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(Originally written for my Substack - welcome to follow me there: https://substack.com/@markoloco95) It is not often I stumble upon music by Johann Sebastian Bach that I had not heard before - especially among his cantatas that I have grown to obsess over. Then came Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft (BWV, 205), a lavishly scored ‘secular’ cantata with the the full might of the baroque orchestra, including three trumpets, timpani, two horns that in the opening chorus come together in such a way that resembles the festive character of his better known celebratory oratorios (his Easter and Christmas Oratorios & the Magnificat in D). My interest soon extended beyond its aesthetic appeal, however. Quite often I read the accompanying commentary to these cantatas to better understand what Bach was depicting exactly, made all the more necessary as a non-German speaker experiencing this music outside of its historical context and ~300 years later (Bach wrote BWV 205 during August 1725). Little did I know that this reading about BWV 205 would lead me down a significant rabbit hole that I now have the pleasure of sharing. The ‘profane’ cantatas Bach himself made no explicit effort to create a systematic taxonomy of his cantatas between the sacred and the secular; this was more a posthumous scholarly construction (his son, CPE Bach, was among the first to do so). Interestingly, the term ‘profane’, I learned, has traditionally been applied to his secular cantatas. A contemporaneous reading of that word may imply something that is anti-religious, blasphemous or morally corrupt - this was indeed my initial impression! Rather, ‘Profane’ comes from the Latin ‘pro fanum’, which originally designated what is ‘outside the temple’ - or outside liturgical or sacred use (Charlton, 1897). Its usage to classify his secular cantatas seems to have emerged only from 1885 - in French criticism - by one René de Récy, who states in his ‘Jean-Sébastien Bach et ses Derniers Biographes’ “une autre composition du maître, celle-là toute profane” (p 415) (another composition by the master, this one entirely profane.) The French Dictionary defines profane as “l'art profane et l'art sacré” (“secular art and sacred art”), and we have no reason to doubt that its usage in French musicological expression principally meant ‘non-liturgical’. Nonetheless, the semantics of the word remains problematic considering its historically recognized extended meaning, stated in the first edition of Dictionnaire de l’Académie française (1694): C'est une action profane & impie" (It is a profane and impious action) While it may seem that I am venturing into unnecessary abstraction, this is important context. The libretto by Picander for BWV 205 is inspired by Greek mythology. How could Bach - whose art has come to embody the pinnacle of divine Christian expression in music- also write music inspired by paganism particularly with the same quality of musical-rhetorical devices that underpin the former? On the use of classical mythology It is true that early Christian writers exercised hostility to worship of pagan deities, maintaining that practice as a falsehood. This extended to use of violence to subdue paganism in parts of Europe (the Northern Crusades, for example). Yet a remarkable amount of pagan culture was preserved through art, often explicitly since the Renaissance. At face value this is contradictory, but can be rationalised. The fact is that many of the christian clerics shaming the pagan cults from antiquity were often themselves inspired by the very writers whose works were imbued with a pagan spirit. The intellectual influence of writers such as Homer, Plato, Virgil, Cicero & Ovid, for example, on Christian Europe remained significant. The answer to this conflict was eventually through the secularisation of the Greco-Roman religions, whose deities came to represent literary figures, allegories and rhetorical symbols. By Bach's time, Christianity had already long appropriated ancient culture as an acceptable and educated symbolic vocabulary for artists to deploy in their craft. History and Text of BWV 205 The cantata was commissioned by the students of Leipzig University in tribute to August Friedrich Müller, a lecturer in philosophy and law at the university. It was apparently performed outdoors near Müller’s house in the Katharinenstraße - many magnificent townhouses were built in the baroque style during the early 18th century on Katharinenstraße and regarded as the most magnificent street in Leipzig. Café Zimmermann on the Katharinenstraße where many of Bach’s secular cantatas were first performed Picander’s libretto depicts a mythological clash centred on Aeolus, the Greek ruler of the winds, and his seasonal release of autumnal storms. He takes the storm episode from Book 1 of Virgil’s Aeneid, in which Juno, wishing to prevent Aeneas from reaching Itality, travels to Aeolia and asks Aeolus to release the winds against the Trojan fleet. In the book, Virgil describes Aeolus as a sovereign ruler who keeps the winds imprisoned inside a vast cavern in Thrace, struggling against their chains and reverberating the mountain. He retains their passions and rage and without his governance, the world would be swept away (Packowski, 2007). The libretto of the opening ‘Chorus of Winds’, with English translation: Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft, Tear up, burst apart, smash to pieces the cave Die unserm Wüten Grenze gibt! that sets limits to our rage! Durchbrechet die Luft, Break through the air Dass selber die Sonne zur Finsternis werde, so that the sun itself may turn to darkness Durchschneidet die Fluten, durchwühlet die Erde, cut through the tides, rage through the earth, Dass sich der Himmel selbst betrübt! so that even heaven is distressed. Aeolus, a Greek god of the wind How Bach Depicts the Winds in the Opening Chorus (Chorus of the Winds) Bach makes extensive use of contrary motion - instrumental lines moving in opposing directions - in the opening chorus. From bar 5, for example: From Bar 5 (violins & viola): 2nd violin and viola descending in thirds against the rising first violin part From bar 16: (flutes and oboes): contrary motion again emphasized, with wind parts moving in opposing directions. From bar 20: more elaborate example imitative counterpoint in the minor, dominated by contrary-motion scalar figuration: the bass, strings, oboes and flutes each play their own contribution to the counterpoint in unison. The effect is a flurry of independent and contrasting motifs, much like the motion of a violent storm. Some 'word painting' highlights The passage contains remarkable word painting, in which the ‘Zerreißet’ (English: tear up) is presented as though torn to pieces through fragmented imitation with staggered entries. Its three syllables are separated into short attacks, interrupted by rests (depicting the winds as scattered and violent) before consolidating into a cadential block. It is also interesting to see the cadence on ‘Gruft’ (denoting the prison or cavern) is set in longer, more stable notes. From Bar 29: ‘Zerreißet’ (tear up) before consolidating into a cadential block Starting with “Durchbrechet die Luft” (“break through the air”), the B section immediately provides a contrast to the earlier fragmented assaults of “Zerreißet”. Here, Bach gives way to a homorhythmic pattern as though perhaps the dispersed winds have now combined into a single current, before descending to a cadence in F minor as the sun turns to darkness. From bar 85: Durchbrechet die Luft, Dass selber die Sonne zur Finsternis werde, (Break through the air so that the sun itself may turn to darkness My final highlight From Bar 102: “Durchschneidet die Fluten, durchwühlet die Erde, Dass sich der Himmel selbst betrübt!” (cut through the tides, rage through the earth, so that even heaven is distressed.) Look at how how Bach treats "Himmel selbst betrübt" ("Heaven is distressed") , here. Bach prepares a cadence in b minor, but on "-trübt" he abruptly shifts to the dominant (f sharp minor). Notably his vocal writing suddenly shifts to a perpetual type of motion, while the continuo retains the rapid scalar motion that maintains the image of turbulent wind. The passage finally closes with an end to the B section in the key of F sharp minor. Together, this f# minor passage is evocative of a mighty storm that gives way to cadential consolidation. And contrasted with the restorative de capo (return to A section) that follows, Bach juxtaposes - almost theatrically - the cosmic consequence of the destructive power of the wind where even the heavens are plunged into distress, and with their original demand to "tear, burst and smash" the cavern containing the winds. Closing remarks From hearing this work for the first time last month, this has evidently become quite a rabbit hole. Notwithstanding Bach's sheer genius in his use of musical rhetoric to depict these classical myths, what's perhaps more interesting his that this rhetoric closely resembles that which he applied in his sacred cantatas. It demonstrates his ability - and indeed willingness and adaptability - to transfer musical-rhetorical techniques between both sacred and secular contexts. Being less familiar with his secular cantatas, for me this has added a new dimension to Bach and which deserves much more exploration. Indeed, it appears that his secular cantatas have received relatively less analytical attention from Bach scholarship, which I suspect has historically been drawn more strongly to the theological and devotional significance of his sacred works. Sources Académie française. (1694). Le dictionnaire de l’académie françoise. Paris, Vve de J.B. Coignard. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_VEw4AQAAMAAJ Charlton, L. (1879). A latin dictionary Lewis and short. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.147309/page/n1459/mode/2up For "Profanes", see Page 1459 Paczkowski, S. (2007). A Polonaise Duet for a Professor, a King and a Merchant: on Cantatas BWV 205, 205a, 216 and 216a by Johann Sebastian Bach. https://www.bachnetwork.org/ub2/paczkowski.pdf Récy, R. de. (1885). JEAN-SEBASTIEN BACH ET SES DERNIERS BIOGRAPHES. Wikisource. https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Jean-Sébastien_Bach_et_ses_derniers_biographes

I don’t think that you—as a composer at this level, as here at the YCF—should try too hard to develop a personal style, since it seems impossible to me to even intend to do so; for, on the one hand, “almost everything” already exists in terms of musical forms, systems, and languages, and on the other hand—even if one of us were the absolute genius who shapes and influences an entire era—he would unfortunately never live to see it, since such groundbreaking developments are usually only recognized decades or even centuries after the composer’s death. With that said, one should not bother much about it, since a personal musical language actually develops almost automatically as long as your composition exercises and works aren’t too “random,” you follow a consistent approach in your work, and try to incorporate only a few influences from different musical styles or languages into your next piece, rather than imitating a specific style in one piece and then switching to the style of a completely different composer or era in the next. After a year of being a member here on the forum and participating in three competitions or events, I think, I could identify some composers based on their “personal style”—for example (this is a very arbitrary list and by no means exhaustive …): @UncleRed99 – famous for the „warmth“ in its pieces, its chord progression and beautiful utilization of woodwinds. @Fruit hunter – very interesting percussion pieces. @Fugax Contrapunctus – everything about fugues and canons in an extremely thorough, intellectual (and even theoretical) way. @HoYin Cheung – mostly atonal pieces, especially for strings. @L.S Barros – influenced by renaissance and baroque, often utilizing brass ensembles and perhaps myself – counterpoint composition technique, voice leading, and mixed with influences from the 20th century, always starting as piano piece, but more and more orchestration examples ... Maybe for one of the next contests, we could make the submissions anonymous and award badges to the reviewers who correctly guess the most composers… (perhaps a silly idea).

Thank you for sharing this video @Luis Hernández! I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in it. Exactly — I think one thing that the twentieth century taught us composers is that not all innovations have the same generative potential, for opening new directions. You cannot create anything meaningful by simply negating what came before, or appropriating it with irony, approaches that reduce history to a museum of dead artifacts. Developing a personal voice requires building upon models, which can be quite diverse and individual in character especially in today’s globalized society. To be a truly contemporary composer, (i.e., con-tempo, “with the time”) you need one foot firmly in the past, and one foot ahead in the future. To quote on of my favorite writers on aesthetics, Jacques Maritain: It is indeed true that there is no necessary progress in art, that tradition and discipline are the true nurses of originality; and it is likewise true that the feverish acceleration which modern individualism, with its mania for revolution in mediocrity, imposes on the succession of art forms, abortive schools, and puerile fashions, is the symptom of wide-spread intellectual and social poverty. And yet the fact remains that art has a fundamental need of novelty: like nature, it goes in seasons. And Baudelaire, himself considered one of poetry’s greatest innovators: It is clear that systems of rhetoric and prosodies are not forms of tyranny arbitrarily devised, but a collection of rules required by the very organization of the spiritual being: never have prosodies and systems of rhetoric prevented originality from manifesting itself distinctly. The opposite would be far more true, that they have been a help to the blossoming forth of originality.

I wanted to share this reflection entitled ‘ORIGINALITY IN ART’ (the trap of wanting to be original). It is by Agustín Calabrese, a great composer and teacher. The video is in Spanish (he’s from Argentine), but I’ve transcribed almost all of it and run it through a translation tool. I think it offers a lot of insight on this subject. We must not worry about being original. At the very least, we must not consciously seek originality. Being the first to do something is not, a priori, a virtue. Claiming to be at the cutting edge today, or even believing that this is possible, makes no sense whatsoever. For the past few decades, we artists have had a global view of the entire history of art. That was not always the case. Bach was discovered and rediscovered several times, first by Mozart and half a century later by Mendelssohn. It is impossible to take things to an extreme that has not been explored before... [...] ‘Adolescent’ avant-garde impulses lead nowhere and fizzle out of their own accord; they are like a snake eating its own tail, and one cannot build in that direction. True innovations are rooted in tradition and build upon it. Innovation as something that breaks with a previous tradition, disparages it and treats earlier practices with irony is an anomaly of the twentieth century. In a healthy culture, styles evolve and transform progressively over a long period of time. Eighteenth-century positivism and the Enlightenment have led to the arts being evaluated using a method appropriate to the sciences. As if art were required to progress indefinitely. This doesn’t mean we have to repeat things that have already been done, but the only way to be original is to be true to ourselves. We shouldn’t write music that we think is politically correct or that people expect of us. Every person is a unique blend of tastes, influences, stories… If we let it flow without worrying about belonging to a particular movement, we will inevitably create something new.

Hello everyone! The following post in my formal submission for the 2026 Summer Competition: From Nothing, to Something. Below includes a detailed and extensive explanation of the work, both in inspiration and construction. If you wish to skip, the score PDF and Audio will be found at the end. Thanks and talk to you all soon! [TAKEN FROM SCORE] Plus belle encor votre chère beauté  - Your dear beauty lovelier still Duration: c. 6:08 Written in 2026, Plus belle encor votre chère beauté is a work for piano quartet that evokes summer and the experience of love. It was composed for the “2026 Summer Competition” hosted by The Young Composers Music Forum and is inspired by Paul Verlaine’s poem “Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d’été,” whose opening line may be translated as: “So, on a bright summer day it shall be.” The poem is number nineteen in Verlaine’s collection La Bonne Chanson (The Good Song) Find the French text and translation to the poem here The title of this work is drawn directly from the French text and has similar inspiration as the Gabriel Fauré song from his op. 61 bearing the same name as the Verlaine poem. However, this work takes the title from the fourth line of text, and unlike Fauré, this work is late-romantic in style. The musical inspiration came from two places: Tchaikovsky and his Nutcracker ballet, and a spell of improvisation at the piano. This work was created in late July and early August 2026, and during that time, I was experimenting with modal improvisation, and felt drawn to G-lydian. Specifically, the ivø7 chord you can build and find in Tchaikovsky’s music. It was also around this time I was listening to parts of the Nutcracker, where I felt drawn to the idea of harp-writing, and thus, during a period of improvisation, the foundation of this work came to be. With structure, Plus belle encor votre chère beauté is in ternary (A-B-A’) form and includes an intro and coda. The B-section acts as our development while the outer A-sections are comprised of a smaller AABA form. The principal theme stated in the A-section occurs throughout the work, where it can be heard in the introduction, coda and within the development where the piano states the principal theme in inversion. Lastly, I composed this work following the end of a relationship. In short, this work evokes those unspoken emotions I harbored and the romance I long to have one day. A day where I too can say “Your dear beauty.” PERSONAL NOTE: For me, the connection to this text, and now to this piece of music, is very personal. By the time this post goes live, my last relationship, of more than a year, ended a month ago. I will leave my thoughts on the matter with this: while rare in occurrence, being in the throes of thought can make the weight of longing feel immeasurable. However, amidst the satin and silk, this piece came to life. To add some fun for the competition, and incase people worry the music is not playable, I can assure you everything on the page works and is practical. However, better to put money where my playing is. A few hours before posting, I decided to record myself playing the work and trying out things. I originally improvised it on piano and this was one of the few times I tried to mimic what is on the page. It is not 1-to-1 and I made certain liberties in performance, however, this was fun to do! (This YouTube video is not my official audio entry for this competition. MP3 for score can be found below. Also, my camera was not in focus during the take... grrr) Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! (The art on the cover page is Claude Monet's "Woman with a Parasol." A wonderful piece of art!) AUDIO_YourDearBeauty.mp3 SCORE_YourDearBeauty.pdf

That’s absolutely true. It all depends on what we mean by ‘personal style’ (or simply ‘style’). One thing is clear: everyone tries to find the language, the techniques, the systems, etc., that suit them best, and to write music within that framework. But I don’t think anyone on this forum can claim to have a personal style that makes them unique and distinctive. That doesn’t mean there aren’t excellent composers. In fact, on the current scene, I don’t know of any composers who have that sort of style. I know of plenty of music that’s based on previous stories, and it’s brilliant.

Hello @CrystalCanon, I noticed with appreciation that you’ve thoroughly read my last two posts and thus noticed the contradiction between what I said here in this thread—that one shouldn’t “try too hard to develop a personal style”—on the one hand, and my “recipe for a personal style” in the second post, on the other. But to be honest, I didn’t mean that ironically. Perhaps, however, I misunderstood what is meant by “style.” If “personal style” is defined as how one is perceived or recognized as a composer by “others” (e.g., the audience), then I wouldn’t worry too much about it, since one has little or no influence over that. On the other hand, I think it’s important to develop a “consistent approach” or a “recipe” that you feel comfortable with when composing, and that allows you to create your pieces successfully. That’s the kind of “personal style” I mentioned in my other post. But perhaps this is somewhat different from the ideas summarized and discussed in this thread—wouldn’t it be worth for an own topic?

Thank you all for the feedback! The past couple of days have been busy, so I’m only just getting around to responding. On the choice of key @Luis Hernández I did consider transposing the piece to E minor to make it more comfortable for the musicians. Ultimately, I decided against it because I think the key contributes to the harmonic “color”—something that becomes even more significant in orchestration. Speaking from a string player’s perspective, the reduced resonance from open strings and the frequent need for vibrato help reinforce the piece’s somber, melancholic mood. There are also contrasting sections that modulate to more string-friendly keys, such as G major. In those passages, I use open strings and natural harmonics to make the contrast more pronounced. @Alex Weidmann , speaking as a semi-professional string player, I’d say it’s definitely playable. That said, it’s an uncommon orchestral key and creates plenty of intonation challenges for the ensemble. I can also confirm from experience that orchestral players generally aren’t too thrilled when they see a key signature with five or more flats or sharps! Orchestration choices Thank you for the detailed feedback, @Luis Hernández I agree that I may have written the English horn parts a little too high in places. Honestly, if I’d had the option, I might have scored the piece for two English horn players, since the instrument’s tone and timbre fit the atmosphere so well. Strangely, I’ve never been especially fond of writing two oboe parts—but maybe that’s just me. You’re probably right about bars 52–53. My intention was to thin out the upper octaves so that the viola-and-cello octave line would come through more clearly, with the upper voices adding a kind of “shine” to it. In a live performance, I think it could work reasonably well, depending on the strength of the flute players. I’ve been using Dorico since Finale went bust. I used its automatic condensing feature for this score, but I’m not always happy with the choices it makes. I usually go back and manually condense or uncondense the parts, but I didn’t have time to do that for this piece.

@CrystalCanon I think the current landscape of academic music is complicated. On the one hand, the few major venues that remain play it safe and, yes, every now and then, they programme something from the 20th century. Contemporary composers are rarely programmed, and often these are commissions that result in a premiere and little else, with a few exceptions. Ideally, more opportunities should be given to this contemporary music. Another issue concerns composers who build their careers within a closed environment such as music academies or conservatoires, where they have access to musicians to perform their works. As for the idea of learning from all sources and styles, that’s only logical. But it strikes me that many people have little or no interest in listening to, let alone learning how, other styles work. What strikes me even more are those who, when writing music, limit themselves to imitating very specific periods, whilst showing no interest in anything else. And I also agree with your final point. Each person’s preferences influence their objective compositional style. I, for example, thoroughly enjoy the Baroque, the style galant and Romanticism, though I’m less keen on Classicism. And I’ve studied everything from the Renaissance right through to rotational matrices… Yet my preference is for the modern language of music, from Impressionism onwards. In order to start doing something in that vein, I’ve had to spend a long time learning (with great pleasure) about tonal music, and I still enjoy it to this day.

@Lithl Hello I’ve listened to the music you mentioned by Jon Batiste and RDJ, as I wasn’t familiar with it. I think these artists have certainly chosen a style, but they haven’t created anything new – that is to say, a style of their own. There are loads of songwriters and composers who do this sort of thing, mostly by fusing styles or reinterpreting compositions. There are countless examples. From Stokowski with his orchestral versions of fugues and the like, to, for instance, Ben Lierhouse in the 2000s and his extensive discography, taking Wagner and infusing it with Cuban, Spanish and jazz rhythms, amongst others. Or, for example, Max Richter with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. I think the examples you give follow that line of thought. And it’s fantastic music, of course. But the things they do or have done don’t introduce anything new. No compositional technique, or aesthetic… For example, the most recent composers (that I’m aware of) who have developed distinctive musical languages are Arvo Pärt and E. Rautavaara. Philip Glass, who developed his technique (which, according to him, isn’t minimalism) over decades. These are composers who are recognisable by their music. And on a different note, for example, Wuorinen is a fairly well-known composer (the opera Brokeback Mountain, etc.). But he uses dodecaphonism and serialism, which were invented over 100 years ago. There may well be other composers in this category whom I am not familiar with, of course. And I don’t think that’s a pessimistic view. Not at all. You can’t keep producing radical innovations all the time. And there’s no need to. In short, what I understand by ‘personal style’ has several levels. Is doing what you want or what you like a personal style? Well, all right then.

Hi everyone, This is my latest piano composition that I wrote. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Hope you enjoy listening!

Kindly Interlect, I do not see how this holds any relevance to this thread or the whole of YCF. As a newer member to the staff, I must remind you to keep posts and comments oriented to their respective threads or forums. Unsolicited PNGs, links or other material not related to the forums is a violation of the YCF etiquette and can be subject to removal. Any subsequent comments not related to CrystalCanon and their thread will be removed for irrelevancy. Please funnel concerns in a direct message to a staff member.

Hello @elmarad40! I enjoyed the piece really being a „sweet nightmare“ concerning the contrast between the „sweet“ and „dark and mystifying“ musical motifs or themes. The first „theme“ (mm. 1-16) is indeed very pleasant. It reminds me somewhat of pieces written for the Christmas or winter season, in the sense of „Jingle bells“. Now (from mm. 17-31) it gets „broader“ and I would call that theme somewhat „hymnal“. Suddenly, the nightmare starts (mm. 33-48), it seems as the blood is going to freeze in one’s vessels. The fourth theme or motif (mm. 49-65) one could call „the battle“ since it reminds me of a film score – let’s say something like „Star Wars“ (even if I’m absolutely not familiar with movies …), ending with a general rest (mm. 65) – and the four themes return. I like the instrumentation, particularly the dramatic use of the „women’s choir“ in the „nightmare“ theme. Aside from that, there are just a few “minor details” or questions left: You would need four flute players to perform the melody and the chords in the „Jingle bells“ theme, just in the opening bars. In almost all of the timpani passages, I think I hear a snare drum instead (which itself has even not one note in the score).

I’ll share something a little different. I’m a big fan of L'Arpeggiata, an ensemble led by Christina Pluhar, in particular their latin jazz inspired interpretations of works by Henry Purcell. For this they collaborated with the brilliant countertenor Phillipe Jaroussky. It’s great, and i love how adaptable they are to reinterpret baroque music in this more contemporary idiom. I’ll link one of my favorites from this album:

I appreciate the comments! I wish to provide my thoughts/ reasoning on the string parts: The passage of octaves near the end is no exception to the octave passages that came before it. The triple stops you mentioned are actually quadruple stops (count the "and" of each beat as well). I took the notes and hand position in that moment straight from the Samuel Adler book of orchestration, which had a chart of common voicings for double, triple and quadruple stops during the section on the violin. Thus, while it may add a slight challenge in context, the feasibility of the part is trivial to the greater repertoire of violin and string writing. With the viola, I am aware of the challenge with the choreography of the player, specifically with the bow positioning. However, in the greater context of the piece, it only happens for 8 measures out of 144. To add, the pizzicato part is written to only be played on the G and D strings of the viola (II-III). Thus, the right hand can stay in one place to pluck (whether it's one or two fingers), while the left hand holds a hand position of a 6th, 5th and 3rd across both strings. All in all, while the bow may be placed in their hand, it is feasible. Thanks again!

review: you dear beauty lovelier still. this is my general effect review: I think this definitely and clearly fits the definition that you tried put on the theme. Not in a bad way, but in a neutral way this feels like a love song nothing wrong with that, but that’s why I took it as. The instrumentation sounds good and even the samples sound much better. The string samples I use I have to physically mark each 16th note for a separated run instead of it sounding all the lagato and sloppy. what you used sounds really nice and of course the piano writing sounds fantastic and I see some of that improvisatory sections inside of the piece as transitioning material. The runs also sound very solid as well. I definitely felt some Lydian elements in there too, so that affect was achieved well About playability let me get the very defendable stuff out the way A. Be careful with the octaves near the end with the violin again this is something very defendable as that a mature violin player with a good amount of experience could do that. It’s just something that could be tricky for someone trying to learn it. The triple stops are possible, just in succession. They may be a little tricky to get right. B. about the Pizzacato with the Viola, this is something that may seem a little more tricky/something that I may be more concerned about as well. I feel like with a bunch of actually looking at it and planning this could be done with a good amount of intense practice, but logistically speaking, you would have to use a similar technique to a harp holding a bow on top of that just makes it a little more messy. Also, the direction of the strings this goes in, also requires the use of more than one finger. anyways, other than that, those are just my gripes this is a really good piece and it fits very well with the theme so with that I enjoyed this one a lot also a nice work with the cover art as always, also thank you for your review on my entry. Definitely helped a lot. melody: 9.5 harmony: 9.7 structuring and development: 8.6 originality: 7 engraving: 10 execution:10 taste: 9.7 average 9.21

ON PASTEL SKIES - REVIEW Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 4 9 5 8 3 6 9 9 Total score: 53/80 Average Score: 6.625 Review: Attached is a PDF of my comments. They were too lengthy for me to write in a single comment on YCF and I hope you find them helpful. The score above does not reflect the extent of my comments and by no means do I write anything to be addressed personally. Good job on this work! F. Hunter_Notes.pdf

The main thing I struggle with when writing art song, is that the singer has a limited range. I think in art song it is very important to have a harmonic idea of your poems first. Then creating a melody around that. The piano does 90% of the work and the voice should get the credit. As a singer, I truly think the best art song has most phrases within the range of a 5th. From phrase to phrase you can shift this around, but the more rangey it gets, the needlessly difficult it gets. If the poem is contemplative I would hold this as a strong guideline. But if it's angry, or disjunt, maybe not worry so much. This isn't to say that anything will be bad if written this way, but it makes it harder to execute. Also do you have a baritone in mind? Here is a piece that conveys what I think is important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeXlTfC7MVM Most of the phrases are quite narrow for the voice, this allows the voice to navigate their difficult "passagios" Also notice how as the piece gets more intense, so does the range. And pay attention to how softly the pianist is playing throughout. It should be noted that this is a VERY difficult piece for voice. Specifically the closer you get to the end. Long phrases, short breaths, extensive range, lots of dynamic variety and high soft singing. The only reason its popular is because its so pretty. However the piece is subjected to pretty much only professional singers because of its difficulty. German Lied, is much more text driven. Generally a German Lied cycle has a lot of variety and color changes, as it was expected back then. So often times in a cylcle, piece are exaggerated in their color as much as possible. Sometimes I get annoyed at German lieder for not staying in the moment long enough, in attempt to create variety, but they are the world famous composers and I serve food to people. So getting into tonality. https://youtu.be/gHGYmV0frnw?si=H3MTNlnYh6iqUtvM Previn is always a favorite example of mine. Its tonal, but never the same tone. Listen to how the piano completely shifts from texture to texture in order to convey emotions, and prepares the next phrase. This poem is very complex, but the piano and voice work together to make it fathomable. Previn switches from between three primary textures, wide complex chords, high dissonant/poignant chords, and flourishes. Each represents a specific feeling. I think the wide chords express the "setting" of the poem, the natural feel. These are about 50% of the piece. The high dissonant chords have a feeling disappointment, while the flourishes express child-like hope. Also worth noting, this piece is really hard to sing. He never "preps" the singer with a pitch, making it incredibly difficult to find a pitch, even a augmented 2nd is difficult to find. I'm not big into non-tonal music so I can't help you much in that realm, but I think look at berg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I_7OHTr400 He's just my favorite in the not-tonal world. As someone who has sung a few atonal works, and others on the cusp, my main ask is: please make exceptions to your tonal rules, to allow the words to have their impact. Art song exists to create the worlds in which poetry exists. If the poem has to be forced by the singer, it is not a good art song.

OK I think this is the best reason for maintaining the key. In other words, doing so with that conscious intention, as in the examples from the repertoire. I use Dorico too, but I’ve been using it ever since version 1 came out. I used to use Finale as well, but I never liked it, so I switched. I now consider myself an ‘expert’ in quite a few areas, though not so much in others because they don’t interest me. The condensing feature is brilliant, but sometimes you drive yourself mad trying to work out why something hasn’t been condensed. The programme still has some bugs in this respect. Best regards.

Hello @Alex Weidmann, Congratulations on this fantastic-sounding orchestration of this beautiful piano piece! Even though I’m more familiar with pieces for solo piano and am just at the beginning of my “orchestration career,” I have to admit that the orchestrated version is calmer and gentler than the piano original, where the difficulty of the piece remains perceivable, even in a professional recording. Having an entire orchestra „at its disposal“ gives the chance to create seamless transitions between the various passages and moods from one instrument to another, and – as I’m now also experimenting with orchestration examples, I’m always astonished how well the different instruments blend together, even though they have such distinct timbres on their own. This is a very interesting topic. Having arpeggios in a piano piece tempts one to utilize the harp for that passages. But as Luis demonstrated in his fantastic example, this can be achieved in a more natural way for the orchestra by distributing the arpeggio among several different instruments. However, the „arpeggios“ in this Elegy are real slow (in eight notes), somewhat more in a kind of „broken chords“ which are even written out in full in the original piano score. But what to do if arpeggios in the piano piece are “faster”—that is, block chords preceded by the arpeggio symbol, played the way a harpsichordist would (i.e., with a gap of 32nd or even 64th notes between each note of the chord)? I struggled with that problem in my own orchestration example, in which I tried to achieve the arpeggiated piano texture by distributing it among pizzicato strings, sometimes percussions (vibraphone and glockenspiel), while also retaining much of the original piano notes for the harp. In a „second layer“, the voice leading was then „doubled“ by the remaining „singing“ instruments (woodwinds, brass and some violins). Concerning the usability of the key of E-flat minor for an orchestra, there have been interesting discussions in this thread (and also here in@danishali903 ‘s Nocturne No. 1 in E Flat Minor by Gabriel Fauré (Orchestrated) https://www.youngcomposers.com/t50225/nocturne-no-1-in-e-flat-minor-by-gabriel-faur%C3%A9-orchestrated/ ). The arguments that transposing the piece could make it more playable—for example, for string instruments—cannot be dismissed out of hand. However, as long as there is no actual performance, I would hesitate to transpose the piece to D minor or even E minor. Although there are no longer any physical characteristics distinguishing the various keys since the introduction of the equal-temperament system we use today, there is nevertheless a strong historical and psychological connection between certain moods and their respective keys, a connection that has been “followed” and repeated by numerous composers over the past few centuries, especially in the romantic era. One can even go back to Bach’s Welltempered Clavier where we have the wonderful E-flat minor prelude (in the first book) which is a perfect example for the mood of a „Nocturne“ or „Elegy“, whereas the pieces in E minor are much more „harsh“ and therefore bear the absolute contrasting characteristics. Wieland

That’s true. Although I’m not sure what implications there are in music being a form of communication. I believe that music is, if anything, a metaphorical language. But the meaning of what it might convey is highly subjective. I certainly don’t believe that innovation has to come through new sounds or things like that. The expansion of the expressive techniques of many instruments has already been fully explored. I was referring more to innovation in terms of style, defined as the set of visual, technical and formal features that characterise a work, an artist or an entire artistic movement. And it is far more difficult to create a new language. As such, I believe there have been very few: modal music centred on a single note, tonal music centred on the triad, and, shall we say, the liberation from that centre in its many expressions. But who knows.

A short study for string quartet composed by the sea this morning Regards, Marc 01 - Conducteur - Etude pour quatuor à cordes n°8.pdf Etude pour quatuor à cordes n°8.mp3

A fascinating perspective! I'm curious how you view that alongside your post from a few hours earlier, where you mapped out your own personal style strategy in detail: “I think this prelude is a good example of my approach to developing a “personal style” by combining an intended musical mood (festive D major) and a musical model (the “Gloria”), a clear musical form (sonata form), my contrapuntal compositional technique, some “more spicy” harmonies and dissonances, as well as a “crazy” idea as a “unique selling point”—namely, the unusual 11/6 time signature.” I really respect your opinion and your work by the way—I just caught the irony and couldn’t unsee it!

I like your piece very much, and I think the formatting is the main thing to make sure you get right when submitting. You have the cover page, all your formatting looks good. I think one more thing to get an edge is to add some program notes notes, and performance notes. If you have anything to say, maybe consider putting it on paper. Maybe consider making the your measures per system more consistent? I think sometimes the computer chooses 3 measures per system when its not really appropriate. Your music looks like it can stick with 5 measures every system. m. 87, you have a crescendo leading to a forte, but with a rest in between, maybe go around and make sure nothing like that is happening. If the rest of the orchestra is crescendo-ing to forte, go ahead and write that in all the parts unless you intend otherwise, and specifically write otherwise. Clarity over concise. The rest of what I have to say is lower priority, get your formatting perfect first. One more thing to consider, only if you have time. You put most of the rhythmic interest in the snare drum. One way you could create some interest, would be add some more short rhythms in some other brass parts. Trumpets love fast tonging, maybe find a place for that. I know you play trumpet. what do you like playing that you haven't done? Also percussionists can play more than one instrument. I understand the mood/style you're inspiring strongly evokes the instruments you've chosen, but at least consider if there is some mid piece changes that would maybe strengthen the piece? (Bass drum?) Also consider giving your players some more breaks, especially before solo-like sections. The horn is hard after playing for 10 minutes straight. A couple more 10 second breaks for horns seems in order. Maybe give some trombones a chance. No VST can recreate the absolute beauty of a trombone solo. Trombones have an easy time with vibrato. Also maybe consider a coda with more extensive V-I action, I was surprised when the piece ended. Don't try to do everything I said, I gave you a bunch of stuff, some of which might be totally against your creative idea. I think you have written a wonderful piece that I believe is warranted for a selection, but I think some of the above things are especially important. Consider your jury, if you don't know who they are, its usually 50% conductor, 25% executive director, and 25% players. I think you can have a director convinced with the idea of your piece, (program notes help with that). Your score is very clear. But I think at the moment, the players are going to feel like the piece is tiresome for horns, and lacks time for trombones to shine, and under utilizes the wide range of a state-level symphony percussion section. Trumpets are going to have a great time. Your piece can still be selected, so don't toss this beautiful work, but these are the possible issues catching my eye.

Hello @SergeOfArniVillage, That is an exciting post and really a „project“ with a bunch of pieces worth to be reviewed! So, first, to get an overview, I have taken a first look at the scores to see how the preludes are organized. Prelude No. 1 (I) – C major (but ends in C sharp!) Prelude No. 2 (II) – A minor Prelude No. 3 (III) – G major or E minor Prelude No. 4 (V) – D major (but ends in E?) Prelude No. 5 (VI) – B minor Prelude No. 6 (VII) – A major Prelude No. 7 (VIII) – F sharp minor (but ends?) Prelude No. 8 (IX) – E major (but ends with five flats?) Prelude No. 9 (XI) – B major Prelude No. 10 (X) – C sharp minor Very interesting, the tonality of the pieces is not as obvious in every case, but I suspect, that the preludes are intended to be all in a different key and organized around the circle of fifth (the same way as Chopin’s 24 preludes or Shostakovich’s 24 preludes and fugues - the roman numbers I inserted above were the numbering according to that scheme) and therefore my first question, do you plan to complete the cycle to all 24 pieces/keys? Now, I’m going to listen the single pieces. Prelude No. 1 Yes, it starts slowly with a C major chord, but immediately asks three consecutive harmonic „questions“. They are developed further until a climax in fortissimo but retain unanswered with a finishing C#m(add9) chord. A great overture which makes curious what will happen next, after the curtain rises. Prelude No. 2 The overture continues! But now there is more movement, as the heavy chords are accompanied by driving sixteenth notes. Prelude No. 3 Although it begins in G major, I am now certain that this is the E minor prelude. And that makes sense, because it provides the first moment of calm in the cycle. With that in mind, I’m certain you should insert another piece (between No. 2 and No. 3) in G major—as a “heroic opening to the opera”—following the first two “introductory” pieces, which have built up tension that now needs to be resolved. Prelude No. 4 Now it gets louder again. The prelude reminds me somewhat at Shostakovich’s prelude No. 6 in B minor from its op. 87. However, you interestingly achieved the feeling of a „French overture“ not by double dotted notes but only by accentuating and phrasing your semiquavers! Just now – after 100 bars - I had the impression that it could become somewhat too repetitive, but you’ve presented the right answer to that feeling with your surprisingly ending of the piece with „staccatissimo strikes“ in mm. 101-103 and unexpected resolving to Em7. Prelude No. 5 As surprising the former prelude ends, the new one starts in its opening six measures. But now starts the fun! (More than) an entire bar in rest, and than we have a ragtime which continues to change into a „free jazz“! I really enjoyed your „walking bass“ whereas I really could imagine a Jazz trio on the stage (with piano, double bass and drums). A fantastic piece, perhaps my favorite from the ten ones. Prelude No. 6 Calming down with the A major prelude with the opening F doublesharp diminished 7th chords. And even more in the Adagio section with its „ethereal mood“. But the calm is deceptive as the drama begins in bar 33 (or even earlier with the first fortissimo in bar 28). Interesting contrasts throughout the entire piece as well as another surprising ending, as the finally reached A major chord is „disturbed“ or „spiced“ by an A sharp! Prelude No. 7 A good companion with the previous one, both share the contrast between „drama“ and „ethereal feeling“, but this one in a somewhat more „pleasant“ way. The combination of bass-heavy chords and pearl-like runs in the higher register lends the piece a certain beauty despite its dissonances. The deceptive „endings“ (in mm. 41) and the rests (in mm. 18-19) arise a sense of tension and curiosity about what will happen next. Prelude No. 8 Now we are back in a realm which I would describe as „Jazz“ (in a wider sense). Thriving rhythms and syncopation paired with complex chords. It somewhat reminds me at the brilliant preludes (and fugues) or concert etudes of Nikolai Kapustin, the famous Jazz-pianist-composer. Haha, and in mm. 53-53 the chords repeated eight times (from ff to fff) remind me at the famous eightfold repeated ninth in the left hand of measure 35 of Bach’s B major Prelude from WTC2 (BWV 892), so that we have even a reference there. Prelude No. 10 I changed the listening order, since in my imagination to follow the circle of fifth as arrangement scheme, we should now come to C sharp minor: Although the prelude features various, contrasting textural means, such as heavy chords, arpeggio runs and triplets, the „harmonic kaleidoscope“ of the previous preludes is now calmed down to a more tonal approach (as I see no accidentals at the ultimate chord, while being towered by a ninth). Prelude No. 9 The cycle (so far) ends with a gentle or tranquil piece with pleasant – and sometimes dissonant – chords, thus finishing the arch to the Prelude No. 1. But the curiosity for more prevails: After the expected ending in B major (over a pedal tone), you could not hesitate to create suspense or tension with the ultimate chord which leads us to the (possibly) next piece in G sharp (minor) ... Final words. It was a fun to take a closer look and to listen at your preludes and I’m very curious if that cycle would be continued – especially as my „project“ (it is somewhat a „life-time project“) is to compose 24 preludes and fugues (fortunately more than the half is already accomplished). My thoughts or „review“ is merely subjective, and I did not analyze the scores thoroughly to „find nitpicks“. The only thing I discovered is that there were some notes I am not able (or willing) to read due to the amount of ledger lines … Great work! Wieland

Hello.... I’ve finally managed to listen to the whole piece. I’m not going to make any technical comments or anything like that, as there are people of a much higher calibre who’ve already done so. I’ll just say that I really liked it. I think you have a powerful vision of what modern, chromatic counterpoint can be. Everything fits together perfectly and the piece never gives the slightest hint of being boring. What’s more, it’s a real pleasure to see such a clear score. Well done.

Avey Tare & Panda Bear - Alvin Row ignore the first 2 minutes of this song

Hello @Alex Weidmann , this post is a bit „off topic“, I wanted to respond to your yesterday’s post „Drozdov - Au Tombeau De Rachmaninoff (orchestration)“, which has now disappeared (for good reasons). But the “internet” never forgets (I, fortunately had the page still open ... 🤪), so I can quote one of your lines: „I'm totally hooked on orchestration now. You enter notes from a score, like a recipe, and something magical comes out! And it's in a form no one's ever heard before. What could be better than that?„ Yes, that’s been my experience too, that - while it does take a lot of effort to expand a piano piece (let’s say with four or six voices) to an entire orchestra which literally has more than 30 „tracks“ that can be used – it is really fun to play around with the instruments. Normally, my compositions are for piano (and I think I’ll continue to compose pieces entirely for piano first, before I begin orchestrating them), so that I thought for a long time, I would not be interested in pieces for full orchestra. But there were two experiences during the last few month which have caused my interest in orchestration to grow more and more: First, there is a choir and an orchestra in Berlin (the “Orso Choir”) that were founded by a very dynamic man and are under his direction. About twice a year, they perform special arrangements orchestrated by the conductor at the Berliner Philharmonie —for example, interpretations of rock music, film scores, or even themes from video games. And even though these genres aren’t usually among my interests, it’s great fun to watch the conductor “play” with his “toy”—the symphony orchestra. The second was a performance of of Dvořák’s “Stabat Mater” with a full orchestra and a massive choir (430 singers). This was a real fun, not only because of the bombastic sound, but also because I was able to follow Dvořák’s orchestration live. For example, in the opening movement, Dvorak stays very long on the harmonies and even single tones – letting them „rotate“ through the entire orchestra. At one point, you hear and see the cellos playing a chord while the double basses accompany them with pizzicato. A moment later, you can still hear the chord, but you see that the cellos have stopped playing, and after a moment of surprise, you realize that the horns have taken over and the pizzicato has been reinforced by the timpani. Yet the transition was so seamless that you didn’t even notice the change in instruments, only a slight shift in timbre. So, let’s go on orchestrating (and composing)! Wieland

Hi everyone! This small collection of pieces I wrote that explores the concept of the lullaby from different perspectives: -The first piece uses more active and independent voices while still preserving the gentle character of a lullaby. -The second takes a more traditional approach, focusing on simplicity and a singable melody. -The third explores a more dreamy and suspended atmosphere, aiming to capture the feeling of drifting into sleep. -The fourth takes a darker direction, attempting to evoke sadness and longing through a slow, hypnotic atmosphere. Timestamps: 00:00 Lullaby I 01:05 Lullaby II 01:55 Lullaby III 03:30 The Last Lullaby YouTube link Score Once again I would like to thank you for giving me your time and valuable feedback that keeps me going and improving everyday! I couldn't be happier that I discovered this forum! Lullaby G Major.mp3 Lullaby in F Major.mp3 Lullaby in F Minor.mp3 Lullaby C Major.mp3 Lullaby C Major.pdf Lullaby G Major.pdf Lullaby in F Major.pdf Lullaby in F Minor.pdf

Hello, I got the sheets and followed along with the music for the one in C major. There is a brief part of the piece that sounds like Brahms to my ears... Maybe it's because I don't know much about Brahms and when I hear lullaby I get subconsciously primed to think of Brahms :). From a performance point of view, I found it easier to play the notes differently than how you notated it. IE, instead of playing 3 notes in left hand and 3 notes in right hand, I found it easier to play 4 notes in left hand and 2 notes in right hand sometimes. Dunno if it's worth to do some cross beaming. Hopefully that makes sense.

The piece in F major is well done. Although it has simple, sparse lines, it all sounds really good to me.

Fair point. I agree with this (without nostalgia, of course). It seems that because people are being exposed to so many musical languages today, there can be an underlying sentiment that "all music is equal". Or else the classical canon is treated as something sacred and inviolable, and its composers above all criticism. Either approach bypasses the hard and necessary work of actually understanding WHAT makes these pieces work, on a level deeper than that of surface rule-following (since rules evolve and change, but the principles behind music don't). Quoting Boulez here: "In order truly to harness the power of the classics, you have to dig deeper, reach down to what made them behave in a particular way, to understand and to analyze their approach. It is not enough to observe the results and to dispossess them (quotation, stylistic imitation, etc.); creativity does not have sufficiently powerful thematicism at its disposal, but becomes spent, though referencing and distorting, no longer able to forge material only for itself."

Talk of "innovation" is a moot point when we are inundated with music that isn't even "good" to begin with. If something is new, but it sucks, then it doesn't matter how different it is. So the conversation is kind of cart before horse. People mistakenly assume, in a world right now of endless remakes, re-releases, etc. that the problem is a lack of "new ideas". The reality is that we, as a society, are not presently able to replicate what made the the old things great in the first place. And if we can't do that, then no "innovative" idea is going to be worth a damn.

Hi @TristanTheTristan! Perhaps I should have said "switching to a different plugin" instead of proposing the word "fix"! It might just be me, but doesn't that Pizz sound a bit... blurry, or muffled? It could just be my ears playing tricks on me (haha). I found myself thinking that something like "Berlin Free Orchestra" or "SSO Discover", whatever has a clearer sound, might have been a better choice. But it comes down to personal preference, so it might not be a big deal after all. In any case, thank you for sharing your work! I liked it! Best, Lithl.

I really liked it. The beginning at least sounds a bit like the music from the Zelda video game series. Thanks for sharing… definately keep making music like this. I’ll be coming to listen!

Thank you all for your feedback, and sorry for my slow response! @maestrowick! Thank you so much for taking the time to give such detailed feedback! There’s a lot here for me to think about. I’m glad you think the piece has enough potential to expand further. I originally set out specifically to write something short and relatively simple, so rather than expanding this particular movement into a 10-minute piece, I’ve been thinking it might be interesting to make it part of a suite of several short movements in a similar style. I could keep this movement relatively intimate with flute, harp, and strings, while the additional movements gradually make use of the full orchestra and explore different colors and ideas. That would let me keep the compact character I was aiming for here while still developing the overall concept into something more substantial. Your harp comments are especially helpful. Harp is one of the instruments I’m least familiar with writing for idiomatically, so the explanation about automatically changing hands within the octave figures is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to learn. I’ll go back through those passages and rethink the beaming and hand distribution, and I like the idea of expanding some of the runs upward into a different register as well. I appreciate the clarinet suggestion too, and I can definitely see how that could open up some interesting harmonic and contrapuntal possibilities. For this piece, though, I think I’d prefer to keep the flute as the only wind instrument. I like the simplicity of having one clearly defined solo voice against the harp and strings, and I think that contrast is part of the character I’m aiming for. And I hadn’t considered alto flute at all! That could be a really interesting alternate version, especially given the atmosphere I was going for. I’ll also go through the specific flute phrasing and notation comments you mentioned. Thanks again — this gives me a lot to experiment with, both in revising this piece and in future writing. @Luis Hernández Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the relative simplicity of the piece — that was something I was intentionally trying to preserve. I appreciate the suggestion about violin harmonics. I can definitely see how they could reinforce the ethereal quality, although I think for this piece I prefer the warmer, more direct sound of the strings as written. I wanted the atmosphere to come more from the harmony, register, and texture rather than from extended or more distinctive string colors. @PeterthePapercomPoser Thank you! I’m glad the floating quality came across — that was very much the atmosphere I was trying to create, and I was particularly concerned with keeping the rhythmic motion from feeling too repetitive or mechanical. And yes, writing for the smaller ensemble was a deliberate exercise for me. I usually find myself wanting to add more instruments and colors, so part of the challenge here was seeing how much I could do with a very limited palette. Thanks again everyone for listening and providing feedback!

Thank you, CrystalCanon, for your feedback. It was one of the more specific and insightful reviews I've received, a couple of your points overlapped with one of my other reviews (from a friend of mine that specializes in string performance). I think the best course of action for me would be to scale things down and work on some fundamentals before scaling back up to sonatas and larger ensembles. As for the 6/8, I can think of counterexamples from both Brahms and Mozart; what you said about it may still be a point to consider as a guideline, however.

I will check soon! Thank you, and I will notify you when I am done. Btw, what to fix?

Some recordings I've been into recently, diverse genres: James Francies - Purest Form Tigran Hamasyan: A Musical Portrait Jacob Collier: A Musical Portrait Toru Takemitsu - Orchestral Works Messiaen - Poemes pour Mi Rouvali Conducts Sibelius

I listened to your piece and I admire your stamina and commitment in writing such a lengthy movement! However, I don't feel that its length is completely earned. A sonata form of 420 bars needs a really strong main idea if it's to retain the listener's attention and interest. Your folksy melody was pleasant, but if it were up to me, my first thought wouldn't have been to expand it into a large sonata-allegro form. I also noted a sort of meandering quality to your lines that came from long phrases without a clear beginning or end. I think it's typically a good idea to write for string instruments in a similar way as one might write for voices or winds. Of course, strings have unique capabilities, but both the musicians and listeners will appreciate giving them space to "breathe." Chamber music especially, regardless of the musical language, is most naturally structured like a conversation. I am also not sure that pandiatonicism is a good fit for sonata form without extra structural support. It's one of my preferred harmonic palettes, but without the "directionality" of functional tonality—or a rigorous approach to motives and pitch-class sets—it has the potential to sound a bit aimless. Since sonata form is essentially a teleological (goal-oriented) narrative, that directionality needs to be provided through other means, such as striking pitch contours, rhythmic drive, or strong motivic contrasts. As for the meter, I typically wouldn’t write a sonata form in 6/8, because of its lighter “dance” associations. But I’m sure it’s been done. So all things considered, I would advise you to pursue greater concision in your presentation of ideas and find ways to articulate the structure of your piece more clearly on multiple levels. I am curious about what your creative process was for the movement: did you begin by planning the sections at a high level, or did you work mostly from beginning to end as you went? It's all part of the process of finding your own voice. We're all in it with you! Good luck with your composing, and I'm eager to see where your creativity takes you!

Hello @TristanTheTristan! So, you’ve fixed the clipping issue, right? If so—yes, it certainly seems to be resolved, and the sound is so good! The absence of clipping really gives it a sense of polish and attention to detail. By the way, upon listening to it again, I felt that the pizzicato sound starting around the 3:10 mark could use a little adjustment. It sounds a bit unnatural to me as it is; what do you think? Perhaps one shouldn't expect perfection from playback, but I think it’s worth a quick fix when you have some spare time :) This is a great work! Best, Lithl.

Listen to Freedom's Everlasting Hegemony for String Sextet by 신성음악 on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/2nx6OyR8tbRUgRhsiH

@Luis Hernández Thank you so much for listening and for the feedback! Totally get where you're coming from! While writing these, I kept trying to maintain fairly strict counterpoint, but I found that when both voices became too active, the music started losing some of the calmness I wanted from a lullaby. So in several places I made the second voice more of a harmonic support rather than an equally independent contrapuntal voice. I also found that stepwise motion was really important for the sense of calmness I was going for. So sometimes i prioritized that over strict counterpoint, which led to some of the parallels you noticed. I probably could have found a better balance between the two! And again thanks so much for listening!

I’ve listened to two of them; I’ll listen to the others later. The one in C strikes me as almost perfect. It’s harmonious and has that lullaby feel to it. I just think the two-part section from bar 23 onwards has a sequence of parallel fourths that I’m not entirely keen on. I think what you’re trying to do is complete the chord. The other one sounds less like a lullaby, but I think it suffers from something similar. At certain cadential points, there are successive fourths (doubled, at that) which don’t quite sit right with me in this sort of piece. The thing is, in something so delicate, with such pure lines and drawing on the legacy of counterpoint, all this stands out a bit.

I completely agree with this. The thing is, when you’re learning, I think it’s good to explore and delve into a wide range of styles, given that we now have the resources to do so. Of course, it’s a process that, depending on each person’s circumstances, may never end. I think the level of commitment plays a big part here. A professional composer is not in the same boat as people who compose as a hobby (and do so whenever they can). Honestly, as I’m in that second group, I don’t think I’ll ever have time in my life to define a narrow circle of influence. That doesn’t mean, however, that when I set out to write something, I do so within a framework I’ve defined beforehand.

"Meandering Up and down".......................... that made me laugh out loud , or should i say LOL ?

LoL .. I really don't know and can't say. The judges at these things could be much stricter than our community here on Young Composers. Your rhythms - you have a characteristic way of meandering up and down and you can't resist the inclusion of occasional triplets LoL

Hi @UncleRed99 ! I think it's a very nice and sonically pleasing work! The inclusion of Taps in the piece (albeit with liberal artistic license) enriches the message of the piece being a dedication to those who died on D-Day (probably the most gruesome and intense engagement in WWII). I think I could compare you to Brahms in a way, because Brahms in his harmonic structuring of his pieces was so dependent on 3rds and 6ths (something he also had in common with Percy Grainger). Your music on the other hand is very suspension-heavy, constantly creating those major and minor 2nds that rub and resolve pleasantly to major or minor sonorities. I think you should be weary of this however, since this style of writing for brass is very common in the DCI (Drum Corps International) universe and doesn't win you points for originality, creativity or style. Although I would argue that you do have a certain personal style that is recognizable. Thanks for sharing!

I forgot to mention Japanese music, as I'm only slightly familiar with it. In particular, I really think Async by Ryuichi Sakamoto is a great work. Also, I find some J-Pop songs fascinating. The vocal styles are quite distinctive to my ears. So, these are Japanese examples. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Async DAIKI TSUNETA - THE FEST SUITE FOR CARTIER J-Pop ↓ ヨルシカ - だから僕は音楽を辞めた Fujii Kaze - Nan-Nan Kenshi Yonezu - Pop Song

Ok, this is such an interesting topic. I didn't know some of the pieces and musicians. I've already learned about new music :) I hope that more people will respond to it. Here are my examples. Johan Johannsson - Orphee John Adams - Short Ride in a Fast Machine Albert Zabel - La Source (Am Springbrunnen) for Harp, Op. 23 Eliane Radigue - Musique de notre temps Hania Rani - Buka Ennio Morricone - The Crisis Marcus Miller - Power Cecil Taylor - Unit Structures