Three for Organ

[rwayland]

Revised a few times, most recently Jan 2012.Mp3 uses GPO organ. About 6 minutes. Opening is somewhat boisterous. Ending is somewhat chaotic.

Race to Chaos - Politics USA
http://www.box.com/s/dtgkh31bev5hxgfuox6u

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Strong pedal melodic line. Very loud, so watch your volume settings. About 5 minutes long. This could be called the composers cut, as it is severely cut from the original, which was nearly twice as long.



The Footsome Organ
http://www.box.com/s/6td0p6bcn0n4dtb25yxz

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Plenty of loud howling and growling dissonances, enough to make your hair stand on end and make your flesh crawl. Watch your volume, as this is loud. Probably would be most appreciated on Halloween.

Dies Mali
http://www.box.com/s/5lkesz49gphky8ujbpzc

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Everything uses GPO Organ

Richard

[Reegs]

Hi Richard,

The title you put on the first one, Politics, really fits with the disjointedness of meter and chordal agreement in there! Reminded me a bit of a Widor piece in tone and general pace. I really liked some of the inner lines you have written in there, the polytonal counterplay beginning around 2:30. The ending caught me a little off guard, though.

I really enjoyed the footsome organ. Great continued motion and the weight of the organ on those mostly-resolved-but-not-always chords is so warm. If you're still working on it, perhaps rework the transition around 2:45? It's a little jarring, almost sounding like a completely different piece, but with a few measures that could be fixed (is this where it was cut?)

Dies Mali definitely is creepy. Nicely crafted uneasiness with the playtime melody in there.

Reegs

[rwayland]

Well, I don't remember the ending! I will look at it as well as the transition you mentioned. My pieces are never really completed. They are all subject to revision, correction, etc.

I had fun with Dies Mali, although it was not as easy as I thought it would be.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Richard

[rbowser-]

Hi, Richard - Some of the wildest organ pieces ever, all of them fascinating. I can't imagine anyone getting more or better use out of the GPO organs.

"Race to Chaos - Politics USA" would have been a good sound track to accompany last night's debates--would have made them more entertaining, less depressing. 8-)

Randy

[fastlane]

I liked all three Richard.

I think The Footsome Organ was my favorite. I thought I could hear the ghosts of classic rock music in it.


Race To Chaos was pretty wild and crazy like many political races.

I for one haven't bothered watching the primary debates. Washington State suspended it's presidential primary for 2012 because it's so broke. We probably know who's gonna win anyway. The guy with all the money!


Dies Mali kind of works on you in a strange way.

Thanks for posting these.



Phil

[rwayland]

I really appreciate your comments, for which many thanks. And thanks also for the time and concentration it takes for a proper listen!

Richard

[Frank D]

Hi Richard,

I had to break listening to these three up into smaller sessions ... that's a hell of a lot of intense music to listen to in one sitting!

You really do get an amazing sound out of the GPO organ; your pieces demonstrate why this instrument (and your writing/performance) is so complete ... it can evoke a lot of different emotions.

My favorite was the Dies Mali ... very intense, and I will listen again in nine months!

Best regards,

Frank

[rwayland]

Well, it is certainly some intense music. In part, it is an effort to get the organ used as something besides church music. It has such grand potential, which is vastly under exploited. I would like to see many more organ venues, which would probably mean more electronic organs, which is okay, as there are some very good ones. When I heard my first electronic organ (exclusive of the ubiquitous Hammond) I was shocked and thrilled. I was about 21, and was helping my mother select a piano, when we saw the Allen in the show room, and I could not resist playing it. I was mightily impressed, as was my mother, who, incidentally was also impressed by my organ skills, of which she was ignorant, as I had learned while I was away from home for a few years.

Thanks for your attention and comments. By the time you listen again, I expect to have much more organ music written, not all of which will be so intense. It can be a bit stressful writing such music, as well as enjoyable.

Richard