January-February Competition, 2014

Happy New Year, Composers!

Topic: Compose a fugue (suggested by ccolson39) for a keyboard instrument of your choosing (which can be for multiple performers: eg, piano four-hands [duet]), in whatever style (baroque, romantic, contemporary), all so long that it conforms to general principles or rules of fugal composition. - Introductions and codas can be added, as can anything if precedence is given (on an analysis page, for instance), though the piece must consist of only one movement: this precludes movements independent of the fugue, set before or after.

Scoresheet:

• Creativity: 40pts. - Measuring the effectiveness of thematic and harmonic and rhythmic material and how they're utilized as they relate to general rules of fugal composition.
• Structure and Coherence: 20pts. - Measuring structural effectiveness and the employment of fugal devices.
• Instrumentation: 20pts. - Measuring how well the instrument is composed for.
• Score Quality: 10pts. - Are the pages cluttered and difficult to read? or is there too much whitespace? Unneeded clashes between notes and other markings; effective use of accidentals; effective use of dynamic and instructional markings? etc.
• Audio Quality: 10pts. - Is the volume too high or too low? Are the various voices clear and effective?

(Points above [in total out of 100pts per judge] are given at the judges' discretion: for instance, with Creativity an entry can be given anywhere between 0-40pts. Points below are given in full if conditions are satisfied; otherwise no points are given. - Points below can make an immense difference: supposing there are four judges, with program notes you will be awarded 20pts immediately, which is equal to Instrumentation or Structure and Coherence, and if the judges mark you down on either, these points can be significant; if there are half as many judges, it's the same as Score Quality or Audio Quality, with much the same consequence.)

• Live Performance (given atop points for audio quality): 10pts.
• Theoretical Analysis and/or Program Notes (on a separate PDF from the score and description panel): 5pts.

General Rules:

• A score (in an independent PDF file) and an audio file - not a link to YouTube, SoundCloud, or any other site but the present one - are required: without both the entrant will be disqualified.
• The piece must consist of only one movement or part; no others will be considered.
• 3-6min time limit, 10sec leeway; deceeding or exceeding this limit, the piece will be disqualified.

Deadline: 28th of February, midnight (PST). Pieces not posted by that time will be disqualified.

Signup: Sign up below whether you'd like to be a judge or an entrant; specify which. First come, first served.

Judges (four limit; two required to proceed):

1. ChristianPerrotta*
2. danishali903*
3.  
4.  

Entrants (ten limit; three required to proceed):

1. stewboy
2. Sojar Voglar
3. Sonataform*
4. Muulka*
5. Cdoimne
6. Richie Zola
7. EstudioEvergree
8. Bridge
9. favi*
10. ccolson39*

(Entrants below will only be considered if entrants above drop out, don't post their pieces by the above deadline, or are otherwise disqualified. - Anybody still wanting to participate in this competition, though the primary list of entrants is full, may still sign up below, and their pieces will either be considered or not by the determination of the moderator or the judges. As a reminder, a link to an entered piece must be posted in this thread by the deadline or it won't qualify.)

1. xiangyik*
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.  
7.  
8.  
9.  
10.  

General Note: No further changes will be made to competition form, structure, and scheduling until the upcoming site is running or there's further news to substantiate changes. And here's hoping the admins make a YCF Competition Winners' folder! If you have any suggestions about upcoming competitions, or about these competitions generally, post them here. - Also, this will be this moderator's last competition for a while (or until this coming Autumn). For information about future competitions, message an admin (johnbucket) or another moderator (list below).

For Further Information: Go here, message the OP, another moderator, or an admin (list: here).

Because points of the topic, scoresheet, general rules, and rules of participation may change as issues come up, it might be well to follow this thread to get updates as they do. - Happy New Year!

I'm in! I'm in! I'm totally in!!!!! \o/  :nod:

I'm in! I'm in! I'm totally in!!!!! \o/  :nod:

Well folks, we have our winner  :P

Well folks, we have our winner  :P

I'm flattered by your compliment, but I'm far from being an "Austenite-like" competitor here^^ (he is the one that makes us rear back in a competition :nod: )

I do assume that fugues are my passion ad addiction, so I'm already working on something big!

I'd like to sign up as an entrant as well.

I fell obligated to join in as a competitor since I was forced to withdrawn from previous competition due to lack of time. After all, fugue is a much needed mental work and this time I can find enough time to write something for piano, organ or accordion.

Sounds awesome, put me down as an entrant 

I've been thinking better, and I think I'd be good to enter as a judge this time. I believe I can help more by doing this than as a competitor in this case. Is that ok?

I've been thinking better, and I think I'd be good to enter as a judge this time. I believe I can help more by doing this than as a competitor in this case. Is that ok?

Sure

I'm flattered by your compliment, but I'm far from being an "Austenite-like" competitor here^^ (he is the one that makes us rear back in a competition :nod: )

Now, that's flattering - even as the downside means to take the blame for the increase on the number of drop-outs :unsure: ...!

Seriously????

I'll enter- I'll 100% be able to get it in on time, unless I forget about the competition  :musicwhistle:

If it's not too late to enter I'd like to enter as well.

I'm entering aswell. Never really posted anything on this forum.

I want to enter as well

I struggle with counterpoint, so this should be good practice. Request entry.

I'd like to join this competition, if it is not too late.

Just to confirm, I'm going to be a judge this competition

May I do mine for piano four hands/piano duet?

May I do mine for piano four hands/piano duet?

Sure.

In the guidelines you stipulate "4-7min time limit", maybe a stupid question but its okay if the fugue is less than that right? I mean you can say a lot in a three minute fugue, almost all of Bach's fugues from the well-tempered clavier are under 4 minutes. 

The rules are quite explicit. Four to seven minutes with ten seconds of lee-way. In other words, the piece may be no shorter than three minutes and fifty seconds and no longer than seven minutes and ten seconds. I do agree though that a four minute minimum may not be the best thing in this instance. I haven't gotten past the exposition in mine yet so I can't quite gauge how difficult it will be to get up to four minutes but I am slightly worried about that, this being my first fugue. Perhaps there could be a point deduction instead of automatic disqualification.

The rules are quite explicit. Four to seven minutes with ten seconds of lee-way. In other words, the piece may be no shorter than three minutes and fifty seconds and no longer than seven minutes and ten seconds. I do agree though that a four minute minimum may not be the best thing in this instance. I haven't gotten past the exposition in mine yet so I can't quite gauge how difficult it will be to get up to four minutes but I am slightly worried about that, this being my first fugue. Perhaps there could be a point deduction instead of automatic disqualification.

Or simply change the guidelines to simply how long the piece can not be. I mean think about it, pretty much all the Bach fugues from the WTC would be disqualified  :laugh:  The only other option I have, since my piece is done, is to play it almost a 1/3rd of the tempo slower than I have it. That way I might get it to 4 minutes long (I'd rather not have to of course). But I'll abide by whatever the guidelines are at the end of the day :thumbsup:  

I'll cut it by a minute: 3-6min, 10sec leeway. You could also add either an introduction or some special coda to the piece, or both - it's not unheard-of.

I'll cut it by a minute: 3-6min, 10sec leeway. You could also add either an introduction or some special coda to the piece, or both - it's not unheard-of.

Cool, thanks.

I'm going to put this here, late and loose though it is, for the poo poos and giggles. I'm still not writing stuff *for* competitions, so I can claim some spurious principled consistency here.

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/listen/6045/prelude-no-18-dance-ii-and-19-fugue-/