1Mvt.1

Now, i'm pretty proud of the first few measures of this. However, i have severe writers block. I wrote all of this is one day (back in May) and haven't touched it since.

Well typical timpani would not fit into your assigned notes, because the lowest drum goes D-A, and you have it on C. I also wonder about your voice crossings on the oboe/clarinet in measure 5. Other things, such as the trumpet being really low will make it sounds muddy, as well as the tuba being really low. There are a bunch of notational mistakes, like crescendos crossing ties and stem interaction, but I do realize that this is not by any means complete.

Look to develop the theme you start at the very beginning, because if you started out with it in so many voices, it should probably be important to a symphony... you can make a whole 15 minute movement out of just what you have.

Thank you, it really is the work of someone very inexperienced w/ percussion! That is the point though, to point out the mistakes so i can find a way to fix them!

Originally Posted by SamvParr

Now, i'm pretty proud of the first few measures of this. However, i have severe writers block. I wrote all of this is one day (back in May) and haven't touched it since.

To preface this, I'm holding no punches here, so it may be come off as harsh. I bear no intent to hurt you, but to criticize construtively.

Be mindful that it may not be so much writer's block as lack of knowledge of technique. Back in my more inexperienced days, I had ideas, but had no idea how to put them onto the paper. Sometimes those ideas wern't actually mine, but just an adaptation from something that I had heard in passing, like a film score. When you learn the techniques of composition, ideas flow much more easily and sometimes, too many ideas come out at once. It's a true mastery of art where one can take his ideas and plainly put them onto the paper. I need to master this as should all composers strive to.

As far as your score in particular, the thematic material is OK, not great, but not terrible and would be worked into something very good. Your orchestration, on the other hand, is not good at all. Notational errors notwithstanding, your use of the lines are not idomatic to what they could be. The bass line is very muddy, the piano is useless here (and instrument I avoid at all costs in an orchestral context) and the WWs seem to be just stacked chords split up. The lack of percussion is also a let down (though your statd inexperience with percussion is noted). Just as an example, I've attached the first few bars orchestrated more idomatically. I'm assuming this is a majestic march style by the thematic material. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

My advice is to buy Samuel Adler's "The Study of Orchestration" and read it cover to cover, forwards and backwards, indside and outside until it's engrained into your brain. That way, when you're writing for a large orchestra, you'll know what to do with it.

I hope this is helpful to you. Good luck on your future composing endeavors!

P.S. On a completely unrelated matter, get Sibelius! You will be a happier composer!

I completely agree with Justin about technique. Samuel Adler visited my school last year, and he talked whole-heartedly about the importance of technique. He relayed a story that he was sitting eating with a friend, who wrote a whole 12-tone fugue for a movie while casually eating lunch.

As for the orchestration book, that is the book my college uses for instrumentation class, and I am sure you will need it in the future.

I'll be going to barnes and noble later today!