New "Da Pacem Domine"
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,912
    Feel free to use, and let me know what you think!
    Da Pacem Domine.pdf
    57K
    Da Pacem Domine.mid
    24K
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    David,

    In the first few measures, you have "pacem" a prolonged dissonance (which I take it, is either accidental or ironic), and "Domine" uses a tonic seventh (if that even makes sense as an expression). This strikes me as two very peculiar choices.
  • ClergetKubiszClergetKubisz
    Posts: 1,912
    If you're talking about text painting in mm.4-5, it is a suspension that resolves, which essentially begins a chain of suspensions until m. 8, where we have the tonic in first inversion. In actuality, though, I did not choose the harmonic nor melodic structure by way of text painting. The effect of the long notes is supposed to be one of calm, which could be seen as text painting for the word "pacem." The piece winds up later on with "pugnet", but then calms back down at the end. Text painting is a popular technique, and is how many people interpret what they hear, but I don't always use that particular method.
  • Priestboi
    Posts: 155
    I really like how you end it. I wish I had a similar talent in composition!

    I did minimalist style composition (I wasn't very good I'm afraid) and was wondering if there was a reason why you use V-I so often throughout the piece and then refuse resolution in the final bars. It is interesting - I would love to read into this :)

    My experience was a total avoidance of resolution as far as possible until the end or a poignant moment/word in the text, but even that was frowned upon.

    Others in the class came up with some beautiful things though and with a little help, mine was passable for what may be called a composition :)
  • Evan M
    Posts: 7
    Beautiful! Love the opening entries and the 1st inversion tonic on p.1 m.8. The phrasing on "qui pugnet pro nobis" is very well crafted to build upward drive.

    On p.3, m.5, why not, instead of parallel octaves, lead the tenor up to half notes F# and G? In falsetto, this will make a beautiful echo of the soprano's noble climax.

    I'm not convinced by the D-minor chord at p.3 m.8. The chromatic alteration in the bass is poised to lead down to an E or C chord of some sort, instead of continuing upward.

    The return to the opening mode of voice entry is a striking turn, and perhaps it ought to be reserved for page 5, when the opening text comes back.

    Re Priestboi's comment on the ending: To use several strong cadences and end with a weaker formation is a technique going back to the motets of Josquin. In this instance it lends a pleading quality to the words, "Give us peace in our days, O Lord." The final chord IVsus2 has come into this role in recent decades, being an acoustically stable quasi-dissonance (mathematically, it's 4:6:9:12 in the overtone series) that incorporates two of the main notes of resolution in the key, tonic and dominant.
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