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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!

My submission to the Spring Composition Competition - Chamber Music - Young Composers Music Forum

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.

Hello @UncleRed99 ! First of all, I’m (once again) impressed by the “warmth” of the sound in your pieces. Whenever I look at your profile picture and think about your job as a mechanic, I picture you as a tall, muscular man, sweating in the blazing sun, covered in oil, and dragging two heavy tires across the workshop yard. (Haha, I could be completely wrong about that, and it’s really none of my business, so please don’t take it personally…) But this in mind, the contrast with your mellow and somewhat melancholic style is fascinating: you every time capture it with well balanced instrumentation. Looking at the picture of your submission and the title „warmth“, I was first a bit confused, since the autumn valley depicts that the warmth (or even heath) of summer has passed away. Thus, the „warmth“ you mention must come from inside (from the buildings and/or from the people living there). Melodies Themes Motives and Harmony Chords Textures: The piece thrives on its serene harmonies, which are presented in various motifs by all the instruments in a gentle interaction. I particularly liked the modulation in measures 95–97, which captures the listener’s attention. I would have liked to see more moments that break up the otherwise tranquil flow of the harmonies. Form Development Structure Time: The form reminds me of a „theme with variations“ which is fine, but naturally carries the “risk” of a certain repetetiveness. Originality Creativity: Yes, there is no „crazy“ idea, such as a weird instrumentation or an unusual rhythm, but you emphasized your own, personal original style (as initially mentioned). Score Presentation: The score is clear and professional with no issues. Instrumentation Orchestration Playability: Even you have not chosen an „exotic“ orchestration, the sound produced by this traditional ensemble is unique: I love how the mellow piano blends with the string instruments which sometimes have a surprisingly beautiful touch of woodwinds, perhaps like a clarinet. Since the piece avoids complexity and virtuosity, it should be perfect to perform and is thus one of the few submissions that has a chance of being performed live. Execution of Given Challenge: Musically, the piece perfectly captures what you described and depicted in the picture. Taste: It's a piece that's pleasant to listen to and has a calming effect. However, there's a risk that you'll quickly start listening to it only halfheartedly. Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 9.5 9.5 8 7.5 10 10 9 7.5 Average Score: 8.875

You know you can change the title of your work by clicking and holding on the title right?

Just thought I'd insert the place where Alex taught me how to counteract this effect in Musescore!

goodluck

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 9 7 10 9.5 7 5 8 Average Score: 7.8 Review: This is a very creative piece, starting with the painting (which I love) and the concept. I’m not sure the music in particular evokes that for me, but it’s so subjective... It’s true that the piece goes beyond what was supposedly the challenge. The combination of instruments is original. I think the French horn works well in this ensemble because it has such a powerful projection. Although with virtual instruments, it’s sometimes easy to alter how it would actually sound. There’s a strange shift in style, but I like it. It reminds me of a contemporary opera written in a non-tonal language where, suddenly, everything sounds like jazz. The score is very good, though is there a reason why the piano is printed in a larger font? I also have doubts about those multiple stops, even with techniques like con legno.

oh yeah, thats a little better lol

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 10 9.5 10 8 9.5 10 10 9 Average Score: 9.5 Review: In this work, there are many motifs that intertwine to shape the piece and form part of its driving force. The harmony does not seem particularly far removed from tonal conventions, but it does include effective modulations. The turn it takes in bar 96 towards the end is very beautiful. The form is very clear and the sections are well defined, with a contrasting central section that works very well. The arrangement is fairly standard, but the chosen sounds capture the character of the landscape very well. Perhaps the piano, although evocative, sounds a little dark overall. The structure is very clear and the sections are well defined, with a contrasting central section that works very well. The combination is fairly standard, but the chosen sounds evoke the character of the landscape very effectively. Perhaps the piano, although evocative, sounds somewhat muted overall. The score is beautifully presented and I believe the challenge has been met; indeed, amongst the many pieces evoking landscapes, this is one of my favourites.