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Getting back into composition from a long hiatus, I decided to orchestrate a piano piece by Claude Debussy. The piece is a movement from his piano suite Estampes titled La Soireé dans Granade (Evening in Granada). I'm still not too familiar with Debussy's piano music as a whole, but this suite definitely piqued my interest in that genre. I wasn't aware at the time, but several high profiled figures have orchestrated this movement (and other movements of the suite), and I did avoid listening to them so I don't copy them. Link to the original piano composition: The audio quality is a little meh...this is the last piece I wrote before I switched out of Finale/Garritan to Dorico/NotePerformer. Any feedback is appreciated!

Hi! This Violin Sonata is commissioned by and dedicated to my friend Arjuna Clark @expert21. He had asked me long ago to write a Violin Sonata for him, but I only managed to start the work after finishing my own String Sextet and 3rd Piano Sonata. Luckily this one is completed before his birthday this year for a timely birthday present. As always, thank to @Thatguy v2.0 for making the audio. The whole work's tonic key B flat major, key scheme and styles of the movements are chosen by Arjuna himself. The work also featured the "ARJUNA" motive in all the movements, suggested by Arjuna himself: A=A, R=Re=C, J=G, U=Une=Bb, N=rest, A=A. The style here in this movement is a waltz style which I have never tried before but I know Arjuna loves it. I have toned down the playing difficulty for both the violinists and pianists, as I wish I can play with Arjuna with a live recording later. What I want to achieve in this Violin Sonata is simplicity and beautiful violin singing, since I didn't give much chance for the strings to sing in the String Sextet I just completed then, and my music is usually too complex. I hope I can write something simpler and lovely. The thumbnail is an ugly self-made birthday card I made to Arjuna LoL! Forgive my bad artwork haha. Here is the score and YT link for the music: Violin Sonata in B-flat major 1st mov.pdf Here is the timestamp for the video: 0:00 Dedication 0:06 Exposition, First Subject. Introduces the ARJUNA motive. 0:24 starts the transition with inversion of ARJUNA motive in piano, sounds a lot like Beethoven's op.110 Sonata. Modulate unexpectedly to D major in 2nd subject. 0:56 Exposition, Second Subject. Uses mainly the inversion of ARJUNA motive in D major. Ends with some pentatonicism as inspired by my own Sextet, just finish days ago before writing this one. 1:58 Exposition Repeat. A rare thing for me to repeat expositions but I find it adequate doing so here. 3:47 Development. Prime and Retrograde of ARJUNA motive in G minor first, then develop on the 2nd subject through G minor, B flat minor and to E major. Force a beautiful C sharp minor climax in 4:32, since it's my favourite key. Return to tonic key through major 3rd relationship. 4:58 Recapitulation, First Subject. Have the recap sneaks in in a Brahmsian fashion (again!). 5:16 starts the transition, this time includes a quotation from my own String Sextet in 5:33 in G flat major to fit the key scheme. 5:43 Recapitulation, Second Subject. Normal recap in tonic key, nothing changed. 6:37 Coda. Restatement of ARJUNA motive in its prime form, nothing complex here. Hope you enjoy! Henry

Hi @Chemathmusician0510, I agree with @danishali903, the piano shouldn’t just repeat what the strings are playing, but instead have its own part. I wouldn’t go as far as calling the music basic since I think it does display some good chamber music part writing and counterpoint, but I may add more interaction between the instruments and allow other instruments to play the melodic role as well. The piece sounds quite Baroque for me even with those dissonance, because of the drive of the outer sections and the Trio sonata slow movement like middle section. Thx for sharing! Henry

Firstly, I think the audio rendering doesn't do this piece justice. Everything sounds too muddy, and I can barely hear the 2nd violin and viola parts coming through. As to the String Quartet vs Piano Quintet, I don't see the value of having a piano added since it seems to be doubling what's going on in the strings. Leaving this as a string quartet piece would be more logical. Your string writing isn't bad...but it's very "basic". Each instrument/part seems to have a pre-defined range, and the music rarely goes in and out of that range. Maybe throw the melody to the cellist in its higher ranges, or have the viola play something other than this accompaniment role: I also think the transition to the trio section (somewhere around bars 80-82) can be a little more developed, as the trio (bar 83) is VERY different from what came before....just a bit jarring. It might work better, and be a little more interesting, to have that section in a major key. Otherwise, a bit more counterpoint material can help as well. It just sounds very homophonic at the moment. Last comment: The outer sections could use dynamic and phrasing marks.

I am also working on a set of variations and mash-ups on themes not written by me (from a famous videogame). I am using so many themes at once that I am also feeling unmotivated lately to work on it. It seems like one of those never-ending snowballing out of control projects. I hope that I'll finish at least one part of it. I think because of my ginormous orchestral project, the next thing I'll want to write is a piece for 1 monophonic solo instrument accompanied by 1 polyphonic instrument (like the Dreamscapes contest rules). It would be a nice change of pace. And if I manage to write something "dreamy" then it will be all the more interesting. Besides that I was thinking of writing my own variations of more of the themes from the "Bits to Bangers" competition, since I already did the "Harvest Moon" Piano Quintet. I think I majorly prefer working on previously written video game themes, and if not that, then I prefer for my own music to retain a VGM style or media purpose to it somehow.

Am working on an Orchestral Variation on @PeterthePapercomPoser's themes. That's going to be my first orchestral piece and also first variation piece. One third of it has been finished but recently just sort oflosing the motivation a bit. I wanna write 2 serial piano pieces, and my life time goal would be to write a Choral Symphony using Chinese Poet's Du Fu's poems. Maybe I feel too tired working on many music these few months. Finishing a Piano Sonata, my dream the String Sextet which I feel so grateful to have finished, a Violin Sonata and a few piano pieces, maybe it's time for me to slow my pace down and absorb more music again. Henry

Would the title Sonata for violin and piano be more appropriate? We say violin sonatas informally, but the compositional weights seems balanced at least to a certain extent imo

A very light, and elegant Mozart / Beethoven-esqe influenced piece. But now that I listened to this more closely a second time, this sounds more Beethoven. I noticed you kept things a lot more simplistic with this composition. The simplicity makes it easier to follow the story. For example, I noticed you referenced your sextet's pentatonic themes in a few places too which was a nice touch, particularly here: 1:38 3:28 5:27 6:27 Your key changes from the major to parallel minor also made me think a lot of Beethoven's key changing style. For example, at 1:07, this is a prime an example of some key changing techniques I hear in Beethoven's concertos. I loved 3:40 - to 3:53. This was a section that could have been used to segue into a completely different theme. But I suppose you didn't want to venture too far off from the main theme of this piece. Either way, great piece, fun traditional classical harmony and nice references to your sextet.

Hi @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! I really love this sonata! In this particular movement, the ARJUNA theme brings to mind for me the Nimrod movement from Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations. Funny how both this work and Elgar's were written for friends! Very cool that you dedicated so much time and effort for a birthday gift to an internet friend half a world away from you! I really like the very classical-yet-romantic leaning graceful music that isn't too waltzy. I think I like this work because it's not too Beethovenian - I hear more of your own individual voice coming through in this and I also find it more joyful and entertaining for the same reason. It's also amazing how much this was prompted by Arjuna! Thanks for sharing!

Hi 🙂 Here's the third and last movement of my first complete string quartet. It's a moderato which starts quietly in the main D Major tone, before modulating in its first theme to a strong A Major viola-leaded melody. Then both main themes from the first and second movements are sequentially reexposed. Follows a happy interlude in D major. Whereafter first theme comes back and developments bring us slightly as a conclusion to the final exposure of the principal theme of this string quartet (the one from the adagio), first hinted at in the background by the viola. Thanks for listening ! 🙂 Regards, Marc

Hello @famedstingray59, Welcome to the forum! What is the film featured in your music? I quite like the a bit post tonal sytle for the unsettling mood plus a pretty satisfying end, though still with some dissonances lingering. Thx for joining our forum and sharing! Henry

What are you working on at the moment? What do you still want to compose?

Hello everybody, this is my first post here. I've mostly composed and released solo piano music (recorded myself) so far, with the exception of two symphonies - last of which I finished in 2020. I've now composed a piano concerto with Sibelius 7.5 and Noteperformer 4. It's been five years since I produced anything orchestral so I am sure it will come off as rather clumsy in the orchestration (I am self-taught), and I am also aware that the piano part itself is not as virtuosistic as the form would require it (especially in the first movement). The ensemble itself is not large (strings, trombones, flute, clarinet and bassoon, and timpans, besides the soloist). I don't think I have much else to say. I would like to hear some of your opinions. You can ask me anything and I will answer as far as my knowledge of the topic affords me. The work is linked here from my Youtube (I tried to embed but it seems I'm not able or capable to). Thank you for your interest. Piano Concerto on YouTube

Also when the brass is playing the melody I would try to harmonise it. That'll make it sound more 'full'. Although that is also a neat card to only pull later on in the piece, if that melody returns. This also goes for woodwinds, but it is less important there, cause of the different textures the instruments have; when they are playing in unison it'll probably sound more varied already. Brass sounds really epic but also kinda like a sine wave imo... Especially when they are a bit pitchy

Alternative option not bad either. Those things below are supposedly bassoons... Your piece sounds really cool. I'd love to hear it when it is finished 🙂

Wow your brother must be very talented, those two concerti and Carmen Fantasy and Erlkonig and Paganini Variations are among the most virtuosic pieces in violin repertoire, in such a young age!

The one month may be a bit biased as my brother (11) already played Sibelius and Tchaikovsky violin concertos (albeit not perfect), Carmen Fantasy, Erlkonig, and God Save the King Paganini variations among some other pieces. But the cellist I wrote for got scared with double and triple stops (to be fair some of them were a little overboard and that was before learning enough harmony to do so)

Yeah 😅

OHH you meant the score order

Wow if it can be rehearsed within a month that would be a dream for me haha! Yeah a fugue as in Baroque style would be difficult to reherase esp. for a six voice fugue. Haha not at all, I feel myself not too qualified on writing fugues sometimes! Thx very much for your reply! Henry

probably a bit hard to sightread, (internal complaints start after 4 accidentals keys for most players), but I don't think its too bad to be performed with a month of rehearsal. Good players might only need a week. The counterpoint sections will probably be the hardest to rehearse. Although probably be a bit awkward like most barque pieces. (not to judge, but most barque pieces don't fit the modern instrument as well as pieces from latter periods). Also probably not qualified to judge on the counterpoint

I'm wrong LoL, this one is a band score rather than an orchestral one.

Waltz 062725 2 - Full Score.pdf Waltz Qrartet Demo 063025.mp3 This is one I've been working on for a while. I was trying for section something like Tchaikovsky's Valse-Scherzo but lighter for the first section. The mp3 is only string quartet for now. Might have a recording latter, but in the meanwhile. Enjoy!

But you don't only have the viola part follows the piano here, you have the piano playing all 4 parts of the String Quartet which in a way writes like a piano accompaniment to a choir which is common practice there but certainly not a good one here since piano shouldn't be considered an accompaniment in a Piano Quintet. The piano part has its own right to play its own parts, rather only repeating the strings. But ofc if I'm the pianist I would be happy to play it since it would be easy to play with. I 'thing' that having cello plucked would be a nice variation to its part. Remember to hit the like button on the bottom right corner as well so that the reviewer knows that you like their posts. Thx.

I was originally going for a piano quartet (no viola) since I was thinking of having some people perform it, but then one of the violinists stepped up to play viola. Thats why the viola part follows the piano. An extra question: what do you thing about having the cello part plucked for the outer sections

Hi @NicholasG, I like the vibe in it. Maybe one thing is that the clarinet section should be placed above the bassoons? Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi all! I'm back with a WIP progress piece that I am calling The End of Things - Suite. This has been composed in FL Studio using mostly the Symphony Series Instruments! The ending is unfinished as I plan to go back into a version of the theme from the beginning of the piece. Would love to hear some feedback and what you all think about this piece so far! It's been another foray into experimentation...much like my last piece. This time aiming to try new methods with harmony and building themes...as well as furthering my percussive usage when it's needed. Overall I am loving branching out of my "Compositional Comfort Zone" and trying some new (and often rewarding) things. Parts of the piece have a frantic, almost chase feel to them, others are sinister, and some are more heroic. Overall I wanted each section to feel like part of an End Credits suite...but that all felt like they belonged together in the same project...much like themes in a movie. Hope you all enjoy the listen and looking forward to your feedback! The End Credits WIP - Layne Lee.mp3

been working on a Choral-Orchestral Theme and variations on a two motives D-F-E-C and G-A-F-E Way to much stuff that I want to compose in the future though

Thank you so much, Peter! I always appreciate the feedback. I had not thought of the BTTF theme comparison, but I completely hear it! Thanks for listening! I have been working on a piece (still VERY WIP) that I am planning on sharing here in the forum. Did more exploring of tools, settings, and more and have produced what I would describe as a suite. Haha! Will share soon!

Hi @luderart, The texture in these 3 Sententiae reminds me very much of the parallel organum, and I like the serious mood in it. For me the time signature of the 1st one may be marked in a compound meter so that the triplets signs can be replaced? Thx for sharing! Henry

As stated in the title, this perpetual canon follows all diatonic intervals of the key of B-flat major, as every entry begins on a different degree of the major scale as a tonal transposition of the canon's theme. Since every voice enters while alternating between strong and weak beats as displaced accents, this canon could also be described as "per arsin et thesin", so to speak. Enjoy! YouTube video link:

Hi @EnriqueMZ! Nice March! Maybe for me I would vary the rhythm a bit at the latter half, or change the accompaniment for bars after b.17 to dotted rhythm as well for a more exciting mood. Thx for sharing! Henry

Precisely because of the issues presented by the MuseScore 4 soundbanks I had to remove the cello's initial staccato. It made that single quarter note sound way too strong and became unwieldy when trying to get the playback functionalities to work properly. In any case, thank you kindly for all your feedback, including that which you gave for my other relatively recent compositions.

I agree. There are many ways to generate emotion, or to try to... I don't think that a sense of calm is incompatible with resources that focus on musicality and phrasing. This is very evident in vocal music, even in the great pop performers. A very simple and effective example from Beethoven: there is a first bar, which is isolated (by the quarter note rest), there is a second bar that is identical and works the same way. And then, the two simply appear without the pause. Wow, a super-effective way to generate tension, dynamism, and phrasing without changing the basics. Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question is a fantastic example. The harmony couldn't be more static, but the melody (more or less dense in texture depending on the moment) does not conform to the divisions of the harmony. In fact, the tempo of the harmonic part is fixed (Largo) and that of the other parts changes.

Hey @UncleRed99! Personally I feel like the time signature of the piece should be 4/4 with one quaver reduced, since I find that extra quaver beat a bit long for me, but that's personal haha. Maybe this is one of the reason the music sound more static like @Luis Hernández said. But I must say this piece is really calm to listen to and I love those dissonances of seventh. Thx for sharing! Henry

Nice piece! It makes me think of the C418 minecraft soundtrack. Yes, it does feel static, but personally I don't mind that at all. Although the best moments are when you break that staticness, like in bar 30-something with the sixtuplet. I like how you - when using the same chord for two successive bars - thin out / change the texture. Well done! Kind regards, Marius

Hey @Fugax Contrapunctus! Great idea! I really like how the canon starts on the dominant, making the F minor tonality only a later emergent property of the harmony arising from the counterpoint. I think the Musesounds strings are a bit difficult to deal with to get them to sound as intended. I wonder why you changed the articulation to staccato as each new voice enters when it wasn't staccato in the Cello? It would make the entry of each voice more obvious I think if they entered on a fully held quarter note. The beginning and ending of the canon, I think are the best parts. But the middle could really have used some space/rests in the line to imo to give the ear an occasional break from the barrage of constant melodic material that demands to be digested by the ears. Thanks for sharing!

Hi @Fugax Contrapunctus! I think your hours of labor on this unusual subject really paid off! I think the subject and the counter-subject are really well matched with each other with one moving while the other rests on quarter notes. It creates a kind of question/answer dichotomy between the voices and increases their independence. I think this is one of the best fugues you've written and seems really mature and less mechanical. It's very fluid, natural and spontaneous. The only thing that bothers me is the ending on a feminine cadence. I felt like the last chord came too early and should have been reserved for the strong beat of the next (non-existent) bar. Thanks for sharing!

Hey @Layne! Your harmony and main theme are full of tension! And the piece is saturated with the theme throughout. But you do have a contrasting middle section that doesn't use the main theme for a brief moment. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet but your main theme sounds a lot like the theme to "Back to the Future", especially with the first 3 notes (F, Bb, E). Thanks for sharing!

Hi @Fugax Contrapunctus! This perhaps makes me think of a slow funeral march with its metronomic regularity and depth of emotion. I usually try to try to steer clear of orchestrating stuff the way you've done here where the choir is basically just doubled by the strings and woodwinds. You seem to have made it work, but I wonder if that will translate to a real performance. Perhaps with a careful balancing of the orchestra and a formidable enough choir, the orchestra won't drown the choir out. But you seem to have deliberately omitted the brass which might have been too forceful for the venue and the nature of the music, so I guess it's best to leave them tacit. Thanks for sharing!

I really enjoyed your percussion writing .... Mark

lol I have never replied here!! Pabio you are just too nice, I already find some minor little flaws in the music 😜! But thank you so much for loving it so much!! I am sure I hope to strive for greatness in this music, though I don’t now whether it does achieve greatness or not. I just have so many things I wanna speak that hasn’t be spoken and they are all spoken here in this music. I thought of the tragedy of my friend, Ukraine, Gaza people (not the evil state) and humanity in general, the philosophical teachings my philosophy Professor and his teachers, Confucius and Kant taught, and just wanna express them out. This is the first time I truly don’t care whether the Sextet is well received or not, because I have already spoken out what I wanna speak and I know I have paid my 500% effort in composing this. I know I have no regrets writing this because I pour all my hearts and souls in it, and even if the product is not good enough, I still have no regrets because I probably won’t be able to do better. I am sure you will write your own work that you are satisfied very much with Pabio! I did keep dreaming that I would finish the Sextet one day even though it’s very, very, very difficult. I always think that you have to have new thoughts in order to have new sound and timbre, not the vice verse as the contemporary music composer claims. Thank you! I still enjoy very much what you commented on the 2nd movement of the Sextet!! Henry

A new poetry from the same Laforgue I can post the poem here, which is a beautiful black diamond (an automatic translation but quite close to the meaning) As always at Laforgue, irony, tenderness, idleness of an impossible platonic love We know that he loved a young Englishwoman with no return, and I think it was she who inspired him his most beautiful pages, here in the evening of his short life. Thank you for your reviews and comments! Ah! tonight, my heart feels sick, my heart is with the Moon! O veils of silence, spread out your still lagoons; O rooftops, terraces, basins, loosened necklaces Of pearls, tombs, lilies, grieving cats — give praise To the Moon, our Mistress to all, in her glory: She is the Host! and silence is her ciborium! Ah! how good it feels, oh! so good and sweet, in the halo Of mourning around this finest diamond’s glow! O Moon, you may find me a bit romantic, But tell me — now and then, wouldn’t it be frantic To think — just between us, and only if you please — That I could be your Columbus, on my knees? Well, let’s not speak of that; let’s chant the midnight rite, Preserved in alcohol, steeped in your delights. Slowing down towards us, O weary City, Fibrous cell with broken organs, withered pity! Remember the centaurs, the cities now erased, Palmyra, and the snub-nosed sphinxes of Thebes the chaste; And what Gomorrah, beneath your Lethe lake, Hides catacombs in honor of barren Astarte’s sake! And how mankind, with his “I love you” clichés, Is much too anthropomorphic in his ways, And knows only how to muddle through his days With hellos and goodbyes while twisting love his way. — Ah! As I was saying, and more than once or twice, That my heart is sick — my heart is with the Moon, precise.

The final piece of my four Piano pieces set and just a lame joke. Can be developed into a postmodern minimalistic masterpiece by repeating the joke forever and forever...... Joke in A flat major.pdf Hope you enjoy this one! Henry

ooo maybe