Piano Guy

I understand completely about the dynamics. I don't really like midi's interpretation most of the time either. The only thing I was trying to say about the clefs is that the fact that they are both raised probably wouldn't be immediately obvious to someone who hadn't heard the piece first and didn't know it. It's perfectly fine to leave it the way you have it if it makes it easier for you to read, but if you ever plan to have someone else perform it, it would most likely make it easier on them to use the notation I suggested in my previous statement. It's more obvious than your notation, and a normal sight reader is less likely to take off reading it as standard treble over bass. It would probably save you from having to correct the performer on the issue. I've played piano for a few years, and I've honestly never seen anything notated the way this piece is. It's only an opinion and a suggestion, though. What you've done is definitely a valid and legal way to notate it. I'm eager to see your dynamics and phrasing, though...

I agree with most of what's been said here. I think it's a good piece, but as others have said, you need to rethink the title. It does honestly sound like a Beethoven piece more than a Chopin piece, and the Chopin Ballades are much much longer and more developed to begin with. The piece itself could probably stand as it is with a different title.

This is an interesting little piano piece... Compositionally, it's quite nice. You introduce and develop your motives in a completely valid way (as much as you can given the length of the piece), although I feel like the middle section wanders around just a bit. It's not a major thing at all, but it's something to think about. I really can't say much about the lines because the score is completely devoid of dynamics and phrase marks. I can't entirely tell how you intend the piece to be phrased without those marks. I could tell you how I would do it, but that would be completely irrelevant. It's your piece. My only really major issue with the piece is your decision to raise the treble clef an octave and raise the bass clef two octaves at the beginning. This isn't exactly a conventional notation. It would be much less complicated to simply use a treble clef with "8va" notation as necessary on the top staff and a regular treble clef on the bottom one. Unless you have serious convictions about how you want the score to look, you should change it. Trust me. Being a piano player myself, I certainly wouldn't immediately spot the notation you've used. As a matter of fact, it took me a second to spot it when I was listening to the midi and reading the score. It's an interesting notation, but to most normal sight readers, you'd probably have to point it out at least the first time. Their eyes would most likely pass right over the small numbers above the clef symbols. All in all, it's a nice piece. I wish I could see how you intend to phrase it, and I strongly suggest a change in clef notation, but it certainly works as a composition quite well. -"Piano Guy"

Well, I know that if the context of the piece were ONLY my feelings directly after I found out about someone's death, the B section would certainly be out of place. The piece wasn't specifically about the death of my friend, or I would have titled it "On the Death of a Friend". Only the first few measures (basically, the majority of the A section) were written after I found out about his death. I composed the remainder of it over a period of the next two or three weeks. I had already defined my original material. I just had to develop it and give it a contrasting section somehow. I felt like I needed a fast section that built up to a thundering emotional climax to contrast the A section's rather dreary material. A whole piece written with one texture and one tempo is rather boring, don't you think? Not only did I have to think about what the original idea needed; I had to think about what the music itself needed to keep from becoming repetitive and dull. It's a difficult balance sometimes.

Nice piece! I love your counterpoint. I'd like to see more harmonies as the piece develops, but that's just a personal opinion. The two voice counterpoint, though skillfully written, only holds my interest for a little while, and then I kind of want to hear more than two voices. Also, some of your lines tend to wander a little. Try to be clear about exactly where each of your lines are going, in both voices. Try writing the lines out in whole notes just to see what point they're headed toward, and make sure that they steadily navigate toward that point. That's all I can think of to say about the piece. It really does sound nice. Again, excellent counterpoint! -Adam

I have set the "Tristis Est Anima Mea". I finished it just recently. For those of you who don't know the text, it is the words that Jesus said to his disciples just before he was captured. I'm finished with the piece, and have only to submit it and hope for the best!

This is a composition I wrote for my composition class for an assignment. We were to write a piano piece in simple ABA form. This is what I ended up with. The first few measures were written minutes after I had heard about the death of a friend in a car accident. All critiques on the piece are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! -Adam Meditation.MID Meditation.MUS Meditation on the Fragility of Life.pdf

I'd like to be a contestant in this. I love choral music, and I love writing it. Sign me up.

Haha! :D I don't know what he ate before he did it, I just know that I saw him do it! He was actually one of the choir directors from an area school who was attending All-State choir as a member of the organization that runs it. Thanks for the suggestions! I'll put them to work and revise a little.

Thank you, Leightwing. I did meet a bass once who could actually go all the way down to the F, a fourth BELOW that Bb (No kidding, I stood there and watched him do it), and I wrote that in because I thought that perhaps if there were even ONE guy like him in a choir, who could hit it, then it would sound simply awesome. I guess there just aren't many out there. It still sounds alright without the note, however. On the subject of tempo, if I was conducting it, I would probably move it along in some places a little faster than written, and add a lot of rubato that's not heard in the MIDI. It's hard to electronically simulate the level of expression that I intended for this piece. It certainly wasn't intended to "plod" along at one tempo the whole time. I don't have specific marks for it to accel. or ritard., because I want that part to be open to a little interpretation. I can't wait to go to college and begin my major in Composition, so I can possibly have this piece performed (and perhaps even conduct it myself). Thanks to everyone again for all the comments and the help! I really appreciate it! -Adam

Thank you very much, J. Lee!! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to do this! I think it sounds better. I was unsure about the changes in the first few measures (the parallel fifths between the tenor and bass that I had written to begin with were definitely intentional, btw), but as I listened, it grew on me. I was just so used to hearing it the way I had written it that my mind resisted the change at first. I like the changes to some of the harmonies that you made, without changing the chords. I have one question though. Do you think I should change the tenor on the third beat of measure 29 to a Bb, or do you think it sounds better on the Ab? I keep hearing the Bb in my head for some reason, and it just feels like it should be that way. Is there a reason why it shouldn't? Just wondering! Thanks again, -Adam

Thank you for commenting! I think the piece could use some more excitement, but hey, I composed it in a week, lol! I tried not to get into the I-V-I-V-I-V.... deal with this one, though, as happens in so many of my other rushed compositions. Thanks again, and if there's anyone else who'd like to comment, feel free to do so! -Adam

Oh, and one more thing! If any of you all use AIM, then check out my Mypsace group for AIM users, here! http://groups.myspace.com/thegroupforaim

I started this piece about a week ago, and I wrote it just for the sake of composing something. I need to keep my skills up for when I go to college! Well, anyway, it's an a capella choral setting of the first four verses of Psalm 61. One thing I had trouble with when writing this piece was keeping it interesting until the end. I started off good, I think, but it just kept getting simpler and more monotonous toward the end. I think the short length of the piece keeps it from getting too boring, but had it gone on much longer the way it was, I think it could have got that way. I tried to musically express the meaning of the words, but I really don't know how good a job of that I did. Here, as always, are the Finale file and the MIDI. Comments and critiques are appreciated! Thanks! -Adam Psalm61.MUS Psalm61.MID

As I said, this is one of my earlier works. There are some errors, but I decided to post as is just to show some of my earlier work that I considered to be "finished" at the time it was written. I think I may yet go back and revise the work and finish it completely, out to the standard four movements as a String Quartet. I'll certainly post the completed work, once it's finished. Thanks! -Adam