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Sir Pickles of Mercury hereby declares his entrance into the Grand Competition. (also: happy five years on the forum to me!!!!)

[INFO DUMP] Kvothe has merit in their critique. There are plenty of truths about music and the most basic one is that this art is here for you to enjoy. Whether it is by music creation, performance or listening to a song, it is here for all humans to express and interact with. This said, we live a society, and there are rules, expectations and trends for us to follow. In the music industry, this is very much true. Most of us here are professionals in the classical/ traditional aspect of music creation and performance, while some focus on more modern productions and performances on the popular stage. When it comes to the idea of having your work performed, the first and most basic universal is to have sheet music ready for musicians to perform. Sure, a studio or individual can only use the MP3 render and call it a day, however, that may not work for all cases. You may hire a band or an orchestra to play the music, however, they too will expect some PDF or printed copy to use. No matter the means, if you truly wish to participate in this field, you must inform yourself on the current practices. Why? Because there is an expectation and standard for music distribution. One aspect often overlooked is the side of copyright and trademark protection. If you have a work performed or licensed, you need to have this protection for widespread use. If you publish the score, it must also be protected. Just because "you made it" doesn't always guarantee it is protected. To tie back in, this is the fundamental point of Kvothe's comments. You cannot just throw a score out into the community and expect everyone to respect it like they would a Mozart work. There are professional expectations in engraving, formatting and document layout. So much so, people may disregard your score if you misspelled an instrument part. Sheet music distribution is under a lot of scrutiny and please do not take any comments about it personally. We are all spoiled by good sheet music and to be fair, we expect to see it... especially if we have to spend money for a copy.

I’m excited to share my new piece: Sonata No. 23 in F-sharp major, written in binary form. It’s a charming and playful work, full of unexpected harmonic twists that give it a unique and stylish character—perhaps the most distinctive sonata I’ve written so far. I composed this piece in just a few hours spread over two days, making the creative process as spontaneous as the music itself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it—let me know what you think in the comments!

I enter

No, they are not allowed since you need a trio Quartet, or a quintet .chamber Orchestra’s or in this case what you may be referring to as a string orchestra at minimum could contain at least up to nine players. Two per part other than double bass since they rarely get Div.

Hallo @interlect , that is a good question. Honestly, I also never heard about „Counter-Melody“ or „Twin Melody“. However, since I’ve always use counterpoint when composing, possibly I can explain something about. First of all, the “reviewers” who have concluded that this piece is not counterpoint may be somewhat surprised, since the piece has a “jazz” or “big band” feel that one doesn’t necessarily expect when looking forward to a piece performed on an organ, a piano, or perhaps by a chamber orchestra. But that kind of „style“ is not the issue. Counterpoint is not a style of music or related only with a certain era, namely the Baroque time. There is, for example, a Russian composer, Nikolai Kapustin, who wrote always in Jazz „style“, including 24 preludes and fugues in Jazz style, which – of cause – apply counterpoint. So, counterpoint is a composing technique, rather than a style: Counterpoint, or polyphonic music is all about voices that form rhythmically and melodically independent (horizontal) musical lines. When two or more such voices occur in a piece of music, they interact with each other, following certain contrapuntal rules and thus creating harmony. Since all voices are equally carriers of the melodic and rhythmic material, there is no specific melody voice and no subordinate accompaniment, for example through (vertical) chords. While singing independently, the voices do not have to be completely unrelated. Often, one voice repeats or imitates what another voice has sung before, as is the case in a canon, for example. Counterpuntal compositional technique fascinates with its efficiency in the use of thematic material. Once started with the (fugue) subject and the „accompaniment“ in the other voices (which is, in fact, no accompaniment but material being developed in interaction with the subject), there is enough material with which to compose without having to stop and reflect. To come back to your example: To me, it’s inherently a typical jazz piece based on a chord progression over which the band begins to improvise. In a chord progression, the vertical approach—that is, the chords themselves with their harmonies—is the fundamental compositional or improvisational technique. The melodic material follows these harmonies and generates the horizontal lines as a result of them, rather than as their original idea. And even though your two brass sections interact with each other in a kind of melodic dialogue, I get the impression that they are engaged in a “playful competition” to see who can deliver the better improvisation over the underlying jazz harmonies, rather than developing a “subject” or thematic material. There’s nothing wrong with that, and I really liked the piece, but it is also for me no counterpoint, and the other classifications like “Twin melody” or “Counter-Melody” (which, as far as I know, aren’t clearly defined terms) seem to be an attempt to express in a single word what I’ve tried to explain in more detail.

This is my submission for the Landscapes competition. For my landscape I have chosen this photo I took a few years ago while on vacation on Whidbey Island, which sits on the Puget Sound near Seattle. It's written for Oboe, Bassoon, and Harp. I wanted to capture the quiet, stillness of the moment with music that is very simple and delicate. Morning On Whidbey Island.mp3 Morning On Whidbey Island - Score.pdf

Several months ago, I posted a piece which was at the time an exercise in sonata allegro form, which I decided to make the third movement of a sonata in d minor. I've had this theme in my head for a while, so I decided it would be the perfect time to use it. I went down a big rabbit hole of nonfunctional modal harmony, which was quite fun but really challenging to work out (though I wrote the secondary theme in five minutes during a chemistry lecture). sonata in d minor movement 1 audio.mp3 sonata in d minor movement 1 score.pdf

Seeing as my schedule will open up in the next few weeks, I suppose I will participate :)

A beautiful piece that strikes me as being in the neoclassical style. It’s always lovely to see handwritten sheet music. I’m not sure if it’s a live performance or a virtual instrument; these days, anything is possible. The sound is a bit ‘muddled’ for my taste in a style like this.

Wieland, thank you for taking the time to comment on my work. Your interest is much appreciated. Mark

Music sounds good, how do you produce your music? I noticed you transition from piano improvisation straight into MuseScore 4. When you're moving those ideas over, do you find yourself live-recording MIDI to capture the 'feel,' or are you manually inputting notes to keep the notation clean? I always struggle with how much human data to keep versus making it look perfect on the page.

Why hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and write such a detailed comment—I really appreciate it :) I’d be happy to share the full score! It’s still a bit messy since it came together from sketches, but I’m currently cleaning it up and will share it as soon as it’s presentable. Your point about saving some of those authentic cadences for a coda (especially with cymbals) is very interesting, and I think you’re right that it could make the ending feel more impactful. I've used similar structures in my codas, usually ending the introduction with a subtle phrase. This time it was a bit different, but hey! I'm glad they provided a great start :) And I love reinforcing the waltz harmony with brass and winds underneath (specially with the French Horn)! Thanks again for the kind words and thoughtful feedback—it really means a lot!

Thank you so much!!! I'd love to share the orchestral score, but I need to clean it up first haha. These melodies were brought together from sketches and unreleased pieces, so the score is still a bit rough. I'll try to tidy it up and share it as soon as I can. I usually aim for more subtle harmonies and gentler phrasing than Strauss II, and that’s part of my "unique" take haha. I guess sometimes I achieve that, and other times it turns out more robust—like a Viennese waltz. Thank you danishali903 for listening!

Greetings! This is a very simple madrigal, as when i was making this i was very bored, so the writing isn't my best. But i kinda like it. Enjoy! LOB 72 There was once a bird.mp3

Dipping my toes back in music composition after a hiatus. Last year, I wrote this piece in honor of the Detroit Medical Orchestra. This orchestra comprises volunteer musicians from the medical profession in the metro Detroit area, including doctors, nurses, dentists, medical students, and more. Their mission is to bring healing through music, and they perform free concerts throughout the region to achieve this goal. I’ve been a part of this wonderful orchestra for many years, and I wrote this piece to celebrate its 15th anniversary. This piece is somewhat an unofficial sequel to the very first piece I posted here on this website, as it continues to explore Greek mythology. (https://www.youngcomposers.com/t34170/nocturne-for-orchestra-an-ode-to-nyx-goddess-of-night/#comment-1186668533) More information of the piece can be found in the short program notes in the PDF score. The Detroit Medical Orchestra had the opportunity to perform this at a local hospital. I'm linking the performance here, as well as providing the audio MIDI mockup. Any comments/feedback is highly appreciated :) Asclepius.mp3 An Ode to Ascelpius, God of Medicine and Healing - Full score.pdf

Here's a musical quote from "The Outsider" by Colin Wilson. It features a discussion of T. E. Lawrence, Van Gogh, Nijinsky, Diaghileff, Stravinsky and Debussy. And if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading!

Hello @L.S Barros Your piece reminds of the Baroque period suites. Texture-the chorale(homophonic) texture succeeds at establishing a peaceful, serene scene. Harmony-Although the harmony is primarily diatonic, the chromaticism shines through in other means...non chord tones. Score-The score is clean and the engraving is spot on. Orchestration: I felt maybe there some imbalances. (lack of dymanics)

Hi Bioplar, The choice of instrument for this composition, certainty, was correct. Harp, Bassoon, and Oboe do create the tonal colors for a pastoral piece. You could have choose any wood wind instrument, for they soft, warm colors. When I hear the harp, I envision mermaid playing on rock. (that is just me) The woods, I think, create dreamy aura in this piece. I enjoy interplay oboe and bassoon with the harp. Overall...nice job

The info dump that @MK_Piano wrote should help you, too. Back in the golden days of hollywood, there was orchestra at hand to play the music for the films. Even before the advent of DAW's. Now, with DAW's what occurs: the composer sends the demo to studio for approval. Then his or her team prepares for the final cut (post production). Orchestration, copyist, ect. Now if there are synths, those are not part of the live recording. If there is one. Dune used synths and custom instruments. Scores today have become more hybrid @interlect. Learn to write well. Take feedback when it is provided. :) Final note: I agree with @MK_Piano on how scores should be presented. We are here to help you. Let us do that...please.

Why hello there, When I was listening to your piece, I heard a compound meter and not simple meter. From the score, you have a simple meter (3/4) with triplets that gave me that me that impression. and Other triplet figures too... Switch 3/4 and replace it with 9/8. you will still have the triplet feel! You might have to adjust some bars to adjust to meter. But overall, you will be surprised... The direct modulation from D-A was a nice surprise. It reminded how J. Williams modulates.

Why hello there, I would like to see the full, if possible. That way, I can full see how you orchestrated each section. However, what I can do is give a review from the audio. I love the dovetailing in the woods and the cadential closures. That is nice touch. However, I think those authentic cadences might serve a better purpose in a coda, especially with the cymbals. :) The Patti roll was excellent. That provide a great start. I think when you have interchange between piano and strings. With the lyrical melody, use wood wind. Then when you have piano part strings! Strings can handle such bouncy melody. :) Background material: Underneath, you can use brass and woods to create waltz type harmony. Overall, this is charming piece.

Hi there, The operative word was "could". Does not mean there will be. But could be. And that depends on the budget. Even Indie studios can have live musicians (see silk song).

This is partial correct. However, in media works, there could be musicians involved. Ergo: why not make sure your demo and your score is ready?

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 9.5 9 9.5 8.5 10 9.5 8 8 Average Score: 9

So... Seeing @PeterthePapercomPoser a.k.a PeterthePitifulcomPoser and @Thatguy v2.0a.k.a VincetheVeryVindictivebutnotValiant having their fight, I was enjoying my popcorn aside. But then I saw that Peter’s badge for this year Christmans event is so beautiful… it allured me to write my own Christmas music! This piece is really a joking fugue which uses Jingle Bell and Vince‘s “How the Shopper Stole Christmas” as the subjects to form a double fugue: (We all know Jingle Bell right...)(It’s great to escape from the pressure of the 6 voice fugue of the Sextet Second movement LoL….) I know Vince hates fugue, so I deliberately manipulate his theme with all sorts of fugal techniques to troll him muahahaha!!! I also include some quotations including my own throughout the piece haha. I dedicate the piece to him since I have trolled him haha! However, the more I compose this one it appears to me less of a joke… Joking Fugue on Jingle Bell and my Friend’s Theme Final.pdf Here's the structure of the piece: 00:02 Jingle Bell Section. Includes troll stretto, troll inversion and troll retrograde. Crushed by the Hammer at the end… And we need some help with the “festive mood”. 02:10 Shopper Section: Includes troll stretto, troll inversion and troll retrograde (the same LoL). The bell is repaired at 04:03 so the Jingle Bell theme returns to combine with the shopper theme but appears in minor. Some interesting polyrhythms happen there too, maybe Vince’s prelude style secretly invades. Tension building (but still have time to quote my own work LoL) for the… 05:28 Overly-Triumphant return of the theme which quotes the texture of the Emperor Concerto, another counterpoint of both themes and ends in a learned way LoL! Thx to Vince for this perfect audio! I think there are no tears here this time @chopin and no random pauses anymore I think. Hope you all enjoy this one and Christmas! Henry

This is quite charming! I would love to see a score of the parts that are orchestrated. If I had no context and turned on the radio and this was playing, I would've honestly thought this was a Strauss waltz. That's probably my biggest gripe with this. I think it's suppose to be an homage to the Strauss Viennese Waltz, but it lacks originality or a unique take on the genre.

In your comment following my score analysis last week, you sent photos of an excerpt from a book detailing some orchestration stuff. Kvothe was asking if you know what book the photos were from.

The output is fantastic, you did a great job with the production quality. But when you post in these forums though, please be mindful and respectful of other people's critiques or opinions. Unless you specifically tell us otherwise in your post, you are essentially inviting us to be critical. And @Kvothe 's observation about your sheet music is 100%. It's clear you sequenced this in some other program though, and it appears you are using MuseScore for the output of the sequenced output. This would explain the engraving issues. With that said, the music itself, is beautiful! It instantly brings me back to the 80s!

This piece of music did it’s a really good job, capturing the quietness and beauty of the given landscape. It’s not really my cup of tea, but it’s relaxing and it gives the atmospheric feeling that you’re actually there. Melodic material. 7.5 Chords and texture 6.7 Structure 7.4 Originality 8.2 Engraving 9.7 Orchestration and playability 7 Execution 9.86 taste 5.2 Total 7.69

Please submit links to your Landscapes - Soundscapes competition pieces here! (Please don't submit your music directly into this thread - rather, create your own dedicated thread where members will be able to review your music there - Upload Your Composition for Analysis and Feedback and then copy and paste the URL of your topic into a reply that you make in this thread). Thank you for your participation! To read the requirements/specifications of the competition and declare your intent to participate go here:

This is a simple expression of hope. Spring - Spring.mp3 Spring.pdf

Hello @Some Guy That writes Music , I enjoyed the piece, considering that a nine-voice string arrangement has the potential for an enormous richness in texture, like that of a motet. Thus, it would be great to listen it played by a large string orchestra or by a small ensemble consisting of only one instrument per voice. I like the dissonances and somewhat unexpected harmony progressions, giving the piece its unique, modern character. But I would agree with @danishali903 's comments that there are some aspects which could be improved: I think, there is potential to further enrich the texture. Even if you’ve already developed the voices independently, there are often pairs or groups of instruments with the same rhythmic pattern and the same direction in voice leading. Contrary motion in voice leading makes the dialogue between the melodic lines more interesting and, on the other hand, helps to avoid parallels (which I have not checked and I do not expect that you to have produced ones). I would also appreciate to have more suspensions. This would give you more variation in the rhythmic pattern and allows you to create smoother harmonic transitions, which would soften the dissonances somewhat (and you could then introduce even more of them…) At some points, I also preferred more rhythmic variety in the bass. Why not contrast the long, tied notes with pizzicato sections?

I've heard those before; even after writing music for 38 years, it sounds impossible to a non-pianist! Easy trick to it, I suppose.

Oh! Really easy scale down.

WOW Wieland Handke ..............Are you Intelligent ! what a wonderful post, i shall be referring back to this regularly thank you. when a woman has a double pregnancy, its called TWINS....... so a "Twin-Melody" is a Double-Melody, know as "Polyphony". when you think of a Cave man & woman................we've come along way from Hitting a Drum with an Animal Bone......he he thanx again x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-melody https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphony

Measure 36.

It would be really cool to hear a large string orchestra play this piece. A couple of comments: It's a bit static and on the short side. I think more development of the melodic material, or even an another theme (that's a little more "active") can help with that. There is a lot of unconvincing, but slightly interesting voice leading and harmonic clashes going on. Some of the transitional chords really random and don't set up the next phrase like they should (most prominent example is bars 39-40 going into 41). It would it make more interesting to have the lower strings have a more active part than just holding on to half notes. The violins don't always have to play the melody, share it with the others! Try to be more creative in writing for parts that are accompanying the melody.

Probably more of a visual reminder to bang on that note...might've overdone it with those markings

We studied this piece in Orchestration, it was wonderful. Our textbook had different voicings/arrangements of chords w/ audio recordings so it was really helpful. I love this description...it's really a combination of instrument capability & range knowledge, compositional/arranging chops, and creativity. Imagining what you want the final to sound like and using your tool kit to make it happen.

Hello! This piece was one of my favourites to compose, sadly the software that i use to render the lyrics (Cantamus) didnt work nicely for the words: Cricket, Leap'd, Jump'd, Alive, Pass'd and Tra la la. So sorry for that! I hope one day they can update the software and its able to render it correctly! (If you guys have suggestions for free realistic vocal synthesizers i would be pleased to check them!) The story is about a woman and her beloved singer cricket, who sadly has passed. Alternative title (Detto lo) "lament for the death of a singer cricket." Lyrics: I once had a cricket green and strong and he went: tra la la la He leap'd and jump'd and sang, He did not use the common slang tra la la la Then one dark day he pass'd my cricket went away No more music no more dance, goodbye my cricket. tra la la la. I once had a friend that sang for me and he went: tra la la la But now he's not alive, And i still sing in the wildlife tra la la la No money in this world can buy my cricket back No gold coins nor golden rings can buy my cricket tra la la la. Poem written by: MYSELF! mixdown-_1_.mp3

An emotional piece with a meticulously crafted score. The multi-divisional arrangement of the string section is particularly interesting.

No, it was MuseScore's built in theorbo, in their MS Basic sound font.

This is an aria for alto, flute, strings, and continuo in the late Baroque style. The text is taken from Goethe's Ganymed, and a sample translation can be found here. The form is binary, with the usual closing orchestral ritornello joined by the soloist.

It's been a few months since i uploaded this prelude, and it finally has a fugue. Not much to say here, other than that I felt like using a few more fourths, sevenths, and ninths than you'd normally see in a three part fugue.

so deliberately bad and un-Henrian anyway how do you reach major 10ths 🙂 ?