Starting from a melody - 2014

No problem, apologies accepted

Anyway, it would have been enough to do as Piccinesco did

In effect, anyone who does not want to be influenced and fears what they will hear can simply refrain from listening.

Just for completeness, even an explicit rule for the workshops (such as do not post links to the original composition from which the theme is taken) would not protect you. Besides, the theme is taken from a different work than the one proposed by Bianca (one must listen carefully). Therefore, it is enough to know one's own limits and behave accordingly. I know the original connotation of the piece, even if I won't have time, I will participate in the workshop. One's own style is the way to avoid conditioning. At this point, I cannot and do not want to back out

Yes you are right, even if one listens to the piece or an excerpt of the original piece, the important thing is to try to write by listening to "oneself". I abstained from listening to it anyway to avoid being influenced by it; the influence that everything one listens to entails is already enough.

Honestly, I don't see the problem. Piccinesco hit the nail on the head: take the theme by itself and follow your own instinct.

I must say it's turning out to be a bit difficult, at least for me, the melody is too "simple"... anything I add feels like nonsense

Is this only happening to me?

Do whatever comes to you; I confided to Frank that I started it almost immediately after seeing the discussion, but I haven't been consistent, though I am at a good point, and even though it is simple, I prefer to do the piece this way because it reflects what I need and feel like doing now; the important thing is to make it at least pleasant to listen to, at least that is partly what I am aiming for, I cannot expect too much right now.

Gassy wrote:

I must say it's proving to be a bit difficult, at least for me; the melody is too "simple"... whatever I add to it feels like nonsense

Is this only happening to me?

for what it's worth, my opinion: never get discouraged!

Try to look at it from a totally different point of view. For example, if so far you have started from the melody, tried to harmonize it and so on, instead try to see that melody as a destination of a journey, with a new starting point. Try to understand how you would want it to be, rather than seeing it as a constraint. Try to imagine what it communicates to you and develop it in your own way. Or, if it truly communicates nothing to you, try to transform it with the techniques you have at your disposal until you find something that strikes you... In short, from my point of view, a theme doesn't have to be anything more than a pretext to propose (or re-propose) one's own musical idea

I've almost "finished", I hope I won't be overwhelmed by doubts during the "finalization" phase.

It's been a while since I've been active in the workshops, @Gassy, even a simple melody can be reharmonized many times, providing variety and creating interest.

Thanks for the suggestions, maybe I'll present a thumbnail ... let's hope for the best.

I am almost finished, I'll let it rest for a bit; I have aimed for essentiality.

Damn, I didn't manage to post it "first". In a few days I'll post mine.

@Bianca, I'll let you know in advance that the score looks very good. It seems to me the clearest among those of yours that I have seen, but then I have to play it through myself

Bianca wrote:

I followed Redscharlach's advice and this time I wrote specifically for a friend of the forum

Basically, he suggested that you think of an interpreter ("tangible") in order to focus attention on the performance difficulties, right?

I will wait for the White execution

AbateFaria wrote:

@Bianca, I'll let you know in advance that the score looks very good. It seems to me the clearest among those of yours that I have seen, but then I need to play it through

Thank you, I put a lot of effort into it this time

Destroyed wrote:

Practically, he suggested that you think of a ("tangible") performer in order to focus attention on the performance difficulties, right?

yes, in fact, I wrote the piece specifically for a forum member with whom I have made an agreement

Aspirante wrote:

I will wait for Bianca's performance

In this regard, while waiting for the actual performance, I can put on the virtual playback, because I understand that perhaps not everyone has the time or desire to play it themselves. Let's see if that is okay with the others....

Bianca wrote:

In this regard, while waiting for the actual performance, I can put on a virtual playback, because I understand that perhaps not everyone has the time or desire to play it themselves.

Let's see if that works for others....

I will play it myself anyway, but a playback never hurts

Is Bianca's mp3 available

AbateFaria wrote:

I'll play it myself anyway, but a playback never hurts

I'm very pleased, let me know how you found it later

It is certainly playable, clean writing; the interpretation of the mordents makes me a bit uneasy. In the sense that perhaps the desired notes should have been specified. Or rather, everyone knows how to play a mordent relative to the reference scale (see also the key signature), but since it is not a tonal piece, in many cases, apart from the actual note, the "added" one can have more or less different valid solutions.

It is also true that the first one in measure 7 seems to me to be written out in full; in my opinion, a note would clarify things a lot regardless; anyway, measure 7 is too little to deduce a "universal" criterion for all the mordents and turns of the piece. Or rather, playing it myself, in many cases a couple of interesting solutions come to mind… perhaps it should have been explored case by case.

In terms of listening, I find it pleasant, at times intimate and at times "long" (I suffer at certain points), but some choices regarding the notes and some harmonic connections—in my opinion—I would handle differently.

That is all; let's also listen to the realization, so as to have a realistic listening feedback.