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Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 6 8 4 9 9 8 4 Average 6.9 Not poorly written per se, but I really just don't like this style. It's sentimental, but like in a shallow way. Thank you for sharing!

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 7 5 6 8 10 9 8 Average 7.5 Overall a well written piece. The main issue was the structure felt meandering and didn't have much direction to me. The string chords and arco/pizz changes are completely fine, so I gave you a ten there to counter-balance those who said it wasn't good instrument writing lol. Overall, good job!

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 8 9 8 10 10 9 7 7 Average 8.5 This was really well written piece and the score is beautiful. And I say this despite it not quite being to my taste. Your talent is very much recognized and appreciated

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 4 4 4 2 6 3 2 GoT Disqualified because string orchestra is not a 5 instrument ensemble. Otherwise average is 3.6 A sunset isn't a landscape, and the piece didn't really convey a sunset to me anyway. Sounded just like Game of Thrones. As a constructive note, Violas have only four strings and can't play a sextuple stop.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 2 4 1 3 5 N/A 0 1 Disqualified, but otherwise average is 2.3 It really doesn't do what it's trying to very effectively. Nothing fugal about it.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 Average 0.9 Sorry, this just wasn't really anything. Sounds like you pressed random notes on a midi keyboard and not much more.

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 7 5 3 6 7 8 9 Average 7.4 Brought me back to old fantasy games! But overall, not much going on, and because it just kinda sounded like old fantasy game soundtrack, I wouldn't say it's particularly original. But I liked the nostalgic trip, so thanks for that

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste N/A 7.5 8 9 1 5.5 7.5 7 Average 6.5 The piece was pretty fun, fairly simple too, and it sounds like good percussion music, but it seems like you maybe are more familiar with large percussion sections in bands rather than percussion ensembles, because I would NEVER write out so many staves for a single percussionist. And the amount of instruments each player has would be a pain to set up effectively in a concert hall. But again, the piece was enjoyable to listen to, and the idea of only percussion is fairly unique compared with other submissions

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste N/A 9 4 8 8 10 8 8 Average 7.9 Good sound, very good string writing! I suspect you play a string instrument? Overall nice quality and conveyed the landscape well, but structurally, nothing really happened. There was no direction except the beginning really. Kind of meandered. Overall though, I enjoyed the piece

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 8 5.5 1 7 10 8.5 6 Average 6.6 Not much going on motivically (not a bad thing) but the few that are present work well for the style, and I quite enjoy renaissance harmony. But I can't say it's original at all. Sounds like any other renaissance brass piece. The score is ok, be sure to put fermatas in all voices at the end. Not very well versed in the instrumentation, so I'll assume it's perfect, and the style and instrumentation certainly evokes the landscape. Good job overall.

No Jeremy Soule yet? 😬

I wish you luck in the competition

Hi, I'm back yet again, with the 3rd movement of Frank Bridge's "The Hour Glass". It's a crazy work for piano, and not at all easy to orchestrate. I think my filigree passages in the woodwind may be unrealistic in terms of coordination? Also, MuseScore is telling me the vibraphone and marimba parts are straying into "expert" territory, which I guess means you need extra large instruments with additional tone-bars? N.B. The score is an early draft designed for midi only: so will need a lot of adjustments for a real orchestra. Anyhow, hope you enjoy! Frank Bridge - The Midnight Tide #35.mp3 Frank Bridge - The Midnight Tide #35.pdf

Thanks, I had fun orchestrating it!

Yes Good-Luck to all the Contestants.............................Although i think i know who's gonna Win it.

Not to be taken Seriously..................But the Music is Nice. DISASTER.mid DISASTER PARODY by MAVELL.pdf DISASTER PARODY by MAVELL.mp3

Cabbage Caven (Area 3) - Kirby & The Amazing Mirror:

Tidal Tempest Past - Sonic the Hedgehog CD music extended:

What @HoYin Cheung is essentially correct about 19th century period music (romantic period music). Phrases became more irregular and uneven. This means that a four-bar measure gave way into themes were longer. Now, you would still this structure pop up. Dvorak used the period form in second movement of the new world symphony! Harmony: While the 19th century composers still used the same harmony as others, they were more chromatic! Cadences: delay resolutions.... if you have I64 the next chord should not be V but maybe something else... I64 ii6/V V7 I? See what I did there. You would expect I64 to lead to V then resolve to I. But I delay it. I64-bII6-V7-I Beethoven loves to delay the immidate resolution of Cad 64!

Good luck to all those who participated.

Unfortunately, your entry—like two others submitted —did not meet the competition’s requirements, as the piece was apparently composed for a larger ensemble than the specified maximum of five instruments: In the accompanying string parts, you notated “chords” that could not be played by a single performer and therefore marked them as “divisi.” Given this, this may not be an unintentional mistake, but rather a more or less „relaxation“ of the rules on your own behalf. Please excuse me for pointing this out right at the beginning, but it puts me, as a reviewer, in the uncomfortable position of having to break the rules myself, too, if I give you a review taking all (other) criteria into consideration and do not skip your piece due to disqualification. Melodies Themes Motives and Harmony Chords Textures: There is a distinctive melody which appears throughout the entire piece and makes it therefore memorable. However, I would have liked more development in the melody and more modulation in the harmonies to avoid that the piece gets its repetitive character. Form Development Structure Time: The piece has an ABA-Form where the B-part can be considered as a variation of the development of the theme in the A-part. Originality Creativity: Despite the somewhat repetitive nature of the piece, the memorable melody allows you to achieve a sense of originality that sets it apart from other similar submissions depicting a quiet scene. Score Presentation: As already mentioned by the other reviewers, the score is not easy to read due to the crossing of parts, the unusual notation for rests, and the octave brackets. From an aesthetic perspective, the measures could have been better distributed across the pages (for example, measures 30–32), and I do not understand the purpose of the final measure 158, in which there is only a rest in the violin part. Instrumentation Orchestration Playability: The solo viola and the accompanying string quartet are a good combination for achieving the piece’s solemn mood. Perhaps the solo viola could have a more expressive timbre to stand out better from the accompaniment. As for playability, the “chords” cannot be played by individual instruments, which leads to the main point of criticism mentioned above. Execution of Given Challenge: Considering that the piece really depicts the tranquil atmosphere of a sunset (unfortunately you haven’t posted an image which inspired you), you have executed the challenge of the contest well. Sadly, it does not meet the formal requirements of the contest. Taste: It's nice to listen to in the background, but the monotony makes it easy to lose focus. Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 8 8 8 7 5 5 7 7 Average Score: 6.875

First, thank you so much for providing the score. This me and the other to help you grow as writer. Score layout: You have 3 voices (strings) and the piano. In this context, the score order would be Violin, Viola, and Cello. That would be equivalent to Soprano, Alto, and tenor (or bass). The Piano is then below the 3 voices. Instrumentation, Orchestration: You do not have writing in the bowing markings. In the cello part, with stead quarter, you have two options: 1) you simple that to whole note or 2) use slur with staccato. Also, please remember to use dynamics! Where there is more activity, you phrase it according. You can have a group 16th notes under one bow. Bach did this! I am not sure about the 32 notes and the double stops you used. "Take a breath" is odd thing to tell string to do. Engraving: The amount of rest in b.1 should reflect the meter! The piano part is hard to read with rolled chords (I would recommend re voicing them..) on b22, on the last beat, please simplify the two-16th rest to one 8th rest. Overall, this is great start. This has potential. General recommendation would to be is to score study. :) Kvothe

The competition is now closed to further entries! To vote in the popular voting polls go here (they will be open until Tuesday, June 9th):

The competition is now closed to further entries! To vote in the popular voting polls go here (they are open until Tuesday, June 9th):

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 8 10 8 9.5 9.5 9 9 8 Average Score: 8.8 Review: This piece features a rich variety of motifs that also capture the pastoral mood. The textures are excellent, in my view, with sections where certain instruments fall silent (which I find an interesting way to thicken and thin out the textures and create contrasts), and there are many contrapuntal passages. At the same time, the lines are crafted with relative simplicity, without resorting to technically demanding or uncertain passages. I think it is an excellent approach to stick to what one knows is possible and make the most of it. The sections are distinct, but I also feel the overall impression is quite free. The score is very well presented. Although it is implied, given that the English horn is a transposing instrument, it might be worth mentioning that it is in concert pitch. There is one section which, I think, could be handled differently. Between bars 49 and 56, an attempt is made to create a climax leading into a new section and the entry of the English horn. However, I do not find this entirely effective as it relies on a ‘crescendo’ increase in volume; it would It is also worth mentioning that the English horn is pushed to its limits in the high register (I seem to recall a C5). However, the lower register does not appear to be explored, which is precisely where a standard oboe cannot reach.