mahler

As a clarinetist I can tell you that any relatively advanced player would be able to play it, especially if they play it slightly louder than indicated, and they will if they have to. All professionals will easily play it. It does need a certain amount of control however, it is not something every clarinet player can play elegantly, so decide according to who you believe will perform it.

I enjoyed this miniature piece a lot. The echo-effect was very nicely used, and overall it conjured up pastoral images, even though I am not the guy who visualizes his music. Also, the somewhat free form gave me the impression of a careless sheepherder, similar to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, 3 act. There are a few notation issues: - When you do not write articulations over the notes, do you want them tongued or legato? If not, forget that question... - This is especally noticable in the triplet-movement in bar 4 - Unless you have a special plan about it, I would change the eigth grace-notes to grace sixteenth-notes. It looks better, and is musically less ambiguous. - Why do you write the trill out? Playback problems? - Bar 15: you might want to write in a cautionary accidental on the high f. It might be interpreted as an f# by some. It was well composed and evocative.

What is happening with the competition results? Will they never be posted??

This may not sound very wintery(neither the piece nor the description), but what I eventually came up with whilst thinking of winter was this. "The quest for inner peace in an artists mind, as he looks upon the superficial mind of the masses". It is entitled "Quälerei", which is german, meaning "torment". Qüalerei: Pdf: http://www.box.net/shared/lrfmcokxq1 Mp3: http://www.box.net/shared/lfvgnguo4p

I will join the competition.

As high as the clarinet can go(appr. D7, conc. C7), but for many clarinettists it might be preferable to be able to start a bit louder, like p, and then diminuendo to ppp. I find it easier the higher it gets, so everywhere above G6 I can play as soft as I want. It is actually slightly harder below G6, down the fifth to the C above the treble staff.

Previously, I composed all my music excusively in Finale. However, I don't feel this works any longer because inspiration and the will to complete a project dissappears the second i sit down in front of the computer. Now I always compose with a pencil and paper, in complete silence, prefferably with only a single light for illumination in an otherwise completely dark room. You'd be amazed at how easily inspiration and musical ideas pop into your head when you compose by hand. I might already have sketches, but the sketches can be composed anywhere. After the composition itself is complete I write it into Finale for editing and printing. If it's a really large orchestra I'm writing for I might orchestrate in Finale, only composing the short score by hand.

I disagree. Even though you both warm up and tune before the performance, unless the change occurs less than two minutes into the performance, the clarinet is going to get colder, and thus out of tune, which means that, in effect, the tuning before performance is only to minimize the variances in tuning which occur during the time when the clarinet cools. The clarinet will not remain in tune during the time when it is unplayed.

It is not a huge problem, it is just that a cold instrument will be significantly out of tune, and the player would then have to adjust his embouchure a lot to become in-tune with the rest of the ensamble. Of course, this isn't a problem in Stravinsky's three pieces because it's for solo clarinet. The problem has nothing to do with the actual changing, simply that you can't tune the clarinet before you begin and expect it to remain in tune while you play on the other clarinet. It will get cold, becoming shorter, thus making it higher. Also, the cold clarinet that you have changed to, will become warmer, and this will also affect the intonation, so you will gradually have to alter your embouchoure: not a very pleasant task if it can be avoided. In orchestral music you have to change clarinets all the time, so you have to be able to cope with it, but as few changes as possible(considering technical difficulties) is always preferred.

I play the clarinet myself, so I know what I am talking about: A clarinettist would rather have to play a lot of sharps/flats than change the clarinet during a piece(between movements or not). Changing in the middle of a piece to a cold instrument is extremely bad for intonation and can also affect the timbre. Sometimes it is necessary though, for example if there are a lot of technical demands that increase with the extra sharps/flats. Also, if the key signature changes for quite some time, I would seriously consider changing.

You`re a true composer when you compose/create original music(or sounds that might be thought of as music). Of course, "original" doesn`t mean you can`t borrow to a certain extent.

DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, Richard Wagner (which is the perfect unicycle/music drama) and Symphony 6, Mahler (which is the perfect symphony). I also love "Le sacre du Printemps", Dvorak`s 4th symphony(NOT the eight, according to the new numbers) and Eine Alpensinfonie, Richard Strauss. But above all DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cage`s "4'33''" seriously has to be one of the most brilliant pieces ever made(the passion, the movement!!), and so is "I AM ANGRY" by Nils Erik M

In der Ring des Nibelungen, Wagner uses approx. 107 musicians in the pit, however, the percussionists have very many different instruments that they play when it is needed. I have left out the 4 stierhorns which appear onstage, and the 18 offstage anvils of different sizes and the offstage harp. So you can write for a pretty large orchestra. :) Here is a link to it: Der Ring des Nibelungen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I loved the piece, especially the brass section! However, perhaps the strings repeated themselves a bit too much, you know, for example in that place where 1st violins begin, and 2nd violin takes over. I use GPO as well, and I can`t help but wonder, how do you get the cuivre effect? I love that effect :) : most of the recordings I like, I like because of how loudly the brass plays when its needed, but how do you get it using GPO? Overall, I think this piece is great! The bells shouted "Symphonie Fantastique", but I still liked it. Great job! :)