Piotr

Not a bad arrangement! There are some pretty cool unexpected modulations! I think the version for the oboe (saxophone) right at 1:05 is kinda corny but the rest is very nice and uses very cool string accompaniment and creative harmonies and modal exchanges! Piotr

I am guessing that your intention with this piece was to simply create a certain happy/melancholy mood and in that regard I think you're successful! I was just going to tell you that it should be more melodic and then you come to the part at 3:50 and a nice new melody comes in (this is such a nice section I wish you had kept it going longer!). However, the recap to the beginning (4:20ish) was kind of abrupt - it felt like you just copied and pasted. The flute melody at the beginning is to me, not distinct or catchy enough. After repeated listening (2nd time that I am listening now) it becomes more recognizable - but it wasn't so at first. You achieve a very nice chorale type hymn scoring and you use the instrument colors pretty effectively. The ending seemed kind of abrupt and unprepared. I see you tried to compensate for that by doing a decelerando but it didn't quite work to me :mellow:. Overall - an enjoyable listen! Thanks for posting! Piotr

Scoring-wise it seems decent! And for your first attempt! Two things: 1) Why are there no French Horns?! You can't have a brass band without French Horns! I know - I am a French Horn player! :P and 2) There isn't always a clear leading melodic line. More melodies and specifically, memorable melodies, would be nice to hear. You have a few little mini themes. What I am talking about is long melodic phrases that span 16 bars or more. Sometimes it does sound a little like you're just moving through harmonic changes. Make the melody always be the centerpiece and main point (or at least .. thats my advice). Ok so I just looked at the midi in my sequencer and there definitely ARE French Horn parts ... but why do you have them assigned to a trumpet patch? Is that the midi error you spoke of in your description? With my comments on melody I should add that there are certain stereotypical ways of scoring for brass band which I don't blame you for more or less adhering to on a first attempt - and especially if you're writing for a beginner-intermediate group of players its a bad idea to expose one section of the band too much. I would simply encourage you to explore more the divergent possibilities of scoring and also to get away from the melody and accompaniment approach and have more counterpoint (and less chords) in your music. Honestly .. I liked it - that doesn't mean that I don't like giving alot of advice! Piotr

Heh ... it almost starts out with a walking bass idea. The section 3:50-4:00 seem to resemble melodically some ideas by Ravel (and then when you have some of that come back 4:35ish). Are you a Ravel lover? What you have here is something that is both mellow and disturbing! What I think it lacks is more of a focus on the overall melodic line from beginning to end but obviously in an improvisation that is not expected to be as coherent as in a planned composition. What do you do when you sit down to improvise? Do you set down some rules for yourself? Do you have a couple 'modes' of improvisation?

I have the same question as amai. I want to participate but I am not sure if I will have the time to compose in the next month.

Eek! It was a joke! How could it be a judgment of the music if I haven't listened to it? You have many jokes about yourself in your signature or whatever ... I just figured it would be ok. Sorry! No but seriously ... what program opens .mus files? I would be glad to listen to it and give it a fair review! Sorry for the misunderstanding! Piotr

Dear W.E. Sapphire, Sorry but it's not original at all! If you want a real tea party listen to this! P.S. - how can I listen to your song if I don't have the proper program to open a .mus file?

Very nice! I love this piece! You have a talent for sweet, simple and very memorable melodies and how to sometimes spruce them up with an unexpected harmony - I guess that comes from your jazz experience. Very enjoyable! Only after a while does it become more obvious that there is jazz influence in this so props on staying somewhat more unique stylistically (although actually I am not that familiar with jazz)! Right at 1:15 actually, rhythmically it becomes very obviously jazzy. This is the first piece I've heard written by you so I don't know how much this is your own unique voice ... what I would find interesting is to see how chromatic and extended you could make the harmony while keeping the style and feel of this kind of music. Great Job! Piotr

Well! I thought the ii.mid was excellent! It doesn't seem impossible to play at all! (a little confused about the titles being reversed ... is ii.mid the first movement?) I don't mean this to be an insult but the flute part is quite easy (besides the fact that the player would have to find a way to sneak in a breath somewhere by leaving some notes out) - which of course just means that it's playable and accessible to more people. You use both the string orchestra and the flute quite effectively! This piece is very cinematic - and you know how to use those little ostinati figures quite well without being too repetitive. The piece is quite melodic and carries me through to the end. Are you a string player? Btw - I noticed that your birthday is coming up in a few days ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Piotr

This is an interpretation and orchestration of my midi-contest friend's, Dave Albrecht's, piano piece "Avant Alice". I thought it would be a fun and interesting challenge to orchestrate. This, however can be played by an actual orchestra, not just by a three handed Alice in Wonderland! There are many many differences in this from the original although I tried to stay true to it while being creative. Original Runtime - 4 minutes. Orchestral Runtime - 5 minutes, so the tempi are nearly all a bit slower. I've added crescendi, diminuendi, sforzandi, expression, and changed a few of the notes as well. Please try both the original midi (avantalice.mid) and my orchestration (AvantAliceOrch.mid and please TRY THE MP3!). THIS MUSIC IS NOT MINE - I only orchestrated it. Dave Albrecht's original description reads: "And so Alice took a bite of the strangely looking cookie and found her agile yet powerfull little hand moving over the piano". This was written using Cakewalk Home Studio so no score besides the midi is available. I also use Yamaha XG midi so the balance is worked out for that set up and might not be as good if you hear the midi using different sounds ... which is why I recommend that you try the mp3: http://www.midi2mp3.com/mp3/s2664/3965=avantaliceorch.mp3 Any comments good or bad, would be greatly appreciated! (But if you have balance and volume complaints ... please listen to the mp3!) Piotr avantalice.mid AvantAliceOrch.mid

Sorry I now read what you wrote at the beginning. Do you think you were able to "silence your inner intellectual dialouge" because of sheer exhaustion? Piotr

I really enjoyed all three movements! I hope to be as prolific as you in my writing. May I ask how long it took you to complete all three movements? And how do you put your compositions together? Sometimes piecewise? Or do you usually compose from beginning to end without revision? I also write with many of the same factors in mind as you mentioned! If you'd like, you can find my Two Scherzos in the Chamber music section! Piotr

Just because it is simple does not mean it isn't rich though! I thought the beginning was very rich BECAUSE it was simple (and when the descending 2nds created a suspension with the pedal in the pizzicato). Piotr

Very nice beginning! It is not as bad as you made it seem! The beginning material is very sufficient and pleasing I think - it's what you do with it that is not necessarily as interesting although not as bad. I was just going to say how a having the strings play all the time in the same registers gets monotonous and detracts from musical interest - but just as I was typing that you did put in a break - a pause in the music for contrast. The thing is - I had already been thinking that for a while - it maybe could have come sooner? After that pause the music and what you were doing also seemed to improve - and the ending was well prepared also in my opinion (maybe if there was a slight ritardando at the end too). Piotr

Hello everyone. I would like two share two scherzos I wrote - one for Piano Trio and the other for String Quartet. They were written a couple of months ago for Music Contest and Midi Original Archives, First Dynamic Index Page. The Scherzo for Piano Trio is an experiment in quartal harmony, melody and some counterpoint, while the Scherzo for String Quartet is bitonal (D and Eb). Scherzo for String Quartet: SQavant.mid Scherzo for Piano Trio: PT2.mid Thank you! Piotr PT2.mid SQavant.mid