Hey Brooks,
Nice piece you have here. I like the style you were going for...its a mix of contemporary and deeply classic romanticism. It reminds of Franck in the latter sense. I think some of the harmonies are unwanted in this mixture, though. How do I explain this erm...well, for instance the opening 5 or 6 measures are pretty much "pure" chords, and then you have some dissonances in measures 7 and 9 and a few onward. Only these few instances were awkward, but the mixture really seems to work out in the end. I love the mixed metre sometimes, and the freeness of the cello intertwining with the steadiness of the piano, it really brings out a very flourishing flavour. I
adored the overall mood of this piece. I suppose thats what my ear picks up first. I wish you had done a little more with that melancholy theme you had there, but I suppose a certain level of continuous simplicity is appropriately applied.
Overall, well done, I did enjoy this.
Nico