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Put on your ugly Christmas sweaters and DANCE, cuz I've got a treat for you! This is a piece that I started over a decade ago (the main theme, first variation and rondo were begun then) but have begun working on again since October 1st. This is by far my longest piece thus far, clocking in at just over 15 minutes. I tried to capture the joy and spirit of Christmas in these variations. I aimed to vary the types of different textures and ideas and keys present, sometimes having the orchestra or sections play with and without piano. There is some virtuosity and fireworks in the piano part which at times is a bit showy. Structure wise, I tried to make each variation smoothly connect to the next and to visit many distant keys throughout (mostly by going through almost all keys actually through rapid cycling through the circle of fifths). I also had quite a bit of trouble making the piano part and orchestra line up as for some reason, in Musescore (since I was using Musesounds for the orchestra and MS Basic soundfont for the Piano) the Piano eventually started falling behind the orchestra and I had to import separate files of just the Piano and just the Orchestra into Reaper where I could realign them if they started phasing. I hope you enjoy the fruit of my labors this Christmas! Any comments, critiques, or suggestions are welcome! Here is the form of my piece with timestamps: 0:00 - Theme 0:38 - I 1:14 - II 1:39 - III 2:12 - IV - "Transcendental" 2:36 - V - "Stately" 3:03 - VI 3:32 - VII - "Sneaky" 3:56 - VIII - "Flourishes" 4:30 - IX 5:06 - X 5:37 - XI 5:55 - XII - "Romance" 6:26 - XIII - "Romance Decima" 6:58 - XIV - "Minuet" 7:22 - XV - "Minuet Decima" 7:45 - XVI 8:16 - XVII - "Siciliana" 8:55 - XVIII - "Siciliana + Silent Night" 9:30 - XIX - "Waltz" 10:07 - XX - "Scherzo" 10:49 - XXI - "March" 11:31 - XXII 11:53 - XXIII - "March + Jingle Bells" 12:31 - XXIV - Cadenza 13:14 - XXV - "Rondo" 14:42 - XXVI - "Lilt" Edit: I've reuploaded a new mp3 processed with @AngelCityOutlaw's suggestions to get rid of clipping. Let me know if it sounds better now!

I wanna see you wearing that ugly Christmas sweater as your pfp LoL

Damn I'm gonna lose, huh

No! I don't wanna act as the paradigm of a bad recording full of tears on YC! 🫣😭

This is a massive work, but it's very cohesive. I'm actually quite impressed at how you took such a short melody and created so many variations around it. Who knew Deck the Halls could actually be....so interesting to listen to? You had some fun rhythms and harmonies to help keep things fresh. I know on Discord I told you I heard some hints of Beethoven. At around 4:40+, I think maybe those trills and some piano mannerisms reminded me a little of Beethoven's piano concerto 5. But despite that, this is a still a very original work. Your midi output / recordings have improved tremendously too, which made this even more enjoyable to listen to! Ever since I roasted you in my dedicated video about your Etude, it seems like you've changed your methodology, yay! In terms of your audio, be careful of "tearing". It's definitely not as bad as Henry's recording in his latest Sonata which had tearing / distortion throughout his entire recording. However, since this is a midi rendering you have complete control over your highest db levels. Make sure your peaks never hit the red.

To me your melodic and harmonic choices seem somewhat arbitrary and detached, almost like the specific notes could easily have been different (if say, the melodic contour was retained) and it wouldn't have made much difference to my impression of the piece. Not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing - just a different approach I guess. Thanks for the observation .... I had this conversation with my mentor .... who found the harmonic movement with the counterpoint to be interesting from his perspective. If the impression I was trying to communicate hits it mark - then I am satisfied. Reflections upon a person's passing is complex. I open the piece with a false triumphant fanfare which the moves on to despair ... and a fight against the ultimate fate ... resignation ... a brief ray of hope and the letting go. My intent to create a tonal fabric/texture narrative. My teacher mentioned Hindemith rather then Shostakovich. 🙂 One last question - if a not a classic brass quartet (with Tuba) then what should I call the ensemble? Or where you just being a funny! Next question should I attempt to orchestra the work. I think it could be interesting with more depth and variation?

Thanks Peter. To me the ending makes sense; but you're not the first composer to criticise it. Think I may write a third movement at some point in the far flung future! Probably should add a tenuto and/or fermata to the last note of the first movement, as I think it would sound better if held. Cuts off too abruptly for my liking in this performance. Probably ought to get rid of most of the clef changes in the first movement left hand part too, as they seem unnecessary. Think it would make more sense if notated entirely in treble clef; apart from the last 3 bars.

Thank you @PeterthePapercomPoser for taking the time to listen to my piece and provide me with some feedback, I really appreciate it. Happy-go-lucky wasn't exactly the vibe I was going for with the whole piece, I wanted my A to sound a little more "serious", and have the B and C sections with a bit of a more playful sound. I agree with the 3/4, BUT my harp part was written in 6/8, and I wrote the flute melody afterward, so I had to make it fit in 6/8. My B section is in 3/4 because the harp keeps arpeggiating, but the beat emphasis is a little different. I also noticed that dynamics issue and I'm going to go back and add them in Musescore. The different sections will need different tempo markings as well.

Hi @GospelPiano12, I really feel like you have improved on the harmonic progressions and voice leadings! Good job on that. Be sure to mark which accidentals each of the harp strings are using at the beginning and in each passages using new accidentals.For example in b.4 if you wanna have the Gb, you will require the harpist to change the F natural pedal to a F sharp one or a G natural pedal to a Gb one which can be hard since G is in b.3 and F is in b.5. To modulate you should mark all the pedals used too. I agree with Peter on the time signature choice. Is b.42 two bar rest intentional or not? Thx for sharing! Henry

If you're going for a happy-go-lucky flute and harp sound then I think you've succeeded! I think this piece is actually in 3/4 though, rather than 6/8 (at least that's what it sounds like to me). Also, you have both the harp and the flute at the same dynamic throughout the piece. It would bring much definition to the music if you brought out the melody and softened the accompaniment to better balance those elements and have a hierarchy of importance to the sounds. Speaking of melody though, I personally write the melody first (or write the melody and harmony simultaneously but still while letting the melody guide the process rather than the other way around). I never start with harmony because I find that pieces written that way tend to sound like harmony exercises or chorales to me. Those are my thoughts. Thanks for sharing!

A valiant effort, but don't underestimate my desire for retribution.

Read 'em and weep!

Very nice! It sounds like the 2nd movement ends in the middle on a kind of half cadence. It doesn't sound very conclusive to my ears and it years for a continuance. Other than that these are great! Well done once again! I think these recent submissions are your best pieces!

Well well well... Care to add your masterpieces to this year's Christmas Music Event?

Let me provide the anti-climax: if I am forced to decide upon the winner I will make a draw LoL.................. I would rather be an audience eating popcorn aside LoL..........

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 I'm in! You can't beat me! VincetheVeryVindictivebutnotValiant will not win! I'm writing a 10+ minute Variations piece on a famous Christmas carol for Piano and Orchestra in Eb major and nothing can stand in my way! I have a Romance, Minuet, March, Rondo, and the works included and it'll blow your Christmas socks and ugly Christmas sweater right off! Muahahahahahahaha! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄