Sketch/Preview of Symphony Scherzo Movement

Hey! I recently got some inspiration to write a symphonic scherzo. I want to continue doing this to make an entire symphony but wanted some feedback on the overall sketch of the scherzo first. Let me know your thoughts! The Score is not at all super accurate but more so what I used to get the sounds I wanted from Musescore. 

Lol for fun: Inspirations include Dvorak, Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, and Grieg.

Symphony No. 1 in A Minor, III. Scherzo. Presto con fuoco.pdf

Wow, this is very impressive, more polished than just a "sketch."  I really enjoyed this, certainly worthy of being a movement in a symphony.  I just think it's too long as it starts to repeat a bit too much (for my taste at least) but there is certainly enough material for a full movement. 

19 minutes ago, bkho said:

I just think it's too long as it starts to repeat a bit too much (for my taste at least)

I agree. Although I feel unsure how to not make it’s so repetitive since its form is supposed to be ABA CD ABA. I actually didn’t repeat the C section from the Trio because I felt it’d be overbearing but I guess the more problematic lines were instead the very beginning themes I used over and over. Perhaps I should do a more ABA CD-(transition)Av2(Av2 meaning the last repetition where it starts in D Minor then moves back to E Minor before changing to E Major in the coda.

Hi @Gabriel Carlisle!

I perceive this piece as well conceived overall!  I enjoyed the themes and I think you did a great job extending certain phrases and really milking them for all they were worth usually culminating in a long dramatic emphasis of the dominant chord.  The fugato's are a nice touch and overall done well and tastefully despite your recent struggles with writing a fugue.  The only weakness is that the orchestration is a bit weak near the end as I would have expected a full tutti orchestration for the end of a scherzo.  But you end with what I perceive to be a slightly awkwardly conceived ending for just the string orchestra.  Those are my thoughts.  Thanks for sharing!

On 9/15/2024 at 4:55 PM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hi @Gabriel Carlisle!

I perceive this piece as well conceived overall!  I enjoyed the themes and I think you did a great job extending certain phrases and really milking them for all they were worth usually culminating in a long dramatic emphasis of the dominant chord.  The fugato's are a nice touch and overall done well and tastefully despite your recent struggles with writing a fugue.  The only weakness is that the orchestration is a bit weak near the end as I would have expected a full tutti orchestration for the end of a scherzo.  But you end with what I perceive to be a slightly awkwardly conceived ending for just the string orchestra.  Those are my thoughts.  Thanks for sharing!

 

Thanks so much for your reply! I would like to mention that this piece is not complete so that’s why many things seem incomplete. This is more so the sketch/preview and not the final product. This is why the orchestration Isn’t the best. The reason some areas have better orchestration than others is to present ideas that popped into my head at the moment of the area being composed. Thanks again!