Malinowski, Fugue in A minor

[SANTARII]

Wonderful :)

[GovernerOfBurningHam]

to compose a piece of music for a musician is like writing a book for a writer... they both have stories... books have stories for the mind while music has stories for the soul

[Amarelaoo1]

a beautiful fugue!

[F1R1NMAHLAZAH]

This fugue is very nice as well as your others, but sometimes the subjects seem a little too long and they kind of drift off towards the end

[gsarci2011]

A funeral fugue, sir? Nice!

[mahler151]

This is my favorite piece of yours.

[smalin]

@mahler151 It's one of my favorites, too.

[muulka]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I only wish that I could write something as beautiful...

[Dolphidood]

Beautiful

[PsyberJocker]

wow this is beautiful, i like the way you wrote it. maybe i can say that you write fugues like Bach would write it or the other wau around :P

[Hyperionalis]

This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you for putting it up for the world to hear.

[musi16]

wow I really liked your fugue! Such a serene and haunting feel to it! Contrary to some of the other users, i really appreciated all of the subject's entrances, and didn't feel any akward changes, but that's just me. Thanks for writting this!

[wenaolong]

Peacefully it flows, steadily it goes, going where? Who knows?

[alicommagali]

Very nice. I like the subject, especially the rise to the G near the end. However, i thought your first episode was a bit awkward in terms of voices entering. It reminds me of Brahms because of how you re-utilize material, but perhaps more thought to phrasing would be helpful. Hard to do in Sibelius of course! Also, I enjoyed the episode at 4:38 with the subjects juxtaposing the sustain. Very nice effect! Lastly, I agree with what has been said about the ending. It's very disappointing...

[smalin]

@alicommagali I'm not sure where you're referring to by "first episode" ... could you give a time, and say why you think a voice entry is awkward? Thanks. And yes, it can be played much more expressively! I play it on the piano, and I do a lot more with it than I do here. Maybe someday (like, when I run out of Bach and Beethoven, ha-ha) I'll do a video of me playing it.

[alicommagali]

@smalin First episode at 1:47, kinda awkward voices at 2:06. it feels awkward because the introduction of the 3rd and 4th voices offsets the phrase length. would love to see a real interpretation! It seems like it'd be a challenging piano piece.

[AlanKey86]

After listening to your most recent piece (Quartet) (which I did not realise was your own) I've come back to all the videos which I watched before of this mysterious "Malinowski". I love this piece. I liked Quartet too.

Before I knew these were your pieces I had an anonymous respect for the classical composer. Knowing that it is you that wrote this makes the listening all the more enjoyable.

[joelhhh]

A half cadence at the end?

[jeffamarie]

The whole thing was great! And then... the ending was kind of plain - I think because there was no point at which the voices came together, like in Bach where he'll lay down a Neopolitan or something like that, and just stop the fugue altogether. For such a long fugue, it definitely deserves it!

[smalin]

@jeffamarie Yeah, I agree. If I were a better composer, I would have written a better ending. I think of it as ending with a whimper, after spending the piece crying.

[jeffamarie]

@smalin I would be that harsh! The entire piece up to that point is a hugely impressive demonstration - I would go so far as to say it's where Bach would have wanted fugue to go!

[jeffamarie]

@jeffamarie *wouldn't be that harsh!

[fburton8]

Fugueing brilliant!

[pedantologist]

Do you still make fugues? I want MOAR

[smalin]

This is pretty much the last piece I wrote. Once I got a regular job (in 1984), I didn't have time to write music.

[FMota91]

@smalin Is that the only reason you stopped composing? I'm just curious.

I'm really getting into composition, but my field is Computer Science. I feel like one day I'll have to choose between the two, and it's a little distressing.

[FMota91]

@smalin Just wanted to add that this fugue is brilliant. Thank you.

[b0ttomzone]

i really enjoy your work, especially your fugues. i very much like canons and fugues, and the like, and am learning what i can about the craft of writing this sort of music. and your videos are a big help. they make the counterpoint seem very intuitive and natural.

[zeitrigor]

thank you very much, is truly lovely

[TheBeethooven]

awesome

[thelord2000]

Sounds like a Proteus 2 sound box?

is it?

[smalin]

Since I haven't heard of the Proteus 2 sound box, I'm guessing the answer is no. As I said in the FAQ, it's the playback from the Sibelius notation program ... so it's whatever sounds come with that.

[pedantologist]

How are you able to capture the the video's from mamplayer so perfectly?

If you don't feel like giving away your trade secrets that's perfectly fine : )

[pedantologist]

I guess what I should be asking is how to make the player output video files...

[smalin]

I don't use the MAMPlayer at all; I use my own custom software.

[MrCter]

Sometimes it looks like arkanoid :)

[orlando1723]

beautiful! i love the voices in here and how it all fits in so well together

[pedantologist]

Masterful strettos. Terrific.

[smalin]

glajuinjoidthm

[JasonMelancon]

I love this piece. I catch myself whistling the theme from time to time.

[smalin]

:-)

[energycore345]

W.O.W

nice job :)

[musiclectures]

Bravissimo!

It's Awesome!

[bf812]

I have been trying to write a fugue for years. so far I have had 36 failures... this is impressive. nice job

[smalin]

How many of the fugues in the WTC have you memorized?

[pedantologist]

Is that what it takes to be able to write like this?

[SAMARCANDAS]

Original (fugue)! It obtains a very particular climate, and there is notable the continuous employment of the head of the subject.

Congratulations

Pere Salicrú

[smalin]

Thank you.

[EarthGoddess52]

Very nice. I love pieces in minor mode.....so haunting, mysterious. Thanks

[HaydnHaendel]

Nice. Slow and impressive.

[energycore345]

what a great fugue! im half ignorant im still on elementary music studies, so i got a question: does a fugue have to be on a minor scale?

[dirtcake001]

No, check out Bach's fugues from 'A Well-Tempered Clavinet'.

It's only convenient to write in minor keys, because then you don't have to worry about the major 7th and the tonic running into each other (in a minor key, the 7th and 1 are a major 2nd apart, wheras in a major key, the 7th and 1 are a minor 2nd apart, displeasing to the human ear.

If done properly, fugues can sound wonderful in any key... even Blues... well... almost

[PhilippeThomas84]

the purpose of the minor key is to follow the properties of the major wich is the only that is create naturally trough the harmonics of a strings or vibrations.

have you take a look at the second tetracord

of a mélodic scale =half minor half major.

the pupropse of the 7th is to end on the root.

[mattz1010]

locrian scale? ;D

[mastrom90]

This compositon has enchanted me!

It has been wonderful to listen it... thanks! :)

MM

[MagicPete]

Very nice composition!

[5619762]

your great !!

this is my 2nd year studying composing

and i really love CONTRAPOINT

i am really eager to learn how to write a fuga,you really inspired me,thank you

[firstwinddancer]

I have loved music since before I was born. I like to listen to a piece over and over listening to a different section each time. Your idea of the bars is SO GREAT!! I can really zone in on the one section I want to listen to at that time. Also haveing the music score and hands is enjoyable. Thank you for doing this and expecially for SHARING it with the world!! Sincerely, SanDee in Olympia, WA

[GKesik]

Very good fugue. Subject is very characteristic.

I write also some preludes and fugues - I invite to see my channel.

[kingdavey90]

mind-blowing to watch.

[hossynossy4]

very nice

[ThisIsMe113]

i enjoyed this immensely

[NedNefarious]

Hey, I really like this piece... very plaintive and rather lachrymose. Bad-ass stretti! It sounds stylistically a little bit like Reicha's piano fugues. Did you write many more pieces like this, or just the 3 or 4 fugues listed in your online "catalogue"?

[smalin]

My first couple of fugues were lousy (I think only one of them is listed). The next one, in C (originally in B-flat) is okay, as is the Fugue for Friday. The one dedicated to Stanley Krebs and this one are the best. That's the order I wrote them in, and each time I learned something. On the last one, I learned that you can't make a living writing fugues, and got a job writing software instead; that was about 27 years ago, and I haven't written much music since then ...

[thorkill]

You should be paid to write fugues! your brilliant at it!

[amadeus5889]

This is a wonderful piece, smalin, but my goodness, it's gloomy.

[smalin]

I prefer to thing of it as mournful ... ;-)

[Kurtyoungblood]

Sounds similar to the Accolay violin concerto (also in A minor) but is even better!

[mikepenny01]

Such a great and memorable subject.

[DesertFox101]

Beautiful.

[koemata]

Wspaniała analiza fugi, słucha się uszami i oczami.Bomba.

(poland)

[FearGodAlone]

Astounding...

[Osamabinjackson]

Huh, I guess people still desire to write and hear good music.

[Zehive]

I absolutely love this piece.

[robertgift]

Wonderful writing Stephen!

Can you also do the fantastic Polka and Fugue Schwanda the Bag Piper by Weinberger?

It is such a joyful complex celebration.

Your portrayal would make it so clear and understandable.

Thank you.

[smalin]

>Can you also do the fantastic Polka and Fugue Schwanda the Bag Piper by Weinberger?

Sorry, no; it's under copyright.

[robertgift]

I don't understand.

Why not?

I am attempting a piano version of it.

Yours would be so much better.

[smalin]

>I don't understand. Why not?

If it's under copyright, I would have to get permission to post it. I could do it without permission, but then the copyright holder could ask me to remove it. I don't want to do the work and not be able to share it. I've tried to get permission in the past, and it's not worth the trouble.

[pianogirl98]

Wonderful original composition!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Vivian's family

[Anders039]

Very beautiful. I wish I had your inspiration.

[MetalCoreDevistation]

I would love to see Chopin's op. 25 no. 12 "ocean" etude done in this manner

[smalin]

It's on my to-do list.

[hoopsmaster13]

This was quite good, and that's a huge compliment because that means I enjoyed it even though I was just listening to all the Bach pieces that you have done.

Usually, after I listen to a bunch of famous pieces, I find it very hard to enjoy my own compositions, but I still enjoyed your's.

[mstrgrl]

one of my favorites.

[andrefilipp3]

I'm impressed. That was delightful :D

[dansayeyo]

i heard a harpsichord playing this before

[smalin]

>i heard a harpsichord playing this before

You did? Where?

[T3RM1N83R]

he might be confusing this with another piece, did you ever publish it?

[smalin]

>he might be confusing this with another piece, did you ever publish it?

The score is available online, but I don't think it could be played on the harpsichord (at least, not by one person).

[AsSomedayItMayHappen]

I think he's confusing this with one of Purcell's pieces. It has the same lamenting qualities of many of Purcell's "Slow" movements.

[dansayeyo]

i was confused with the fantasia and fugue in A minor by J.S. Bach

[torisand]

Beautiful!!

[5imian]

I really like this. The ornament is one of my favorite characteristics of the main theme because when it appears throughout the piece it helps unify the work with a distinct event (especially appearance in in inner voices!).

Also it "sounds cool".

I also really like the tense moment right before 3:30 and the three repeated note development around 4:40. Very cool. Thanks so much for posting this.

[THX1138hxc]

beautiful composition.

I do sense a drag, however.

[freeble123]

great!

[tresmetal]

esto está arrechísimo

[AsSomedayItMayHappen]

It sounds so authentically medieval! Thanks =D

[clearater67]

The subject works great for a fugue. This is beautiful. Thank you for composing new music like this! Please write more! :)

[houstonbiker]

Compelling. With your permission I would like to program this for my electric guitar orchestra concert in April (2009). They can read the recorder parts.

[serginho1961]

Wow! W=o=n=d=e=r=f=u=l !

[VanGaore]

Good work! At first I thought sounded a little discorded but then it released and it was good =) I like the theme recurring throughout the song too. Keep up the good work.

[werothegreat]

I do like it. But it does seem a little too slow... it seems to drag. If it were a bit faster, it would be awesome.

[nbw86]

I'm afraid I don't understand the harmonic coloring for this piece. I went to your site and think I have an idea of how it goes. blue=root/tonic, red=III, ect yadda yadda. But for example in the beginning melody introduction is all that grey'sh blue.. and the melodies that fallow remain static in their color despite what pitch they are signifying or what pitch the aforementioned color is signifying..

[nbw86]

Also, while I'm commenting I'd like to send a big THANK YOU for these videos. They are by far the best demonstrations of visually showing how.. or should I say why music works and how the melodies relate to each other in detail. :)

[UserID20]

i think he did it by voices not intervals

[Forandar]

I just love it

[euchresucks]

Excellent as usual Smallin. Keep up the great work

[UserID20]

i liked the episode at 3:12

at least i think its called an episode..

[VanGaore]

I like it a lot too, and also how it leads into the next bit. xD

[Blargaldalien]

Very nice,favorited.

[quackmac3000]

im glad you brought this back, its a beautiful piece.

[highskilledsibby]

Great, smalin! Keep up the good work. :)

[UberWaiss]

Genious.. Master..

[RWoosten]

Did you write tris yourself? Its wonderfull!

[smalin]

>Did you write this yourself?

The answer is at the end!

[RWoosten]

I'm sorry. You are really great!

[BespokeGroupUK]

Marvelous ! Give us more of your cool tracker music :)

[moomoocajoo]

Awesome :)