"Meditation" for String Orchestra

This is a short composition for string orchestra. Here I was attempting to be less theme-based and more stylistically like contemporary classical music, focusing more on rhythm and texture. Hope you enjoy.

Can I be honest? I don't really get it. Not sure if it's autonomous or programmatic; if it's absolute or rooted in something. It definitely sounds like an exercise, but without much direction. In a sense I understand the motivic drive through the whole thing, but I couldn't tell you what it's really intending. The ending fast part is short and doesn't seem like a coherent ending as much as it is a theoretical one. I could just not be looking at it in the right lens...

I agree with Monarcheon, the piece doesn't really have a direction. The introduction part was interesting, but the repetition of the same motifs got a little tiring. The 12/8 section just sounded all jumbled and the last C major chord came out of nowhere. I think this was more an exercise in texture, and less on rhythm....

@Monarcheon @danishali903

Thanks for both your thoughts! It was more of an exercise I suppose, as I wrote it with the intention of writing a piece for string orchestra but not with a particular inspiration or message. I'm mostly trying to practice writing for orchestra since pretty much all my previous stuff is for small ensemble. It is supposed to be pretty directionless, but what I wanted was to impress a feeling of atmosphere. I think maybe I could round it out a bit with a third part that ties the two together and makes it feel more conclusive and whole.

I still need to work on finding the right balance of repetition (my earlier stuff was very averse to it, whereas here I am overdoing it). I want to be able to capture that feeling of repetition that pulls you in and keeps building deeper and deeper before resolving it satisfyingly.

1 minute ago, SebastianViola said:

Thanks for both your thoughts! It was more of an exercise I suppose, as I wrote it with the intention of writing a piece for string orchestra but not with a particular inspiration or message. I'm mostly trying to practice writing for orchestra since pretty much all my previous stuff is for small ensemble. It is supposed to be pretty directionless, but what I wanted was to impress a feeling of atmosphere. I think maybe I could round it out a bit with a third part that ties the two together and makes it feel more conclusive and whole.

I still need to work on finding the right balance of repetition (my earlier stuff was very averse to it, whereas here I am overdoing it). I want to be able to capture that feeling of repetition that pulls you in and keeps building deeper and deeper before resolving it satisfyingly.

 

Look of the third movement of Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint". It's not exactly the same, but it shows you how repetition and minimalism is done correctly.

@Monarcheon

Thanks! I will give it a look.