Unnamed

Hey Ron,

This is a very dark and tragic piece. A sense of death and despair to it. You have done well, as you often do, at expressing emotions in this piece. The mastering is better then the last piece of your I posted on. I think your getting better at it. The orchestration is better too.
I'm not sure would be a suiting name for this piece, but I picture the spread of a plague when listening to this piece.

Well done, Ron. Looking forward to more.

This is a fairly sombre piece but none the worst for that. I didn't feel the second part which you said you tacked on was very necessary. It seems like it should be a another piece in itself particularly in that it continues the mood but with different ideas. The first part was long enough in itself without wearing out its ideas.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this. I agree with the poster who said it sounded like a "post-disaster" kind of piece!

My only real quarrels with it are the lack of motivic development (I think someone else said that, too?) and the fact that the melodies sound a little too simple for this type of music. Although having a simple melody can acheive a great effect, it seems as if the recurring motive in the upper strings needs to use more than simple subdivisions of the beat. Right now, it only seems to use eighth-notes and quarter notes, but I think spicing it up a little with some triplets or maybe even more complex tuplets (maybe even in the background, not in the melody itself) would really give it a more "confused" and "wandering" effect (as you seem to be trying to convey).

Other than that, good job.

Out of curiosity, which composers would you say have influenced you the most?

Herb

I have a lot of the development in my head on this one, I just haven't had the time to compose it yet. I will hopefully before the summer is out. As you said nothing major, just some refinements.


James

Haven't heard from you in a while. Nice to hear from you.

I initially had a way of bringing hope into this one, but lately I think it will stay bleak and desolate. I do have a much better ending in mind, just no time right now to do it.

I have been doing a few more Eastern pieces lately and that is why that Oboe goes as it does, but I think it fits the overall mood of the piece. That's cool that you saw that!!

Thanks guys

Ron

Ron

I've listened to this piece a few more times, and have some suggestions..

First off, your orchestral coloring was fantastic, you conveyed he mood so well in this one. Your choice of instruments is superb as well, but I would have varyed it up a bit. It seems like the strings get such a massive part of the melody, how about giving it to oboe or flute. Like James, I really enjoyed the oboe scales (then on to the marimba or whatever is was) but again maybe let the strings take that while thebrass has teh theme.

Your melody was haunting and beautiful, but like someone else said, you could vary the rhythm a bit on it (triplets, double them, etc.) I heard a lot of root going to minor 3rds, how about taking it up to fourths and such. I heard quite a bit of minor 6ths to 5ths in the bass as well...again maybe take them a bit further harmonically.

As for the 2nd theme starting with the brass, I felt like it was needed and should be left in. It was a nice change of pace and I really enjoyed it. MAybe you could expand on that as well while incorporating elements form the main theme as well, that would be spicy

I did enjoy this immensely, however I felt it didn't have as much Ron in it as usual. I would say right at the middle of the piece and at the very end were my favorite parts in it (along with the ascending and descending scales from the flute/oboe/whatever it was) because it had the most interesting musical lines and harmonys in it (to me at least). Maybe you could blend those ideas in with the rest of the piece, as I think it would tremendously enhance the flavor of this one.

Like always though, you music amazes me. This is actually one of my favorite ones by you because it is different then a lot of your work I have heard...very emotional and flavorful. By all means disregard my little quibbles if you don't think they are accurate or you like the piece as it is, it's just my novice advice from a big fan of your music. I think this piece has so much originality and uniqueness that I find fastinating. Just adding some tidbits in there that might make it more dynamic in minor aspects of it.

Good luck with school Ron, I hope to hear more from you in this piece as well as new ideas I know you have roaming in your head.

Vince

Vince

Tomorrow will end the 2nd week of this 6 week class I am in. Today is the first day since I have been here that I am not doing homework from the time class lets out at 5 pm until midnight. I have been either in class or doing homework everyday from 8 am till midnight and sometimes later.

That is why it has taken so long for me to get back to you. I have some ideas along the lines you have suggested, just no time to do anything about them yet. 4 more weeks and then I can compose again. I can't wait. The ideas are starting to pile up.

Thanks

Ron