Phrygian Phrases Recorded! (String Quintet)

So I finally got the recording. However, I only had one take, so there are some wrong notes. But still a live recording has a lot more energy than my samples

the finished score is: http://www.mmmusic.dk/Strygekvintet.pdf

and the recording is at : http://www.mmmusic.dk/Strygekvintet.mp3

Thanks for all your help

Mathias

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Hey everybody. On Thursday this short piece will be performed by the Royal Danish Chappel.

This is my first serious piece for "real" classical musicians, so I am afraid my notation and directions are unclear some places. Please tell me, if you find any "weird" passages.

If any of you are string-players yourselves, please tell me if the fast detaché-movements are unplayable hehe

Enjoy (PS. I haven't notated the last two bars, as the musicians are going to "fade out".)

I'll attach the score and you can download the music on http://www.mmmusic.dk/PhrygianPhrases.mp3

Waiting for constructive response.

Mathias

well, i did enjoy this piece very much....but the ending i hated. a performed fade out ending is a cool finishing touch, but it seemed like it wasnt over. thats just me though, your harmonies were great and the playful yet haunting rythmic passages were awesome. nice job and congrats on getting it performed!

Originally Posted by thatguy

well, i did enjoy this piece very much....but the ending i hated. a performed fade out ending is a cool finishing touch, but it seemed like it wasnt over. thats just me though, your harmonies were great and the playful yet haunting rythmic passages were awesome. nice job and congrats on getting it performed!

Thanks. I think you are right about the ending. I'll try to sort something better out. Unfortunately we're only allowed to have under 2 minutes of music recorded, so I need to end it in some way

So I finally got the recording. However, I only had one take, so there are some wrong notes. But still a live recording has a lot more energy than my samples

the finished score is: http://www.mmmusic.dk/Strygekvintet.pdf

and the recording is at : http://www.mmmusic.dk/Strygekvintet.mp3

Thanks for all your help

Mathias

Good work - nice use of lyrical melodies over those alternating patterns.

Obviously two minutes doesn't provide a huge amount of scope for development (I should know), but you managed to make it quite structurally sound nonetheless.

I must say that I too found the conclusion slightly inappropriate, given that you ended on what felt like chord V. But you were time-limited, I suppose, and the other elements of the piece which I enjoyed make this a minor quibble really.

Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic! And I second Mike in his view that this is very masterfully crafted for a 2 minutes restriction (what a challenge...)!

There were some minor problems with the score....

But the music was beautiful and the performance almost perfect!

Two thumbs up from me!!!

Originally Posted by Mike

Good work - nice use of lyrical melodies over those alternating patterns.

Obviously two minutes doesn't provide a huge amount of scope for development (I should know), but you managed to make it quite structurally sound nonetheless.

I must say that I too found the conclusion slightly inappropriate, given that you ended on what felt like chord V. But you were time-limited, I suppose, and the other elements of the piece which I enjoyed make this a minor quibble really.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the very kind critique Mike. It was my first serious string piece ever, so I am more than happy with your comments. I must admit that I'm normally composing normal film music, and I guess that is why I chose to end on a V-chord (keeping tension till the very end). I still like the decision, but perhaps you're right that it doesn't fit the neo-classical style as much hehe

Originally Posted by manossg

Fantastic! And I second Mike in his view that this is very masterfully crafted for a 2 minutes restriction (what a challenge...)!

There were some minor problems with the score....

But the music was beautiful and the performance almost perfect!

Two thumbs up from me!!!

I'm glad to hear that the performance doesn't sound as bad as in my head - you know, only the composer hears all the wrong notes .

And btw, thanks for helping me out 1 week ago, when I was trying to find out what to do with the double stops (as you see, I only ended up using two, and I think that was the right choice for the piece).

I'm actually eager to hear what the "minor problems" in the score was, so I can modify it before I forget all about it hehe. What wereyou excactly thinking of?

Mathias

Originally Posted by kadowser

I'm glad to hear that the performance doesn't sound as bad as in my head - you know, only the composer hears all the wrong notes .

Yeah...it's a known phenomenon...

Originally Posted by kadowser

And btw, thanks for helping me out 1 week ago, when I was trying to find out what to do with the double stops (as you see, I only ended up using two, and I think that was the right choice for the piece).

Oh, I didn't remember...glad I could be of help and... This turned out to be a beautiful piece!

Originally Posted by kadowser

I'm actually eager to hear what the "minor problems" in the score was, so I can modify it before I forget all about it hehe. What wereyou excactly thinking of?

Ok, minor stuff really, but very important:
1) Vln.1, m. 5. The mp and the accent seem to collide.
2) m. 6. A double barline before the meter change? Also for m.30, 31 etc.
3) m. 7, vla. The crescendo ends up...weird...
4) m7., vln 2 (and a bit in db). The p marking under the time signature...
5) m15-17. I'm sure you wanted some articulations there...also in some places throughout the piece...
6) m.16, vla. The grace note needs to be slurred with the next one.
7) m. 26. The martellatos on the barline.
8) m. 26, vc. The ff colliding with the accent.
9) m.44, some collisions there...
10) m. 46, vc&db. What is the dynamic level? In the vc, move the p from m. 44 here...
11) m.44-45. The viola cue, is a bit unnecessary...

That's (I hope) all of them...

Phew!

Originally Posted by manossg

That's (I hope) all of them...

Phew!

Haha. Thank you very much. With you guys's nice words, I can take MUCH more criticism hehe.

I just want to state that the viola cue in bar 45 proved to be VERY necessary, especially because I had forgotten to give it to the bass player. You know the 3-4 bars before are in free time, so I still believe the cue was a good service for the players