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Hi @ComposedBySam, Congrats on the 1st place finish of the Dreamscape competition! Your piece well deserves it as it's so captivating and well-fit to the theme of the competition. Maybe for what @Samuel_vangogh has said for the transition "problem" I have given you a slightly less high mark of 8 for the criteria of Form/Development, and other than this and some slight scoring issues there is really nothing to complain and just enjoy the music very much! Henry

Heyo new work just dropped. I've put everything surrounding this piece into the pdf score, or you can just read it in the video description. Which btw, I've finally made my first score scrolling (there's not even scrolling its just a slide show) video! This score took me ages to polish and I'm so happy of how it looked! I know it's not the most interesting work texturally, but thematically I think it's fine. And since this work borrowed themes from somewhere else, I've decided to link the original music down below so you can check out the original music and listen to what I've borrowed, I guess. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPa8bPqQfmo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z34enKCqRGk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5vG4Be1Ci8

Amazing performance Henry! This has such a funk that I had on repeat while cleaning my house. Simple yet perfect execution of rhythm.

So, the purpose of the transition at B.99 is to contrast B.107. I needed a breather after the rich texture to prepare for a heavy contrapuntal section at B.107, though I definitely could've slowed the rhythm before B.99 for a smooth transition. The abruptness of the transition here, at least for me, works because I've imagined it like an abrupt time-stop event to gently move to the Lento Affectuoso section for a reflection. But then again, I could've done it better for a smoother effect. Totally agree. Kinda added in that octave sign to fit the score, but it does look awkward lol Working on it right now, will probably post it tomorrow maybe (it's currently 1 AM), let's hope procrastination won't take over my body lol Thanks for the review!!!

Look at you, Henry. YC's greatest and most prolific reviewer, AND one of the most extraordinary and knowledgeable composers on our site. This place would be a ghost town without you, and your kindness and hard work helping us brainstorm and build this community has been instrumental. You're the new lifeblood of YC, and you've helped me stick around when I've felt like I've been surrounded by a sea of people only here to promote themselves. Im very happy you stumbled into this dusty corner of the internet, as I never knew a friendship could have been made on an old school forum website with someone half a world away. 💋

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu Hello! I greatly appreciate your feedback! This piece is definitely still a work in progress. Just sharing the process as it goes. I have no formal training in composing, and have mostly learned what I know from teaching myself and immersing in other orchestral works. (Did play cello for a while though. And my father has always been music oriented.) So, any advice is greatly appreciated toward making the piece feel more lively and building up that skill! I will certainly work on breaking up those repetitious sections and adding some variations instead of direct quotes. Try to change the feelings of the piece throughout to keep it more engaging. Thanks for listening and taking the time to comment! Looking forward to more conversations, Layne

Hi @Ferrum, Sorry for a late reply! The first section is indeed very coherent with the motives and themes often used. I love the Allegro Vivace section! I feel like it's more free flowing here with some jazzy elements here. B.99 seems a little bit abrupt for me to reintroduce the opening theme after a very rich texture. The modulation to B major in b.123 is beautiful, but I feel like the transition to it is again a little bit abrupt, and I feel like the octave sign in b.124 is not required. I enjoy the lento affeutoso section very much with the thick texture like late Chopin. Very nice counterpoint of different themes at the end! And the ending is very satisfying. Would you provide the analysis of different sections of the Sonata for us?😜 I feel like the materials in different sections are related but do not analyze them thoroughly. (due to laziness!) Thx for sharing!! Henry

Hello @Layne, I think it should be called a piece rather than a song! I think the transition to the indefinite percussion part in 1:14 is quite abrupt, since melodies suddenly disappear there, even if it act as the introductory passage of the brass passage. I feel like the music is not moving much due to the homogeneity of the texture, rhythm and tempo. It can be hard for audience to maintain the concentration with similar mood throughout the 6 minutes of the piece! I can hear the motives of the music which provides good coherence, but they are rather literally quoted in their entirety rather than developed in the piece, as they are repeated separately in different unrelated sections which is only linked by time. Thx for sharing! I am sorry for providing a nitpicky review here but I am sure I do not say them with malignancy. Henry

new piano piece, also with the score for once- pretty bad performance, if someone wants to play this feel free. also let me know if any images come to mind when you hear this, I titled it reverie just cause I needed a title, but I didn't actually have anything in mind when writing this. enjoy ^_^

Hi @jejrekmek, I enjoy this piece very much and your playing is for sure not bad at all! (other than b.85 ) This is for sure a very beautiful piece! I kind of agree with Luis's observation here. The transitions he mentioned and the transition to b.56 sounds abrupt to me too, but it grows smoother in the latter half of the piece, like the one in b.101 works well for me with more reasonable mood change there. I always think the transition is the hardest part to compose in order to make the piece smooth and reasonable, and it can ruin a piece when the transition is not good. Luckily this is certainly not the case here! Thx for sharing! Henry

Hello everyone, This is my "Dreamscapes" competition submission that I'm now making known to all. I would love to hear feedback from the forum as a whole. Thank you!(: https://youtu.be/P7cD8s_QRgA?si=AlAw8_qzrOCpsDjy

I joined this forum about 2 years ago back when I had just started composing and was just learning the basics. I can certainly say for a fact that the feedbacks I got from so many kind, talented and passionate composers like yourself Henry, are what really kept me going each time I felt I was not good enough. It is for wonderful personalities like yourself that I could gather the courage to not only express myself but to improve each time I got a feedback. All I can say is that I am very happy and I am very very thankful to everyone in this forum for making this a kind, accepting and an enthusiastic community 🙂

Hello Ivan! I know I would love to hear an orchestral piece from you, if you feel you're ready for it! Henry is right though. Greatness can't be rushed. 😊 And yeah, this post introduced me as well to a lot of lovely new pieces.

Last but not least, pieces for solo keyboard! I will put 15 pieces here since there are many great ones on the forum this year: 1. @Thatguy v2.0’s 12 Preludes I really like how Vince achieves different styles in his 12 preludes. I have only included the link of no.1 here, but make sure check them all out! (Especially ones that are played by me LoL!) 2. @Antonio Alvarado-Genie's Rusted Box in Wasteland This one hangs on in my mind for a long time with how honest and crafty this one is! 3. @jejrekmek's Snowfall (Vignettes) It's hard to decide which one from him is my favourite. They are all simply sublime and sentimental at the same time! 4. @Ferrum’s Variations on Alula's Theme | From the game OneShot This is an absolutely amazing set of piano variation with 25 variations! 5. @Carl Koh Wei Hao’s Etude in C sharp minor Carl has many amazing piano piece but I choose this one since this one is absolutely pianistic and expressive at the same time! 6. @gaspard's French Suite (played on clavichord) It's hard you see a clavichord piece featured here! Nice playing and a special one. 7. @muchen_'s Keyboard Suite in F major (updated version) This one is just a comprehensive display of Baroque Suite prowess, with all kinds of dance and especially a gigue featuring the "Row, row, row your Boat" melody! 8. @Claudio Camacho's 2 poèmes i include only the first one here but you should listen to both! Very sensitive writing and playing! 9. @JWNewton's Ballade in F minor - for the piano This one is a great display of romantic piano writing! Very chopinistic here. 10. @Omicronrg9's Nocturnes I cannot choose which one is my favourite, since all of Daniel's nocturnes are unique. His dark but chic style is so distinctive! I choose this one simply because this is the one I comment on first! 11. @Ivan1791's Eternal Dream This one is simply my favourite from him, in his sensitive and dreamy benighted style! Also listen to this! 12. @ComposedBySam's Nocturne, Op.1 Nr.2 All things from Sam is ultra-expressive, but this one is simply sublime and I'm speechless... 13. @Eickso's Where Light Doesn't Shine Such a dark one, and combined with aleatoric technique it really displays something Buddhist. 14. @The Turtle's Poetry Even though I have yet to comment on this, I have listened to it and know how good this is! 15. @veps's 5 Textures I just include the no.1 here. But all are great impressionistic pieces! Now I have finished my year review! Thank you all are sharing your music here, and even more so with members who share their thoughts and views with other members! P.S. Remember to watch Mike's Premiere for the result announcement of the Dreamscapes Competition! Henry

I think it is a very valuable piece. But I think it has a lot of parts of very different texture where there is no transition. I was talking about this recently, and why I think it's important. For example, at the beginning, it's already noticeable. The transition to measure 23 has a very big change of texture, apart from the fact that the accompaniment becomes arpeggiated, and it's sudden. The change to measure 31 is also quite shocking because of the chromaticism and density. I don't know, many times we think that these abrupt changes make contrasts and so on. And it can be, but they can also be perceived as something "not right", even if each element or section is very good.

Wow, what an amazing composition, I love how all of this five pieces fit together to narrate a story I love how the prelude has some impressionist vibes, it sounds similar to Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit or the fourth Scriabin sonata, I also love the fact that it is even more energetic with the time, with a very good climax near the end, like the ravel’s bolero (always growing sound in a long crescendo) The Lament has a very good atmospheric and disperse sound, it is very introspective and it personally reminded me of Debussy The dream-like vibes of the nocturne are great and it is a wonderful piece to to listen to with such a good Harmony Same thing to say about the scherzo, but in this case that dream like harmonies sections are contrasted with more toy-like sections which flow so smoothly into each other, this toy-like sections give a sense of being aware of reality too, not only dreaming, and how that contrast combines in the final angry climax, reminds me of Ondina from gaspard de la nuit And the final postlude is the most sublime way to continue after such a devastating climax, (reminds me somehow of le gibet from gaspard de la nuit), keeping a repetitive motif * throughout the piece like if it is a thought haunting you and you cannot get rid of that thought, it is very minimalist and reminds me of Satie, but I think it would be more effective if it was shorter *and recapitulating the way the piece started in the end, that is so good I love the recording, it is played with such a passion and emotion I saw in your profile and it makes sense your favourite composer is ravel, you sound like him (I try to sound like Rachmaninov, but my compositions sound more like a bad copy of Liszt lacking of virtuosity 😞) Thank you for uploading this great content, I hope you upload more of your pieces

I think "theme writing" is probably one of the hardest elements of music composition. Tchaikovsky was a master of this. Chopin was incredible as well (just listen to any one of his Ballades). Want to go more modern? Just listen to John Williams. As Carl said, improvisation is definitely key. It's how I compose my own music. But coming up with something that can be whistled or hummed is the way to go for good thematic writing. Want to go more obscure? Listen to Bortkiewicz's Piano Concerto 1. I give you an obscure example because it proves to you that even unknown composers like this Ukrainian composer has what it takes to write themes that rival the greats. And the trick is...all great themes can be sung, or whistled to. That piano concerto 1 has two main themes that you can hum to in the first movement. My homework for you is to pick them out. Listen very carefully to the first movement. And learn from Bortkiewicz's techniques.