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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.

Hi @Luis Hernández - It is a refreshing and ethereal excerpts - can't wait to listen more from you! I use Dorico too but I haven't tried Cantai - it seems good to me. It comes quite handy as I can make use of the articulation settings of the Noteperformer, and balance the dynamics of the voices with other instrument in the same software with instant replay. It is also more user frinedly to write on the notation software than using DAW especially when you want to write more sophisticated rhythms for the voices.

If you intend to write romantic-styled piece, You may want a good melody to start the piece, like a singable theme which the listener can easily recognize throughout the piece. By good melody, in my humble opinion, should have "up's and down's" and good contrast other parts of the music. There are some horizontal motion but it is rather oblique and it does not stand out much from the accompliment. You may think it as a opera singer singing passionate tunes and interact with the orchestra. I would also expect more chromaticism in both the baseline and the melody. Candences. I would expect a stronger sense of cadences for the phrases in a romantic piece. It is like journey - you need some rest between the beautiful scenaries so you can stay energetic and focused. Your improvisation seems more modern to me as it reminds me of the never-ending minimalistic music with non-diatonic (non-triadic) lines. For the variety part, you may want to try with Change of tempos Change of baseline rhythms Change of scales/ modality ("colour") Change of timbre (high vs low register of the piano) Change of texture (Density of chords)

A revamped and corrected version of a previously published prelude and fugue transposed from F-sharp minor to E minor, originally comprised of two separately uploaded works joined together as neatly as possible. YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMss1kFsid8 Prelude and Fugue in E minor.mp3 Prelude and Fugue in E minor.pdf

I’m very flattered that you gave it such a high score! I’m not very proud of it myself, so I’m pleasantly surprised 😅

Hello there! The Sherphad's Lament Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 10. 10 10 10 9.5 10 9 10 Average Score:9.8 Review: The general score presentation and layout was clean and readable. There were a few collisions errs that were noticeable. With the given forces at play, this can be easily playable. There were no imbalances between strings and the E. Horn. Yes! this piece is creative and original in nature. The given forces create an interesting. There is interesting dovetailing with the strings. The strings provide a rich background and middle ground material while the EH carries the foreground material. This, indeed, creates a rich harmonic palate. What I am not sure about is the form of the piece. It seems to free form. Free form pieces (fantasia, preludes, and etc) tend to flow like a river. They have sections where previous comes back. But that depends, on the style and the composer. Here, I think the intent was to create fluid piece that logically flows from start to finish. The high use of motives was well done. The 6 minute mark is one minute above sweet mark. But that is fine. Overall, this is piece I enjoyed. Yes, it is hard to write something. That is where I am at. I am stuck too.

Haha, thanks! No, her birthday is coming up so she hasn't heard this yet. But I do plan on learning it and playing it for her. Thanks for your review!

Hello all. I had a really hard time figuring out what to do. I had a piece I wrote a while ago about Princess Tuvstarr and Skutt the Elk, where a geological formation called a tarn has an important role, but I decided I need to practice writing things for a deadline, so I needed some new idea. For those that don't know, I am ethnically largely Romanian (though I live in the US), so I settled on some Romanian landscape, and what better than the Carpathian Mountains! In fact, I had a drawing I made a while ago of a Romanian Shepherd (obviously as a furry, if you know me at all) in the mountains playing a Taragot - which sounds like a mix between an English Horn and a Soprano Saxophone. There's an old Romanian tale of a shepherd who lost his sheep, so I wrote this piece following that theme: a shepherd lamenting the loss of his sheep. Please enjoy :) Audio.mp3 Score.pdf

Hey Peter, this is great! The reverb reminds me of Wonderful Christmastime :D Very interesting harmonies, especially the ending. The sections like bars 9-12 threw me off at first with the rhythms, I really like that syncopation. Did you play this for her? Does she like it? Well done buddy! :)

Can't wait to hear all the entries!

Heya! Been a while since I've uploaded on here. I'm currently in the process of completing a stage 2 composition (Year 12) and am experiencing HUGE writers block. My assignment is to replicate the "feeling" of another song. Meaning: use elements from another composer/composition to incorporate into your own composition. I've decided to go down the track of making it Studio Ghibli themed. My main focus being either Totoro or Spirited Away. I know that I'm going to tell a story through my composition, starting calm, and then turning mischievous, thinking about the soot sprites running trouble. Would anyone be willing to give me some feedback/suggestions on the composition moving forward? Anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 😽 Stage 2 Composition NO.2 mp3.mp3 Stage 2 Composition NO.2.pdf

I apologize, I meant to respond to this part of your reply as well. You hit the nail on the head. "Warmth" isn't meant to portray the temperature of the surrounding landscape, rather, the warm feeling of entering the "home" space, or, as others would call it, your "sanctuary", a place of rest, safety, closeness to family... a place where you can be "you" unapologetically, without the judgement of the outside world. That kind of "warmth" :) -Unc

It’s a bit weird you are reviewing @ferrum.wav ’s work but mentioned him as a he rather than a you 🤪

Hello @L.S Barros ! To me, your piece is the one with the most solid musical form and structure, which makes sense, of course, since you chose a piece in the Renaissance or Baroque style; in that era, the musical forms—e.g., melodies, harmonies, voice leading, etc.—came first, before they evoked a specific mood or image—whereas in the Romantic period, it was the other way around. This strength is—on the other hand—also a weakness, since I cannot easily recognize an association between the music and the image it is meant to represent. This might be because I initially associate such a brass ensemble (which reminds me of a German “Posaunenchor”) with Christmas rather than with a serene spring scene. And—since I’ve never been there—I don’t know whether sackbutts are used in traditional Lombardian music. Melodies Themes Motives and Harmony Chords Textures: The piece features simple melodic motifs that harmonize perfectly, giving the dances the character of a chorale. The voice leading sounds harmonious, so I chose not to look for parallel fifths. Form Development Structure Time: You have well done to combine the „Padovana“, a slow, stately processional court dance with its „afterdance“, the „Gagliarda“, which is a fast-paced energetic dance in 3/2 meter with repeated sections (AABBCC). Originality Creativity: You did not invent something new, such as a weird instrumentation or rhythm, but the solidity of the piece makes it unique between all submissions to the contest. Score Presentation: The score is clear and with no issues. It is in concert pitch, e.g. the part of the Soprano cornett has not been transposed, which makes it easier to follow for a reader which is not familiar with transposing. I would have liked to have some articulation and dynamics marks, even if it was not usual in Renaissance or Baroque times. Instrumentation Orchestration Playability: The usage of sackbutts instead of trombones demonstrates the thoroughness with which you have studied the period you wanted to evoke. I think, there are no playability issues. Execution of Given Challenge: The piece really reminds on a scenery from the Renaissance era, corresponding with your image taken from inside an ancient building—or perhaps of other buildings from the same era. Taste: I really like the piece as a solid contrast to the other submissions, which without exception represent “program music.” Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 9 9.5 10 7.5 9 10 7 8 Average Score: 8.75

I didn't know the ship sank

Melodies Themes Motives and Harmony Chords Textures: As inherently for a piece for drums, the motifs are more rhythmically focused, than melodically, although the usage of pitched percussions introduces melodic passages. The textures are well balanced given the piece a natural unfolding. Form Development Structure Time: I couldn't identify any specific traditional form or structure, so I would describe the piece as a series of different scenes, which is perfectly fine as long as the music is designed to illustrate the story you're telling. Originality Creativity: This was your intent to focus on and you have nailed it! You deliberately took the risk of potentially losing points in the other criteria due to this instrumentation, but I consider that a wise decision. Score Presentation: This is a comprehensive score, which makes it difficult to read and follow (I literally can’t scroll fast enough), but the intention to present all voices separately helps the reader follow the details for as long as they like. And although the curly grand staff brackets look a bit strange, they clearly express your intention to group that particular „voices“ together as one instrument. Instrumentation Orchestration Playability: The orchestration is rich and well blended. Concerning the playability, I think you have distributed the playing and resting voices well, so that each of your „drum instruments“ shall be playable by a single player. Execution of Given Challenge: There have been discussions whether or not your piece formally meets the requirements of the contest to have „any combination of 3 – 5 monophonic or polyphonic instruments/voices“. And as there where „a Pierrot ensemble“, a „kazoo trio“ and a „quartet of Tibetan throat singers“ mentioned as examples, I can well understand your creativity to assemble your own five polyphonic drum instruments from all sorts of “sound-producing” objects. So my judgement is therefore that you did not violate the formal criteria of the competition, while being borderline. However, the result you ultimately presented makes me happy to turn a blind eye: You impressively depicted a somewhat mysterious scenery in a wood - which perfectly corresponds with your story. Taste: I enjoyed the piece as a welcome change from the other, more traditional romantic compositions. And since it’s well composed, it holds its own among them. Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 8 6 10 7 9 9.5 7.5 Average Score: 8.0

This is one of my first orchestrations, and I would really like some feedback. "Where did all the time go?" is an emotional, mentally exposing, orchestrated piece meant to connect with everyone. The story behind this piece is to represent how priceless time is and how time flies by so fast, and we sometimes never take the time to enjoy it. It reflects our lives—from our first steps to the defining milestones of maturity. This composition demands total emotional transparency from the performer; the music flourishes only when the performer fully commits to that emotional truth. Throughout the score, recurring motifs serve as a narrative engine, guiding the listener through the distinct and shifting phases of a life well-lived. Where did all the time go

Melodies Themes Motives: The only perceivable motif is the ascending two-tone-repetition, mostly in fifths. Harmony Chords Textures: The texture seems to be more or less „random“. The harmonies fluctuate between simple intervals and unplayable clusters. Form Development Structure Time: I would say, it is in „free form“ since I could not recognize any traditional musical form or structure. Originality Creativity: Yes, it has clearly a kind of „originality“ and „uniqueness“ among all submissions in the contest. Score Presentation: Although a score is provided, it raises more questions than it answers. Which instruments are playing? What key is the piece in? How is a musician supposed to read up to nine ledger lines? Instrumentation Orchestration Playability: Since there is unclear which instrument is actually playing, the playability is hardly judgeable. Some of your „chords“ or clusters seems to be unplayable on every instrument. Execution of Given Challenge: Beside the criticism on the other criteria so far, I’m a bit disappointed that you did not take the contest as seriously as it could be easily done (even with few or no musical skills). The task of the contest was to depict a landscape musically and this subject inherently requires to think about what you want to represent in the piece first. Therefore it is not understandable for me submitting the piece without having a title or idea. And honestly, I do not associate the mood of the piece with „rainy weather“. Rather I think of annoying insects circling around me. Taste: I don't really like music that sounds unnatural, like it's coming from a music box. However, your piece—though annoying—offers an interesting contrast to all the other romantic pieces that might lull you to sleep if you listened to them one after another. Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 3 2 1 8 1 1 5 5 Average Score: 3.25

You'd be close, except, forget "tall" and forget "Muscular" I ain't that purdie 🤣 I'm 5'11", Hairy, and slightly pudgy, with some visible working man's biceps. That's about it, for my appearance. However, I've always thought about the contrast between my Burliness as a hairy mechanic & the sorrowful / meloncholic / emotionally charged theme of my original music scores to be quite humorous, myself 😅 I suppose my music can be percieved as a representation of all the things that I'm unable to say outloud, what with the social stigmas in the USA for Men that place an emphasis on refraining from expressing emotions, verbally, or through crying etc.. Music provides the outlet for some of those emotions that our society deems unacceptable for me to display. Anyhow. Thank you, Wieland, for your kind words and detailed feedback of my piece. As I stated before, I know that it isn't my most complex work... Life kept me from feeling the same desire & inspiration as I have before, while also preventing me from having much free time to actually work on the thing... I feel it could be so much better, but that's the best work I'm able to offer, at this current period of time, on short notice 😮‍💨 Thanks, again! -Unc

oh i was kidding but i didn't know that.