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Thank you very much. I’m glad you’ve noticed the influences on my compositions and my contrapuntal compositional approach: Yes, of course Bach is the great role model, but I don’t want to mimic that particular Baroque style at all; rather, I want to incorporate more contemporary influences, for example in harmony (the use of modes or even some jazz harmonies) or in rhythm and texture (the use of unusual, odd time signatures). My challenging project is two compose 24 preludes and fugues (according to the model of the WTC), where this particular prelude is one of them. Even though they are piano pieces, I have used some of them to create orchestrated versions. You can find links to the pieces I’ve already featured here on the YCF in my signature below, along with a link to my YouTube channel. I’m really appreciated that you suggest the piece to be presented with other instruments than the solo piano only! And – no problem – here is it: My official submission for the above mentioned competition that finished a few days ago: „Summer – A Song of Beauty and Melancholy – Submission to the YCF 2026 Summer Competition“. And just as I’m wondering why you didn’t discover it on your own, I realize that I forgot to include a link to this “orchestrated” version in my post above. So I’ve added it now.

Thank you very much. I also particular like the passage (around 1:34) where the trumpet plays the subject of the fugato for the first time. This is for me the depiction of the summer day – while the final part is a bit more melancholic, - perhaps the evening. If you’re referring to the “thumbnail” of the YouTube video (as well as the first slide in the video and the title page of my score), then yes: After I finish a piece, I usually do some „artwork“ and give each piece its own color scheme as well as a visual interpretation in the form of a photo or painting (and, of cause, the painting here isn’t mine—it’s by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 😆). I’ve found that such a “colorful” annotation to the pieces can be very helpful for remembering them—even when I talk to my family about my music, it’s much easier to refer to a particular piece as “the one with the elephant” or “the purple one with the misty forest” rather than as “Prelude in A minor” or “Prelude in G-sharp minor.”

HI Lithl, Thanks for sharing this! I am not really versed in music using electronic sound, so maybe I'm not the best one to be commenting, but I am interested in all types of music, though and enjoy having new musical experiences. My impressions: I enjoyed this very much. I do hear a coherent soundscape here. The piano seemed to move in and respond to the electronic sounds. I'm not sure I could identify all of the cello's contributions to the conversation but what I did recognize "belonged" if that makes sense. And I agree with Luis' observation about the flock of birds. Though I don't know pieces similar to yours, I do like the way Anja Lechner uses (exploits?) the cello in Memory of a Melody (18:45 or so).

@Seni-G First of all, I would like to thank you deeply for listening to my music and writing such a long and thoughtful comment! One thing you mentioned that definitely struck a chord with me is that I need to start listening to more music. Most of my musical consumption happens through playing, and I feel like as instrumentalists we rarely listen just for the sake of listening and enjoying music for what it is, rather than treating it as some sort of exercise or study. So I definitely want to work on that. I am also pretty insecure about my harmonic variety. I tend to spell out every chord and write down the figured bass before my final edits, partly because I feel the need to justify every note. I often second-guess myself whenever I want to step outside of diatonic harmony. I imagine that listening to and exploring more scores from the perspective of a composer rather than a pianist would definitely help with that, so I will take this advice! One genuine question for you guys: do you ever run into this in your own writing? A lot of the time I feel like my decisions about inversions and voice leading come from playability. I have this strange need to make my music simple and approachable, even though it isn't necessarily going to be performed by other people. For some reason, I have a bit of an obsession with playability. Another obsession of mine is motivic economy, which I am not sure is always healthy, haha, but I feel like it has become a big pillar of my approach to composition. Also, did you have a favorite movement or passage? I would genuinely love to hear which one!

Hi Matthew @mahler2009 Personally, I do both at the same time: I study and compose with traditional harmony while also writing more experimental music, rather than treating one as something I need to master before moving on to the other. Some of my earliest pieces were actually quite weird and almost atonal, before I later explored more conventional tonal writing too. I’ve found that both approaches help me develop in different ways. I don't think there's a particular point when you're suddenly "ready" for non-functional harmony. Traditional harmony gives you useful tools, but experimenting with the sounds that interest you is also part of learning composition. I'd keep developing both in parallel and let them influence each other Also, welcome to the forum!

Hello @Luis Hernández, thank you for listening and giving me a curious reference. I immediately added Vox Balaenae to my queue. I feel the vibe of "flocks of birds"—that's a good saying. As for granular synthesis, yes—I can tell you. For this piece, I used "Oi-Grandad". This is a plugin where you can load wav files and combine them, which is an amazing granular synthesis tool. I used some wavs for three tracks and made glitchy sounds. If you use it, you will probably understand soon. Anyway, thank you for your feedback. I'm so glad :) Best, Lithl.

true. I feel like competitions happen every season so every four months but I feel like adding too much constraints is going to form a layer of monotony. making every piece of music, aesthetically and stylistically the same, which takes away from the main philosophical concept of composition

Hello, guys. It's been very long since I posted anything here. Was busy with uni and graduated rather recently, but still composing here and there. This piano trio, titled Reunion, is intended for the Chinese New Year. But I decided to post this early given I just managed to complete the second movement. This piece is partially inspired by Charles Ives' Piano Trio. The first movement, March, was actually intended to be for string quartet, which I started before going into university (about six years before), but I only worked until the middle of the exposition and left it aside, until I worked on a minuet and fugue for piano trio (which became the third movement). I gathered what material I have for this movement and rearranged it for piano trio. This movement is in modified Sonata form. The main theme is borrowed from Da Di Hui Chun (大地回春), while the second theme is He Xin Nian (贺新年). The development section features Ying Chun Hua (迎春花); I felt it's rather fitting for a march-like piece. The second movement, Nocturne, is largely petatonic and inspired by Debussy. Some material was actually adapted from a pre-college music assignment, which I didn't so well in because, honestly, I misunderstood that assignment (which wanted us to compose a study piece either on pitch or rhythm, and not both). But I decided to revisit this piece for Mid-Autumn and repurpose some material around as I focus more on the pentatonicism. This is in rounded binary form, because, admittedly, I didn't really have more ideas on how to develop the motifs further. The third movement was composed for a music assignment when I took a music composition course in college. The lecturer wanted us to compose something related to local heritage, so this piece incorporated two Chinese melodies: 明月千里寄相思 (Ming Yue Qian Li Qi Xiang Si) for the Minuet and Waltz sections, and an abstracted version of A Common Man's Voice in the Fugue (Trio) section. It's because of this composition that I decided to revisit what I did before, to put together what I had for a complete three-movement Piano Trio. I enjoyed composing the middle section for this piece as it tried to juxtapose 6/8 with 3/4. I still plan to rework some parts if I have the time, but I decided to share it as-is for now, and I welcome any feedback and comments.I. Piano Trio (march) 4 Oct.mp3I. Piano Trio (march).pdf II. Piano Trio (nocturne).mp3II. Piano Trio (nocturne).pdfIII. Piano Trio (Minuet, Fugue and Waltz).mp3III. Piano Trio (Minuet, Fugue and Waltz).pdf

Thanks, @tarisdavid . This is good info, and I'm always appreciate of people who take the time to fill in the important blanks for others.

Each links are the given bass(first), of soprano(second, and third) melody which I've filled in other voices in Harmonic rules. Last link display the exercise from korean school's entrance exam. So, It sounds doesn't such a good cause It is just for entrance exam.

Hello I’ve had to listen to this track three times in a row – it’s very short, so it’s easy to do. There’s one reason for this: I’m really fascinated by what you’ve done here. I think this sort of music is just as valid as any other. I’d love to know a bit about how you created that ‘granular synthesis’ – whether it’s with software or something else. I sometimes think about using electronic elements in my own work, but I’m not quite sure how to go about it (as I rely 100 per cent on virtual instrument libraries). To me, that synthetic texture really reminds me of ‘flocks of birds’. It really does have several layers of sounds that are like the caws of different species of birds. This reminds me directly of pieces like Vox Balanae (Voice of the Whale) by George Crumb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutSUIBp-VY&list=RDsutSUIBp-VY&start_radio=1 As well as looking at the score, which is very, very complex (typical of Crumb), it is fascinating to watch the performance, as there are instructions on how the musicians should appear (masks) and in what position. performance

Fair caution here. It promotes a modified Spotify app, which is not official and breaks Spotify terms. Sideloaded builds can also hide malware, so the risk is not just legal. If you compare such builds, this music APK roundup may help. I would stick to the official free app or a Premium trial.

I say this is an interesting piece, though each movement in my view kind of ended a little abruptly. I just say it's also because the lines kept moving, and there's kind of little room for some of the strings to stop for a break, and let the other strings shine. But I like the contrapuntal texture and the rather mysterious melodies overall. I think the last movement here really has a clearer direction on what you want to go for, and ends most beautifully.

Not nessacarily. It could work with in the current frame work. The current frame work is a bi monthly competition. The constraints for each one is voted on: forces and etc. So style can be voted on. Then after that, those who want to join have to say so and are given two months to write a piece. so I can see this working Oh that is right! There were nine entries! :)

Thank you so much for this thoughtful and beautiful comment. It truly means a lot to me that you not only felt the Scarlatti influence, but also sensed that my own voice remains at the heart of the piece. That balance is something I care about deeply. I love working within the binary form, but I also enjoy pushing its boundaries through unexpected changes of mood, harmony and direction. As you said, I love surprises and unexpected moments, but I always try to keep them balanced and natural, so that the music never loses its sense of direction. Scarlatti has taught me a great deal in that respect. I’m especially happy that, even when you didn’t know what was coming next, you never felt lost. For me, that is one of the most important things in music: to surprise the listener without losing them. Thank you again for listening so carefully and for understanding what I’m trying to do. It truly means a lot to me.

@Lithl My dear friend, I truly don’t know how else to thank you. Your appreciation, both for me as a person and for my music, genuinely makes me very happy. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this sonata as well, and it means a great deal to me that you took the time to listen to it and share your thoughts. As for my dear friend @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu , I have had the pleasure of considering him a friend for quite some time now. Even though we are separated by distance, we are in touch almost every day and we often talk about music. Above all, there is a deep mutual respect between us, as well as a genuine love for music. Lately, we have been talking quite a lot about Scarlatti. Henry not only loves Scarlatti, but also listens to and performs his music. Since I also have a deep love for Scarlatti, especially his binary sonatas, this shared passion for his music has brought us even closer. And so, I felt the need to dedicate one of my own binary sonatas to him. I’m truly very happy and touched that I had the opportunity to do so.

Was kinda looking around for inspirations for slow movements, and this piece is quite astounding. To tell the truth, I actually felt this is closer to Debussy than Chopin, although Chopin's romanticism is quite deeply reflected here (particularly with the more detailed scalic and chromatic ornamentation whenever the main melodies return). Why I felt as such is because of the extensive use of modes, which is a bit more characteristic of impressionist music. And also plenty of hemiolas, although ofc that's also seen in plenty of romantic music.

Hi im working on my first orchestra piece, and im looking for feedback. The first movement serves as a introduction, well the 2nd movement is Theme and Variations. Orchestra no 1 .mp3 Orchestra no 1.pdf

Hey @Wieland Handke that was really excellent. I found the music intellectually challenging, so I gave it a couple listens. This music has a great flow, but is also mentally stimulating, just like Bach. I didn’t read your introduction first, and while listening I kept thinking “this sounds like a modern Bach chorale”. Glad to find out I heard what you heard! You speak the language of modern harmony, but here you speak it with a baroque accent. It works well. There’s just something about jazzy chords that gels so well with baroque rhythm/voicing. Makes me want to hear more of your work. One idea: it would be fun to hear this with four instruments rather than one. For example, I think this piece could actually be turned into a chorale! Have you ever considered setting this to a poem? I bet a choral rendition of this would slay. There is tons of fun material for 4 singers to play with. Or a string quartet could be nice. Assigning each voice to a separate instrument could really free up those voices, and allow them to shine in a way entirely different than what can be achieved on keyboard. Nothing wrong with a baroque style keyboard work! Even if you decide not to try it with a quartet, it’s still delightful. Nice work!

Thank you guys for all the feedback!

Let us add style to the mix! Let challenge them only write in one write style and see what happens. I think this would work better as a specific contest portion rather than adding another section like that because if this was a portion, then this would contradict a bunch of other things so this should be better off as its own given challenge other than a additional aspect

I really enjoyed this. Yes, in the broadest sense I got an immediate Scarlatti vibe, but your unique voice is dominant. I think of binary pieces as more limited, but you developed this nicely. The mood changes were really well done. You moved between keys and motives quickly without it ever sound schizophrenic. It's exuberant music, with a clear drive and direction. I never felt lost even when I didn't know what was coming next. Thanks for sharing.

Ah, I wish I were Henry... You are a lucky man, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu, to have such a nice friend who composed music dedicated to you and your musical talent! As for the music itself, I don't even need to say anything because your music always sounds so high-level and lovely. I want to see you play your pieces in the future. Great, thank you for sharing, Vasilis! Best, Lithl.

Hi @MinGry ! Thank you for sharing this piece. I think you’re on the right track, and it’s clear that you’ve been studying composition and working hard to develop your melody and harmony skills. This work shows a lot of thought and care, and I can hear skills that will continue to blossom with practice. I’d like to share a few thoughts that might help you develop this piece and give you some ideas to carry into your next one. My first suggestion is to look at the passages with block chords in the left hand and experiment with more varied accompaniment. You already use some Mozart-style accompaniment, but there are many possibilities beyond that pattern and block chords. Try breaking up the chords, varying the rhythm, or creating flowing, scale-like lines. This could soften some of the heavier chordal passages and give the left hand more personality. It also opens up opportunities for passing tones, neighboring tones, and suspensions. The left hand doesn’t have to simply state the chord of each measure; it can contribute to the character of the music. You could explore all of this while keeping your underlying harmony and right-hand melody intact. That step alone could add quite a bit of oomph to the piece. Another detail to look closely at are the areas where you begin a melody with the fifth of the accompanying chord in the bass. Depending on the context, this can make the music feel less grounded, weaker, than it would with the root in the bass. That doesn’t mean the root always needs to be in the bass. But it’s good to be aware that the fifth in the bass will weaken the strength of any chord. One great place to put the fifth in the bass of the I chord is if the following chord is the V chord. That is a powerful I-V cadence that is used throughout the classical repertoire. My final thought concerns the overall harmonic direction. There’s plenty of appealing melodic material, but at times I feel that the music wanders harmonically, making it harder for the listener to sense where it’s headed. I’d recommend listening to some early Beethoven sonatas (maybe #1 through #15) with this in mind. Your piece doesn’t need to sound like Beethoven, but he offers wonderful examples of how melody, harmony, and form can create a dramatic arc. Tension builds, reaches a peak, and eventually subsides. The listener enjoys the music while also participating in the drama, as if the music is telling a story. Try listening to those sonatas while taking a hike, without looking at the score. Just study the sound first, the vibes. Then pick out some moments that felt especially moving to you, and study how he did it. Explore: how did he use harmony, melody, and accompaniment to construct something dramatic, something with power and direction? See whether you can build tension gradually over several measures in your music, arrive at a climax, linger there long enough to make it meaningful, and then let the tension resolve. In passages that feel a little directionless, that sense of movement toward and away from a goal could give the music more shape. It might also help to set the piece aside for a month and return to it with fresh ears. Listen for moments that feel flat or seem to lose momentum; those could be good places to experiment with accompaniment, harmonic direction, and dramatic pacing. Even if you decide to leave this piece exactly as it is, you’ve still made real progress in your composition journey. You can carry these ideas into your next sonata and keep exploring how a more expressive left hand and a stronger harmonic arc can bring your music to life. These are just my thoughts, and I appreciate the opportunity to listen. I hope you keep composing! Jonathan

There were 9 entries though🤣😂