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This is a piece I wrote for composition class, solo piano. I went for a bit of a jazzy, rhythmic vibe on this one. Also there is some minimalist and impressionist influence I think, but let me know what you think. What main influences are in there that you hear, and of course, what do you think of the piece in general, what improvements would you make etc. Thanks. Peace Within the Machine

I can definitely see the minimalist and impressionistic influences in this: very little actual development (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), and very harsh, cold, almost mechanical feeling to it (which is made particularly evident at about 36 seconds through: very hard sounding, deliberately unpleasant chords, being banged again and again: it just sounds very robotic). I could see this working as a soundtrack... Thanks for sharing! ;)

As you've probably guessed, no, I don't play the viola :lol: I had no idea a viola couldn't go that low. Can the violincello go that far down? I'll simply substitute them if that's the case. About the 4-5 note chords: the idea of the piece is actually much bigger than the score suggests (which is why I can no longer call this a String Quartet Surprise). This piece would have a much bigger collection of violins in order to produce the volume necessary to create the desired sound if played in real life. I would have done so on Sibelius, but my computer can only take so many instruments going on at once :rolleyes: Thanks for commenting, much appreciated! :D

Well this piece is very effective! It does paint of picture of freedom. I would like to know if you actually play viola. The reason for this being at measure 19, the viola does not go that low (I'm talking about the 3rd viola part). Violas go as low as a 3rd above the note you put there. I'm also not sure about the idea of 4-5 note chords, seeing as no one viola can play all at once. It also seems to add unnecessary volume.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try the pdf. tip next time, maybe I'll reupload this one like that. Yeah I actually agree a bit about it not being filled out enough, I think it might have benefited from more voices or just more rich harmony in the piano, but this is the way I turned it in so I kept it. I like the repeated 7ths though (kind of machine-like), but yeah I see what you're saying. Anyway I'll see if any other reviewers come by, thanks for your comments.

Hi Michael, thanks for posting. In the future you might have better luck with reviewers if you post a copy of your score as a .pdf instead of as a Finale file (there are many free programs that allow you to create a .pdf). As far as your piece goes, it was frankly too short for me. You don't really have enough time with the current length to flesh out ideas. I also didn't find it harmonically or melodically engaging (although I think there's some potential with what you have between measures 36 and 41). Please don't be discouraged by this, it's something most composers face in their early works. The repeated 7th intervals in the middle of the piece sound hollow and repetitive. You might try to make it less predictable and fill in your harmonies (I know you're probably going for a hollow sound, and that might not be so bad if you had more variation and didn't use block chords).

By a little more harmonic variety, do you meant that I should add another instrument, or have a certain instrument do more? Thanks very much for commenting and for the suggestion!

Very pretty writing Serge..You seem to have pretty good sensitivity with your slower works and use good restraint in holding back with using each instrument. I agree that perhaps it could use a little harmonic variety but as is it is very simplistic and pretty.