Aiwendil

I don't have much to say, except that this is great. I was skeptical that a scherzo could keep me interested for 17 minutes without getting monotonous, but it did. I love the harmonic language and the orchestration. I can definitely hear a lot of Shostakovich influence in it, but also some Holst as well as some late Romanticism.

Thanks for listening! Yes, it was meant to be a simple thing; I started writing a fugue as a second section, but decided it stands better on its own as a miniature. The title is perhaps foolish and naive, but it was written as more or less a direct oupouring of emotion following... a recent U.S. political event.

A little miniature I wrote today.

Thanks for listening! I know what you mean about the NotePerformer output. I had to fiddle with the volume of the clarinet vs. the strings just to get it to sound like this, and there are still places where the clarinet gets too buried. I probably should have done more to mark the clarinet dynamics up.

I just finished this Classical-style clarinet quartet after working on it on and off for the past month. Pretty pleased with it at the moment, though I'm sure the glow will wear off. I'd appreciate any comments or criticisms on it - or on any of the movements, if you don't want to listen to the whole thing. The whole piece is about 22 minutes long.

This is a question I've struggled with too. For a four-part texture, it's obvious that the way to score for string choir is violin I, violin II, viola, cello+bass. But what is the best way to balance a three-part texture? I don't have a good answer, but would be interested in one.

This is a pretty little piece! My only question is whether "adagio" is really the right tempo marking; it sounds closer to an andante to me. I'd probably add a metronome mark, or at least make it "adagio ma non troppo" or something, to prevent it from being taken at a slower tempo than what you want.

This is quite nice. Very harmonically interesting, while staying within the framework of a traditional chorale.

Thanks for listening! It's rare for suites for a solo instrument not to have a Courante or a Gigue, but orchestral suites seem to have been treated a little more freely. There are plenty by Bach, Telemann, and Handel that omit them.

I've finally finished this orchestral suite that I'd been working on forever. It's sort of a pseudo-Baroque thing, though written for more of a Classical orchestra, and not always adhering to the forms of a Baroque suite. I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts/comments/criticisms!

Thanks for your comments! I do fear that I went too far in keeping the accompaniment simple in this movement, in an effort not to distract from the melodic material. I may try a version where there's a little more variety in the strings, perhaps switching to an arpeggiated pattern at some points.

Thanks for your comments! I was worried that the transition back to D major in b. 44-46 was inelegant, reinterpreting the A sharp as a B flat, but I hope it lends a nice little harmonic surprise. I'm probably betraying my background as a wind player in preferring to keep the strings as accompaniment. I agree the melody would sound well in the violins, but I guess personally I prefer the way it sounds on horn and oboe. I may revise this a little, though, as I finish up the piece. I'll post the whole suite when it's finished.

Your second statement is somewhat shocking to me, but it fully explains why you believe the first statement is true. I only ever listen to a symphony in its entirety, and I enjoy that kind of long-form music. And that's also why I write long-form music - I'm not just copying older forms for the hell of it; I'm writing the kind of piece I would want to sit down and listen to. Of course, I'm not an "aspring composer"; I'm just a hobbyist, a dilettante.

I wrote this air last week for an orchestral suite I've been working on. I can't quite decide whether it's too schmaltzy or not.

Good thing I didn't include social security number. Good catch! This one doesn't really bother my ear, but maybe I should see if I can "fix" it. And you're right, that key signature should be D minor. Thanks to both of you for listening! Hopefully my friend will no longer have any excuse to say no one's ever made something special for her.