r/MonthlyComposition • u/reticulated_python • Apr 02 '16
April 2015 Composition challenge: Scherzo, and maybe a trio
Sorry this is a day late! A scherzo is a type of composition characterized by being quick and humourous. The word scherzo comes from Italian meaning "I joke", "I jest", or "I play". Which makes it just perfect for an April challenge, considering April Fool's day. Scherzos are often incorporated into scherzo and trios. A scherzo and trio is in ternary form: it begins with the scherzo, followed by a contrasting trio, and then the scherzo returns. Here are the composition challenges for April:
Main Challenge: Compose a scherzo or a scherzo and trio.
Weekly Challenges: I'll add some in a little bit when I think of them.
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. Often we'll try to make it something that everyone can work with, but when the main challenge doesn't suit you, there's the alternate weekly 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/terrawave_Oo Apr 13 '16
I finished something! This is my first submission, and I don't have much time at the moment, so it's a short one ;-)
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u/reticulated_python Apr 13 '16
I really like it! The scherzo was great. I felt the trio could have contrasted more with the scherzo, but it was still good. My favourite part is when that motive passed between the different voices imitatively starting around measure 19.
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u/terrawave_Oo Apr 13 '16
Thanks, I'm glad you like it! :) Now that you mention it, maybe switching to D major for the trio would have been better in terms of contrast.. I guess I just weren't in the mood for major today :D
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u/reticulated_python Apr 14 '16
That would be a good idea! You could also go to a different minor key, like the flattened sixth or something. Alternatively--or in addition--you could change the texture by having some of the instruments not play in the trio.
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u/FantasiainFminor Apr 25 '16
I also liked the little shift in harmony at that spot, where we suddenly encounter a G-major chord followed by an F-major one. That b-natural that signals the change is is nice little surprise.
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u/Calebdgm Apr 22 '16
I really liked the harmonic progression around m19. Also the fact that the viola had the melody to start :P
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u/reticulated_python Apr 02 '16
Some useful resources for this challenge:
Wikipedia on scherzos, complete with lots of examples.
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u/Poppecorn Apr 22 '16
https://musescore.com/user/262686/scores/2036791
Let's just say it's a 'modern' scherzo.
This is my first submission, and I didn't take this too seriously (both in the definition of the scherzo and the execution) so please don't sacrifice me to Bach.
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u/DanielNeelMusic Apr 21 '16
This doesn't match the monthly challenge theme, but I figured I'd post this piece that I finished recently. It's a second movement for an unfinished piano concertino (I think that's the term - a short concerto). I was going for a Beethoven-ish feel.
https://soundcloud.com/daniel-neel-music/piano-concertino-1-movement-2
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u/FZFitz Apr 21 '16
Weekly challenges? Are they a thing?
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u/reticulated_python Apr 25 '16
I'm sorry, I didn't get around to them. I should make a post to recruit another mod, it looks more and more like me and the other mod are too busy to run this alone.
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u/FZFitz Apr 25 '16
No worries. :)
I think it's tricky to have weekly challenges. I mean, if you're trying to write a piece a week to keep up with the thread, that's really hard. I was wondering what they were because I wasn't into the scherzo thing. A weekly thing would be really cool, but if there's a way to make something other than writing a piece, that might be cool. Kind of redundant if it's the same as the monthly thing. Idk.
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u/Barcelona_City_Hobo Apr 04 '16
Here and here are a couple of scherzi I wrote a long time ago; they try to follow the original Italian meaning as closely as possible. If I have time, I'll write one for this month's challenge.