huckle

I'll put a tentative foot in, although I'm in the middle of exams so I may be forced to pull out... I'd like to use the same ensemble as ClassicalSax ( 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 'celli and 2 double basses) with the text being "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost. Is it sad that that is one of the texts I have to revise for English, and this will be part of my revision? [EDIT]Link to Mending Wall: Frost, Mending Wall[/EDIT]

I will be joining a string orchestra in the summer which will have no conductor. We are all experienced players and will use our principle violinist for tempo. The plan is to resolve interpretation issues democratically, and where that fails the 5 section leaders will have the final say. Principle violin, of course, will be in charge and act as a kind of conductor but in essence we will be a bloated string quartet. Should be great fun and I'll let you know how it works! That String Orchestra will be relatively small - 4 or 5 desks per instrument plus a couple of double basses - so that is what should make the lack of a conductor workable. Any more than 40 or 50 people and you will lose the cohesiveness, and that is when a conductor is needed. Also, a conductor is there to give a single unified interpretation - this string orch I talk of will not be successful if we cannot decide how the is meant to be played. Conductors are also important for giving rehearsals vibrancy and keeping everyone enthused. A dull rehearsal is not enjoyable, and therefore closes people down to the interpretation and nuances that the conductor should be coaxing from the players they have availible.

Um, well I can back up QcCowboy and his awesome college music professor creds with my own more meager creds as a student cellist who has played many a basso continuo in my time. There is nothing to suggest baroque about your compositions. NOTHING. Correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't even hear a Ic-V-I cadence for God's sake. It's mostly your avid use of consective fifths, consistent use of the flattened-sixth to sharpened-seventh interval (augmented second) - the source of the oriental feel - and then the lack of those formulaic ideas which plague baroque music. PLAGUE it. Try some bog standard progressions like circles of fifths, stick to I, ii, IV and V chords and don't use consecutive fifths. As a free composition its pretty good. As baroque, well...

Thanks for such a speedy reply, Lex. Could you (or anyone really) identify places where it was not "pretty"? I really want to get it as polished as possible, and before I start refining it myself I would like to know what others feel could be improved upon. A =] is in order: =]

Bagatelle literally means "a trifle": it is a piece with a jovial feel, if in minor key. I may be wrong but it may be true that they are in three? Not sure if that's a standing rule though =]

A composition for solo piano in 7/8. It's not meant to be a deadly serious composition (as you can tell from the title), but it is meant to convey a sense of joy. So, does it do that? It is a work in progress - so no dynamics or detail as yet. Also some bars could do with tweaking, possibly a section which contrasts. Just looking for some general comments as to how you think it looks at the moment. =] carefree.mid carefree.pdf

Yeah, I was thinking last night that it isn't a complete piece... More a sketch of ideas for incorporation into a more interesting piece. Perhaps a different key,different texture, variation of the left hand or a generally contrasting section will compliment what already exists and so accentuate that flowing feeling. I think its main problem is that it still feels too much like an improvisation, as that is essentially all it is.

Love it! Do you realise that the violin/horn melody at 1:37/1:47 respectively is pretty much a quote of the line "Ohhh tidings of comfort and joy" in the xmas carol "God rest ye merry, gentlemen"? Unless its on purpose...

Thanks! I did consider varying the chords, and left-hand pattern, but decided that the simplicity it gave to it was more in keeping with what I had been improvising before I committed it to paper (well Sibelius). This is the first piece I have written that only uses 3 chords, and I must say I'm not going to make too much of a habit out of it. As for your comment about game music, that is not the first time someone has said that about my music. Perhaps that is my ideal career? :closedeyes: In all this isn't exactly pushing my compositional abilities, it's just a nice piece that I decided is probably worthy of more than languishing on my hard drive for the next decade.

I have to say that I am not fond of the 1st one, but thats because you'd prabably call me a tonal kinda guy - I like th feeling of grouding that a key gives. Rhythmically I like it, and I enjoy the very feeling of unease that you invoke... Ok then maybe I like it a little. The second one, although nothing like my own style or preference, is extremely enjoyable. Those repetitive areas mentioned by abracadabra are nice; they give a feeling of space and keep the piece from feeling rushed (a symptom of my own music). I also like it as it feels far more grounded and doesn't leave that uncomfortable feeling that was invoked by the first. I have to disagree completely with abracadabra, as the third for me is quite.. interesting. I won't say that I enjoyed it, but listening to it I have a feeling that enjoyment wasn't exactly what you were aiming for? That feeling of space that I mentioned in the second one is clearly evident here. I get images of cathedrals and tall spires, perhaps with a cloudy sky and a funeral... All in all these are some pretty neat compositions. None of them are what I would consider my style or preference, but in my own opinion they are well written and can be appreciated.

Hi, This piece has ben wandering around my fingers in improvisations for ages, and is based entirely on a simple riff in the left-hand of Cmin, Aflat maj and Bflat maj. I finally got round to sibelius-ing it the other day and am pretty pleased with the outcome. It's very right-handed - sorry! Huckle BREEZE.MID BREEZE.PDF