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I am stoked to finally release this great collaboration with @Maharani that we've been working on for over a month! I first found out about Marissa's Solo French Horn sonata through the United Composer's Collective discord server (UCC). I offered to play and record at first just one movement but then it turned into a full 4-movement project. I spent a lot of time practicing almost everyday getting my chops into a state of preparedness. Honestly - it was a bit like training for a marathon! LoL The movements are as follows: Sonata Aria Capriccio Ciaccona We are also including two versions of the score - the handwritten one by Marissa and a more official and mistake free engraving by me. Bandcamp link: https://maharajah.bandcamp.com/album/sonata-per-corno-op-4 Let us know what you think of the composition, engraving as well as performance of this work! We'd be stoked to hear any of your comments, critiques, suggestions or observations! Thanks for listening. Sonata per corno – 1. Sonata.mp3Sonata per corno – 2. Aria.mp3Sonata per corno – 3. Capriccio.mp3Sonata per corno – 4. Ciaccona.mp3 Sonata per corno – handwritten score.pdf Sonata per corno Complete.pdf

@PeterthePapercomPoser @Maharani Wow congrats on the collaboration! I like both versions, but the reverb version really adds a layer of lushness to the sound, it's great. :) Seems like a lot of effort went into the recording and practicing, so well done there Peter. The handwritten score is clear and I'm envious of your nice handwriting lol. The language is interesting, what was the thought process behind it? ❤️ Well done you two, it's always great to hear live recordings here, and this was a fine example of what collaboration can achieve

Hello A fantastic piece, rich in colour and beautifully orchestrated. I find this sort of work for wind bands to be a rather distinctive genre, and by no means an easy one. In the area where I live (Spain, on the Mediterranean coast) there’s a very strong tradition of street bands (marching bands?). They play whilst marching the whole time and consist of dozens of clarinets, oboes, flutes, sometimes saxophones, and percussion—including timpani, which are constantly pushed along by two assistants. There are many bands here and they play at the local festivals. For example, in many villages and neighbourhoods, ‘Moors and Christians’ festivals are held (lasting 3–5 days), as this country was under Muslim rule for seven centuries (from 711 to 1492) and these festivals re-enact the final Christian victory. Anyway, it’s fascinating. And that’s why we have such a wonderful Muslim heritage in this country in every aspect (traditions, cuisine, the language). These bands parade with various groups throughout the day and play pasodobles, music that sounds ‘Arabic’, and so on… That’s why I’m so fond of this sort of band. Anyway, sorry for rambling, but I’d like to congratulate you on this music.

What an interesting composition. Writing a solo piece for a single-line instrument is a kind of marker of compositional mastery. There’s nowhere to hide here: not behind harmony, not behind any effects in the texture or counterpoint. Pure melody and form. It turned out to be a captivating piece. And the performance, of course. It’s a pleasure to hear music played on a live instrument by a live performer. It was played very convincingly and delicately. Simply bravo. By the way, I didn’t know that Peter is a horn player. For some reason I thought you were a theorist. Your username pushed me to that conclusion. =)

I am a German living in America, so which to choose? Italian is the international language of music and already used for so many components of a score, so I figured I might as well use it consistently. :) Thank you for your compliments! <3

Hello everyone, I’d like to share Rafa’s March, a piece I wrote in memory of my dog, Rafael, whom we called Rafa. The music reflects the moments when we walked every day at the river, he was just wild chasing kangaroos and every sound he could hear. I composed it using the piano and StaffPad. I’m still learning about composition and orchestration, and I’d appreciate your feedback about balance, timbre and anything you would like to say to help me to improve in this journey. I’ve attached the audio and PDF score. Thank you for listening! Polo Perilton Rafas March.mp3 Rafas March.pdf

Hi, I really enjoyed the opening theme with its "jazzy" feel and motion. However, I was not as engaged with the second part of the piece starting at measure 34. Personally, I would have like some more variations (playfulness) on the opening theme. I didn't feel this mid-section change enhanced the work. Mark

I'm writing a musical song, about a witch. The lyrics are still in development, and I have since transposed the music down a lot from this recording, as it's way too high to sing. But I just can't figure out how to orchestrate it. At the end, before it cuts off, there will be a massive choir + orchestra section which I could be fine with orchestrating, it's just the rest of the song sounds so nice just with piano, so I don't know how to orchestrate it, and for what ensemble/orchestra. Any suggestions appreciated.Nasty Little Woman.mp3

Would it be a good approach to first learn a piano piece with the keyboard volume switched off or turned very low, or by using the soft pedal on the piano right from the beginning, before gradually moving on to fuller-sounding practice and musical refinement? I have sometimes done this in the past and have been experimenting with it a little more recently. The idea is to first familiarise oneself with all the notes, rhythms, general techniques and physical movements without overloading the ears with sound, helping to minimise cumulative auditory fatigue over extended practice sessions. Slow practice can also be incorporated at this initial stage. Working out the unwritten dynamics, phrasing and articulation can likewise begin during the learning process, through listening to and imagining the piece, or be explored further once one is familiar with the notes and rhythms and moves on to the piano. I am curious whether this quieter approach to the initial stages of learning, followed by progressively fuller-sounding practice, might be beneficial before eventually refining the musical interpretation. Does anyone else practise this way, and what has your experience been? Feel free to share : ) ...

Hi @Aw Ke Shen ! I actually did this before when I was young, as I always press the middle pedal of an upright to practice so everything is muted. I did this to strengthen my fingerings though. Your learning approach as you describe would be mainly aural and theoretical, but there are also some people who learn by auditory or manual method, so it really depends. My recent learning approach would be to play the piece as close as the original tempo with all details. By forcing myself to so many things happening I actually learn faster than just grabbing details first, probably because I’m an N person (intuitive) in MBTI instead of an S person (sensory), so I need to grab the big picture before going into details first. Henry

Suite for mezzo-soprano and string quartet, “Forlorn Images”. The original title, "Неприкаянные образы" (“Neprikayannye obrazy”), cannot be translated into English exactly. The Russian word "неприкаянный" (neprikayanny) has no single equivalent in English. It describes someone or something that has no place to belong, no refuge, and no peace. It is a person or a spirit drifting without purpose, restless, a little lost and lonely, not accepted anywhere. The word is often linked to the old verb "каяться" (to repent), and it carries a faint religious shade: something left unreconciled, with no rest or shelter. English words such as “forlorn”, “restless”, “drifting” or “homeless” each capture only part of this. So “Forlorn Images” is only an approximation. Think of images, figures and visions that wander without finding their place. The 5th movement, "Звездочёт" (Zvezdochet), is an old, slightly fairy-tale word for an astronomer or astrologer. Literally it means “one who counts the stars”. It belongs to the world of medieval wizards, court sages and folk tales, where a person watches the sky and reads fate in it. The nearest English word is “Stargazer”, though it can also suggest a daydreamer. “Astrologer” is closer to the mystical side. Please read it as an old sage who observes the stars and seeks meaning in them. Music by A. Khomenko, lyrics by V. Osadchenko. In five movements. Silence Reflection Desire The Master (attacca) The Stargazer Part1 Part 2 Part 3 Parts 4-5

Do all 10 now because lunch is over!

My composition. I would appreciate any feedback.

Peter asked me to write a little review, and I'm very happy to. :) For starters, I was ecstatic that Peter agreed to play even one of my movements for solo horn! At the time I was only able to offer a low payment, yet he thought the piece was interesting enough to learn, anyway. Then, after 18 years of not hearing any complete piece of mine performed, I got hungry for more, and when I got an extra paycheck, I gradually asked if Peter was interested in learning more movements I'd written for solo horn. He kept saying yes, and after he agreed to the fourth one, I decided to assemble them into a coherent four-movement sonata. Throughout the process, Peter was patient with my many requests for changes to his engraved score and for re-recording parts of movements that I thought weren't quite perfect yet. He spent many weeks practising for hours almost every day until we both were happy with the completed result, and I couldn't be more pleased with the finished recording. I added a tip to our agreed payment for his dedication to our project. I can highly recommend him to anyone interested in asking him for engraved scores or horn recordings. At some point I hope to be able to hire him for recording another horn solo sonata! :)

Thank you! It was a pleasure working with you! I hope to take full advantage of the embouchure conditioning that my chops have been through to get to be able to play your sonata! Here are the files with reverb as a bonus! (and also my preferred version for my own listening pleasure) Sonata per corno 1. Sonata reverb.mp3 Sonata per corno 2. Aria reverb.mp3 Sonata per corno 3. Capriccio reverb.mp3 Sonata per corno 4. Ciaccona reverb.mp3

Hi all, It's been a while since I posted an orchestra composition. This is the first draft ... it still needs to be reviewed and brought up a finished state. However, it's all here. As I stated I have not titled the work. I am open to all suggestions .... My objective in the composition is to develop the introductory motifs and create a balanced arch from start to the end of the work. As always all feedback it appreciated. Marknewmusx10-24-26.mp3 Marknewmusx10-24-26.pdf

Hello! I need to go to sleep, so I will just tell you my first impressions! (I will come back, probably) Very good, thick textures! I like it! Seems very American in style, I love the flute part and the timpani part. The timpani part reminded me of Shostakovich 7th Symphony for no reason. The second theme seems interesting, it definitely feels fun! Igtg tho or my dad's gonna kill me... Bye! -TristanTheTristan (unfinished)

I have things that were started and put in the drawer 15 years ago that I still plan to get back to. We are fortunate to have so much more time (probably) than composers of the past, thanks to progress in medicine and public health. Eat your broccoli, take your time, and with luck we all may eventually have a few pieces that we are really proud of.

This and the following movements all toke a good 2 2/1 years to write

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu, your composing story is lovely - I feel your deep care for your compositions, I can say that taking such a long time to compose certainly paid off :) Well, as of yet, I've never taken time to compose over one week and a half per work. The reason is that if I take a lot of time, I can't complete them, or rather, I move on to another project. Taking a lot of time for composing brings about failure. It turns out recently that my composing style is like "on the spot of imagination", I mean composing if I have a clear vision. This style enables me to create pieces without losing my passion and complete them. Oh, if you consider mixing as compositional time, it would be more than that time because I usually revise mixing after I make a track. Good and curious topic, Grant, thank you. Best, Lithl.