Luis Hernández

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 8 10 8 9.5 9.5 9 9 8 Average Score: 8.8 Review: This piece features a rich variety of motifs that also capture the pastoral mood. The textures are excellent, in my view, with sections where certain instruments fall silent (which I find an interesting way to thicken and thin out the textures and create contrasts), and there are many contrapuntal passages. At the same time, the lines are crafted with relative simplicity, without resorting to technically demanding or uncertain passages. I think it is an excellent approach to stick to what one knows is possible and make the most of it. The sections are distinct, but I also feel the overall impression is quite free. The score is very well presented. Although it is implied, given that the English horn is a transposing instrument, it might be worth mentioning that it is in concert pitch. There is one section which, I think, could be handled differently. Between bars 49 and 56, an attempt is made to create a climax leading into a new section and the entry of the English horn. However, I do not find this entirely effective as it relies on a ‘crescendo’ increase in volume; it would It is also worth mentioning that the English horn is pushed to its limits in the high register (I seem to recall a C5). However, the lower register does not appear to be explored, which is precisely where a standard oboe cannot reach.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 9 7 10 9.5 7 5 8 Average Score: 7.8 Review: This is a very creative piece, starting with the painting (which I love) and the concept. I’m not sure the music in particular evokes that for me, but it’s so subjective... It’s true that the piece goes beyond what was supposedly the challenge. The combination of instruments is original. I think the French horn works well in this ensemble because it has such a powerful projection. Although with virtual instruments, it’s sometimes easy to alter how it would actually sound. There’s a strange shift in style, but I like it. It reminds me of a contemporary opera written in a non-tonal language where, suddenly, everything sounds like jazz. The score is very good, though is there a reason why the piano is printed in a larger font? I also have doubts about those multiple stops, even with techniques like con legno.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 10 9.5 10 8 9.5 10 10 9 Average Score: 9.5 Review: In this work, there are many motifs that intertwine to shape the piece and form part of its driving force. The harmony does not seem particularly far removed from tonal conventions, but it does include effective modulations. The turn it takes in bar 96 towards the end is very beautiful. The form is very clear and the sections are well defined, with a contrasting central section that works very well. The arrangement is fairly standard, but the chosen sounds capture the character of the landscape very well. Perhaps the piano, although evocative, sounds a little dark overall. The structure is very clear and the sections are well defined, with a contrasting central section that works very well. The combination is fairly standard, but the chosen sounds evoke the character of the landscape very effectively. Perhaps the piano, although evocative, sounds somewhat muted overall. The score is beautifully presented and I believe the challenge has been met; indeed, amongst the many pieces evoking landscapes, this is one of my favourites.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 9 9.5 8 7.5 9.5 9 10 9 Average Score: 8.9 Review: Melodies/Themes/Motives - The work is rich in motifs and themes, some of which are readily apparent, whilst others are deeply woven into the fabric of the piece. Harmony/Chords/Textures - The texture is dense, but the individual parts are clearly defined. Form/Development/Structure/Time - I sense a progressive structure, but it’s by no means boring. Originality/Creativity - It is a standard, effective combination. Score Presentation - The score is correct and easy to read. Instrumentation/Orchestration/Playability Reading the comments clears up any doubts about double or multiple stops. Execution of Given Challenge - I think the author has succeeded in achieving his aim.

Thank you. But I don’t think we should take the reviews all that seriously. They’re mostly just opinions, and I, for one, don’t feel qualified to ‘judge’ anything. But I do think any feedback can be useful.

Hello This is a piece I really like and find fascinating. The composition is superb, and the way you break up the sections with what sound like interjections is really appealing. It’s also fantastic to see the techniques you use in the strings. The quotation from the hymn is brilliant. Just like Ives used to do.

Hello No. My intention from the start was to help review the entries, not to submit one myself. Best regards.

It’s an interesting piece. I think you make excellent use of the dynamics and the rhythmic foundation, creating an intriguing yet effective contrast with the slow section. What I like most is that the piano really sounds like a piano; I mean, the writing is idiomatic for the instrument.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 8 8.5 8 9 9.5 9 10 9 Average Score: 8.8 Review: Melodies/Themes/Motives - There are many recognisable motifs, quite a few of which take the form of trills, etc. Harmony/Chords/Textures - The texture feels rich yet dynamic. Form/Development/Structure/Time - Performed as described and for an appropriate duration.. Originality/Creativity - The choice of instruments, particularly the two pianos, is unusual, but having listened to the piece and looked at the score, I believe it is entirely justified. Score Presentation - The score is correct and easy to read. Instrumentation/Orchestration/Playability The score is very effective, but it seems entirely playable. Execution of Given Challenge - I think the author has succeeded in achieving his aim. Taste - I like this piece because of its unique flavor.

Hello I’ll share my experiences as an amateur ‘composer’, though I do have extensive training (both self-taught and formal) in harmony, counterpoint, fugue, etc... and I’m currently working on orchestration. At first glance, it might seem that a concerto for a solo instrument and orchestra is easier than writing for an orchestra on its own. Because you think: “Ah, as there’s a soloist, it’s easy for them to take the lead and develop everything, etc.” But I believe the opposite is true. With a solo instrument and orchestra, the compositional difficulty multiplies, unless you want to limit yourself to a soloist and a few instruments playing chords. I think a good progression for composing is: 1) Write for piano. Even if it isn’t your main instrument, get hold of a MIDI piano, study how the classical composers wrote, and keep practising until your piano writing sounds natural (like proper piano music, not just a series of chord blocks). I see it this way because the piano is polyphonic and allows you to sketch out anything. 2) Write for small ensembles: string orchestra, small early classical-style orchestra. 3) Expand your palette by thoughtfully enlarging the orchestra. More instruments doesn’t necessarily make it better. 4) I always study the orchestration. Know about each instrument, its origin (which explains a lot about why an instrument is the way it is), what dynamics, ranges and articulations are possible, and at a ‘normal’ orchestral level. It makes no sense to write extremely difficult parts for orchestral sections. 5) And finally. Add a solo instrument. You can write short pieces. That’s what I’ve done so far with soloists. You need to understand very, very well how an instrument works to develop it as a solo part. Even Brahms consulted the violinist J. Joachim on his violin concerto.

@BipolarComposer Hello, perhaps I didn’t explain myself clearly. I didn’t mean that the register is too high for the bassoon in that passage, but rather that in such high passages, the part is usually written in tenor clef.

Wow, a really moving piece with some lovely harmonic twists.

Thank you. The thing is, I never intended for this to actually be performed. I only do it because I enjoy composing and it feels like a sort of ‘natural compulsion’ to express certain emotions and so on. But I always try to ensure that what I write is realistic, for any instrument or voice—in other words, playable—and, if I can manage it, idiomatic The vocals with the lyrics are almost effortless. Thanks to a piece of software called Cantai, with which you simply have to write the notes, add the lyrics and choose the type of singer. It was tricky to set up at first because it’s very new, but now it works really well. In other words, you work in the same notation programme (Dorico in my case) without having to switch to any other. That’s why I decided to give it a go. This is a project I want to be in several parts (not too long, as I get tired). And it’s a sort of Humanist Requiem, in which there are no religious references but rather references to human beings, nature, destiny, light, etc.... The texts are a mix of Latin classics and phrases drawn from T.S. Eliot, Wordsworth, Mary Shelley, Byron, Keats, Sylvia Plath and... Joni Mitchell!! (because I adore her). The orchestra is deliberately unusual and sombre (no violins, oboes or high-pitched instruments, but others with great colour such as the celesta, which is rather ethereal). I am using 20th-century contemporary musical languages. In fact, this mini-prelude (which I have expanded slightly) is composed entirely using serial atonal technique, specifically Stravinsky’s rotational arrays (who, in turn, composed a Requiem using this technique towards the end of his life).

Another important aspect is the voice leading. Notice how, in Schubert, the accompanying chords move very little. And of course, I would continue to explore those poems....

es, there are plenty of examples. Apart from the dynamics—well, sometimes the software does the best it can—there’s a significant difference. In Schubert, the melody follows its own rhythm, independent of the fixed rhythm of the accompaniment. But anyway, everyone should write however they like.