[EARLY PIECE) Saxophone Quartet No. 1

Hello everybody,

This was my first saxophone quartet that I composed one and a half year ago. . .  (Opus 8). When I composed it, I was into composing for max. four months. I There are mistakes everywhere and when I wrote this I did not understand how to modulate (LOL), so there are quite subite transitions to other keys. I thought it would be fun for you to see how I am developed in one and a half year.
The Mozart and Haydn influences are evident.

I find this piece now uggly, but still I think at some places the music is pretty nice.
The uggliest parts in my opinion are the endless repetitions, which makes the music too monotonous and boring.

What do you think?

Maarten

I wrote a piece for my orchestra director a while back as our graduating class left his instruction and I was so awful at modulations. Like, they work, but they're embarrassing. The standard issues like modulation and crossed voices are here sometimes, but generally I think the classical nature of it works, but it's too docile for the energy I see in the orchestration.  I think you can also spend time on dynamics more; it's really vague and/or general when some of your lines don't exactly lend themselves to interpretation as easily.

3 hours ago, Monarcheon said:

I wrote a piece for my orchestra director a while back as our graduating class left his instruction and I was so awful at modulations. Like, they work, but they're embarrassing. The standard issues like modulation and crossed voices are here sometimes, but generally I think the classical nature of it works, but it's too docile for the energy I see in the orchestration.  I think you can also spend time on dynamics more; it's really vague and/or general when some of your lines don't exactly lend themselves to interpretation as easily.

In general, I am not a 'modulator' either. I can make them, but sometimes they rather distract than giving the music an interesting new direction.

I completely agree!

Back then, I had never heard of cross voices. They are disturbing and at some places the individual lines are far from logical. Indeed the dynamics are weird and should be looked again.

One day I will revise this piece, because the melodies and ideas are still quite promising.

Thank you for your words!

I don't understand where is  the problem with crossing voices.

I think this is very important in vocal composition.

There is a book by Percy C. Buck, Unfigured Harmony, which is very old (1911 I think). That is to say: it talks about classic harmony, nothing about impressionism or other modern systems. It's a book I like. It says:

"Never hesitate to cross parts. In vocal writing, pure and simple, there is not much reason for doing so, hence the habit has come to be considered unadvisable. But in writing for strings, or other instruments of large compass, it is most desirable that the different qualities possessed by different ranges should have fair play".

In fact, in instrumental music there are cross voices we can identify easily. Pachelbel's original canon with three violins is constantly crossing parts.

I gess many times crossing voices will not provide a good result. But making it a universal rule... Not for me, sure.

About the quartet... It's nice, but this kind of sound (somewhat modern) is a bit odd in this classic style. This is something I don't see as a problem, you can turn it upside down and make it a novelty. It works better (to my taste) in the quiet movements (Andante, Menuetto).

@Luis Hernández It's rarely a problem with polyphony. This mostly happens when approached by step and is uncomfortable, but if your melodies are succinct enough, the audience shouldn't have a problem grasping a continuous line. With old school chorales or modern homophony, it's more of a rhythmic and timbral issue than anything else, honestly. It follows the (I think incorrect) mantra that melody is the most important thing in music, and so anything that obscures the melody or distinct harmony is considered wrong in classical theory.

20 hours ago, ilv said:

Sorry I'm late. I think crossed voices, if they flow properly, are necessary sometimes for practicality in instrumental music. I'd say the main issue is awkward harmonies.

 

Do you mean that there are awkward harmonies everywhere or just on certain spots?