Ian C. Williams

Greetings, I am new to this forum, as some people here know, and I would like to make it very clear that I the 'cello is likely my favourite instrument. Out of this daring proclamation comes a topic that entered my mind only a few minutes ago. I wish to call all violincello players to this topic to discuss its uses, your own personal experiences with the instrument, and the future you see in your playing. The age of each 'cellist should be very clear, and I would love to know the age at which you began your training and playing. Make and vintage of your 'cello are also of interest to me, as I wish to plot out which particular 'brands' and namesakes are most common. Really, anything pertaining to you and your experiences with the violincello is of prime importance here. I want to know everything! I have absolutely no experience with the instrument, and this combined with my gigantic love for its sound makes me want to learn more. Some day (soon!) I will find a 'cello and experiment with it, exploring whether I like it more than the piano or not. This is your chance to convert me before I begin official studies in either field, 'cellists! ;) This is, first and foremost, casual! Do not feel forced to give information that you don't feel is necessary. All musical, experience-related information is excellent, and I really would love to hear performance anecdotes in particular. This is a place for the violincello and its adherents primarily, and secondarily it is a place for me to learn. I hope we can get a dialogue going! To give an example, let me state my own credentials: ---- Age: 19 (from November 11, 2007) Age of first up-close 'cello experience: .... 19, hopefully! Year of first performance, if applicable: N/A Make (Brand, construction company): N/A Vintage (year of construction or purchase): N/A Anecdotes, experiences, and particular praises or criticisms of the instrument: I can't say I dislike any portion of the 'Cello's sound, really. I'd love to know how one goes about practicing it, no matter who the individual is! ---- That is merely a sample of the sort of information I want. Thank you!

What coincidence! What amazement! What splendor! What majesty! What humanity. Only the greatest of the late Romantics could have envisioned such intensity and deep love for humanity and existence. I don't hear "lamentoso" so much in this piece (precedents set by Tchaikovsky's 6th) until the development arrives, but that does not preclude it from being considered beautiful and amazing. The violin soli and cello ideas in particular stirred me to a height that I have not felt since I first heard Tchaikovsky's sixth and Mahler's fifth. Those two symphonies created a lasting impact upon my life and set my path onto music FOREVER. Anything which reminds me of those symphonies desires the greatest adulation, praise, and attention. The reference to Mahler's first symphony towards the end of the middle section (I have not read the score), with the highest A possible - if only for a brief, beautiful moment - is truly heart-wrenching. All the memories of "Titan", the Tra

Greetings, Though I am not much for overtly chromatic works, I think this is an excellent twenty-forth opus! I have been poisoned by early listening to Schoenberg and Sorabji, so this music reminds me of their... unique music. If the War of Tonality were to come up again, I'd stay on the tonal side. Thankfully, this music does not intrude on atonality to an excessive degree. The sevenths, diminished, and augmented chords do not resolve in a way that fits my personal tastes, but as a STYLE you have certainly found your own. There is a grandiosity mixed between Rachmaninov, Bart

I think it's useful to number everything I create, so even if it turns out to be something unspectacular, at least future music lovers might have something to reference as to time of composition. I absolutely love numbering and organizing things; in fact, I feel rather off if I don't. I believe that it's cheating to create works that are non-opus numbers; it is dishonest to present something as "opus 1" when you've had 4-5 other mini-compositions already. I want people to see my music as I develop; it's a sort of journal or diary of my progress. WoO (without opus) works always irritated me. ;) I have created several small improvisations.. but that was months ago, and I generally forget what the melodies were. This is something very important and special to me - I know that it is not much to work with, so I thank you for your ideas.

Greetings, fellow composers! In the last few months (two, really), I have agonized over a specific melody which has haunted my imagination. My theory work was in dire need of attention, though, due to my complete lack of musical knowledge just only one year ago, so I focused on that. Now, though, despite lack of formal training (which will come, some day), I feel that I have to develop a formal composition. It would be too much strain to let these ideas sit idle in my mind. Many months have been spent listening very deeply into Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Dvoř Character Piece Opus One.MUS Character Piece Opus One.pdf