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Fair enough. But Henry did mention "It's a work in four movements". But the way he has time stamped it on the video does indeed suggest it's a single movement. I guess where I was coming from initially regarding the time is that we share music on here mainly for feedback, right? The longer a work, the more onerous that becomes and so that feedback may become more general and less targeted to actual technique. The most detailed feedback I have given people on here relates to relatively simple music composed by beginners. None of this is relevant to Henry's music, here; I am just offering my reflections.

I should also add, though, that articulations and dynamics can make a huge difference. They bring it to life, essentially, and closer to how real musicians may interpret it. I personally love using staccatissimo to create a jaunty/witty attitude

thanks very much! It is actually the museScore4 strings soundest (standard one with the premium package). One must pay the annual subscription to access, of course. But is otherwise extremely good value considering the whole package.

Hello The truth is, it’s very difficult to answer your question based on just one piece. And I wouldn’t attempt to do so anyway, as I’m not a professional qualified to judge something like that. What I can tell you is a bit about this piece. I’m used to listening to 20th-century music because I generally like it a lot. I don’t think this is atonal. It bears a certain resemblance to some works with dense counterpoint and a post-Romantic style, such as Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen, differences aside, of course. I quite like the way it sounds. I also had a look at the piano version you have on YouTube. Although it seems more like a ‘working’ version than a realistic one, because there are things I think are impractical. The sextet version gives me the impression that it sounds a bit too ‘flat’. Although there’s a profusion of written dynamics, you don’t really perceive any great contrasts; perhaps that’s down to the sounds you used. The fact that the texture is very homogeneous throughout also contributes to this. A piece of this sort always seems to be striving for a grand climax.

Hello These two pieces sound fantastic. I really like the contrapuntal style of the first one. It’s also a pleasure to see that the scores are so well-crafted, both in terms of their appearance and the dynamics and accents. Also, the sound library looks brilliant – may I ask which one it is?

Btw, this IS only one movement, and 21 minutes is a perfectly acceptable length for a romantic-style sonata form movement. Not everyone has the attention span of an ipad kid.

Hey Henry! I remember when you originally posted this piece on this site, and at first, I couldn't get past the awful instrument sounds, but I knew there was something great hidden behind those ugly sounds. So, what I did was I opened the score and I opened musescore 3 and I copied it by hand (only got through movement 3). Doing this, as well as listening to the older versions and reading their descriptions, really helped me to understand the structure of the piece, and its philosophical journey. And the piece is really masterfully conceived, especially structurally. Now there were issues with it, in particular, being a tonal piece, it had some counterpoint issues, and the instrument parts weren't written the most idiomatically either, but these issues you addressed in this revision. And this revision has its improvements, but... I fear it comes from an idea that the original was somehow lacking or "not good enough." I'm going to be honest; I still very much prefer the original version. I listened to the revision a few times now, and some of it just kind of disappoints me. I felt like the modulation into the second theme being shortened wasn't a necessary change and now feels abrupt to me. I thought the dissonance at m. 344 was really interesting without feeling out of place, and that was removed. What really disappointed me was the change you made to the retransition; why remove the dominant pedal for the beginning of the retransition and what is with that awkward clarinet note on 384? IMO it completely ruins the great momentum it had before. I'm also pretty confused why you notated many of the grace notes like this? Was it to fight the playback? It just really looks weird, and you're not consistent with it either, as you sometimes DO use actual grace notes. That being said, there are definitely some things I like. For example, adding pizzicato accompaniment to the cello solo in the exposition's transition was a good move, and I LOVE the additional chromatic lines at the end of the second theme. It's also good that you kept breath in mind for the clarinet and bowing for the strings this time. And overall, the counterpoint was improved (think it could still be better though U.U). I really do love this piece of yours, more than your sextet even, and I think you should be happier with it overall. Some composers here have criticized this movement for having too many ideas, being too long, etc. but I really think that they're just approaching this piece wrong. The piece is a philosophical journey, from point A to point B, and all the steps that you take are necessary for it to be as effective as it is. This movement in particular is tragic--it introduces several ideas and breaks them down. The second theme is derailed, the beautiful climax in the middle is derailed, and the surprising return of the second theme is derailed and corrupted. It's really effective, and really powerful and moving. You're like Mahler but for chamber music lol. I hope you appreciate my praise lol. And understand my issues with the revision may just be my own bias from having studied and loved this piece for so long. Seeing as the middle 2 movements, while also AWESOME, were imo the least polished, I look forward to seeing how you revise those :)

At first you can hear the opening bars, but then it does seem to veer off in unconventional directions within the classical fugues. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

★𝑪𝒐𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒂 - 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒘 | V.I.P SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COPACABANA.mid COPACOBANA - Barry Manilow V.I.P ORCHESTRA Arrangement.mp3 COPACABANA-Score_and_Parts.pdf

The sheet music would help see what is actually happening. With respect it does not sound like a fugue, at least in how I understand how fugues work.

Of course, I didn’t mean it quite that literally 😅 Form and knowledge of music theory are obviously important, I just meant to say that the form I incorporate into my compositions isn’t always immediately apparent 🙂

Thanks for sharing. That is an interesting approach that most likely gives you considerable expressive freedom. Although I would caution against interpreting traditional harmony/voice leading as "strict academic exercise" - like something detached from the real world. If anything, those traditions emerged fundamentally around what sound we perceive as being pleasant and unpleasant. For composers of the common practice period, this became an natural language of sort; but today, you're right, it may seem an academic pursuit to write in a way that revives past traditions.

Hello, thank you for listening, I really appreciate it! I view music as something living and fluid, much like flowing water. Even when the structure is crafted beneath the surface, I prefer the form to avoid feeling obvious or rigid upon first listen. My approach, therefore, focuses less on strict harmonic formulas and more on movement, texture, color, and the natural evolution of musical ideas. While traditional harmony and voice leading remain important to me, I treat them organically and flexibly rather than as strict academic exercises.

This is a great idea. I like what you have done, too. Personally I would use less pizzicato as its use in Mozart's time is more restrained.

Thanks. What is your theoretical approach to composition? Do you think in chords, voice leading, traditional harmony etc?

With respect, your reply reads like something generated by AI. And I really wouldn't be surprised if the music was in fact AI generated. It asks a good question, though: "Is it objectively correct that the piece is problematic because it sounds like a continuous mass of dense, abrasive chords without a clear melody?" I did not suggest that my position was objective. I made it clear that I was coming from a perspective influenced by personal taste and training. The atonal and textual messiness without clear direction or distinct character in this work is unlikely to become more than an intellectual curiosity that only you can only possibly understand. This is not objectively problematic, but when you consider the taste of your audience, it can become so if it does not align with broader aesthetic taste. A composer that does not need to care about that is surely privileged but not of much value to the experience of others. And this inadvertently circles back to your question: "[are] my composition skills are strong enough to work professionally as a composer for instrumental music". In the professional landscape, you will need to compose in accordance with other people's vision.

Very interesting stuff! I don't often hear people having a crack at renaissance music. I'd be interested to hear where you learned this art. I liked it a lot!

Nice ideas Henry! Nicely lyrical. I do find your voice leading strategies at times in need of work, particularly in the bass. But I recognize that your conceptual approach may ultimately differ from mine. I would suggest that for such long works, that you post each movement separately. It could improve your engagement with the piece overall, as most people I don't expect to watch beyond 5 minutes.

This piece is dedicated to the veterans, and to the countries that offered their support, who extended a helping hand to Korea during times of hardship—particularly the United States, as well as nations that provided assistance through the United Nations and NATO. The work was composed as an expression of gratitude for their sacrifice and support. Many listeners have mentioned that the piece comes across as a continuous mass of dense, abrasive chords without a clear melody, and that they find this difficult to engage with. I understand this reaction and recognize that such a texture can be challenging for some audiences. From my perspective, however, the absence of a single, dominant melodic line was an intentional compositional choice, rooted in the conceptual framework of the work. That said, I am open to the possibility that this decision may still present musical issues that I have overlooked. I would therefore appreciate your perspective on whether the perceived density and lack of a clear melody pose structural or expressive problems within the piece, independent of individual stylistic preference. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts. Thank you very much for your advice. Many of the people around me are not confident in their ability to judge music, so I truly needed the perspective of someone with a well-trained ear.

Thank you.

This is actually quite beautiful. Reminds me of ambient video game music - running through the valleys of Cyrodil slaying goblins and fighting back the hordes of the overlord.

Good day, I had a listen to your work. It would really help providing info on your inspiration, intentions etc. Evidently - at least from the title - this is program music. What is everlasting Hegemony? Regarding the music itself, it is of a medium that I do not understand and as such I am in no position to judge its quality. That said, from the perspective of my personal medium (tonal music/common practice) I struggle to hear anything memorable. The music sounds like a continuous mass of crunchy chords without much pause at all or distant melody. This is a problem for me at least. I prefer art with clarity and a relatable structure.

Hi all, A professional string quartet is visiting my home island and are wonderfully taking compositions from local artists to perform. It is such a rare opportunity for me, as someone who has never had my work performed in public. For this I adapted several pieces I have composed over the years for string quartet and to which I have made extensive revisions. Overall I am pleased with the music. One interesting thing I have been doing recently is utilizing AI to provide perspectives around the rule based system on which tonal music rests. I recognize that some of my understanding around certain rules could benefit from more flexibility and AI can really challenge my thinking. Although where it is terrible is in actual advice on voice leading in practice. For example, if you give it a passage to harmonize - even with a well crafted prompt with necessary context - it will often fail. I hope you all find the pieces enjoyable and please feel free to provide any comments as usual. A bit of baroque Fun!.mp3Staccatisimo.mp3A bit of baroque Fun!.pdfStaccatisimo.pdf

No worries， learning and exploring are already an important part of composing 😊 I hope you’ll keep the project in mind for the future.

I’d like to ask whether my composition skills are strong enough to work professionally as a composer for instrumental music. I don’t know how to use a DAW at all, so please exclude DAW-related skills from the evaluation criteria. I originally worked in manufacturing, but due to a lack of overall cognitive ability, I can no longer continue that work, so I’m trying to make money by composing instrumental music