I am currently revisiting Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 30 and have finally reached the third movement.
This movement consists of a theme and six variations, unfolding with such richness that it feels like the heart of the entire sonata. However, when it comes to actually sequencing
it, I imagine it must be quite challenging. As expected, my advisor’s feedback has stepped up a gear!
I have assigned four separate tracks to different voice parts, carefully shaping each one individually. The process involves constant adjustments and refinements, taking a significant amount of time. Among the variations, the fifth is particularly demanding, as it employs intricate structural interplay.
I took a similar approach when working on Sonata No. 29, dividing the voices into separate tracks. However, that sonata felt more like a chase, with voices following each other—though I often struggled with where the whole piece was heading. In contrast, No. 30 feels more like a lively conversation with voices coming from all directions, and the challenge is figuring out how to bring them all together into a cohesive whole.
Thinking about it now, I can’t believe I tackled such a difficult piece back when I had just started with DTM and my musical skills were still shaky. Listening to it again, I can tell that I managed to sequence it somewhat decently. However, the roles of each voice are completely unclear and not well-defined... And that’s exactly why my musical advisors strict corrections are all over it.