If They May Dance: Grand Waltz for Orchestra

'If They May Dance' is quasi-programmatic, depicting a waltz that continually rises and falls until reaching a bombastic conclusion. A main melody is weaved into the piece itself: it constantly changes into slightly different forms to keep the piece cohesive.

This work is the summit of my composing career so far. It also marks the longest time I've ever spent on a singular piece (~4 months). I'm pretty happy with it, and I don't really have much else to say about it. My progress throughout is documented in this thread; if you're interested, feel free to check it out.

As usual, all feedback is appreciated! Would love to hear from you all 😊

Hi @Awsumerguy!

Listening casually without following along with the score it sounds like quite a charming piece!  Although I feel like the melody sometimes is a bit unadventurous, lacking in cadential points lending to an impression of being a little lacking in direction (because it seems to wander up and down and clings too closely to the tonic chord for long periods of time and repeating itself over and over in essence creating a piece without any sections but consisting of a long exposition of the main theme over and over and with some key changes).  Like I said though - it is a charming idea which I enjoyed listening to.  Thanks for sharing!

14 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hi @Awsumerguy!

Hey @PeterthePapercomPoser, thanks for replying!

14 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Although I feel like the melody sometimes is a bit unadventurous, lacking in cadential points lending to an impression of being a little lacking in direction (because it seems to wander up and down and clings too closely to the tonic chord for long periods of time and repeating itself over and over in essence creating a piece without any sections but consisting of a long exposition of the main theme over and over and with some key changes).

I can definitely see that. I rewrote this piece from a much older piano-violin duet: at that point, I hadn't considered structure to be anything significant enough to study or follow (don't worry, I grew out of that phase 😉), so that unfortunately translated into the orchestral transcription. My music teacher also said as much when I showed the piece to her: she said it felt as if I composed linearly instead of harmonically. As an orchestrator, that hurt a little, I'll be honest. 

That being said, I envisioned the piece as being something more of a evocation of the feeling of a waltz instead of being a waltz itself: it acts more as an homage to the musical form than being of that musical form (if that makes sense). Or maybe I'm just bluffing at this point 🙃

But what do you think? I'd love to hear back from you 😄

It's completely understandable to feel a bit disheartened when receiving feedback that challenges your approach to composition or orchestration. However, it's important to remember that constructive criticism is an invaluable tool for growth and development as a musician.

On 5/2/2024 at 3:26 PM, murphybridget said:

It's completely understandable to feel a bit disheartened when receiving feedback that challenges your approach to composition or orchestration. However, it's important to remember that constructive criticism is an invaluable tool for growth and development as a musician.

I'm sorry if it seemed that way! I didn't mean to sound unreceptive at all 😓

I understand there were mistakes made in the piece, and I have come to accept them even before its completion; it's just a little disheartening because I had spent a lot of time on it, is all. Then again, I think everyone feels that way when receiving criticism over something they're proud of.

On 5/3/2024 at 8:35 AM, Awsumerguy said:

I'm sorry if it seemed that way! I didn't mean to sound unreceptive at all 😓

I understand there were mistakes made in the piece, and I have come to accept them even before its completion; it's just a little disheartening because I had spent a lot of time on it, is all. Then again, I think everyone feels that way when receiving criticism over something they're proud of.

 

No reason to be sorry my friend. We all do make mistake aren't we?