Happy New Year! May this year bring you peace and tranquility!
Now, at the beginning of the year, I have been thinking about which pieces to sequence this year.
1. Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas
New pieces: Sonata No. 23 Appassionata, No. 26 Les Adieux, and my long-awaited goal, No. 29 Hammerklavier. However, No. 29 will almost certainly not be completed within the year.
Reviewing: Sonatas No. 21, No. 30, No. 31, and No. 32.
I owe my progress to the online lessons from my former colleague, a pianist. Lately, my performances have finally become somewhat listenable. In the beginning, I received comments almost measure by measure, and it took a long time just to get a "That’s acceptable" from him.
I believe my sequencing skills have improved considerably since I first started. Thanks to studying various aspects to implement the feedback I received, I have made significant progress. I am truly grateful for this.
With that in mind, I have decided to take this opportunity to review the pieces I have sequenced so far.
2. Challenging String Instruments
Unlike the piano, a simple percussive instrument where notes decay naturally, string instruments produce sound by drawing a bow across the strings. As a result, the range of tonal expression is vast. I can manage sequencing for a composition with a certain level of instrumentation. —I have tried it before:
Samuel Barber “Adagio for Strings”.
However, sequencing a solo performance is said to be extremely difficult, as it requires meticulous sound design and fine-tuning of every note. In classical MIDI solo performances—aside from demo samples created by sound library companies—I have yet to come across one that sounds truly convincing. I hope advanced AI-driven virtual instruments will be available soon. In the meantime, I will continue studying little by little.
Goals:Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9 Kreutzer and Cello Sonata No. 3
If possible. The Kreutzer Sonata is considered the greatest of Beethoven’s violin sonatas. Two years ago, I attended a recital by my musical advisor, where he performed it with Hiroto Yashima, a violinist based in Germany. Since then, I have wanted to try sequencing it myself. I’d also like to challenge myself with a string quartet.
I wonder what will happen.