Alex Weidmann

Thanks Peter! I actually don't have a decent solo violin for MuseScore, but am hoping to pick one up in the Black Friday sales. Those included with MuseStrings sound hideous, so I refuse to use them! I do have a reasonably good patch from Cinesamples; but it has an annoying bug, where the dynamic is different on each pitch. It takes a lot of work to counteract this, by inserting a new dynamic mark on practically every note! That demisemiquaver (effectively a grace-note) on the flute in Bar 64 is audible on solo; but in the mix it's being somewhat drowned out. If I accent it, the note becomes too loud and squeaky: so there's not much I can do. I think it'll be ok with a real musician; though it's right at the top of the range: so could be challenging to reach. As for fermatas, my composition tutor doesn't like them: so he's instructed me to change time signatures instead. I often find myself drifting away from the opening time signature whilst I'm writing. It seems to be a natural trait of mine. It's just the way I hear/feel the music.

Here's my latest version of this work. The linking passage at rehearsal mark B is a bit rubbish; but I think the rest is coming together ok? Still need to extend the piece more; but not sure where to do this?

Hi Tunndy, I agree you whipped the donkey of the AI! (Edit: The system won't let me use the other word for donkey; but I'm sure you can guess what I meant to write!) Not sure artificial intelligence will ever be able to understand what music really is. (Hope I'm right, otherwise we could all be out of a job soon!)

Don't think I would've attempted to orchestrate (or-castrate) this sonata; but looks like you had fun with it! I'd love to hear this with the piano part muted.

Haven't heard your previous two canons; but I like this one! My only suggestion would be to add some slurs and dynamics to your instrumental parts, as currently there are none.

Scotland actually, and it's Nessie! 🤪😂

I listened to the opening movement, and loved it! It's sparse and haunting, then shifts halfway through to become mysterious and tense, like a Film Noir. Congrats on completing this major work. Will try to listen to the other movements when I have time.

Nice work! Just have one notational point. The staff for the soloists part in a concerto, should always be positioned directly above the 1st violins (see attached image).

Have now listened to Steven Stucky's arrangement of this work from 1991, and was pleased to discover it's very different from mine! He uses less woodwind, and more brass, with a far more radical reimagining of the original material (especially towards the end). Also interesting use of tubular bells that totally caught me by surprise! It's a far more accomplished piece of orchestral writing; but I feel like mine is more faithful to the original intention of the work. Anyway I'll let you be the judge.

Hi to all. Just wanted to post an orchestration I've attempted of Purcell's "Funeral Sentences". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this was originally written for SATB choir, with timpani and a quartet of trumpets. Here I've arranged the piece for full symphony orchestra. Not sure if it's been orchestrated like this before, but haven't heard any other versions in this instrumentation. I used an old midi file as the basis for my score: so some of the trills and drum rolls look a bit strange. Think they sound more realistic like this though: so it may not be such a bad thing. Haven't bothered with slurs, as the score is designed for midi rendition only. (Also have noticed I need to correct my spelling of D major chords.) Hope you enjoy!

Hi all. Here's the latest version of this work. Let me know if you think it's going in the right direction? I've made it more harmonically adventurous I think. Just wonder whether my chord progressions work; or if they're a bit too silly? I was trying to use secondary dominants and secondary sub-dominants. The 1st movement probably needs some massaging to make the transitions work better. The 2nd movement is probably incomplete, unless I decide to leave it with its current ambiguous conclusion. The opening of the 3rd movement was constructed by applying negative harmony to the 1st movement. The piano chords will eventually be shared amongst the woodwind, brass and available strings. What I'm aiming for, is a modern take on Vivaldi that's not pastiche. Something a bit like "The Capriol Suite" perhaps.

Many thanks JP for writing such a detailed review! You make some great points. I think the flute is often too dominant in MuseScore, and find myself always having to mark down the dynamics. Probably should've lowered them more here. The subdominant ending is actually resolved back to the tonic in the final movement of this piano suite. (Otherwise it would be almost unheard of in Schumann's era to end on iv.) However I think in the modern era, it sounds ok to end on an unresolved chord. Some people have taken exception to my use of vibraphone and glockenspiel; though I feel both those instruments have a dreamy quality that's quite evocative of sleep. Apparently the whole suite has been orchestrated by Lucien Cailliet; though I haven't listened to that version. Will definitely take to heart your critique when I revisit this orchestration, and for future ones.

Good guess Peter! It was inspired by Vivaldi's famous A minor violin concerto (RV356). I've even lifted a fragment of one phrase from it. In that work, he frequently reinforces the violin solo line with the entire violin section: so you have an alternation of texture. I haven't yet decided which phrases will be played solo: so I've left the whole part on the 1st violin section for now. (That was an additional clue this was based on Vivaldi!) The concerto RV356 crams three movements into c.6 minutes: so I'm hoping to do the same thing with my piece. The chord symbols can be used to create an arpeggiation in the low strings, along with all sorts of interesting preset textures using Sunuscore's Orchestral Elements. So that was my main reason for using them. (I've tested this out now, and it works quite well.) It also allows the harmonies to be quickly and easily changed. Theres a You Tube video all about it here, along with a score video of the Vivaldi:

Happy Autumn to all! So... turns out, due to a miscommunication, I won't be writing a mini-bassoon concerto after all. Instead they want me to write a miniature concerto for violin and chamber orchestra. I've started sketching it out here; though I'm still at a very early stage. I'm thinking three movements; though the time limit is 5 minutes total. No prizes for guessing which composer inspired this. (I think it's rather obvious!) Those who guess the right answer can tell me if it's sounding too similar to the original work? Am using the chord sequence function in MuseScore to sketch out my harmonies. Only discovered this recently, and am finding it somewhat useful. Wonder if anyone else has tried this out? Apparently it works even better with Kontakt 7 and Sonuscore orchestral elements; but I haven't got round to installing those yet.

Thanks, but I was actually talking about combining parts onto one staff for the conductor's score. E.g. Merging trumpets 1 and 2 into a single staff. This can be done with implode; but it's apparently it's much quicker and easier in Dorico.