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You've had plenty of comments and all I can really add is congratulations on this accomplished work, much in keeping with your predilections you described elsewhere. There are times when I turn to music like this that makes metric and developmental sense and it was most enjoyable, light and airy for the most part. Your clear grasp of the instruments and their capabilities shows along with your abilities with accompaniment. The score engraving is clear and easy to read. There were nice touches like an appoggiatura I spotted and the varied articulations that came over well in the rendering. The only thing that failed me was the square fermata. I presumed that was a stylised pause appropriate to the 'period' of the piece. First time I've seen that....must be my sheltered life! Oh, and that the Oboe part, bar 139, was missing it's last note. Perhaps others have mentioned that. Altogether, enjoyable to listen to.

Some very good points, Peter, and thank you indeed for listening and your comments - they're much appreciated because they touch on things I should do more about, like dividing the phrasing into more appropriate meters. And, yes, it needs changes of tempo beyond relying on the duration of the notes. As I said in the intro I was frustrated by poor progress on an orchestral thing and turning to a solo (on an instrument I rarely use) was a blessing. Almost an unblocking because it persuaded me to do another chamber work (as it stands for octet). I feel more 'in touch' with the instruments, the contrapuntal possibilities rather than wafts of sound from the orchestral machine. As this new thing evolves I'll take up your presentation points (and of course if I revisit this oboe solo). Again, thank you for your time. .

Yes, it’s an outline at this stage. I tend to add the other complimenting parts there once the melodic direction and bass have been well defined. That will be the challenge for me here, due to my lacking experience in orchestration. And I note your suggestion for an alternative dance form… I’ll have a think about that.

For sure. I've always imagined this piece as a "second" movement of a regular 3-movement piano concerto, where the second movement is usually much more calmer and in ternary form. Obviously in the usual ternary form, the "B" part is often as calm and singing as the "A" material (not every time though). However, this is just a one movement piano concerto, so I feel like adding some bouncy melodies in the "B" part to add some contrast. Awh you're too kind! Thanks for the feedback and the compliments! I really, really appreciate it.

Great job with this piece! It exhibits what I think is a feature of much great music whether that's video game music or romantic music or jazz - the use of extended chord factors in the melody and harmony. The nostalgia you speak of I think comes partly from those luscious harmonies and rich voicings. There's also some great warm and sometimes bouncy melodies in this that are full of energy and life. I also like how this is not structured like a typical piano concerto at all. I also wrote a piece for piano and orchestra recently - my Variations on "Deck the Halls" - in which I use a similar approach as this piece where the piano very often is the first to expose new material with the orchestra following or joining later or at first only accompanying the piano, which is unusual in a typical double exposition in a concerto sonata form. I also love the moment in the minor mode which is a great contrast to the rest of the piece which isn't as angst-ridden. I had to listen to this piece multiple times to really appreciate how romantic it really is. I think I saw you looking at an old topic one of these days about how rare it is to find good romantic music on this site. Although I think you should be proud that your piece is far from a typical romantic era specimen. It's hard to compose music that is as emotionally affecting as this but you pull it off. Congrats and I will be awaiting your future works and further maturation eagerly. Thanks for sharing! Peter

Great piece! Reminds me in spirit of the Persichetti Parables for different solo instruments. I'm sure you know this already since you mentioned that you might modify the score if you picked this piece up again - but I would frame or couch your motifs in appropriate different meters. This wouldn't significantly change how your piece sounds or anything - just improve how it looks and how it's conceived by the player. Like you very commonly have 16th runs which would work really well written in 3/4 (meas. 14, beat 2 of meas. 22 could be the beginning of a new 3/4 bar, 26, 29, beat 2 of meas. 33 could also be a beginning of a new 3/4 bar, 34, beat 4 of meas. 34 could be the beginning of another 3/4 bar, etc.). But what would really change the way your music is performed and the possible perception of more contrast is tempo changes. Right now you have the whole piece at the same tempo which limits you to coming up with interesting rhythms only within that tempo. Metric modulations could also significantly enrich your sense of rhythm. Those are my thoughts. Thanks for sharing! Peter

Thanks @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu and @Thatguy v2.0 for your kind and encouraging words, I'm glad you like it! This is a fair point. I was attempting to do this with the passage starting at 1:32, but admittedly it is quite short lived. Thanks again for listening!

I feel like... your brain works in the opposite of mine. When I hear your music, I don't immediately know what to say or think. Don't misunderstand, I really like this. I'm fascinated by a lot of things with it. For instance, your decision making seems so different than mine. Where I feel like I lock in to static harmonies and drones subtly moving, your language is so free and colorful. Or how you had a cadence ending on F, and then the theme in the piano starts up again with Gb. Just things I don't think of that you help me to see and hopefully amalgamate into my own style. I really like your language too. Not only am I a fan of your talent and technique, but I like your style. You seem at least somewhat influenced by game music, at least it appears to me. I am too. Do you mind sharing what you were exploring with this piece? As in, were you working with a certain scale/harmony/form/etc.? Or if not, what are some musical tendencies that you have that you feel like are a part of your style? I get the rhythmic choices of your style, but I'm really curious about the harmony and melody. As far as "Romantic", I mean it's obviously oozing with it. You took the romantic flavor and really made something of your own. This is one of my favorites of yours. Thanks for sharing!

Hey there Great work here! It's always refreshing to hear clear cut forms, easily to follow along scores, direction in harmonic language, etc. You know, composer stuff. You should be very proud of this piece, competition success or not. For me your music shows so much thought and care being put into it, and if you keep that up you'll continue to grow into a voice you're destined for. Is this your normal style? Classical style, but maybe a sprinkle of a modern type of cadence here and there? It's very nice, I don't think I've heard much from you but will check out some other works. Do you have any goals with composition? What's next for Markus? Thanks for sharing this, it was fun to listen to all the way through! I'll leave you with some random thoughts: - very nice balance between all of the instruments! - clarinet slurs at m.45 and 46? - the trills sometimes sound off with the software you're using. Maybe try creating invisible 64th notes or whatever to have the playback be more accurate? minor detail - I loved all of the developing of your themes and material, but sometimes it felt like your ideas were too "fleeting". Often you would introduce a cool rhythm or motif, but it wasn't developed further. I just found myself liking certain parts but they were gone too quick - like I said, score looks fantastic - pedal tone sections were very cool, I wish they were expanded!

Hey @Quinn, The use of the motives like that of the fifth and it’s inversion and the rhythms is very apparent throughout the soliloquy which really gives the piece coherence if listened attentively. These motives are very tonal despite without functional harmony, and the music is very logical, and without the functional harmony makes it cool and fitting the world now. I think everyone can write good melodies according to their own gene traits and personalities. Like I think myself am a too emotional person so I can never write a 12 tone melody or atonal melody at all since it’s too logical for me like machine. Many my melody is overly melodramatic too, but that’s why we are unique, since being unique means you have both unique advantage and disadvantage. It’s always stupid to learn to write with just one ideology, especially serialism. They tell you how to write serial music but never why. If you don’t feel the desolation Schoenberg feel you shouldn’t write like him. Or maybe I am the one who is rebellious by deliberately writing in an anti-“creative” way by using all sorts of traditional approach. I hate writing “music” just with the intention of discovering new sounds and timbres since music is never just sounds. Really? I am trying to get away from those formal structure since otherwise Peter will blame me as bastard who never explores new things LoL!! Just kidding! I think I work quite opposite as I always weight coherence with both formal structure and motives, and I freakingly love sonata form haha. It’s just paradigms and you will have to fit the form to every of your narratives by nuancing the form. Thx for sharing your works and working procedure! I really enjoy it. Henry

Am I right to understand, therefore, that your approach to music composition is something of a rebellion against your educational background? It’s certainly of interest to me to hear how each of the wide, eclectic range of composers on here practice and justify their unique art. Admittedly I’m much more traditional in my approach, relying on reliable means to engage an audience but nonetheless not really adding much unique to the repertoire - it’s been done before and I’d be deluding myself to believe I could produce something truly noteworthy deserving a place in the cannon of music. But that’s never been my incentive. I simply love music from the classical and baroque era, and have made it my life work to better understand it. A largely private and personal pursuit, I suppose…