYM2cr7.mp3>.

Enjoy!

-monz
---------------------------

Symphony No. 2
**************

in F-major

Joe Monzo

compositional history:
======================

1976.09.28 about 95% of the music composed in my head
all themes and bass lines written down
continuous from beginning to end
1st movement Exposition and Recap complete

1980.06.07 accompaniments to 3rd movement, section B

1994.02.17 accompaniments to 1st mvt, development
accompaniments to entire 2nd movement
accompaniments to 3rd mvt, section C

2000.10.04 accompaniments to 3rd mvt, Coda

Formal Analysis:
================

minutes.seconds

1st movement - Sonata form
------------

00.00 Exposition - Theme 1
00.11 Exposition - Theme 2

00.24 repeat of Exposition - Theme 1
00.38 repeat of Exposition - Theme 2

00.51 Development - part
01.03 Development - part 2
01.16 Development - part 3
01.29 Development - part 4 (minor)

01.42 Recapitulation - Theme 1
01.53 Recapitulation - Theme 2

02.07 repeat of Development - part 1
02.19 repeat of Development - part 2
02.31 repeat of Development - part 3
02.45 repeat of Development - part 4

02.58 repeat of Recapitulation - Theme 1
03.10 repeat of Recapitulation - Theme 2
03.24 Coda

2nd movement - Theme and variations
------------

03.41 Theme
04.05 repeat of Theme
04.29 variation 1 (horn quotes theme, oboe alludes to 1st
movement)
04.53 repeat of variation 1
05.16 variation 2 (minor)
05.40 repeat of variation 2
06.02 variation 3 (violin alludes to 1st movement)
06.26 repeat of variation 3
06.50 repeat of variation 2
07:14 repeat of variation 3
07.36 Coda

3rd movement - Rondo ABACA
------------

08.04 A
08.30 B
08.42 A
08.54 B
09.05 A
09.30 C
09.42 A
09.54 C
10.06 A
10.16 Coda

Personal Remarks:
=================

The 2nd Symphony was composed in September 1976,
when I was 14 & 1/2 years old. I was living in
Philadelphia and had just started 10th grade at
Lamberton School.

My models were obviously Haydn and Mozart, with
a few perverse melodic and harmonic twists of
my own... I was also a big fan of Prokofiev's
"Classical Symphony", which is much in the same vein.

I wrote down most of the material that was in my
head, but did leave some big holes where I could
"hear" the music in my mind but never bothered
(or felt like figuring out how) to write it down.

In New York in June 1980, a few weeks after finishing
my first year at Manhattan School of Music, I sat at
the piano and filled in the holes in the "B" section
of the 3rd movement. I was interested in completing
the score at that time, since it had lain fallow for
four years, but got diverted by other projects and
left it at that point.

At some point around 1988 I entered the notes from
my score into a MIDI-file, and tinkered with it
from time to time over the next 5 or so years.

In December 1994, shortly after my second wedding
anniversary, I was working on the MIDI-file and decided
to complete the piece once and for all. I was amazed
at how well I could remember what I heard in my head
18 years before as I entered notes directly into
the staff on my computer. I was also inspired to
add a few new touches, the best of which are the
surprise slow bit at the very end of the 1st movement,
and the Coda of the 2nd movement, which I think is
one of the most poetic things I've ever written.

I still felt that the final Coda of the 3rd movment
needed something more, and finally, in October 2000,
I was inspired to add some counterpoint to what
was already there, and was more than pleased with
the result.

All this music had been done in the standard 12-EDO tuning.
In May 2001 I sent the MIDI-file to John deLaubenfels
<http://www.adaptune.com>, and asked him to retune it
in 5-limit and 7-limit adaptive JI, with stiff vertical
springs (meaning that melodic "evening out" would be
sacrificed in order to achieve JI vertical sonorities).
I really liked the 7-limit version, and made the mp3
which is available for listening at
</makemicromusic/files/monz/SYM2cr7.mp3>.

The symphony is very terse, the entire Exposition
of the 1st movement being wrapped up in 24 seconds,
and the "A" section of the 3rd movement about the
same.

Because of this brevity, I made more than the usual
repeats, as can be seen in the above formal analysis.
Upon listening today, I'd probably delete several
of those in the 2nd movement.

-monz
http://www.monz.org
"All roads lead to n^0"

🔗monz <joemonz@...>

🔗jpehrson@...

🔗Rick McGowan <rick@...>

🔗jpehrson@...

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Rick McGowan <rick@u...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_27.html#51

> jpehrson@r... wrote...
>
> > Monz... aspects of this piece surely show fine musical talent, but
> > *why* would you write a piece sounding like Haydn/Mozart in
1976...
>
> If Monz is anything like me... Early exposure to "classical" music
produces
> a desire in the young composer to write "classical" music. It's
awesome.
> And it's a VERY rare youngster who is exposed to any "classical"
music
> written after 1900, within the confines of a standard musical
education.
>
> Most of my stuff written before the age of 18 was trivial and
> old-fashioned... Didn't write anything worthwhile until over the
age of 30.
>
> Anyway... Monz's piece reflects a high degree of musical
sophistication for
> someone of such a tender age. ;-)
>
> The most interesting passages are places where the JI tuning makes
itself felt.
>
> Rick

Yes, you are right, Rick. Monzo, I just realized, was only 14 at the
time. I, also, was writing in the style of Mozart at the age of 13...

I've met a few composers, living in "cosmopolitan" areas who have
been contrary to this trend. I know one woman composer about my age
who was actually writing in the style of Schoenberg/Berg at the age
of 13... HOWEVER, she grew up in New Jersey, in close proximity to
the city.

I guess the question is why Monz is bringing out this juvenilia *now.*

Mine is carefully ensconced in the closet. Of course, there is well
over 10 hours of other music that is *not* in the closet...

Well, Monz *asked* for a critique. That's the problem right there!

Monz, you're the greatest! (seriously)

__________ _________ ________
Joseph Pehrson

🔗monz <joemonz@...>

> From: <jpehrson@...>
> To: <MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 7:19 PM
> Subject: [MakeMicroMusic] Re: Monzo: 2nd Symphony, 7-limit adaptive JI by
JdL
>
>
> --- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Rick McGowan <rick@u...> wrote:
>
> /makemicromusic/topicId_27.html#51
>
> > ...
> > If Monz is anything like me... Early exposure to "classical" music
> > produces a desire in the young composer to write "classical" music.
> > It's awesome. And it's a VERY rare youngster who is exposed to any
> > "classical" music written after 1900, within the confines of a
> > standard musical education.

Yep, I'm a lot like you, Rick. I did know some Schoenberg and Webern,
and Stravinsky's _Firebird_ and _Le Sacre_, and have been a Mahler
fanatic from the beginning (actually before I ever even heard his
music... check out my online bio for more on that).

> > Anyway... Monz's piece reflects a high degree of musical
> > sophistication for someone of such a tender age. ;-)

Thanks for the compliment!

> > The most interesting passages are places where the JI tuning makes
> > itself felt.

I feel that John deLaubenfels's adaptive 7-limit JI retuning made
magic in places where it wasn't. The coda of the slow movement is
one of my favorites.

> [Joe P.]
> I guess the question is why Monz is bringing out this juvenilia *now.*

Because I like the way it *sounds*. :)

Hey, I figure, if some people enjoy listening to Mozart and Haydn,
then there's a good chance that those same people might like my
early stuff.

-monz
http://www.monz.org
"All roads lead to n^0"

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