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I've written a song about "The Pennyroyal." It's the flower that inspired the Pennyrile in my area. It's written for voice and piano. I wrote a poem in Spanish, then translated it to Italian: A Non conobbi mai l'amore, (bar 5) né il suo dolce desiderio; (bar 7) finché parlò il mattino (bar 9) nel profumo del poleggio. (bar 11) B Là tra l'ombra della fonte (bar 13) e il sussurro del sentiero, (bar 15) vidi tremare la luce (bar 17) sopra il verde più leggero. (bar 19) C Non fu voce né promessa, (bar 20) non fu canto né mistero; (bar 23) era il vento della valle (bar 25) tra le foglie del poleggio. (bar 27) D E da allora porto in cuore (bar 29) quel silenzio tanto vero; (bar 32) dove nacque il primo amore (bar 34) nel profumo del poleggio. (bar 35) A I never knew love, (bar 5) nor its sweet desire; (bar 7) until the morning spoke (bar 9) in the fragrance of the dried Pennyroyal. (bar 11) B There, among the shadow of the fountain (bar 13) and the whisper of the path, (bar 15) I saw the light tremble (bar 17) over the lightest green. (bar 19) C It was neither voice nor promise, (bar 20) nor song nor mystery; (bar 23) it was the wind of the valley (bar 25) among the leaves of the dried Pennyroyal. (bar 27) D And since then I carry in my heart (bar 29) that silence so true; (bar 32) where the first love was born (bar 34) in the fragrance of the dried Pennyroyal. (bar 35) Pennyroyal_Final_Harper - Pianoforte.pdf Pennyroyal_Final_Harper - Soprano.pdf Pennyroyal_Final_Harper.pdf

One thing I noticed about what I wrote is that I slightly varied the subject in the different statements. The subject ends on a low B which in the first statement is cut off because I wanted to follow it immediately with some sixteenths. The second statement holds that B for a longer duration, and in the third statement it's even longer. Is this an error?

Alex thanks for the suggestions and your take on the themes presented. Mark

As usual I did notice it! Yet, I didn't update it in the present score ☹️. A very bad habit indeed. Thanks, Mark

The material that you gave to the second violin at measure 13 and 14 is out of range and would better fit the viola. I think if you are still continuing working on this piece, it’s something that you could work on just by simply switching the entrance.

Hello, this is my composition for orchestra, "Polos nevados" one of my favorites. I hope you like it, im more a of a "feel" composer, not a rule follower so if you notice something rare in this piece, it's probably that. yes it has classical styled parts, but it's by no means trying to be a piece that follows the rules of classical music. im glad i found about this very active forum, my channel is very small and the music i upload don't get much attention or feedback. orchestral work, polos nevados by andres pozos

Hi Mark. This piece has a programmatic quality that I enjoy. Like some of your other works, it feels quite militaristic due to percussion (especially the drum rolls). I imagine an epic battle; or perhaps a series of skirmishes. Maybe it could benefit from some vibraphone, to fill out the music where the texture is sparse? I went to a vibraphone and clarinet concert last week, where the vibraphonist played a series of glissandi, with one stick rising up the keys, and the other simultaneously descending. Quite an effective technique that I'd never heard before. Anyway, just a suggestion. Alex

Thank you so much for the warm words! I came across the original melody by chance on You Tube, and immediately fell in love with it. So I decided I had to use it for this project.

Thank you very much Mark, I really appreciate your opinion.

Thanks!

Vortex - Volatir (found in an SMW rom hack):

What an interesting composition. Writing a solo piece for a single-line instrument is a kind of marker of compositional mastery. There’s nowhere to hide here: not behind harmony, not behind any effects in the texture or counterpoint. Pure melody and form. It turned out to be a captivating piece. And the performance, of course. It’s a pleasure to hear music played on a live instrument by a live performer. It was played very convincingly and delicately. Simply bravo. By the way, I didn’t know that Peter is a horn player. For some reason I thought you were a theorist. Your username pushed me to that conclusion. =)

I am a German living in America, so which to choose? Italian is the international language of music and already used for so many components of a score, so I figured I might as well use it consistently. :) Thank you for your compliments! <3

@PeterthePapercomPoser @Maharani Wow congrats on the collaboration! I like both versions, but the reverb version really adds a layer of lushness to the sound, it's great. :) Seems like a lot of effort went into the recording and practicing, so well done there Peter. The handwritten score is clear and I'm envious of your nice handwriting lol. The language is interesting, what was the thought process behind it? ❤️ Well done you two, it's always great to hear live recordings here, and this was a fine example of what collaboration can achieve

Hi, I really enjoyed the opening theme with its "jazzy" feel and motion. However, I was not as engaged with the second part of the piece starting at measure 34. Personally, I would have like some more variations (playfulness) on the opening theme. I didn't feel this mid-section change enhanced the work. Mark

I'm writing a musical song, about a witch. The lyrics are still in development, and I have since transposed the music down a lot from this recording, as it's way too high to sing. But I just can't figure out how to orchestrate it. At the end, before it cuts off, there will be a massive choir + orchestra section which I could be fine with orchestrating, it's just the rest of the song sounds so nice just with piano, so I don't know how to orchestrate it, and for what ensemble/orchestra. Any suggestions appreciated.Nasty Little Woman.mp3

Hi @Aw Ke Shen ! I actually did this before when I was young, as I always press the middle pedal of an upright to practice so everything is muted. I did this to strengthen my fingerings though. Your learning approach as you describe would be mainly aural and theoretical, but there are also some people who learn by auditory or manual method, so it really depends. My recent learning approach would be to play the piece as close as the original tempo with all details. By forcing myself to so many things happening I actually learn faster than just grabbing details first, probably because I’m an N person (intuitive) in MBTI instead of an S person (sensory), so I need to grab the big picture before going into details first. Henry

Suite for mezzo-soprano and string quartet, “Forlorn Images”. The original title, "Неприкаянные образы" (“Neprikayannye obrazy”), cannot be translated into English exactly. The Russian word "неприкаянный" (neprikayanny) has no single equivalent in English. It describes someone or something that has no place to belong, no refuge, and no peace. It is a person or a spirit drifting without purpose, restless, a little lost and lonely, not accepted anywhere. The word is often linked to the old verb "каяться" (to repent), and it carries a faint religious shade: something left unreconciled, with no rest or shelter. English words such as “forlorn”, “restless”, “drifting” or “homeless” each capture only part of this. So “Forlorn Images” is only an approximation. Think of images, figures and visions that wander without finding their place. The 5th movement, "Звездочёт" (Zvezdochet), is an old, slightly fairy-tale word for an astronomer or astrologer. Literally it means “one who counts the stars”. It belongs to the world of medieval wizards, court sages and folk tales, where a person watches the sky and reads fate in it. The nearest English word is “Stargazer”, though it can also suggest a daydreamer. “Astrologer” is closer to the mystical side. Please read it as an old sage who observes the stars and seeks meaning in them. Music by A. Khomenko, lyrics by V. Osadchenko. In five movements. Silence Reflection Desire The Master (attacca) The Stargazer Part1 Part 2 Part 3 Parts 4-5

Hello everyone, I’d like to share Rafa’s March, a piece I wrote in memory of my dog, Rafael, whom we called Rafa. The music reflects the moments when we walked every day at the river, he was just wild chasing kangaroos and every sound he could hear. I composed it using the piano and StaffPad. I’m still learning about composition and orchestration, and I’d appreciate your feedback about balance, timbre and anything you would like to say to help me to improve in this journey. I’ve attached the audio and PDF score. Thank you for listening! Polo Perilton Rafas March.mp3 Rafas March.pdf

Would it be a good approach to first learn a piano piece with the keyboard volume switched off or turned very low, or by using the soft pedal on the piano right from the beginning, before gradually moving on to fuller-sounding practice and musical refinement? I have sometimes done this in the past and have been experimenting with it a little more recently. The idea is to first familiarise oneself with all the notes, rhythms, general techniques and physical movements without overloading the ears with sound, helping to minimise cumulative auditory fatigue over extended practice sessions. Slow practice can also be incorporated at this initial stage. Working out the unwritten dynamics, phrasing and articulation can likewise begin during the learning process, through listening to and imagining the piece, or be explored further once one is familiar with the notes and rhythms and moves on to the piano. I am curious whether this quieter approach to the initial stages of learning, followed by progressively fuller-sounding practice, might be beneficial before eventually refining the musical interpretation. Does anyone else practise this way, and what has your experience been? Feel free to share : ) ...

Do all 10 now because lunch is over!

Another musical quote from "Beyond the Occult" by Colin Wilson features a discussion of hypnosis, split-brain theory and Mozart: If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading! Now go out into the world and do at least 10 impossible things before lunch! LoL

Dragon Quest I - Symphonic Suite - People:

Yep, Caplin’s book is definitely the gold standard for phrase syntax, but it’s also a massive academic text. My goal with the article/website was to provide quick reference guides(and other stuff) that are a bit more digestible!

Just by reading Caplin's Classical Form will be ok? Henry