Henry Ng Tsz Kiu

This would be a very Haydnesque effect! I can never forget how he delibrately asked the strings to mistune their strings while sustaining a chord: (Begins at 23:17) Also the ending of the Farewell leaves me like WTF lol

Hi @luderart! I am really interested in the newly invented instrument with its ability to play glissandos on a wind instrument! Hope your no.2 would be played in real life with the instrument so we know how it sounds! Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Aiwendil! Time for the finale of the Concerto! To me it's the best movement of the whole work. Wonderful hunting theme with a Beethoven-7th-1st mov-like magic of that Long-Short-Long rhythmic throughout almost the whole movement which is so well suited to the dancing and hunting character of the movement, which in turns suits the trumpet to play! The trumpet is virtuosic but not too overly so throughout the movement and the whole work. The climaxes are all well prepared and you don't bombard the piece like many film music do even it's a Trumpet Concerto, with wise control of energy and flow throughout the movement, for example like passages in b.102 when you change both the volume and mood and key for preparing the first climax in the 2nd subject. The use of the orchestras whenever soloust is off is amazing as well, like those woodwind passages or strings passages which definitely provide a good contrast with the brasses, I love the play of motives in b.115 by woodwinds. The use of Timpani is wonderful and the most apparently used in this movement, like in b.269 Timpani solo passage is wonderful. The cadenza is nice, you never get lose of the theme but add harmonic colors onto it, and the ending is a grand conclusion to the whole work. Kudos to this work, thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Noah Brode! As you said this sounds like a Sonatina in the Classical style with some modern touches. With the pedals both the first and second themes reminds me very much of Schubert. For the "majestically" marking in b.35 you may mark "Maestoso". The modulation from b.54 to 55 is a bit abrupt to me if it's a Classical style Sonata, but it's a nice contrast of style. I like the sequence in the development section b.91, and I think it can be extended a bit longer before going to the false reappearnce of the first theme in F major in b.99. The left hand figure in b.111 is almost unplayable, if you change it to an octave figure it would be much more playable. I will review the remaining movements in remaining posts. Henry

This one is a joy to listen to. The fourths are used with great effect esp. in b.5 and b.14 where the sudden modulation to flats chords are great. I also love the imitations between the voice-clearly you build on the exercise to real music with reference to the tradition of motets with the imitations. Thx for sharing! Henry

I am immensely envy of you for this; how can you write this Concerto with this quick progress and bear such a sweet fruit?! I have never been able to do that! Either I take too much time, or I write trash!

Oh I must have overlooked them! I am getting old now......

Hi @therealAJGS! It does sound obsure but I quite like it! Maybe adding more instrument change to it would be great as well! wow, I never write anything effortless! Henry

A really nice fanfare! You certainly preserve the general character till the end without sounding artificial at all. You maintain the 027 set and quartal chords very well and the trumpet makes the more hollow sounding chords full. I myself might write for 3 flutes here. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @PaavolaPyry! It does sound improvisatory with all the sudden chord progession but I like it. Nice playing as well! To me it sounds like a Lute Baroque prelude in more modern chords. I am sure @PeterthePapercomPoser would like the piece as well as he wrote a lot of microtonal pieces, and @Thatguy v2.0 wrote many great guitar pieces. I hear some of the microtones but don't see them on the score, will you add them on the score? Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Aiwendil, Now is the time for the 2nd movement. I like the broad theme and structurally you keep varying and contrasting which makes the movements more interesting. Structurally the arch form is also interesting. I really love b.27 when the orchestra takes the lead as it sounds really grand, and more so in b.140 with the dialogue there! The turn figure in the D minor contrasting section definitely reminds me of Don Giovanni. B.73 passage reminds me of Beethoven’s 7th’s slow movement, good use of the opening theme. B.116 horn solo really gives a broader sound contrast with the trumpet soloist. Love the ending as well. Looking forward to the finale! Henry

Hi @Vasilis Michael, As I mentioned in YouTube the influence of the slow movement in Schubert’s D960 is quite notable here! (As well as the same key of D959 slow movement) The turn to a surprising F minor chord and subsequent F# minor return is a good use of the interchangeability of Dom 7th and Ger 6th chord like Schubert’s usage of them! The rhythmic usage also reminds me of Schubert, as well as the ending! Thx for sharing. Henry

I love the quartal chords, and the harmony in b.10! I literally do the same thing in my Sextet when C and Gb pentatonic just juxtapose with each other. I also love your sul tasto touch! Henry

Sad, I'm too old for it!

Glitter and sprinkles, you want me for the feast, Tempting in your face, but you’re just a beast. Strawberry cakes, she ate ten tons of them, But I prefer my toast, just full of jam. Glitter and sprinkles, you want me to get plump, But I’m not your Barbie, I’ll sweep you to dump.