Grande valse d'Hiver (Winter Waltz)

Hi everyone

Here is, without any particular context, a waltz that I composed just before Christmas (as I wanted to compose a special piece with a Christmas feel in it). I already posted a waltz long time ago (lol) in 2020 

I wanted to reiterate the exercise and compose another waltz in the same style. This is obviously Thaikosvky-ish, and I'm quite proud of the finished product. One of the challenge in composing it was to try to add harmonic novelties, as waltz harmonic progression tend to be quite scripted in advance. I also tried to reproduct that particular "magical" feeling that can be heard in Tchaikovsky's ballet and waltz.

Feel free to criticise and say what you think of it.

Camille 

Hey Camille,

i really enjoy this one. I think you really have the talent of writing great expressive melodies which is clearly shown in this one.

11 hours ago, Camfrtt said:

I also tried to reproduct that particular "magical" feeling that can be heard in Tchaikovsky's ballet and waltz.

For me his influence and feeling can be clearly heard throughout the piece. B.50 reminds me of his Waltz of flowers, the great cello melody in b.89 and the clarinet melody in b.111 is very expressive. The melody in b.215 has some Tchaikovskian sadness in it combined with his beauty like the one of the 2nd movement of his Pathetique. The ending is also very lovely.

Thx for sharing!

Henry

I love this job.

The melodies are great. The orchestration balanced and totally in the waltz style.

Very nice the entrance of the piccolo and trumpets in measure 167.

I was surprised by the chords in the violas from measure 183....

Congratulations.

On 1/3/2024 at 8:30 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hey Camille,

i really enjoy this one. I think you really have the talent of writing great expressive melodies which is clearly shown in this one.

On 1/2/2024 at 8:53 PM, Camfrtt said:

I also tried to reproduct that particular "magical" feeling that can be heard in Tchaikovsky's ballet and waltz.

For me his influence and feeling can be clearly heard throughout the piece. B.50 reminds me of his Waltz of flowers, the great cello melody in b.89 and the clarinet melody in b.111 is very expressive. The melody in b.215 has some Tchaikovskian sadness in it combined with his beauty like the one of the 2nd movement of his Pathetique. The ending is also very lovely.

Thx for sharing!

Henry

Thank you so much Henry for your kind words! I'm glad you liked this little work 

28 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

I love this job.

The melodies are great. The orchestration balanced and totally in the waltz style.

Very nice the entrance of the piccolo and trumpets in measure 167.

I was surprised by the chords in the violas from measure 183....

Congratulations.

Thank you Luis 🙂 ! What did you find surprising with these chords ?

@Camfrtt

I am no expert at all on double, triple and quadruple stops on strings. I assume they are playable.

But I'm surprised that, suddenly, in the orchestral context, they suddenly become chords. Although it's permissible, of course.

Hi @Camfrtt!

Great job on this waltz!  You've conceived of the melody with lots of space and sustained notes which left room for lots of great countermelodies that brought great musical interest to the piece!  Maybe the next orchestral waltz you compose can have a darker tone in the minor mode or more dissonant or unusual sonorities?  Surely that is an approach which will satisfy your itch to bring more harmonic novelty to the waltz form?  I am sure you've probably heard Ravel's "La Valse"?  There is still lots of room to conceive of an orchestral waltz that is dark and dreary in ways that can bring much melodic and harmonic novelty to the dance!  Let's also not forget about Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" which is also a great waltz that brings all its own programmatic Halloween-like connotations with it!  I'd be interested to hear more of that kind of approach since the waltz is traditionally a very cheery and stately dance and there are already many famous specimens of that type available!  Thanks for sharing and I'm excited to hear more!

Peter

On 1/12/2024 at 7:29 PM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hi @Camfrtt!

Great job on this waltz!  You've conceived of the melody with lots of space and sustained notes which left room for lots of great countermelodies that brought great musical interest to the piece!  Maybe the next orchestral waltz you compose can have a darker tone in the minor mode or more dissonant or unusual sonorities?  Surely that is an approach which will satisfy your itch to bring more harmonic novelty to the waltz form?  I am sure you've probably heard Ravel's "La Valse"?  There is still lots of room to conceive of an orchestral waltz that is dark and dreary in ways that can bring much melodic and harmonic novelty to the dance!  Let's also not forget about Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" which is also a great waltz that brings all its own programmatic Halloween-like connotations with it!  I'd be interested to hear more of that kind of approach since the waltz is traditionally a very cheery and stately dance and there are already many famous specimens of that type available!  Thanks for sharing and I'm excited to hear more!

Peter

 

Great critique I was going to say something similarly.  Go ahead and expand in the middle.  Winter is beautiful.  I did picture children playing in the snow.  However, winter can be tumultuous.  Roads are terrible and flights are canceled.   Perhaps add that to the harmonic vocabulary in this.

Also, try not to have the "oom pah pah" orchestrated the same throughout.  The violas can do more.  With this chamber orchestra, you could give it to other parties.  Change it up!

My $0.02.