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Before this degenerated into rancor, there were many good points made on a subject that is difficult to unravel, especially in cyber space. But there was already agreement in some areas, the finer points a which got lost in cross talk. Thanks for your efforts!

I'm of the controversial opinion — and I'll die on this hill — that the arts, western music included, have long since reached their highest possible standards. I will argue that paintings by the likes of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, sculptures such as David or The Rape of Persephone, western classical, baroque, romantic, folk, etc. music, and so on were and remain the best examples of their respective mediums. They exemplify the mastery over their respective crafts that one ought to aspire to. And this is obvious in the fact that these works continue to stand the test of time as being considered the all-time greats. They still have this appeal to people, hundreds of years later. Here's the thing about reaching a high standard: The only way to truly be "original" from there is to do something that defies this standard, and the inevitable result of abandoning that paradigm is a lower standard. In the contemporary sense regarding film music, John Williams, Goldsmith, Silvestri, Korngold, etc. are still seen as the gold standard. Their music for Star Wars, Back To The Future, whatever...they're the most popular orchestral pieces of the 20th and so far 21st centuries. Why? Because they are reminiscent of, and in many cases directly lift from the standards established in the romantic era and before. "Batman Begins" or the scores to most of the Marvel movies, are absolutely NOT of that standard. They work for what they are, but what they are is vapid, empty pieces of music to accompany vapid, empty films. The only piece most people can recall any melody from in the entire franchise, is the "Avenger's Theme"...composed by Alan Silvestri. These kinds of works, will — and I'll argue already have — fallen by the wayside if not be forgotten entirely in time. The MCU, much like the band KISS, will be remembered more for their record-breaking sales and furthering of unabashed consumerism of the day than any actual artistic or cultural worth. So what to do about originality? Concern yourself with living up the high standards of yore rather than being unique. The obsession with being "unique" is actually a lie anyway, one which is symptomatic of society's post-enlightenment shift away from seeking to cultivate virtue and wisdom by understanding what we ought to love. It's fine to love trailer music, but you ought to love the works of Mozart or John Williams more. Otherwise, what you wind up doing is trying to convince everyone else to conform to the idea that your music of a lower standard, is actually just as good as any of the greats because you feel there is no inherent meaning in anything other than that which we choose to impart on it. So I agree with Coleridge about the waterfall: The waterfall is, and has to be sublime — not just "pretty".

This is an interesting scenario. I've done both things (written for specific people, and written stuff without anyone in mind,) and I think that the most important thing is that if you're writing for specific people, they should know and you should tell them what you're doing to some degree. You should be very familiar with what repertoire they can play well and what's their overall technical level. I've had mostly good experiences with this as people I've written things for trust me enough to let me do whatever I want, and it's worked out pretty well. However, you can't count on that being the case and it could as well be that they can put restrictions on what they want you to write, etc etc. If it's an outright paid commission, then sure it doesn't matter that much that you cater to their wishes since a job's a job, but in my experience I've always done things in a way where I have the freedom I need to do my thing first and foremost. However, I understand that may not be always possible or reasonable. The best way to go about it, in my opinion, is to write for no specific person and write what you actually just want to hear. Then, after you've written the piece, see if there are any comments on possible changes or interpretations that you may be willing to compromise on. I think this gives off the best impression of you as composer since you are sure of your work but at the same time you are open for suggestions, just remember that you are the boss in the end, with all the responsibility that entails.

I love Mieczysław Karłowicz (1876 - 1909), he was a Polish composer and he died so young because of an avalanche when he was in mountains. I praise his Violin Concerto in A major and symphonic poem "Odwieczne pieśni". I am very glad you've put Vasily Kalinnikov on your list, if only he had lived longer... but what he already composed is amazing

Well, here's an interesting discussion. Would that they were not so rare these days! To answer the original question, most (but not all) of my music falls within an immediately identifiable historical style. Within the fairly narrow confines of that style, I invariably try to do certain things differently and uniquely according to my own sensibilities, while remaining as faithful to the style as possible - creating something new with old tools, as it were. I've been told this gives much of my historicist music a flavour that is uniquely my own, and I would like to believe this is true. It is certainly something I continually strive for on some level as I compose. There would be little value to my self-expression in this manner were there nothing about it that is mine, and mine alone. That said, it is not of paramount importance to me that my personal expression is as unmistakable as that of Beethoven, for example, only that I have been at once true to the historical style in which I am writing, and to my own artistic sensibilities. Likewise, in my "modern" voice, I follow the dictates of my own sensibilities in hopes that what results is something that is my own unique expression.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share a tune I've been working on the last weeks. Tried to make a light and easy theme with elements of something cold or frozen maybe. I know it's very short but I like making these short tunes as a learning tool for improving my orchestration and mixing skills. Any comments?:)

I wrote this piece right after the Passacaglia, Op. 1, in 2015. It consists of the theme, 12 variations (one of which is a short "fugue"), and a coda. Similar to the Passacaglia, each variation flows from one right into the other. The theme was based on a short piece I wrote for an earlier composition assignment, and I wanted to expand it into a larger form. So, I turned it into a theme and variations. Here is my performance of it on Youtube: I hope you all enjoy it. 🙂 Theo

The Waiting Room Exploration of natural orchestral instruments, with synthesized instruments, with some sound design processing thrown in. Reflective, EZ listening.

Hi Muhammadreza - The real meat of the piece is the guitar ambient field. To me the cymbals are too steady.. Perhaps some cymbal rolls/builds up, or exotic percussion sounds would lend itself better. I really LOVE the guitar sound. and the you have something going on with the tuning, there very interesting

There is a time-honoured tradition of this, especially in the days of court orchestras. Haydn, for example, had an orchestra of virtuosi at his disposal for Prince Esterházy's entertainment, and he often made special use of individual players' strengths, especially earlier in his career. When writing specifically for his patron the Prince, who played a bizarre, now-extinct instrument called the baryton, he was careful to give the Prince interesting things to play while staying within his limited technical abilities. When he went to London, he was also well aware of the fine orchestra he was going to be writing for, and his final 12 symphonies show it. When writing for a specific ensemble, I almost always take into consideration what I know to be their strengths, and almost more importantly, their weaknesses. For example, when writing my Missa Brevis 4 vocibus (posted here), the commissioner advised me that his soprano section wasn't really capable of singing above F at the top of the treble staff, hence I only once wrote a G for them (having no other choice in that spot), but otherwise kept the range of the soprano part capped at F. Though it was limiting, had I not done so, it would have caused problems for the very people who were paying me for the composition. However, he had a stellar tenor section, including himself (and I knew his fine voice well), so I several times took the tenors up to A above the staff, and they performed admirably. When not writing with a specific ensemble in mind, I'm freer with my expression, though I still usually take into consideration the technical abilities of the typical professional musician, unless I am writing something like a concerto, in which case the solo part is written with virtuosi in mind and is considerably more difficult.

Hi Gustav - thanx.. This was all done in Logic Pro in my living room studio. . . I have a rather extensive Kontakt library, and own almost all of UVI's libraries, played thru the Falcon virtual instrument. On the acoustic sounds, yes they are samples of 'real instruments' also a couple of hardware synths.. I also have a fair amount of virtual instruments. Lately. I compose a piece, and then spend a fair amount of time, 're-voicing' it. That is I search thru libraries, and patches, and find sounds that 'fit better'. It often means re-recording parts, in a round robin manner. That is I pick a new bass sound, (go from electric bass to an acoustic bass). Then I re-record the piano part, then the guitar etc. The new bass, piano, guitar, then suggest to me to re-do the drums, etc. I had read years ago, Prince would do this. Eventually recording a fair amount of the instruments in a piece several times. The end result is the piece, sometimes has little to do with how the piece originally sounded, So I've been doing the same.. The good thing about DAWs, of course, is you can save all the takes, Sometimes I add a few parts, then a couple of days later, I decide, I took a wrong turn, so I go back to the earlier version, and go in a different direction.. I feel pieces, especially 'sound paintings' as you call them, have a personality of their own, and just as it takes some time getting to know someone. It can sometimes take time for the personality of a song, or piece, show it's face. I spent my whole life, playing music, most of the time, doing what paid the rent, sometimes composing, and working with people, that wouldn't be my natural choice. (not that I ever worked on music I hated).. Now in my senior age, I want to explore 'musical landscapes'.. Not too concerned with all the formal music rules I have learnt and abided by. (of course a lot of that is still there).

@Theodore Servin Where has Chesnokov been all my life? Wonderful piece, and I do very much enjoy Russian liturgical music. I presume you must have heard Rachmaninov's "All-Night Vigil" or "Vespers" from 1915...one of the last great masterworks of Russian liturgical music before the Revolution put an end to it all. I enjoyed the Kuula too, with all that delicious chromaticism and the parallel major thirds in a minor mode. He reminded me of Grieg in spots, but his is certainly a very unique voice. I wonder how many other Finnish composers there are from this period that don't get their due. Sibelius doesn't seem to leave room for them.

I would praise Moritz Moszkowski too Moritz (Maurice) Moszkows (1854 - 1925) was a German composer, pianist, and teacher of Polish-Jewish descent. I particularly like his Piano Concerto No.1, because of both the breathtaking melodies and well-balanced arrangement. Although I am not a pianist. but I can see his works are great for pianist to show off. Also: Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) was a French romantic composer. His wrote a few orchestral pieces, concerti as well as ensemble works. Personally, Poème for violin and orchestra is very nice.

@Theodore Servin Wow...your introductions make me want to get to know these guys better!

A better solution may come along at any time, either in a flash of inspiration, or through serious thought. Don't worry about it. Even if it never gets solved to your satisfaction, it's a documentation of where you were at that point in your development. This is why I seldom revise my own compositions later, and leave them as they were, even if I know better. I want there to be a record of my development. I have this slightly pompous idea that someday, someone might actually care! 😉

Thank you! @J. Lee Graham actually the only reason I started the fughetta in c major was that I wanted to begin with 2nd violin and I thought F major would be either too low or too high. This forced me to insert these four bars (91 - 94) which don't sound good to my ears, but I didn't know what to do :/ @Theodore Servin Thanks! the piece was performed by me and my friends but unfortunately I don't have a recording

Yes, I agree that people should stick to their studies and just do what they're told if it comes to that, because honestly nobody can stop you from writing whatever you want to write on your free time and after you finish studying. Nobody can really brainwash you to write stuff you think is horrible, you can of course just lie to yourself, but that's 100% on you. Hell, I've been writing neoclassical stuff in the last five years or so, despite most of my output (MOST, I actually wrote my first neoclassical sonata for piano DURING my composition study, along with other stuff that was way more "out there") during my study time being very modern and crazy (and fun!) You need to be smart about things, be good at all styles, learn all techniques, learn all you can and use all you can use as often as you can and get stuff performed, no matter what it is, as often as you can. That's why you study somewhere, that's why you go through all that effort. If you're just going to hide and be like "I don't like modern music boo hoo D:" then studying composition at a conservatory is really not something for you. I'd rather have that space saved for people who actually can appreciate an education that goes into all sorts of styles and pushes them to do things that may make them uncomfortable or force them to think outside of their comfort zones. In other words, people who actually want to grow and improve.

So your later education spoiled your affinity as a composer for an historical style? That's tragic. I never finished my degree because I perceived that my professors were not going to let me be the composer I wanted to be, but I have always regretted not sticking it out. I usually advise young composers to go ahead and study composition, learn what they teach you as a body of knowledge, write what they tell you to write, but do your best to remain true to who you really are as a composer, whatever that may be. If the system brainwashes the student to the point that that's not possible, even in a few cases, perhaps I should reassess that advice. I'm sorry for your experience - from your tone, I can tell it has embittered you somewhat, and I can't say as I blame you.

Thank you for all the comments, Is a pleasure share with you my works

One of my most beloved preludes by the public:

Here is an [ongoing] list of classical music professors who compose/improvise tonal music. Some of them are from Europe, but because the percentage of teachers who teach and write tonal music is so small, I'm including anyone who fits the bill, even non-Europeans. -Morten Lauridsen, professor of composition the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music -Michael Gees, professor of improvisation and composition at the Cologne Conservatory -Georgs Pelēcis, professor of counterpoint and theory at the Latvian Academy of Music, also the first president of the Riga Center of Early Music

Two lovely pieces! Ländler in D : You definitely capture an elegant spirit and the melodies flow well. I could imagine dancers easily! I think this one is a better Ländler. Ländler in G : The 1st theme is very nice but seems less danceable than the former. That said, it is more musically substantial and has greater potential concert value. From both of them, I can see your knowledge about dance music and the spirit behind the Ländler. I think they would be better if I was to see dancers, but you've done a nice job!

@Muhammadreza. What problems do you have? I think a Nocturne is (or comes from) a "mood". The form of it is not the most importante. Nocturne and waltz (Gm)

John Cleese: Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead!