Markus Boyd

This is something I've been wanting to do for a while. The lamento bass is a famous motif based on the simple idea of the descending tetrachord (commonly in d minor). In my realization I build momentum with complexity with which I aim to demonstrate the range of possibilities within this short space. One can keep going with more variations. It is both a beautiful and inexhaustible concept. Prelude for the Soul.mp3 Prelude for the Soul.pdf

Stunning stuff. You had me captivated until the very end. The final movement is my favorite. Very well played, too! I must follow your work going forward. Thank you very much. PS i’m sending this to a friend of mine who plays the saxophone to have a listen.

Hey all, This is the current iteration of the second movement. Eager to hear people's views so far on this... whether it works. The bit I am currently working on is intended to be a fugata, in the spirit of Beethoven's own in his Erocia, second movement (which I love). I am using that as a model. Never done that before and it's certainly a challenge. I haven't finished the wind writing which will have two parts for each instrument except for solo areas (i.e. the beginning). I wouldn’t bother looking for errors as it’s still a work in progress. There is still much to refine. It would just be helpful to just gauge how the ideas come together while i’m immersed in the rabbit hole! 🤣 Symphony in A (Second movement Draft).mp3 Symphony in A (Second movement Draft).pdf

Rameau discusses how to make a simple four part canon at unison (that is, each voice entry follows unison). The easiest method involves a short melodic idea that follows a simple harmonic progression (e.g. I-V7-I). For my first try, I used this simple melodic idea: We can then add each of the 4 entries at their exact points, and realize the range of possibilities while avoiding parallel octaves 5ths. One limitation is that the final entry (where all voices are at once most likely taken by the bass part) may not correspond with established cadential voice leading conventions, unless the motif resolves from the leading tone or the 5th (as the case here). The second exercise I did was slightly more ambitious, utilizing secondary chords and greater diminution. I also embedded the leading tone in the second half of the motif in the interest of the above. Finally, as the second line approaches the V7-I cadence from the 4th (F natural) I depart from the stricter option of rising to the G (as the first part did earlier) in the interest of the conventional resolution of the V7 chord. In practice, Neidhofer & Schubert state that most imitative contrapuntal textures are neither strict canon nor free imitation but somewhere in-between. So it is quite justified to loosen the framework in such places. Play around with your own ideas... it doesn't need to be a masterpiece but at least adhere to the basic voice leading rules. I have composed canon's before but not as targeted exercises. Canon Practice.mp3 Canon Practice.pdf

18th Century theoriest, Johann Mattheson, discusses the importance of imitation in counterpoint. He contrasts this with "melody and accompaniment", in which the melody is simply supported with corresponding harmony. He states that without imitation, music sounds "wooden". It is imitation that brings music to life through dialogue, the reason being that: we relate to musical dialogue like our own social world. Obviously, our social experiences are not singular but at least bi-directional. The usefulness of imitation extends beyond its aesthetic appeal; it is also a critical tool for developing a musical idea. From personal experience, producing a convincing dialogue/conversation in my own writing helps me consider where it might go next. Mattheson goes on to state that, for experienced composers, imitation becomes instinctive which is particularly useful in improvisation: against a given melody, thinking how it can be imitated becomes central to its corresponding solution. I conceived a melody of my own to practice this. Try to do the same: produce a short melody and consider how it might be imitated. Figure 1: a melody with basic accompaniment: Figure 2: the melody with imitation In my attempt, the imitation follows the rhythmic pattern of the melody a like a canon but without faithfulness to its script. Note that the bass is still primarily supportive of its harmony, following the voice leading outline shown in figure 1. Importantly, I used the do-re-mi schema (1-2-3) as the basis for this simple idea for it facilitates stepwise contrary motion in the bass (here this was useful in bar 3 where the bass rises to the Bb against the melody that descends to D. Making use of such schemas (see Robert Gjerdigen's 'Music in the Galant Style') can be useful for this sort of thing.

Morning all, I am going to produce some learning material on here as part of my own studies to share & promote knowledge relating to baroque counterpoint. I have acquired the not inexpensive book, Baroque Counterpoint by Chistoph Neidhofer & Peter Schubert that I am thinking of translating into a workable guide on here. Disseminating this is as much for my learning as for the potential benefit of others, in addition to generating constructive conversation around these concepts. I am thinking of uploading one class per week - or more - depending on the time I have. Stay tuned for these.

Hello everyone, Thought I'd share my appreciation for this gorgeous work for double choir by Zelenka, performed by Ensemble Inegal under Adam Viktora's direction (released 2025). Zelenka worked for the court of Augustus the Strong of Dresden and was a contemporary of JS Bach (they allegedly knew of each other and maintained mutual respect but never met). Unlike Bach's sacred works, Zelenka wrote for the Catholic church. This was written specifically to be sung at one of various altars during a Corpus Christi procession at Prague's St. Salvator Church. This movement was written to be sung at the third altar. Until recently all but the first movement was believed to have been lost in the Dresden Bombing of WW2. Thankfully, researchers in 2023 found a complete 19th century copy for our pleasure. Prague's St. Salvator Church. For me, it doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy!

Some of the most devastating music i’ve heard still yet contain a mixture of the minor/major mode but commence and return to the minor. There are some outliers though in your spirit, such as Bach’s crucifixus (from mass in b minor). I believe that is entirely in the minor, but with an important caveat: The movement is approximately 3 minutes long, and is immediately followed by the jubilant ‘Et Resurrexit’. This is of course highly effective, and I can only imagine how the mood in a concert hall, reduced to the depths of despair at the depiction of Jesus dying on the cross, to then be elevated by the sudden and ecstatic news of the great revelation. The other example that comes to mind is Dido’s Lament by Purcell. Both share a the same structural basis: a repeated ground bass and as such the music remains within its harmonic frame. And both represent something both devastating and apparently defeating. So it’s not unprecedented in that measure, but what sets your work apart is in its length, and the indication that the other movements are also predominately in the minor. I would argue that the most effective narratives through music embody some form of cyclic structure that involves both the major and minor (not in equal measure but 70/30, depending on which mode the work commences) and if not within a single movement, then between movements. Bach’s crucifixus is an excellent example in this respect. That is my personal preference, of course, and wish not to detract from the technical and aesthetic feat you have achieved here. All the best Markus

Thanks @Lithl & @CrystalCanon Do not disparage your contribution to discussion on this forum, Lithl. Your feedback is as important to us as anyone else here. The second movement is indeed different. To some extent it is more stylictsticaly reminiscent of earlier galant chamber music, particularly in my use of the initial bass pattern that contains semiquaver passing notes. This is quite common in, for example, the chamber music of Carl Abel (a close associate of JC Bach) of late 1750s & early 1760s: But structurally it is quite different and in my view more akin to a fantasy - more liberal with greater meandering in the development and license in the recapitulation. I leave it to other's to determine whether it is a good fit or not... after all it was composed initially as a standalone piece that I thought would complement this suite. Listen carefully to some of the bass motifs at cadential in Abel's flute concerto in the below video (first piece) to see what I mean:

Exactly! Some of the best chorus' of Bach's festive cantatas, with the splendor of the full baroque orchestra, are in 3/8. I personally recommend that of Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207, for which he reused the first movement from his Brandenburg Concerto no 1. Such clever stuff! I listen to it while working out in the gym... I must be the only one in the world doing that 🤣

https://youtu.be/WIhxGSZg3o8?is=r0hzizjIDZH48DkL There is no obligation or pressure from me to respond. I just hope you found it constructive. Learning the art of composition is a processes of continual refinement over years of practice. Perfectionism is our enemy; and hindsight is our therapy.

The allegro below was an earlier movement for a wind quartet (back in 2019) that now contains lots of revisions. At the time, I thought it was 'perfect' but almost 10 years later, evidently it was not! 😬 Second movement recycled from another standalone piece I had made for wind quintet originally. The Rondo is a work in progress. Currently working on the C section (minor). I quite like the theme... think it is catchy. String Quartet in C (Allegro).mp3 String Quartet in C (Second Movement).mp3 String Quartet in C (Rondo Idea).mp3 String Quartet in C (Allegro).pdf String Quartet in C (Second Movement).pdf String Quartet in C (Rondo Idea).pdf

Evening, I've decided to come out of my comfort zone and, today, compose for my primary instrument, which is the classical guitar. I have played since 9 but in recent years have lost touch with it; but I have recently picked it up again and it has been giving me a new lease for life. Of course, it will be great to play my own music and this is my intention. Composing for the guitar has added difficulties owing to the layout of the fretboard. In addition, one must work out at which position of the fretboard certain passages should be played. If, for example, I tried to play this music up to fret 7 only, there would be a lot of awkward jumping around that isn't practical. On the score, I have added numbers beside certain notes which fingers should play them. The circular numbers above the stave denote the position I have determined. The next task will be to learn to play it at a reasonable standard. Once I have done, I will endeavor to upload my performance to this thread. This piece is largely baroque in style with some hints of classical, too. I have written it mostly in two parts, due to the speed and my intention to play it (I am not virtuosic!). In terms of my influences, I have been listening a lot to Bach's Keyboard Suites lately. I love his 3/8 movements (for example, the prelude for BWV 808. Soundtrack.mp3 Score.pdf

Hello again, I couldn't resist giving it a go myself. Let me be clear that I don't do this kind of thing to diminish other people's efforts, or make myself look better. On the contrary, it's about creating a space for learning (we are all learning here). I mentioned that Bar 17 has opportunities for refinement I wish to illustrate how I would approach it should you find it useful. First of all, the I-V motif is repeated twice. In your solution, you end both instances in the tonic key. I would argue it is more effective to have the first instance ending on V, providing the foundation for a statement and response sort of idea (the response resolves the prior statement). In my realization I add the 4# in the bass to create a converging cadence into D major. In the response, I have written a semiquaver pattern for the piano's treble clef that provides momentum towards your cadential semiquaver flourish. Second, the antiphony/dialogue in that I-V motif is taken between the db and viola. One thing I would say is that many of your ideas have a solid foundation for this sort of thing. So you have a head start in that respect. I always look for opportunities to produce a coherent and convincing dialogue between the instruments I am using. I’ll share a video with you, in this spirit, that you might find interesting A Chen.pdf A Chen.mp3