February/March 2008 Nominations Thread.

O.K.,

I am REALLLLLYYYY stupid . I forgot that if we are to have a competition starting in February, we have to know what it is BY February. And, I was thinking, why not have a two month long competition??? I mean, this could be the chance to do something a LITTLE bigger, but not long enough to start a real competition. So, keep that in mind when putting in your nominations.

Now, understand here, the competition WILL NOT begin until Feb. 14th at 12:00. I will not post the competition we are doing or the rules before then. THAT way (if you haven't noticed, it is leap year), you have a month and a HALF. Which narrows it down even more. So yeah, like last time... 5 nominations, nothing too big like a symphony, but nothing small enough that a month and a half will be not enough of a challenge. Something like a Sonata is good for this because you could have 14 days to plan, REALLY plan, and then writing for an entire month!

Alright, NOMINATE!!!

-Mori-

I suggest AGAINST a symphony, sonata, or other long work. Maybe, at most we could do one movement of a symphony or sonata per month, and by the end, all participants should have a brand new 3-4 movement symphony or sonata. If we are working for a month and a half, should that be enough time for a 3-8 minute symphony movement for full orchestra? How about concert band? I've never heard of a symphony for concert band...

How about an original traditional song? You know how they have traditional Spanish music, and Gypsy music, and Celtic music? Maybe we could write our own tune based on cultural ideas. Maybe one person will write an original Hungarian gypsy dance, and another will end up writing a traditional style Scottish pipe tune.

How about a march? American style, or British style.

These are just suggestions, of course. Again:

* Opening movement to a symphony for full orchestra OR concert band.
* Original tune based on any cultural style (preferably Western culture)
* British or American traditional march.

I have heard of many symphonies/suites for wind ensemble. 1.5 months would be enough time for me to compose an orchestral or a concert band movement.

English/Irish folk songs are amazing. Anything involving those would be amazing.

I like the idea of a composition for concert band - it's the complete opposite of the January one, where you were challenged by writing for so few instruments, now you are challenged by writing for so many.

The required instrumentation shouldn't fall too far out of very standard like high school ensembles, though - like, no required bass trombone or anything.

OK! We got two solid nominations I like:

1. A Movement of a Large Work for Concert Band.
2. An original tune based off of a culture.

A fugue for a chamber ensemble.

That's my suggestion

Originally Posted by Morivou

Now, understand here, the competition WILL NOT begin until Feb. 14th at 12:00. I will not post the competition we are doing or the rules before then. THAT way (if you haven't noticed, it is leap year), you have a month and a HALF. Which narrows it down even more. So yeah, like last time... 5 nominations, nothing too big like a symphony, but nothing small enough that a month and a half will be not enough of a challenge.

I would personally love to participate to a challenge, but unfortunately I don't have a LOT of time to devote to it. Writing for instance a 16-bar long theme and 3 variations on it is about the maximum I can do in a month.

If you request too large pieces, then of course it is more interesting for the people who have time to invest in this, but otherwise this is discriminating against a more useful form of "competition" which would be trying to do something on the basis of an imposed framework.

A short fugue with an imposed subject is acceptable for instance, or a string quartet (not too long, like a pair of menuets). Or harmonization contests, where a melody is given (e.g. violin 1) and one has to realize the 3 other parts to make a quartet.

Saying one has to compose a symphony movement is not acceptable (to me) because it is too demanding.

How about a duo for specified families of instruments? Like two winds, two brass, two strings or two percussion instruments? (no pianos, it's a whole new category, piano duos )? It's small, nothing too hard to write as most people play at least one instrument, and it can be more easily done in 14 days than a symphony movement... Plus, people who haven't studied orchestration could write a piece

I agree with Juji, great idea

Also, maybe a small monothematic piano piece that doesn't exceed a certain number of measures or something, then the challenge would be to have variation, without the option of two contrasting themes that is afforded by sonata form or similar

Originally Posted by jujimufu

How about a duo for specified families of instruments? Like two winds, two brass, two strings or two percussion instruments? (no pianos, it's a whole new category, piano duos )? It's small, nothing too hard to write as most people play at least one instrument, and it can be more easily done in 14 days than a symphony movement... Plus, people who haven't studied orchestration could write a piece

3rd nomination!!!!!!