ricky12912

First let me say that you have again captured the scene you were trying for quite well, and I need not tell you that you are obviously very good at what you do. That being said, I have some broad observations/suggestions to throw out. I've listened to a few of your pieces now, and I think I've started to get a feel for your style. You seem to be very knowledgeable about composition, and your pieces are certainly distinctive, but I cannot quite decide yet whether or not I would describe them as recreational listening. There is something inexplicably inaccessible about this piece, at least for my ear. Beyond the various dissonant aspects (which I don't really mind too much) there is still something very cold about it. I am beginning to think that it may just be that there is so much going on, too many notes in a single span of time. All of that makes it harder for the average listener, or even the above-average listener, to feel connected to what's going on. Also, (and this might be related to MIDI) the various instrument parts don't seem to blend together as I expect them to, creating a layered effect which is burdensome to the ear. I enjoy pieces where I can pick out each instrument's part and follow it, but only to a point. I imagine that it is much harder to blend sounds when you use strongly dissonant elements, but I guess I just don't come away with that satisfied feeling of having connected to the orchestra as a whole, because the orchestra doesn't seem to speak with a unified voice in this piece. I apologize for not giving more praise, but I think this forum is really more useful when people offer critiques. Nevertheless, an impressive piece.

Dang, that was good. It had such an understated beauty to it, and I loved all the jazzy elements you added. Your piano writing was especially fun to listen to, and I think that is what really carried this piece. Altogether, though, it was a very pleasant combination of instruments. However, I fear this piece might be moved to another part of the forum because it does not strictly qualify as orchestral (not that I care myself). Thanks for sharing this.

This is the fourth and final movement of my first symphony. I wrote it several months ago on the piano but only actually orchestrated the whole thing this summer. It is scored for small orchestra, with the addition of harp and tubular bells. Although the piece has no particular program, I will say that this movement is the upbeat, victorious conclusion to a symphony made up of mainly somber moments. If I had to cite an inspiration, I would say Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, but only in the most abstract of senses (If only I could write something like that!). I should also mention that this movement seems to have a ton of themes and motifs running through it (perhaps too many), but many of them are allusions to motifs from the other three movements. I've had some trouble uploading the score to this website, so I just uploaded it to an outside site. The link to the score is below the link to the MP3. The Word document might need a little time/coaxing to display the images, but I promise they are there. Chamber Symphony in B - IV (Allegretto) Score

Wow, that was beautiful, and I really liked the ending. Where did you get your sounds? They were great. My only complaint is that I kept hoping/expecting that there would be a long passage in which the heavy orchestral texture would relent and leave a soft, sweet melody for the violin. Some of my favorite pieces, especially concerti, have that sharp contrast between orchestral depth and "naked" soloists. Anyway, I liked it a lot. Any chance you could extend this to a larger work?

This piece made me laugh, and I am pretty sure it was for the right reasons. The lyrics, especially the "bliss will soon ensue" passage were hilarious, considering this whole piece is about drinking tea. Your musical writing, even as a librettist, was quite good, given the constraints of the style you chose. It was, at times, annoyingly simple in its harmonies and reminiscent of a long-expired musical period. However, I pretty much took it within the context of an over-the-top mockery of that style, which just made the whole thing more hilarious to listen to. It is certainly not the next big thing in music, but in the right contexts, it is great to listen to.

I liked the first movement because it was so fast and adventurous, which fits with the theme, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the performers who would have to play it, especially the flautist. I don't know much about playing the flute, but that part struck me as nearly impossible. That aside, I think you really have something here. The second (death) movement was, for all its good attributes, too short, and the ending was disappointing. Also, I thought that the harmonies begun around measure 16 would work better if done tremolo, at least for some of the string instruments. I actually preferred the overall sound of this movement to the first movement, but I didn't feel that this one could stand on its own as is.

I use compositional software made by a small British company, and the files are not at all compatible with Sibelius or Finale, so when I save them as MIDI's and then open them in Sibelius or Finale, the phrase marks, dynamics, etc. disappear and the score plays as just plain notes. In fact, it even does away with my pizzicato sections. So someone who hears the music played on Sibelius or Finale hears something quite different from what I wrote. The only common file type that preserves those is MP3, which of course does not allow someone to view the score. I should probably buy a copy of Sibelius or Finale, but they are expensive.

I enjoyed this piece immensely. Your orchestration was actually very good, although (as you have already said) it was a bit heavy at times. I had a little hard time at first latching on to the themes, but I liked the overall color and feel enough to listen through to the end. You should really consider posting this in the major works section.

You couldn't be more right, Rolifer. I have definitely reached the hardest part. Every time I sit down to write dynamics I find myself preferring to work on new compositions instead. Although, sometimes I wonder if it is worth writing in the dynamics, tonguing, expression, etc. when MIDI is so poor at creating those effects.

Pardon me, I was looking at someone else's profile when I wrote that last comment. You've been registered since March. Have you posted anything else on YC?

I liked some of the musical ideas, but I found this piece often painfully repetitive. Also, you used a lot of homorhythmic passages, which became very draining after a while because all the instruments were playing the same exact rhythmic figure. Also (and this might have to do with my sound card and/or internet connection) I thought that the tremolo strings sounded very strange. That being said, I'm sure you already have some sort of vision for where this piece will go, and I won't presume to know where that is. Oh, and welcome to the forum (not that I have been here much longer).

This is the second movement of my first orchestral writing. I already posted the first movement two weeks ago and intend to finish up the remaining two movements soon. The symphony is scored for a small orchestra with minimal brass, so basically classical era in orchestration. The symphony does not follow any set plan emotionally, but each movement has its own unique emotional spectrum. This movement is generally very dark in mood. It starts out with two somber themes, but I decided I needed a happier ending, so I created two more sections. The third section is a sort of bittersweet, transitional theme and then the final section is an entirely new theme, based on a descending chromatic scale returning to B major. That theme kind of seems to come out of nowhere, but I have since incorporated it into the fourth and final movement of this symphony, which I think mitigates that. Like the first movement, I have not completed dynamics or phrasing for the instruments yet, but most of the dynamic intent is clear as is. Also, I apologize for the poor quality of the MIDI. Any comments would be appreciated. Chamber Symphony in B - II (Adagio) formatted.mid

I enjoyed your percussion and felt it gave the piece a lot of momentum. I also enjoyed the extended build-up near the end (around page 39) but was a little disappointed when it ended so abruptly, although that may be intentional on your part. I was particularly impressed with how you managed to infuse this piece with so much dissonance and still have someone like me (and I'm no huge fan of heavy dissonance) like it. Although I saw no big problems with your woodwind or percussion writing, I felt that the strings become a bit cumbersome after a while. I was trying to think of a way to describe the sound, and all I could come up with was meandering. There were so many notes being played in the strings at certain times that I felt lost. My initial impression with the strings was that the writing could be simplified to include more sustained notes. The chaotic atmosphere of the strings, although it seems to go well with your theme for this piece, can wear the ear down a little--well, at least my ear. As usual, I am impressed with your work, Rolifer.

This is very exciting and cinematic, and I enjoyed it. I especially liked the layering of the violins and the strong brass. You should do an entire orchestral suite based on elves.

I liked your main theme. (As a side note, it reminded me vaguely of a pop melody, but not in a bad way...very hummable.) I also liked your orchestration, but I kept waiting for some new, exciting instruments to enter. Do you intend to add more instruments to the score? You mentioned that you are not used to orchestral writing (I'm not either) so it may have been wise to keep your instrument count down. Either way, what you've written so far is harmonious and inspiring. It reminded me of some of my favorite classical compositions. My only complaint is that I felt a little overwhelmed by the almost constant, heavy string chords. But, then again, that may not be a bad thing. Great job overall.