smallercomma

When naming the composition, I considered the effect of using "Sextet" and worried that the word sex would distract from the work or invite unwanted associations; I briefly thought about "Sestet" as an alternative, but it seemed that "Sextet" was in more common use for compositions/ensembles employing six performers.

I could imagine a beautifully shot film scene during playback of this piece. The sound of strings and bells is quite dramatic; I think you've spaced the bell sounds wonderfully, and there is a measure of restraint in how the strings are scored that contributes to the intended mood. Great piece!

Very moody piece--I agree, the progression is very interesting and I like it, too. It seems to contain a lot of chromatic alterations, which to me make it also sound very Romantic in style. I like mm.17-20 where only Track 4 is playing, because it provides contrast to the more prevalent 4-voice texture. I think a couple more contrasting spots like these in the second half of the piece would better retain the listener's interest. I also like that Track 5 reaches its highest pitch towards the end. I think the conclusion would be strengthened if Track 5 lingered in that register for a little while longer before the piece ends; perhaps the last three chords could be made a bit longer.

The "Play Music" link seems to be broken, so I wasn't able to listen to the piece; but from reading the score, it certainly looks like an intense piece! There seems to be a breathless and rushed quality about the music that would well describe a busy city. I like all the hemiolas--they add a certain forward momentum--and the double-stops look fun to play. :) I think the persistent texture and the subtle changes in the piano are the strengths of the piece; and the sudden change at m.62 would be quite amazing to experience. Great piece! I think the score file may be incomplete, as it seems to end at m.99 without a double bar.

Neat piece! Basses are cool instruments. :) I think the simple, accessible form works really well and makes for a very pleasant listening experience. The melody is really nice, and I enjoyed the turns in the harmony where major chords connect to minor chords and vice versa. Initially the opening accompaniment sounded like it might be too heavy to clearly perceive the pitches, but perhaps that is the unique characteristic of the ensemble.

I really enjoyed listening to this composition. I like how the triplet motif is developed in the piece, along with the sparing use of the 16ths-8ths motif. The chord progressions, especially in the second section (mm.11-12 are particularly cool), are really nice. There is only one place that to me sounded slightly awkward in the context of the whole: the transition from the third beat in m.6 to the first beat in m.7. I might consider continuing the sequence that started in m.5 and perhaps using something like a V7/vi chord (A-C#-E-G) (or even a vii/vi C#-E-G-Bf) on the third beat in m.6 then using a vi chord (D-F-A) on the first beat in m.7 to make a V7/vi-vi-ii-V-I cadence. It's been quite some time since I've practiced theory, though, so please correct me if I've made a mistake here.

Sextet is written for flugelhorn, kazoo, guimbarde, bohdrán, banjo and Hammond organ. Its pitch material was first freely written then loosely developed by application of inversion , retrograde [R] and [RI] techniques as well as increasing/decreasing the interval values. Vertical relationships resulting from simultaneous horizontal movement were sampled at different points in the piece and similarly developed and re-stated at key locations. Rhythm was treated largely in loose blocks or sections characterized by one or more dominant durations or small rhythmic units, each such block being threaded through different instruments. I used texture as an organizing element by defining sections where either moving melody, stationary chords or rapid arpeggiation sounds by itself or in combination. Creating this brief map was very helpful for me, and I'm generally pleased with the course of the composition so far. Things I feel need improvement are: 1. Pitch content. I don't think its development is apparent enough; and 2. Playability, especially for the Banjo. I'd much appreciate your feedback in these and any other areas. I'm also curious to know your thoughts about the length of the piece. Thank you for listening! Sextet

I often have the same difficulty, sometimes even for just one minute of music. I find tertAnt's comments (post #9) very insightful--I should try such a method more often! Some things that I've found helpful in my process: 1. Deciding on a general form before I begin writing (e.g., AB, ABA, etc.), as detailed as needed--this helps me keep the goal in focus and make better decisions about how the material should develop. For example, if I know that the last section will be a restatement of the first, I might decide that the penultimate section should contain aspects that are in contrast to the first; 2. Deciding on a general direction of change. For example, I might decide that the most prominent pitch interval will gradually increase/decrease as time goes on or that the rhythm should become more or less complex. Once I have the beginning and ending parameters, I try to fill the middle with intermediate or meandering parameters that tell the story of how the music progressed from point A to point B; 3. Deciding on the duration of each section. This is a little more arbitrary, but sometimes I'll time each section and further develop one or another if I find that the section is too short (according to the larger plan). I'll often have these parameters/plans written down (either graphically or in words) and frequently reference them as I compose. I find that sometimes an unforseen trend of change will emerge while composing and I incorporate these into the larger plan as I see fit.

Hey Hugo, I was able to record the first half of the viola part. Here is the link to the .wav file (just viola): http://www.box.net/shared/tvdd9v4toe And then, just for fun, I combined the three files we have so far into one .mp3 (guitar, viola and cello): http://www.box.net/shared/txk7tqh00b Sounds good so far! :)

Hugo, thanks for sharing the files! I'll try to get my part recorded this weekend, although it is seeming more likely that I will be able to record only the first half.

Hey everyone, just checking in to let you know that I'm still working on my viola part. I'm finding the last parts (the arpeggi) a bit beyond my skill level at the correct tempo... I'll work on it some more, but if I find it impossible to play decently, I may have to record only the first half of the piece. Sorry! I'll keep you updated on my progress.

I really like the light-hearted, playful nature of the music. The contrast between the themes is very nice and works well to maintain interest. The development is neat, but the harmony seems to become a bit muddy in mm. 76–107 and the voices overlap more often in sharply dissonant intervals without satisfying resolution. In the context of this classical, crisp piece, I wonder if it might be better to let the dissonant intervals resolve more strongly into consonant ones with better-defined cadences. In the ending, including the third of the chord might make the conclusion more satisfying as well as removing the short cello notes that to me suggested continuation more than the end. Overall, it's a great piece! I very much enjoyed listening to it.

Beautiful, very atmospheric—it would be perfect as a soundtrack to a film. I enjoyed the simple, soaring melody and the more complex rhythm underneath. I like it!

Awesome arrangement. It's very pretty... I also enjoyed your notes on the score, :-) especially the "Can you play the violin like an erhu? Please?". The combination of instruments is really great, and the sound is both interesting and sonorous. I would have liked to hear a few more breaks where the piano is not playing so that the other instruments come through a little more and the piano avoids assuming the accompanist role. The video was fun to see (though I didn't get to see all of it, because I was reading the score); I like the lighting changes and the conductor switching positions with the pianist at one point. Congrats on winning the competition!

The sound is pleasant and very relaxing to listen to. :-) The repetition of the recognizable motifs (e.g., the opening viola line) lends consistency and structure to the piece; but I agree with you that the piece could possibly sound a bit repetitive. One way to improve this aspect might be to introduce a few different timbres produced by using different articulations and techniques. I would also increase the range of the viola a little so that the lower and higher registers are used more often. What do you think about giving the viola the upper voice in certain passages? It might add more interest. I like the ending and especially the contrast of the repeated chordal section before the end—the surprise is quite effective. Perhaps this material could be used for further development of the piece by being incorporated into other sections of the piece.