Two Dances for Orchestra

This piece was one of the pieces written for the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. It wasn't the original piece to be played for that concert, so when I decided to change it had to be completed very quickly; I wrote this piece in 5 days. It's inspired by the otherworldliness of the International World's Fair in Paris of 1867; the first movement, "Ballet" contrasts the second "Le festival sauvage" in the initial discovery of the new world, versus the wild fun to be had, and the return home. It has its problems as a result of its quick deadline, but I think it's one of the most programmatic and passionate things I've written.

*sigh* ...I'm jealous hahaha just joking...not really...no I'm joking lol.

Anyway, I think it sounds amazing and I'm seriously taking notes from this. Your timpani rolls sound amazing.

I need to buy Finale :(

As a whole, it's very moving. Great music, justo to listen to...

Really nice. I think the passion, especially in the Ballet, comes from the specific emotional arc of the melody. Melody is so important!

Thank you all!

@Ken320 yes, in that movement I accidentally put the wrong number of phrases in it but I think it still came out fine.

This is great! Thanks for posting

Gotta love those quartuplets in the harp in that 6/8 section, if I'm not messing that up. Such a prominent rhythmic idea that I'm surprised it remained only in the harp. 

 

Awesome! The first movement is genuinely moving and the second is brilliant fun. (Forgive me, but everytime I hear that motif that begins the second movement, I can't get the Flinstones theme out of my head.)

On 11/22/2016 at 4:02 AM, Yachar said:

Gotta love those quartuplets in the harp in that 6/8 section, if I'm not messing that up. Such a prominent rhythmic idea that I'm surprised it remained only in the harp. 

It's mostly because I wanted the harp to remain being heard in the live performance and I didn't want to overdo it.

On 11/22/2016 at 9:03 PM, fishyfry said:

Awesome! The first movement is genuinely moving and the second is brilliant fun. (Forgive me, but everytime I hear that motif that begins the second movement, I can't get the Flinstones theme out of my head.)

I'm glad you think so! See, my friend said the same thing about the Flintstones, but I had never seen it, so... 

Impressive! Really enjoyed it! 

If I had to nag about smth in order to offer some constructive critique it would be about the second part. I felt the first part was reallyreally good seting the mood, beautiful melody, great orchestration etc, and after that reading the description "Savage Festival" led me to expect something that would really blow me away... It is still very good, but after Stravinsky, atonality, 50-60s complexity etc. you need to go really savage to be even mildly provocative if you know what I mean... And I'm sure someone with your ability and knowledge can really go farther than what you did there... Especially if this a 2 movement work, the first part working as Overture and the second as Finale, I'd want to hear something more powerfull to be ableto clap and cheer in the end... ;)

Dont get me wrong, I still liked it very much, but for a 10 minute long piece I was expecting something to bring the house down in the end.. This sounded more like a middle section in a normal 4 part symphony not as a finale... But maybe I just got it wrong. It's obvious you are not an amateur :) 

5 minutes ago, Dchrisanthako said:

Impressive! Really enjoyed it! 

If I had to nag about smth in order to offer some constructive critique it would be about the second part. I felt the first part was reallyreally good seting the mood, beautiful melody, great orchestration etc, and after that reading the description "Savage Festival" led me to expect something that would really blow me away... It is still very good, but after Stravinsky, atonality, 50-60s complexity etc. you need to go really savage to be even mildly provocative if you know what I mean... And I'm sure someone with your ability and knowledge can really go farther than what you did there... Especially if this a 2 movement work, the first part working as Overture and the second as Finale, I'd want to hear something more powerfull to be ableto clap and cheer in the end... ;)

Dont get me wrong, I still liked it very much, but for a 10 minute long piece I was expecting something to bring the house down in the end.. This sounded more like a middle section in a normal 4 part symphony not as a finale... But maybe I just got it wrong. It's obvious you are not an amateur :) 

 

 

Savage, perhaps, wasn't the right word; I was told the word, translated, meant more "wild" than anything. Again, it was intended to be more of a scene of capturing the feeling of seeing something different everywhere you looked. When it was performed live, I think it captured what I wanted more than this rendition ever did. 

It was written under the 10-15 minute time requirement. I thought these two movements did a good enough job of packing in motives and expanding them in a short time period than other things I've written.

Thanks for the feedback!

EDIT: The first piece I had written for this concert before I changed it was very, very aleatoric and different, if that gives you an idea of what I wrote this piece in spite of!

So much passion in it! Arrangment is also great, this timpanis rolls are perfect. Harmony is beautiful and give very good sensations. Meaby there are parts, when brass are too loud and too much in the front of all instruments and it's a little disturbing, but very little little :D 
Except of this, it's very good. I wish to hear it in real <3