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So this is the final draft of the entire 2nd movement of my String Sextet. I can confidently say this is my best movement of music ever written up to date. The movement is divided into three parts: Lamentoso, Fugue a6 and the Return. The first two parts of the movements have been posted before in below links: Lamentoso: Fugue a6: If you want to skip to the newest content I compose, you may skip to 20:16. The musical analysis of the Lamentoso and Fugue have already been done in the link posted above so I won’t repeat it here. Here is the YT link and score of the movement: (Final Draft) String Sextet 2nd mov with last page.pdf Here is the YC post to the first mov of the same Sextet: Here is the structure of the movement: 00:00 Lamentoso The Eden in the 1st mov is great but man, come on and live in the real world. All sorts of tragedies happening and what ground do you have to claim the transcendence? I especially love the outburst in 4:59 and the passage starts from 8:53. 11:47 Fugue a6. This part is totally inspired by Vince’s @Thatguy v2.0 comment on my first movement “to write a dense fugue”, also to further explore the fugato in the 1st mov. Like @Giacomo925 said, this part summarises the sadness of the first 20 minutes of the movement. It always leaves me in awe that my favorite C minor passage, the absolute climax of the whole piece, lies in minute 30 exactly. The fugue aims to end on desperate terms but I won’t allow it. I try to give it a fight by recalling the pentatonic ideal even though in the wrong key of the tritone C major as hinted in the pentatonic section of the fugue, but the power is diminished. I need some purification for the paradise regained. Thx to @Luis Hernándezfor introducing me to tritone substitution in this part. The chant (22:01) begins with self murmuring of viola, occasionally inviting mysticism recalling 7:55 in Lamentoso and sadness of the 1st subject of the fugue. Two violas play together with the texture of a parallel organum. After a sad cry some more primitive power comes in to recall the passion and good of human beings, the theme is from b.27 of 1st mov. It gets agitated and experiences an epiphany in the form of Bartok Pizz. Both the chant and the folk melody is built around the 025 set! And the 025 set is the essence of the pentatonic scale! Furthermore a quartal chord is the further essence of 025 set, and hence the core of the whole pentatonic scale! Discovering this, the fury cannot be stopped. It leaves me in wonder how on earth can I write this thing out. After returning to the tonic key in 27:00, I decided to conceive it as a one off climax with build up. The idea is inspired by my playing of Beethoven’s op.110 when he did the same thing in the last movement as well. There is no “development” but only realisation of Tao in this imperfect world. There are appetizers to the ultra climax, first introducing the two most important themes sparingly, then in 27:16 theme in b.35 of 1st mov which is in fact inspired by my own Clarinet Quintet in C minor, and then an appetizer fugato responding to the lament in b.148 of the Lamentoso which is based on the opening theme. The entrée of Ultra Climax appears in 28:38, first is the first theme in tonic by first violin, viola, and cello, then second theme in C major by second violin, viola and cello. The playing of tritone is to prove Tao‘s omnipotence, also respond to the first mov and the fugue with the F# and C minor relationship. Using all 3 instruments for me is the resonance of Heaven, Earth and Human when they finally sing together the Tao they shared. I think I really feel the Chinese philosopher Tang Chun-i’s Realm of Heavenly Morality here. The modulation to Ab major, responding to b. 294 and 644 of 1st mov, complete what’s left undone there and finally Gb major is in triumph. A pedal point on a tritone is funny for me. The cello overlapping the violin is signifying earth and heaven interaction which is considered auspicious in Chinese classics I-ching. I am always in awe of the power exhibited here and wonder who’s actually the composer of this passage. The next passage in 30:07 is the heterophonic version of the 1st theme, which is where I was inspired miraculously by a Chinese music group. Next is the in extremis passage in 30:57. It’s the immanent version of the 1st theme. I was imagining what my friend’s thinking on his last day of life. The texture is probably inspired by the film music in Kurosawa’s Ikiru when the main character was swinging on the park’s swing to await his death. I quote Bach’s St. John Passion here for my friend’s name, and I find out that the lyrics fit too. I wish him to rest in peace and return to Tao. The final ending is probably inspired by the ending of Chopin’s Fantasie in F minor. I can never believe I would end the whole thing this positive in an absolute way. The whole passage always leaves me in tears. After writing the Lamentoso in May 2024 I had no power and inspiration at all to write anything in the Sextet since I was suffering in my full time job. I started picking up by working on the C# minor Piano Sonata first. After finishing that in Jan 2025 I felt like my negative power was expressed out, leaving the goods for this Sextet. I then went for a walk on 10 Feb 2025 and had a miracle, inspired by a Chinese music group, which turned on my creative power and I fervently completed the entire thing in just 18 days, when I had zero notes written in the past 9 months. It’s such a miracle I could have finished this piece this quick and good. My dedicatee Mr. Johnson Ho had already passed away last year. It's a shame that this piece couldn’t be completed when he’s alive, but I would be forever thankful for his inspiration. Special thanks must have been granted to my great friend Mr. Vince Meyer @Thatguy v2.0 for making this perfect audio and many ideas, and being a great friend, but I will leave it to the final version of the whole Sextet. Also a very special thanks must be given to my ex-boss. Thanks to her mistreatment, I have the pain to reflect on my own, the drive to finish the whole Sextet in a fury and the time to complete it when I was forced to resign for my own mental health. Foremost of course I must thank my dearest mum. But lol, the whole acknowledgement will be left to the post of the final version of the whole Sextet, including the first movement and this movement. This is a very long movement and commentary and I don’t expect anyone to listen and read till the end. But if you do so, here is my deepest gratitude to you. Feel free to comment as well, I would be very thankful to have received them. Thank you!!!!! Henry

Very possible at this tempo, but perhaps not any faster. what is not advisable is the random double stops at places like bar 35. You can't expect an immediate large finger position shift up to double stops and expect the sound to come out good. I would advise you to tone down your excess fondness with double stops on cello especially at the higher registers unless you are featuring a super virtuostic cello solo line. Actually the notes in bar 31-42 are pretty uncomfortably hard on the cello as well though supposedly very doable with advanced bowing and fingering (more advanced than what I can do, I am only at g8).

Even though this is a second movement, I feel like it can represent an entire 3 part movement in itself. So I will try to address all 3 parts best I can (for now). Part 1 - The Intro This very neo classical / early romantic style intro is very strong, and quite dramatic. It reminds me of a Tchaikovsky intro but in a somewhat different style (your style!). 1:50 to 2+ is tremendously well done, with lots of forward progression with your harmony. This is a clear example of how to use harmony to your advantage, for the sake of the piece's progression. Sometimes composers get crazy with harmony but the harmony doesn't necessarily serve the right purpose. Tell me something, at 4:15, are you trying to show us your fugue subject from movement 1? I think I hear hints of it... Part 2 - The fugue The key changing in this piece is both sharp at times, and as smooth as butter at other times. And the many different styles that I've heard displays the turbulence of emotions here. The first major mood change after the intro is when you segue into your fugue subject starting out with the pentatonic scale. I feel like you slowly bring us back to movement 1, then BAM, you hit us hard with the motif from the first movement. I had to rewind a few times so that I could understand how you achieved this smooth transition (around the 9-10 minute mark). The fugue itself is a very complex work, and the recapitulation can be used as a study on how to modulate from key to key. BTW, I love this fugue so much, from both your first movement, and especially in this movement! There's just so much content here, that this piece can't be listened to just once! Part 3 - The chant, and metamorphosis (as I call it!) At the 20 minute mark, the last section where your chant begins, it brings me a sense of sorrow, with a hint of peace and finding oneself. And at the 26 minute mark, this is the part of reckoning, or the "return" as you say. This section is like a metamorphosis, transitioning from deep sadness, to a rebirth. It's a grand movement within a movement, but most importantly, it evokes a sense of realization and completion. And Henry, this is what your music is about. It's not just "music". It's a very well crafted and beautiful story. This one is particularly a sad and emotional one. The ending was joyful, but at the same time, I still felt sadness. I know this is a very long work, but I encourage people to listen through the full piece. Maybe others will have different interpretations, but listening to longer works like this will help you learn how to listen to the story, not just to the tones of the music.

This Intermezzo is intended to be the first of four little piano pieces I intend to finish. I write this as relaxation piece after finishing the very heavy String Sextet which would be published in the near future. For me this piece contains some beauty and I hope to maintain simplicity in all four pieces. Here is the score and YouTube video: (Final) Intermezzo in A.pdf The recording is played by myself and recorded in a rush since it’s completely unplanned to record this one this quick haha. Feel free to comment on this one! Hope you enjoy! Henry

Hi, this is a side piece that I've worked on whilst I work on the revision for the Alula Variations (I love doing reworks on a 30 mins piece's score hahaha....). I chose bassoon and flute because I kinda wanted to write a chamber piece and write for bassoon. I also like the vibe of the OST. So yeah, hope you enjoy!

Also, the larghetto section at bar 817 is my favorite part of the whole 2 movement piece. I've relistened to it so many times, it's the perfect summation to the entire work to me.

haha! I expect you write a review in a dictionary's length haha! Thx buddy, I can never finish this without your inspiration, ideas and our numerous talks, and I can't thank you enough, but lemme leave this in the full acknowledgement section in the post for the whole Sextet. It's such a huge regard from you. Also, thx for all your effort for making the audio, I know how hard and tedious that is. Thank you for loving the piece. Thank you for kept saying that I can finish it when I kept saying I can't. Thx buddy 🙂

Here's the FINAL final draft of this piece. (Let me know if this format is easier to digest than my normal MO of MP3 + PDF!)

We've talked at length about this, and I've heard it more times than I can count lol. Well done buddy, this is a masterpiece to my ears.

I first encountered this work by Pärt as a teenager through a music teacher. The purist in me for tonal & well balanced music would usually have me running for the hills from this thing; yet I am captivated by it for the mad comedy Pärt produces here. I consider it a kind of trolling of epic proportions and he no doubt had much fun writing it. It is also fascinating to read the score alongside the music to see how the sheer chaos is actually written. At face value it seems much of the chaos is somewhat improvised with a little guidance. It is definitely art; but this kind of art doesn't usually undergo repeat performances!

I wrote this for fun and exercise. Thank you.

Such a masterpiece, Henry! I definitely savored the beautiful harmonies in the chant section, and the fugato passages, as I'm a bit of a counterpoint buff. At first I was worried about the coherence of the movement as a whole, but I can tell that you put in a lot of hard work in to develop existing material in a convincing way. I also like the accumulation of historical techniques from organum to fugue to more dissonant (quartal?) harmony, spanning and summing up many centuries of music history. All my compliments, and know that I sincerely admire your work!

Little bittersweet song in E major (I'm not exaggerating) (text in French subtitled)

Hi everyone! I’m new here — my name is Dima Kravets, and I’m a composer and piano student. I've been involved in music since the age of five, first as a professional pianist and later as a composer (for quite a few years now). Piano has been my lifelong focus, while composition started as a hobby—something I’ve dedicated countless hours to, creating new music from scratch. My main inspirations come from classical, cinematic, and contemporary music, and I strive to compose in all these styles. Until now, my works have been mostly for piano and chamber ensembles, blending elements of classical, romantic, and modern music. I’d love to share a short composition of mine — a romance for piano and mezzo-soprano. It’s based on a poem by the Ukrainian poet Pavlo Tychyna, and I’ve also provided a simple English translation of the lyrics. I’d truly appreciate any feedback, professional advice, or even a short comment. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts — thanks for your time!

Hello Young Composers, I have finished a project of 4 string quartets, with the goal of getting 4 distinct textures and vibes, 2 slow and 2 fast. 1. Is a broad but brisk quartal and quintal harmonic piece. For nearly the whole piece, it avoids thirds and 6ths, and uses many 4ths, 5ths, and 9ths. 2. is the slowest of the four, and uses double stops for most of the piece, creating a thicker texture. 3. is the fastest of the four, with an emphasis on syncopation and skedaddling melodies. 4. is best described as fight between quartal and triatic harmony Hopefully you enjoy the varied of textures I'm offering. As always I am very open to feedback and criticism, because how else will I get better?

It's probably not exactly what you're looking for with "Microtonality" in the strictest sense, but there are some rock songs that are 1/4 step down. This is probably the result of tape speed and not actually intentional, though. As I recall some of Danger Danger and I think Pantera's albums have this going on.

Henry, many many good things in these two movements. I can hear a lot of pain, and remorse but also rebirth and transcendance which is a rather unique emotion to explore. There are so many extended techniques here, but they all serve the narrative of your story. I regret to say that I am not a big fan of fugues, and couldn’t get to reviewing the fugal bits of your work since it was so dense and harder to understand, but it definitely fits the story well. I tend to prefer fugues with greater rhythmic vitality and interest since it gives the textures and lines more clarity. The transition into the giocoso is wonderful, and the climax is so energetic and blissful. The transitional material into the coda is also done well, representing the final transcendance of your character, almost akin to swan lake. I have to say there is a real depth of expression there.

That passage is possible with thumb position on C (D string) G (A string) But it doesn't sound as connected as if I play the top note melody all on the A string. Does the context really demand double stops?

like I said, huge practice and rehearsal skill issue anyway again like I said, I only listened to the piece very fragmented, so i don't have an overall opinion. however the score looks like it gives great pathos like schubert, and complex perhaps like the peak of late romanticism bar 30. the tremolo quaver. I think it feels weird on the bow. just take out the tremolo on this last note of the bar? bar 170. I hate you. jk. moving on... I love the melodies on the cello, I'm sure if it's played irl it will sound very attractive

Just give two versions then, just like Mozart's Symphony no. 40 with and wthout clarinet version.

The dark atmosphere at the beginning is well achieved with the background of the “tremolando”. The change to a much more contrapuntal part from about 2:10 is very opportune, and I emphasize here the transition from one to the other, which is something that we often neglect, but in this case is perceived without abruptness. There are super rich and very different textures, as for example from measure 95. An unexpected and pleasantly new evolution from measure 147, with some very interesting harmonies at 153..... (I had to stop to see what was really going on there!). Nice surprise with some “advanced” techniques like those beats and portamento. The truth is that the passage from one theme to another is very fluid. Good climax up to measure 197. I find the fugue very beautiful. I am always surprised by fugues based on subjects of short duration. It reminds me of those very contrapuntal pieces that I like so much (Metamorphosen by Strauss and Verklärte Nacht by Schönberg). The part from measure 754 is amazing, it sounds like an organ. Congratulations for such a huge and beautiful work.

I listened to the whole thing in a beautiful spring day taking a walk through the city and ending up listening to the newest part sitting on a bench in a park. The setting was lovely and it allowed me to fully appreciate the powerful music. I don't have an articulate review, but only a few impressions. I hope I'll have time to deepen analysis and listening. I did not remember how pulsating with life and intensity the first movement is. There is a moment when the pulsating, breathing vibration crystallizes in the imitative section. Strangely, it is like a oasis of silence and holding of breath, before the pulse comes back, running over everything else. It is joy, but also somewhat sinister, as if it is *too much* joy. At the beginning of the second movement, joy leaves room to tension, breaking, almost cruelty. And then the grosse Fuge begins. Pentatonic melodies disappear, pulsating joy disappears, even the breaking sighs of the initial part of the movement disappear, all swallowed by counterpunctal order. The cosmic clash seems to be between the pulsating, dancing hymn to life (Beethoven 7th...) and the regimented emotions of the fugue: the emotions are there but we look at them as if through the glass of a cabinet. But the glass cracks when pentatonal passages start appearing in the fugue again. In fact, to me this whole composition seems to be a wonderful attempt to join east and west, pentatonic and counterpoint, sonata and trenody, the past and the present, now easing unearthed contradictions, now acknowledging and espousing them. The pulse comes back at the end, closing a circle that invites many listens because has many facets, reflections, sparkles, and dark corners despite the luminous ascending ending. Thank you Henry!

IT DROPPED !?!?!?!

Haha yeah the little Intermezzo was posted here and YT: The bigger Sonata movement I would love you to have a listen on haha! Also I would post the finished Sextet 2nf mov tomorrow, stat tuned! (A great self advertising reply muahaha!) Henry

OK, I did that and it sounds better already 🙂 Thanks! We're all waiting for the big drop!! Meanwhile... is the "little" piano piece the Intermezzo I just listed to on youtube? (Can't find it here, I need to sharpen my forum tech competencies!) I think Schubert would be proud of you! I can see him smiling! I love the elegant and expressive simplicity of the melody, and how it seamlessly supports rather distant harmonic gyrations. And thanks for these kind words too! I had no idea that a polyrhythm (you mean the triplets at the violin with the 16th arpeggios at the piano?) A friend of mine is insisting to try and find students to play this. I would love that but I think it'd require lots of fine tuning of individual parts for playability? I never write at the piano and every time I try to play the piano part I'm horrified by how unnatural it is to my hands! Let alone strings, which I don't even play. GPT says a cellist can play pizz. 8th notes comfortably at 120-150 bpm. So that passage at b. 75 should be playable, but I guess it also depends on *which* notes are being played lol. I decided to go in d minor, with is a bummer because previous to this trio I already wrote a d minor quartet. What can you do! Meanwhile, here's the third movement, revised in light of @PeterthePapercomPoser and @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu suggestions, among others. I don't think the main concerns were fully addressed but I hope it sounds better now...

Hey brother, it's actually just your basic Musesounds, but I added a lot of reverb to the instruments. I've also discovered a few compositional techniques to make it sound better. Thanke for checking in.

Wow I like this one very much too! I love the energy in both sections. The polyrhythm would be really challenging for the players but very effective and can be funny to play! I love your modulations like in b.43 and 55, really making the music go forward as required in this movement to contrast with the 1st movement. I’m not sure if the cello can play pizz. this fast in b.75, maybe @PCC can answer haha, but the interaction between violin and cello here is very good especially the high ranged cello. I also love your usage of pizz. throughout the movement. I really love the ending, each instrument is talking very well! The opening piano arpeggios can be a bit difficult to play with a wide range to leap and in a fast tempo, but it’s doable. Thx for your update! Henry

I really find nothing wrong in this passage! Maybe it!s because of the tuplets in the cello? Maybe I’ll just remove the chromatic notes in the cello to have it be homorhythmic with the violin. Haha yeah that’s a good one, or just include one section in the 4th movement to be in C minor, possibly quoting themes from 1st movement so that audience know the connection between the two movements and know there is a progressive tonality with reason haha. The polishing was finished so that I have energy to review here haha, I’m focusing on smaller pieces like little piano pieces (one posted here and YT) and a Violin Sonata commissioned by @expert21, since I’m suffering a relapse and post partum depression after finishing a huge project like the Sextet and need smaller works for relaxation nanda regaining creative energy. Henry

Hi @Luis Hernández, This one is very funny to listen to! Just notice a few things: the double flats in section G looks a bit scary to me haha, and there’s a parallel fifth in b.61 for the stretto. Nonetheless it’s craftily written and I like its light heartedness! I sep. like section E for a little spicier harmony. Thx for sharing! Henry

I like this a lot. It's very creative, daring, always interesting and with a few moments that are just.. beautiful. I agree with others that sometimes the writing is not I think ideal for what you are expressing. My 2c, from hobbyist to hobbyist, mainly would be: play more with sonorities, the four instruments don't all have to play the entire time, and silencing some would enhance some passages, and make the piece even more interesting. It's amazing what you manage to do not moving much if at all from b minor.

OK, here's the second movement, F major 2/4 Allegretto with a 4/4 G major mid section Scorrevole...The general form is ABA' - CD - ABA' and a short coda based on A. I wanted a contrast with the dramatic tone of the first movement, a bit lyrical with the initial arpeggios and the violin triplets and the cello theme in the mid section.

Oh wow, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! I think you might be busy polishing the sextet hence the no suggestions. I'm sure there's lot to improve. For instance I don't love the connection between b. 34 and 35 but I can't figure out how to do it nicely! But in any case means a lot to hear your praise! Thank you thank you thank you! As per your question, this is embarrassing... So much time has passed since I wrote the first movement that somehow in my head it became f minor (f minor was the main key in development I guess), and so I wrote the last movement in f minor. Then I published this post yesterday and I look at the title and it says... c minor! So now I'm not sure what to do. I can't transpose c into f or f into c, everything would be too high or too low. So I was thinking to minimize damage: first movement transposed from c to d minor. Second movement is and stays in F major. Third is and stays in g minor. Fourth transposed to f to d minor. not ideal, but I can't think of anything better other than rewrite the first or the last movements!

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu Thanks for taking time to comment! I really like your idea of just trying to write easier pieces. I struggle a lot with, "Is this even good?", if you know what I mean. I'm trying to be balanced regarding what I write, because on the one hand, I don't want to be too picky about every little thing I write, because then, it's easy to lose enthusiasm. But on the other hand, I really hate the idea of wasting anybody's time with something that's really just not worth listening to. Maybe one day, I'll figure it out 🤷‍♂️ Again, thanks for your comment!

I'm stil not done with my orchestrations, I will probably come to this section a bunch of times this year haha. What do you think? I believe I managed to portray a dark aura. I still don't know how to assign dynamics to the instruments, any advice for that so I don't have to rely on "mp" and "ppp" so much?

Hey @Giacomo925! Long time no see and congrats on your new movement! No doubt I really love it, your writing definitely improves. I really enjoy the energy in this movement! I particularly like b.128 with those imitations! I really don’t have any suggestion since for me it’s really good. Just one question, is this movement the final one or will there be a last movement in tonic c minor? Thx for sharing! Henry

First, piano: played Fantasie-Impromptu at 8, can somewhat play chopin etudes, Hammerklavier, Heroic polonaise, and the such. Second, cello: Moved around a lot with long periods of time between having lessons weekly. Can play Moses on G (on A) 24 caprice, Dvorak cello concerto. Third, most of the mallets: in middle school band, then homeschooled so haven't picked back up. Can't do 4 mallets. Fourth, clarinet: picked up because we had some spare woodwinds laying around. no teacher so not sure what level of playing.

Hi Zack @SergeOfArniVillage, I think the title “impromptu” does give justice to the piece with the more improvisatory character and the drilling of a single motive. Even though you are in a difficult period for composing, your marvellous modulation skill hasn’t lost at all, I love all of them and particularly the Neapolitan ending which for me gives some hope. I really like b.72 when the main theme and its diminution appear together, just like the ending of Beethoven’s op. 110. For me I feel like the use of the same motive is maybe a bit overbearing, and I think you’re trying to escape from the writer’s block shows here. Maybe go for an easier piece or just allow yourself to free from any coherence concern by writing a fantasy? Still I enjoy this one, I definitely feel the pain in it. I had an even worse writer’s block last year starting from May 2025. And I did the same thing with you which is to attempt to break my lack of inspiration in the 2nd movement of my C sharp minor Piano Sonata and I think I succeed, since after that I manage to finish the whole Sonata, the Sextet which lasts for 2 and a half years and some shorter pieces. (May I shameless repost my sonata movement link here lol) I hope your inspiration will slowly recover Zach! Henry

It's very pretty and I think there's a nice counterpoint. I would just point out that the range of the flute intermingles with the violin a bit. Although they are different timbres.

Hi @Ivan1791! I think this writing of yours, especially the 2nd Prelude is very Wagnerian. The 2nd Prelude's first phrase reminds of Wagner's first melodic phrase before the harmony comes in in the Prelude to Tristan & Isolde (at least to me). Your playing of the piano and orchestration are both very expressive and fit nicely into the neo-romantic tradition. They are in fact both very dark indeed, with some occasional parting of the clouds to let the sunlight shine through. Thanks for sharing! Also, I'm sure the reviewers of your music, as well as myself would really appreciate it if you gave them a ❤️ or a 🏆 for the reputation points that corroborate our community! I think it fosters a good and communicative little musical society that we have here. Thank you!

Final Version + Animation of this piece:

Luckily in musescore you can place a dynamic and then change the letters or just place two dynamics and deactivate one and make the good one invisible. I hope this piece gets performed someday by some lucky chance, I want to know how convincing some of my choices would sound in real life.

Thank you very much! I think I might have overdone dynamics but it's better than my past try. 🙂 Yes, it is something that has sparked a new flame in me. Now when I listen to orchestral music I pay attention to new details and it inspires me to write music with a more orchestral language, at least more polyphonic. That's a good idea. Although I was referring more to the use of dynamics. I have heard "ppp" should be used scarcely and "mp" shouldn't be overused either. But in piano they are not too uncommon, so I need to change the mindset regarding dynamics.

Glad to hear from you again, Peter, and also elated to hear your favorite part was around 4:09 since I think the part starting from 3:40 is one of the best I've written thus far. I've tried out your advice beforehand but a problem presents itself in the violin cadenza: I can't tell if this is ok for an orchestral score, because I've never seen anything like this appear even in "Scheherazade". Would love to know both your thoughts on this.

It's probably too late, but I only got around to finishing my little composition today. I wish you all a wonderful new year! Although late, but hopefully my little piece will at least make you happy. Hurray to the snowy countryside for a sleigh ride.

Hello everyone again, Today I bring forward my first choral piece that I've been proud of *in years*. It has been a very inspired piece written over the course of today (I skipped my Italian Class for this, Mi spiace!). Anyways about this piece. I've been wanting to write a choral piece for a while now, and I had recently felt inspired, so I've been scouring here-and-there for poems. And although I had read dozens of poems that moved me and made me want to write a piece; I struggled to connect the words and music. So I decided to write my own, and I figured the most convincing writing I could do, would be for my partner. So this whole piece is written directly to my love. The main overarching theme is; I could never overstate my affection, because words could never say everything I felt. So I use music to do so. The song begins with very classic American clichés. "you are the apple of my eye. the wonder of my daily life. my shining star" Exaggerated and cheesy language, which is how I talk with my partner. There are slow, fast, loud and quiet "I love yous" because I find myself saying it differently and meaning it the same way all the time. Then we get to the crux of the piece "I love you more than words could ever express. But I'll try". Even though just saying 'i love you' does not say it all, it gets me that much closer, and proclaiming love many times gets me closer to that unreachable goal. And then we loop around and say things again. This piece is in ABACA form and for the C section I decided to not use any words. I hope you enjoy, and please give me feedback to improve this piece, if there is anything (even if you can't figure out what it is) let me know and I'll take your feedback. This would be a good piece for my choir to perform, I just want to make sure I didn't miss anything important.

It’s the same Sextet in two years time… I always admire ppl who can write both quickly and greatly at the same time while I can’t at all… But thx!

Oh! Happy Birthday! I hope I have more energy and time for both composing and reviewing….

Hello @Giacomo925, I think all of the feedback about the music has already been said, so I will comment on something seemingly less important, but key to be taken seriously: The score: I think you suffer from overnotation. I can count eight different dynamics in the piano part in the first ten bars, that is without counting the doubling of the dynamics in both staves of the piano plus different ones in the strings. Moreover, The strings are displayed as a piano and not as two different parts. I think this has happened to all of us at some point, as at this moment in time we have music softwares that are not human, and do not understand how music should be performed, so you have to give them lots of instructions, but we have to understand that performers aren’t dumb, and know how to perform a piece correctly. (To clarify, when I say overnotate, I mean the hairpins and dynamic markings are too much, but the slurs, tenutos etc are fine) What surprises me the most is the absence of pedal markings In the piano parts, they are definitely needed in a piece like this and will make the piece much better sounding in this case. To make it look better, the score could be more condensed, as you only have eight to ten bars per page The solution to the overnotating problem (or at least my preferred solution) is to make an extremely overnotated copy of the score, from where you extract the audio. And present a balanced not overnotated score as the sheet music. I hope this helps and thanks for sharing Manuel

Re: redefining metric groupings in any meter; your melody is the heart and soul of your music and (usually) its most deliberate element which should allow you to use it to logically lead changes in metric structure. But the melody has to be rhythmically assertive to pull it off.

@JordanRoberts Thanks very much for listening and commenting. I'm getting a lot of feedback that this music sounds authentically Renaissance, and I find that very gratifying! I suppose despite my sometime apostasy in disagreement with some tenets of the Roman Catholic Church, I am at heart still very much a true believer, and as such as devoted as ever. I'm glad it shows, in my religious music anyway.