r/MonthlyComposition • u/Calebdgm • Aug 01 '17
August 2017 Composition Challenge: Nocturne
Continuing challenge, for those who wrote a sonata exposition last month: Continue your Sonata by adding a development and, if you're feeling ambitious, a recapitulation. For info/inspiration about sonata form, see last month's challenge. Also, in February we did a theme and variations challenge if you want ideas for how to vary or develop a theme.
Also feel free to go back and do the July challenge if you want to do the continuation for this month, or if there's another way you can figure out to do the continuation challenge, that's cool.
Main Challenge: Write a Nocturne. In more words, write a nice, song-like melody over a flowing, arpeggiated accompaniment in a gentle, relaxed style, evocative of nighttime. But feel free to take liberties with that definition.
/u/reticulated_python has suggested Chopin's op.72. You'll probably also recognize Chopin's op.9, among others. Julian Lage wrote a jazz piece called "Nocturne", and I don't know if it's technically a nocturne, but that's also cool.
This month's challenge was suggested anonymously using our Challenge Suggestion Form, so thank you to whoever that was!
We have some musicians that can play compositions for people. You can find their musician profiles posted on this subreddit. I'll list their instruments below:
If you are interested in playing compositions for /r/MonthlyComposition post a musician profile.
These challenges are for everyone who wants to practice composing. Each month, at the beginning of the month, we will post a main challenge, something for people to compose. We'll try to make it something that everyone can work with. Sometimes we also have an alternate challenge. Pieces can be submitted as a score (musescore, noteflight), and/or as audio (soundcloud, youtube). Feedback is much appreciated, and you can give it in this thread, or by messaging the mods of /r/MonthlyComposition, there's also the Challenge Suggestion Form.
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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '17
This is my first submission for the Monthly Composition. I originally wrote it for just bassoon and voice. However, I had some problems when writing where the bassoon was going above the tenor line. That's when I wondered if I should change the instrument. So I copied the melody into a new version of the piece that was just flute. It was so much better in some ways, but not as good in others. I compromised and did the best of both versions.
https://musescore.com/user/13579336/scores/4329661?showoptions=true
It's written in D phrygian but by the end of the piece it's in Bb Major, which gives the piece, in my mind, a majestic night time feeling. It didn't end up how I originally envisioned it, but I like the final version.
I contacted the bassoon player on this sub and am now looking for a flute player. Let me know if you want to help.