Alex Weidmann

Thanks for listening Henry! It's not really a fugue, that's why I wrote "A Fugue (of sorts)". Just wasn't sure what else to call it? It has some features of a fugue, in that more voices are added towards the end; but it doesn't follow the strict fugue form in any way.

Many thanks for listening! It's going to be performed on a harpsichord in London's Handel House (where Handel lived for much of his life). My original version had a harpsichord (and piano) with a large orchestra and choir; but that will probably never be performed! I did try to work in a few modernist features just to mix it up a bit. I was aiming for some sort of modern and baroque fusion type thing. If they're too jarring, I could always get rid of them, and go for a more purist baroque style.

Happy Holidays to all! Here's a 3 movement piece I've posted here before in orchestral/choral form; but I've recently adapted it for a solo harpsichord concert next year. Not very experienced with harpsichord music: so I hope it makes sense! The instrument will have two manuals, and a bunch of different stops and couplers (lute stop, etc...). Haven't decided which stops to use yet; but most of it will be on the standard 8', perhaps with some variation to make a contrast between thematic sections. The trills don't sound very nice in MuseScore's standard harpsichord. They're executed too fast, and without any subtleties of tempo variation within the trill. I wondered if there are any hidden settings that would improve them?

I think it works! Would certainly be an easier key for the musicians to read. Tertiary shifts (i.e. modulating key up or down by a major or minor third) are quite a common device I think.

That's not a happy face! LOL I just meant you seemed to go on hiatus for a while. I imagined you were busy writing your next masterpiece!

Thanks Henry. Good to have you back! 😀

Hi Kyle. This is a nicely scored piece! One thing I'd suggest, is you consider using G# minor instead of Ab minor for the second movement (and late first movement). Five sharps are much easier to read than seven flats! There are also a few enharmonic spelling errors. E.g. In trumpet 1 Bar 37, Db would make more sense than C#. Bar 21 oboes should have a Gb instead of F#. Bar 25 clarinets have a diminished 7th built on F#. Think this should be built on C natural, since the transposed key signature is C minor. That means the correct spelling has a Gb instead of F#, and Bbb instead of A natural. The way to think of this, is that a diminished 7th is a series of minor thirds stacked on top of each other: so in C minor, you would have: C, Eb, Gb, Bbb. Hope that helps.

Hi all! This tune suddenly popped into my head this morning, just as I was waking up. Am hoping you can tell me it's original, and not just something I've half remembered from somewhere? Any ideas about how to develop this further are very welcome! Not sure if this should be the climax of the piece; or the opening?

Very enjoyable! Was the intention to write something in the style of Mozart? Certainly reminds me of his piano concerti.

Thanks Mark! I actually added a new ending this week (which is definitely my final revision, as I've now sent it off to a competition for judging). The new version is attached below, with an improved score. New material starts around 7'30". This is the programme note I sent them: In this piece, I’ve attempted to conjure up a dawn chorus in a jungle setting. The animals awake one by one, each embodied by a different instrument. We start with birdsong in the piccolo, and the tapping of woodpeckers from the castanets, whilst the melodic line in the oboe coils like a snake. Soon they are joined by a mischievous troop of monkeys, portrayed by a choir of saxophones. Some sounds are ambiguous. Perhaps the maracas could be a rattlesnake; or is it just rustling in the undergrowth? The tempo increases as the pace of life quickens. Predators begin hunting their prey, looking for a tasty breakfast! The mood alternates rapidly from serene and playful passages into more sinister and dangerous terrain. Some creatures are harmless and beautiful; whilst others are vicious and threatening! The work eventually builds to a heady and chaotic climax, as an intoxicating plethora of wildlife joyfully greets the new day.

I just have one very trivial comment about your scoring. Like me, you use rehearsal marks to delineate motivic changes. I too used to put my first mark (A) at the beginning of the score. Then I sent my work to an orchestra for the first time, and was told the first mark never goes at the beginning of the piece. That's because the conductor will say "go from the top" if they want to start over. I then had a look at some works by famous composers, and found this was true: they never put the A rehearsal mark at the start of the work.

Thanks Peter, that's a relief!

Yes indeed, that's one solution. Thanks!

Hi to all. Just completed a work for a competition, where we had to provide a percussion part score along with the master score. I've sent it off now: so it's too late to change anything; but wondering if I've notated this correctly? I know you often arrange the percussion instruments on separate single line staffs, bracketed together. However I decided to use a single staff for both instruments. This seems more efficient, since they never play together: so I'd be needlessly cluttering up the score to have two parallel staffs. Starting to wonder though, whether I should have had two parallel staffs, for the sake of clarity? Edit: also I couldn't find the correct Italian accent to put on piu mosso. Anyone know how to apply this in MuseScore 4?

I've been able to read music since early childhood: so switching to MuseScore wasn't such a big deal for me. The challenging part was learning to write for orchestra, when it's going to be played by actual musicians. I was much more familiar with piano scores; but for an orchestral score, you have to understand the nuances of all the different instruments. Otherwise your score may be unplayable, or very difficult to read. (E.g. Understanding which pitch slides can be played on a trombone, or how to notate different playing styles in the strings.) As a sheet music novice, you won't find it quick or easy to learn; but I would encourage you to do it. Like learning a second language, it's always going to be a useful skill. You can probably get everything you need from You Tube and Wikipedia; but it may take several years to become proficient. Since you obviously have a natural flair for composition, I would say it's worth the effort. Good luck! Alex