Your Best Compositions Composed So Far

Hi!

I am really curious which composition you have composed are considered to be your finest achievements. It is your opinion, public opinion, critical comments, anything.

This is the list of my favourite compositions I have composed. I will mention five of them in every ensemble cast.

ORCHESTRAL:

Symphony no. 2 - My personal favourite, it makes me feel comfortable in composing long works. :)

Concerto for violin and orchestra - It's the website's favourite too, it's already exposed on "Major works" section. Thanks! :D

Contrasts in colour - early orchestral achievement (from 2003), I really started to feel comfortable in orchestral media with this one.

Concerto for flute and orchestra - I enjoyed composing it very much. Not so virtuoso, but more melodic.

Concerto for cello and orchestra - while it is fine in expressive and concertante matter, I have mentioned my dissatisfaction with formal approach several times. :)

CHAMBER:

Yearning for flute quartet - although composed back in 2004, I still consider it as one of my best works ever. I was really lucky to find a perfect combination of formal and expressive approach in it. And it became pretty popular all over the world. :D

Pictures for saxophone quartet and two percussionists - one of my better recent chamber compositions. It is pretty bold in usage of modern techniques, specific tonal colouring and complex rhythms.

Sonata for cello and piano - The critics in newspapers hate it, but I love it. Fortunatelly, several cellists love it too. :) One of my solid attempts to write a Sonata work in present tonal language.

The Angel of Love for seven instruments - simply beautiful, that's all I can say. I also love the ensemble combination (flute, clarinet, trombone, percussion, piano, viola and cello)

Divertimento Grazioso for violin, cello and piano - it is my breakthrough composition (written in early 1998) so even if I don't really take it as one of my best, I like it because of good memories. :)

CHORAL:

Mir vam zapustim (Peace unto you) - I just love it, that's all.

Silence for choir and piccolo - A nice attempt to expand choral sound with other sonic expressions, rather than just singing.

Popotnik (The Traveller) - I especially like the text of this poem which I set music on. So positive and universal.

Imam ti nešto reći (There is something I need to tell you) - My first composition for which I won international prize for choral composition competition. But the composition itself is not one of my favourites though. :)

Ave Maria - yet to be performed, but I enjoyed using a very simple musical language inside more modern expression.

That's it so far. It's your turn! :)

Yours

Crt Sojar Voglar

well I don't have as much as you but...

Orchestral

The Polyphasetic Colleection Op.20 (is a long long large work for full orchestra)

Maseuayotl Op.31

Ecos del Tropico op.33 (this one was an achievement because I could manage to take those latin styles into a symphonic level, never done before I guess)

Survivor Op.36 (this one I guess for the speed, I could write this work kinda fast and without very much planing)

Electronic:

I will hold to the End (when I did this I didn't have fancy libraries so I like very much what I could do then)

Conferencia Subacuatica (I could sucessfuly emulate underwater sounds with synths)

that is all I guess

you mean the Danzon ? there are a lot of latin styles, I was talking only about the ones I used, I don't know any Bossa Nova or Salsa orchestral work, but probably someone did it, anyway I wanted to do it and I did it, and it wasn't very easy, anyway Sojar asked what's what we consider our best so far so, I answered...

So far my entire body of works is numbered at 35, with some of them either under construction or being revised (only a fraction of them is available at YC). Most of them are either orchestral or piano solo works, but chamber pieces have been steadily gaining ground. If I had to pick my better works, this would be pretty much what I'd list:

Orchestral Pieces

1) Symphony N° 2 in D, Op. 17 (1997). This is an architecture-inspired piece composed at age 19 (to commemorate the centennial of Costa Rica's emblematic National Theather). It made its way into the finals of an international competition, and despite not winning, it was pointed out by the jury as "a work noteworthy for its outstanding quality". Unfortunately that didn't ever mean a premiere :( . I was never satisfied with its last movement, though, so I'm working in a "replacement". I might be a much better composer now (hopefully), but I'm still heavily attached to this piece, since it was the closest I've been to a breakthrough.

2) Aurora Suite, Op. 12 (1998). This piece means a lot to me, since it's the only one I've ever heard performed (by Costa Rica's National Symphony Orchestra), so it's much more about sweet memories. Following the "success" :dunno: of my Second Symphony, I was asked to write another orchestral piece for a workshop, and this was what I came up with. Of course, it had its technical flaws (owing mostly to the fact that I had to rely exclusively on handwriting and I had a pending deadline), but I was nevertheless praised by fellow composers (surprisingly, even by the staunchest local avant-gardists) and (especially) by the orchestra's musicians. In terms of personal growth, it helped me to discover and develop my penchant for colorful orchestration (on which I had already made some strides in the Second Symphony). In many ways it can be regarded as a "precursor" to the much later Adriana Suite.

3) Adriana Suite, Op. 27 (2011-12). Possibly the single piece by me most YC members are likely acquainted with (especially its Waltz, which I'm currently revising). My personal favorites are its last two movements. As I previously commented, I'm very likely to expand Adriana into a full ballet.

4) Overture in C# minor, Op. 20 (2006). I'm fond of this piece mostly because it was my first significative orchestral work since a long hiatus, and because it was also much more energetic and orchestrally "aggresive" than any of its predecessors.

5) Symphony N° 1 in D minor, Op. 13 (1994, rev. 2004). This was my first really meaningful orchestral piece, in four movements (composed when I was 16, extensively revised ten years later). I'm mostly fond of the third (a kind of Scherzo with a cinematic Trio), although I got favorable comments from music teachers about both the first movement's development section and the last's fugato fragment.

Chamber Works

1) Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 16 (2004). I was already composing again when my aunt passed away due to cancer, and this is what I wrote in her memory. It's divided in two large sections, the second of which is a theme and variations. This latter part is what pleases me most, since I was able to twist the theme into a wide array of rhythms, tonalities and forms - even a palindrome - before a mourning final variation.

2) String Quartet in B minor, Op. 21 (2007). This one was written during my stay in Israel, and it draws on Israeli themes. It has only two movements as of now, but I feel it's still missing the middle slow movement. I'm not really a strong chamber composer, and I tend to believe this piece would work better re-arranged for string orchestra.

3) Music for Three Imaginary Children, Op. 19, for string orch. (2007). I'm very pleased with this musical joke, which is so far one of just two pieces I've written for this ensemble.

4) Souvenir from Pemberley, Op. 32 (2012). I had a lot of fun working on this piece, which I might expand into a second Piano Trio.

Solo Piano Works

1) Piano Sonata N° 3 in C, Op. 23 (2003, rev. 2011-12). Despite its shortcomings, I'm pretty sure it's my best piano piece up to date.

2) Nocturne in G Minor, Op. 18 (2005-6, rev. 2011). This piece is possibly the best shot I have at a live recording as of now (thanks, Dina!!). This also introduced me to YC in late 2011.

3) Piano Sonata N° 1 in F, Op. 6 (1995). This one might probably be my earliest composition that I'm really pleased with, alongside with my First Symphony.

Vocal Works

My vocal output is nearly non-existent, save for a few lieder. But I'd single out two of them:

1) To Know Loneliness, Op. 24 N° 3 (2005). A work for middle voice (mezzosoprano, baritone) and piano solo, with (Spanish) lyrics provided by myself. I'm tempted to orchestrate it, though.

2) Jabberwocky, Op. 28 N° 1 (2012). This piece (based on Lewis Carroll's famed non-sensical poem) was composed almost as an afterthought - yet it ended up being surprisingly good, at least to me. It requires a chamber ensemble (piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) along with the voice. This piece has also a slim chance at a recording :thumbsup: ...

I'll leave it like this for now, though it might change quickly - depending on how do the few projects I'm working at now eventually fare ;) .

My favourite own compositions? This is a very difficult question.

In general I prefer my simple, melodic and melancholic pieces.

So far I have composed nearly 100 pieces, all oft hem for piano solo.

Most oft hem are on SoundCloud and Free-Scores.com

Here are my current personal favorites.

petit rêve triste - sad little dream – my personal alltime favorite...

http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-petit-r-ve-triste

Millenium Elegie – composed fort he turn oft he Millenium

http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-elegie-du-millenium

Petr Ginz – for the story of Petr Ginz, that touched me most

http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/petr-ginz

Phantaisie sol mineur - Fantasy G minor

http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-phantaisie-sol-mineur

Reve en ut diese mineur - dream in C sharp minor

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1217/reve-en-ut-diese-mineur-dream-in-c-sharp-minor/

Petites Reves bizarres 18 – out of 22 dreamlets (also here on YC)

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1156/strange-little-dream-no-18-petit-reve-bizarre/

Petites Reves bizarres 14

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1155/strange-little-dream-no-14-petit-reve-bizarre/

Dance on icy Waters I

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1412/dance-on-icy-waters-i-dream-g-minor/

And my Preludes fantasies No 1 and 2 (played by myself)

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2685/prelude-fantaisie-no-1/

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2759/prelude-fantaisie-no-2/

I think this is one of my "best" works.....

Tell The Truth & Run Fast

I'm up to Op.50 with the piece I am just finishing now (although this includes arrangements and orchestrations of other pieces, so my total opus of entirely original compositions is more like 30).

The Sun Rising (2010/11; orchestra): Until a few months ago the longest piece I'd completed, at 13 minutes, and my most successful as it reached the final of a national competition and was premièred in a public concert. In terms or personal significance, it taught me a lot about handling a longer form coherently and about using more original orchestration, as well as techniques such as writing sustained fast music and developing climaxes. It was also a major confidence boost, not just because of its success but due to the feedback from players and audience and the knowledge that I'd actually completed such a large amount of music in a style I wanted to write in and which managed to present an original idea.

A Child of the Snows (2012; baritone, chorus and orchestra): OK, cheating a little as this is still (as of 13th July) around 20 bars incomplete, but I already feel this is my best achievement on almost all counts - handling of structure, instrumental and choral textures, setting the meaning of texts, use of a solo voice with orchestra (first time doing this) and just completing such a massive project - 27 minutes in a single movement. The première will take place this December.

Midnight's Bell (2010, piano): This started life as a short chorale in another composition for harpsichord, but in a few days became a fairly substantial piece in its own right, in which I explore different textures available on the piano. Apart from feeling that the ending is too long, I was very pleased with the result., and it was a step into using longer forms than I had previously written.

If Ye Love Me (2008, double choir): Half-arrangement, half composition, this was a re-imagining of Tallis' hymn with a second choir as a contemporary background. Whilst not an entirely original idea, I felt I carried this off well.

In the Old Castle (2009, chamber orchestra): An orchestration of a Dvorak piano piece, but one of my most treasured achievements, not least for the warm reception it generated when performed. Whilst the music was not original, it was a noticeable step into developing a personal style of orchestration.

...And arts unknown before (2012, orchestra): Another 'quickie', done in a little over a week for a commission. It's neither my most original piece nor my most personal, but I rather like it and hope to expand this little fanfare into a longer choral composition in the future.

I don't think I've been in the game long enough to make a judgement, but Meretricious is probably my best:

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/820/meretricious/

The reason I'm on here is because I wanted it to be peer reviewed!

My Symphony No 2 in E flat, "Vectis", through the good offices of my son in law's violin playing sister who lives on the Wirral Peninsular near Liverpool, was played through without timpani by the Wirral Symphony Orchestra at one of their rehearsal meetings back in 2002. Despite the lack of proper percussion, it seemed to work alright. By the way, "Vectis" is the old Roman name for the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England where I now live.

Some years later a professional wind band kindly made a private recording of my Divertimento for wind quintet.

I doubt very much if I shall ever get to witness a public performance of either of these works during my lifetime, having passed my 81st birthday, even though I'm still just a teenager inside.

Cheers,

John.

Austenite, I love your Adriana Suite. Put up your Symphonies or email them to me. I would love to listen!

Maestrowick: Thanks for your interest! I'll surely share them with you as soon as time allows ;) !

Time allows?!?!?! That means next year!!

Hahahaha...! Don't worry, I don't think I'll take that long ;) ...

I think, my best composition for orchestra is "Suite Symphonique II" I submitted on june this year (large ensemble: suite symphonque II). It's the third movement of my piece previously called "Thanatos II".

I don't have a lot of finished compositions yet, but there are a few in my current repetoire that I really love. Here's my list:

-Fiddler's Embandment (for string orchestra): Really lively and interesting.

-Good Humor (clarinet and piano): I haven't posted this on the YoungComposers site yet. It's a cheerful and humorous piece.

-Consolation of the Stars (solo piano): I worked on the melody in my head when I was still little, and haven't come back to it until about a year ago. I'm so glad that I finished it.

-Drifting Away (also solo piano): Not posted yet. It's just pretty.

This is probably one of my best (so far):

I think that perhaps it is for time and others' opinions to determine what are one's greatest compositions. If it were left to me to judge, I would say that as a general rule my last composition is usually my greatest (perhaps in part because the last piece is the freshest in the composer's mind, but also because it is probably the most developed). But I will try to give my judgement as to what is my greatest piece. Here are some possibilities:

1) Soliloquys:

a) Soliloquy for Organ No. 1

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2748/soliloquy-for-organ-no-1/

b) Soliloquy for Two Violins No. 1

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2268/soliloquy-for-two-violins-no-1/

c) Soliloquys for Oboe: all 5, but especially No. 1, 3, & 5 (in the original "unplayable version)

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2272/soliloquy-for-oboe-no-1/

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2394/soliloquy-for-oboe-no-2/

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2476/soliloquy-for-oboe-no-3/

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2737/soliloquy-for-oboe-no-4/

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2749/soliloquy-for-oboe-no-5/

d) Soliloquy for Guitar No. 3

e) Soliloquy for Viola No. 3

f) Soliloquy for Violin No. 11

g) Soliloquy for Piano No. 3

h) Soliloquy for Piano No. 4

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2651/soliloquy-for-piano-no-4/

i) Soliloquy for Violoncello No. 4

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2879/soliloquy-for-violoncello-no-4/

2) Bagatelles:

a) 3 Bagatelles for Piano Trio

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2593/three-bagatelles-for-piano-trio/

b) Bagatelle for Cello & Piano No. 1

c) Bagatelle No. 2 for Piano

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1489/bagatelle-no-2/

d) Bagatelle No. 3 for Piano

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1965/bagatelle-no-3/

3) "Musical Maxims":

a) Musical Maxim IV, for solo violin

b) Musical Maxim VIII, for solo piano

Most of my pieces have not enjoyed a performance. So my judgement is partly influenced by their "performance" on the computer, and therefore the rendition of the instrument's sound by the computer program. Should I receive genuine performances of many of my other pieces for instruments whose sound has a less adequate rendition by the computer program, my judgement might change. My judgement might also change by hearing good performances and interpretations of my other pieces (whose greatness might be more dependent on the interpretation).

Great idea for a thread!

This is an interesting thread. Although it feels like bragging or attention-seeking, and I am not really interesting enough or worthy of a kind of auto-biographic description, it is kind of funny to review your own development.

I do not want to name all my works, because not all are my best. But it is hard to make a selection. I hope it didnt become to much text below. please bear with me... :D

I started composing at age 11. Long time it didn't bother me that I was stuck in an early-romanticist-era sound idiom.

The first work that stands out is a piano work I did not post. It features many time changes (5/16 to 6/16) and so on, and somewhat ostinato figures, while I had then never heard of minimal music. The harmonic idiom was very tonal, some romantic chromatism, but nothing special. It was a piece that competed in a Dutch composition competition, and got a regional honerable mention. That indicated it was not bad, but not good enough to go through to the national rounds.

One man of the jury advised me then to listen, study (and buy !! the score) of the Rite of Spring, which I diligently did. But I hated the work :) haha, it took me a long to to appreciate it.

When I learned to appreciate 20th ct music (first organ. Alain, Dupre, Durufle, later Russians like Shosty) it slowly began to influence my writing. I think it is therefore that I mention my organ preludes and fugues, because of their importance in my development. The extention of my harmonic language can be heard in some of my early preludes and fugues (esp fuga 2, prelude 3 (these two I was particular proud of), preludes and fugas 4 and 6)

In the same time I have written an organ sonata and a set of 4 laments for organ.

The next great work for me was the set of 3 elegy's for orchestra (2008/9). This is important for me because I failed an earlier attempt to write a symphony, from which the 1st movement became too longwinded, the 2nd and 3rd were ok, but the finale never got finished. In this time I think I learned to orchestrate.

A new step in the expansion of my harmonic language can be seen in my 2nd string quartet (2010). Notable for use of church modes, Messiaen modes, and a some first steps in extended techniques.

I only recently dared to explore some of the (tonal) possibilities of 12tone technique. A first take at that is in the 3rd mov of my saxophone sonata, which is ok, but I would not consider it one of my best works. (Between parentheses, this work features also my first use of quartal music in the 1st movement, and an octatonic fugue as finale.)

A very important work, that got some recognition by being in the finale of a international organ composition concours is my 12tone Fuga (2010/11) I am quite proud with this, although the judges commentary showed that they were not too happy with the form. That made me in that respect somewhat unsure, because I do not feel that way :) The human recording is not so much better than this computer rendering, because of one of the registrants failed at a quite crucial point, where it needed to be soft in stead of very loud. Unfortunately... But these things happen

To further study the possibilities of a single 12tone row I wrote a set of preludes of piano (2011). In terms of musical history quite insignificant, but this is when I realized the endless possibilities of serial music.

Somewhat neglected at YC is my trombone quintet, where I did a lot with mirroring harmonies.

Plans for a song-cycle haven't come much further that this setting of a Jewish medieval poem: Liqrat meqor. In terms of construction it features my love for regular 12 tone rows. In this case both quartal harmonies and the octatonic scale are implied.

Currently I am working on my Sinfonietta (2011/12) and Cello concertino (2012) and I think these are among the finest of my work sofar. The are not strictly serial as some of the previous, but they sometimes apply of the things I previously learned.

Enjoy!

I am refreshing this site so new additions or re-additions may be added. Thanks!

There are three works I would add now to the previously listed ones. Two of them were new compositions (one of them still underway), and the remaining one a revision of an older piece which has turned out better than I expected.

Orchestral Pieces

1) Emma Overture, Op. 31 (2012). I have come to appreciate this work very much, as I believe it shows significant growth when compared to most of my previous orchestral compositions. Its warm reception within YC also helped. I'm especially fond of Emma's theme and the section starting at ms. 223 (Allegro molto energico / Maestoso) which builds into the triumphant restatement of Jane Fairfax's tune. I think of Emma being among the best pieces I've ever written, and almost certainly my finest orchestral achievement to this date.

Chamber Works

1) String Serenade, Op. 11 (1993, rev. 2012-13). The revision of the fourth (and last) movement is still underway - but I'm already very satisfied with its three first movements after revising them. Since this is one of my earliest works (in fact the first in which I called for a full string section), it might be puzzling to state that it shows any progress - but as a result of its extensive revision, I'd think this now ranks among my bolder works in terms of harmonic development. I'm particularly pleased with the first movement, but I'm also satisfied with the waltz (although I'm still considering a few tweaks on both movements).

Solo Piano Works

1) Piano Sonata N° 4 in E minor (Northanger Sonata) Op. 25 (2012). So far it's a single-movement piece, but as of now I rank it well above any other of my piano works. It displayed a better technical level than any of my previous piano compositions, while also signaling some willingness on my part to take more risks and experiment with dissonances and extreme instrumental ranges in a way I hadn't done before - which I take as being another evidence of a noticeable personal progress. I was also surprised at how well-received this work turned out to be by YC members.

That should be it for now. I have some further projects under construction and/or revision (among them my long-postponed Third Symphony, another piano sonata and a major revision of my old, beloved Second Symphony, which I hope to share within the next few weeks), so this is still open to change if they go especially well ;) .

all my compositions are bad

all my compositions are bad

Even then, some would be less bad than the others. Those would be the best!

all my compositions are bad

So, which one is the baddest?

Right now I think i only have two best compositions.

Double Concerto for Harp and Bells

I was in a really ambitious place when I wrote this one and I personally like it, it'll go through editing processing later but until then it'll be how it is

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2719/double-concerto-for-harp-and-bells/

The Fools Dance

Even this only took me a couple days to write out I love how it turned out in the end. It was fun composing this one

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2825/the-fools-dance-tip/

Dawn and Dusk

One of the first pieces I uploaded here and a lot of people enjoyed it, so I think this one is a good one too. I think this one took a couple of months to write, I will be editing this one up when I go through more of my classes here in college

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/181/dawn-and-dusk/

Austenite -- how many pieces of yours have you not listed that are already on this site? "Best" is meant to be reserved for something really special, you know. :)

I'm particularly fond of my Passacaglia, mostly because I like variations, because they are fun to listen to.

Now that wasn't too shamelessly self-promoting, was it?