I'm now composing the seventeenth season of The Seasons. That would be the first season of the fifth year. It's called Winter 2015. The very first season was Winter 2011.
Each season has two versions, long and short. The long versions have silences separating the bits of music. There's one bit o'music for each day. The short versions have no silences but identical music. You can find all completed long versions here on Mixed Meters. Until now I only posted short versions beginning with Mantra (Spring 2013, short version).
A few days ago, out on my walk, I set my iPad to shuffle play. It decided that I needed to listen to Winter 2012 (short version). It had been some time since I'd played it. And I enjoyed it. I usually enjoy listening to my old music if I don't do it too often. Sometimes, however, it depresses me. I figured this piece was good enough to post. Plus, it would make an easy third post for January.
After Winter 2011, the very first season, I tried different schemes for musical unification. In Winter 2012 there is a 12-tone row used throughout. There are no other serial techniques; it's just a kind of melody with all twelve pitches that pops up from time to time. For the following season, Spring 2013, I figured out how to make the daily bits link together metrically. I've been using that technique ever since.
In Winter 2012 (short version) the musical bits vary considerably in their musical style. The shifts can be surprising. Hearing it now reminded me of John Zorn's For Your Eyes Only which is filled with musical quick-cuts and stylistic changes. I wasn't aware of the Zorn piece until several years after I wrote Winter 2012. And, of course, my piece does has no movie references.
Anyway . . .
Click here to hear Winter 2012 (short version) by David Ocker - © 2013 David Ocker, 889 seconds
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