HELP! Saxophone Quartet

Hello everybody,

I have won a composition competition with my saxophone sketch, which I already posted on the forum, and I can now finish my piece.
I really need your help / suggestions / feedback! I will share my worries about the music in points, so that you can answer and discuss these.

Extra information:

• The piece must be around 5 minutes long.
• The other post with the sketch can be foudn here: http://www.youngcomposers.com/t34939/sketch-saxophone-quartet/
• The music ''ends'' at m.88.
• From m.88 there are sketches:
  • Mm.90 - 97: Possible climax? Do you think this could be a nice climax for the piece or not? What should be a good way to create a climax in such an already heavy piece?
  • Mm.138 - 143: Very tonal fragment based on the main theme to bring some lightness, but also humour. Do you think this would be nice to have in the music or does it ruin the whole mood and atmosphere of the piece?

Although I like how I develop the themes that I give in the ''exposition,'' I don't like the music. It sounds boring and too repetitive to me and I have doubts wether I have over-developed the themes or not. There is no clear climax either. The most important element of this piece is the sudden dynamic shifts. 

I have thought about adding a second movement, so that the music isn't boring anymore, but this can also break the flow of the music in the first movement.

The sketch was very interesting and very finished, but I feel like the music that I composed after finishing the sketch is of lower quality than the quality of the sketch. 

What do you think about the composition?

I am looking forward to your responses!

Maarten

HI

Congrats on this project!

I think you've got very good material here. I have the impression you're trying to make an extrapolation from the music of the common period to contemporary styles.

I'm talking about the climax and or parts developing. Of course you can use every thing from that period, why not? But the thing is in contemporary music Forms can be different, as you know, and climax is reached in other ways, or simply, there is no climax. For example you can reach a climax in a part with many tension (harmony by seconds, clusters, high or low registers for all the instruments, etc...)

There is one point I would develop more: independent lines. Call it free counterpoint or whatever. Big part of the composition runs in parallel...

Besides, but optional, depending on what you want to get, more time changes (additions, etc...).

I don't know how you have built it. Usually, a section uses a particular tool, or scale, or scales, or a interval set. This gives unity to the parts. Well, just ideas... In the end it will be your composition.

I would do a plan of the work: parts, what materials in what parts, repetitions (with or without changes).

2 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

HI

Congrats on this project!

I think you've got very good material here. I have the impression you're trying to make an extrapolation from the music of the common period to contemporary styles.

I'm talking about the climax and or parts developing. Of course you can use every thing from that period, why not? But the thing is in contemporary music Forms can be different, as you know, and climax is reached in other ways, or simply, there is no climax. For example you can reach a climax in a part with many tension (harmony by seconds, clusters, high or low registers for all the instruments, etc...)

There is one point I would develop more: independent lines. Call it free counterpoint or whatever. Big part of the composition runs in parallel...

Besides, but optional, depending on what you want to get, more time changes (additions, etc...).

I don't know how you have built it. Usually, a section uses a particular tool, or scale, or scales, or a interval set. This gives unity to the parts. Well, just ideas... In the end it will be your composition.

I would do a plan of the work: parts, what materials in what parts, repetitions (with or without changes).

 

Thank you for your response!

Can you explain me what you mean with ''extrapolation from the music of the common period to contemporary styles?'' The sketch was based on the 3rd mode of Messiaen.
Thanks for the advice about the climax!

Indeed, you are right about the counterpoint! I think that will solve some problems!
Do you mean with ''time changes'' the time signatures or real bpm changes?

I have used a few themes and motives, which are very recognisable by the set of intervals. For example, one set of intervals:

What do you think of the music in its current state? 

Maarten

Hi

I was talking about sections and climax, etc... The music before XX century is based in that. We always expect repetitions (sections) and climax, in tonal ways.

You can "extrapolate" this pattern to a contemporary piece, of course, since to sound contemporary there are many other resources. However, many contemporary music is built on sections or parts that are different because textures, scales, etc... Everything is possible and good.

I have to say that "contemporary" is a wide concept, and your pieces sounds contemporary to me.  Nice you use the third mode... Sometimes I've used the hexatonic scales for the bass part and the 3rd or 7th mode in the other instruments. I like this mixtures.

Maarten, in my modest opinion the work is very good, I would only sew the parts you have and focus on adding or changing some parts to be less vertical (parallel). Once you have the piece together you can work on a climax (I suppose by the second part near the end) in some way you feel: for example, a parallel scale in high register the three upper instruments, and the bass to the lowest... Or the scale, if you don't want it to be parallel, make it as a mini-canon where the voices meet in the last part of the ascending phrase.... There are many ways. To be most effective, make it in crescendo (and probably you won't repeat it).

Changing meter (I mean constant changing meter and adding rhythms and that is other took you can use but not mandatory, of course). In fact I think it would be very odd here because the mood is contemporary but not "radical", you know what I mean. 

Contrasting dynamics are also characteristic, so I think they'r good, too.

14 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

Hi

I was talking about sections and climax, etc... The music before XX century is based in that. We always expect repetitions (sections) and climax, in tonal ways.

You can "extrapolate" this pattern to a contemporary piece, of course, since to sound contemporary there are many other resources. However, many contemporary music is built on sections or parts that are different because textures, scales, etc... Everything is possible and good.

I have to say that "contemporary" is a wide concept, and your pieces sounds contemporary to me.  Nice you use the third mode... Sometimes I've used the hexatonic scales for the bass part and the 3rd or 7th mode in the other instruments. I like this mixtures.

Maarten, in my modest opinion the work is very good, I would only sew the parts you have and focus on adding or changing some parts to be less vertical (parallel). Once you have the piece together you can work on a climax (I suppose by the second part near the end) in some way you feel: for example, a parallel scale in high register the three upper instruments, and the bass to the lowest... Or the scale, if you don't want it to be parallel, make it as a mini-canon where the voices meet in the last part of the ascending phrase.... There are many ways. To be most effective, make it in crescendo (and probably you won't repeat it).

Changing meter (I mean constant changing meter and adding rhythms and that is other took you can use but not mandatory, of course). In fact I think it would be very odd here because the mood is contemporary but not "radical", you know what I mean. 

Contrasting dynamics are also characteristic, so I think they'r good, too.

 

Thanks for the explanation!

It feels very good to hear that you find the music good!
I think that it must now be much easier to continue and finish the writing thanks to your advices.

Once again; ¡muchas gracias!