Leaderboard

Nice little waltz. Some pointers: this is actually simply in F minor, which has 4 flats in the key signature. The raised 7th is very standard in minor key music and part of the harmonic minor scale, nothing modal about it, especially not phrygian. All those G sharps and C sharps would be spelled as A flats and D flats as well, and those pedal markings would not work on a real piano because it would just muddy up the sound. Repedalling every measure is pretty safe here. You don't need rehearsal markings; those are for rehearsals with multiple performers, but this is for solo piano. "legato" being on both staves is unnecessary. "Normal" is not a marking that appears in piano literature anywhere; if you want the legato to stop, either remove the legato and slur the passage, or where you have "normal", put "non-legato". I also feel that since the chord progression and motivic content repeats ad nauseam throughout the piece, it doesn't really merit being over 5 minutes long, but that is my opinion. Since it seems you also feel it's too long, here's what I would suggest. Remove a section, or more. I think this could work as a simple Ternary form or Rondo for example. And make the different sections contrast with eachother Listen to this beautiful waltz for solo guitar by Barrios and pay close attention Agustin Barrios Mangore's "Vals Op. 8, No. 3" played by Raphaël Feuillâtre on a 2020 Julia Wenzel it has a very clear structure: an introduction followed by the A section in D minor, which goes twice. Then onto the B section, also in D minor, but notice how he switches the new section up, even when in the same key: completely different rhythms and motifs, different register, different chord progression, etc. This section also goes twice. Then a brief return to the A section, going only once. After that, he switches to D major for a huge contrast in the C section, basing itself on one of the motifs from the B section, and this section is itself in a mini ternary form, before it transitions back to the A section and closes. For your piece, I wouldn't attempt to modulate like this piece does, since you don't quite yet have the skill to do so successfully, so keep it simple in scope. I hope this helps.

Hello Everyone! Today, I am sharing an old work of mine that I have been reorchestrating and revising: The Golden Lakes. PROGRAM NOTE: The Golden Lakes is a short and evocative work for concert band telling a story of night and day upon a lake. Inspired by the geography surrounding the home of the composer, The Golden Lakes evokes the glimmer and sparkle of light from the sun as it crests over the horizon into darkness. During the night, the lake is left vulnerable to the winds, darkness and more, ever waiting for the sun to come back and bring warmth. Originally composed in 2024, this work was commissioned by Kistler’s former band directors. In 2026, this work went under revisions by the composer in the early fall following a period of chamber works he created. This version presented to you is the piece he revised in 2026. Join the concert band as they take us into the landscape and paint us the scenes from The Golden Lakes. This work is set to be a Grade 3-4 for wind band. If you wish to know more about the work, check out the "About" section on page 4! Lastly, if you enjoyed this work, leave a reaction and a comment detailing your thoughts! AUDIO_Golden Lakes.mp3 SCORE_GoldenLakes.pdf

Hello! I need to go to sleep, so I will just tell you my first impressions! (I will come back, probably) Very good, thick textures! I like it! Seems very American in style, I love the flute part and the timpani part. The timpani part reminded me of Shostakovich 7th Symphony for no reason. The second theme seems interesting, it definitely feels fun! Igtg tho or my dad's gonna kill me... Bye! -TristanTheTristan (unfinished)

Hi all, It's been a while since I posted an orchestra composition. This is the first draft ... it still needs to be reviewed and brought up a finished state. However, it's all here. As I stated I have not titled the work. I am open to all suggestions .... My objective in the composition is to develop the introductory motifs and create a balanced arch from start to the end of the work. As always all feedback it appreciated. Marknewmusx10-24-26.mp3 Marknewmusx10-24-26.pdf

What I would appreciate feedback on: The overall harmonic balance and voice leading. The transition into the Andantino (Trio) section and the return to Tempo primo. Rondo G dur op 1.mp3 Rondo G dur op 1.pdf

Hi! Thank you very much for your thoughtful comments. I only started posting pieces on forums a couple of days ago and it's a real thrill for me to get indepth commentary such as yours. I love that you share your intial reaction of surprise about certain aspects and that you then see how these aspects make more sense as the piece develops. I say this because it mirrors my own experience: when I write pieces I play around with a lot of ideas and it's all a bit disjoineted and messy and then I gradually find ways of threading everything together and end up with results that surprise me, or take time to make sense, and also find myself doing things I wouldn't have ever done deliberately in order to adapt to the needs of the piece that's emerging (like these slightly "empty" bars in 10, 26, 36 and right at the end.) I also got the sense that the end was a bit short and I could have doubled it, making it more dense in the second part, but I tend to err on the side of caution in terms of keeping things simple and limpid and it might be worth reassessing that habit in this case. Most of all, I loved that you got this sense of it being "lifeless, but in a good way." I must say I was a tiny bit piqued for a few seconds until it struck me that it was spot on, another way of describing my overall feeling about the mood of the piece which is something like "surveying the first rays of dawn after having been up all night..." In fact I could have integrated that idea into the title somehow instead of opting for one which is perhaps a bit enigmatic. Anyway, thanks again for your comments, very much appreciated.

Hello, Welcome to the forum. I'll share some thoughts, having listened to it 3-4x now. I was very confused in the opening bars when you go I/V and then hit the listener with a very sudden i. But then, this decision seems to pay off when the piece takes off and like 75% of the piece has this idea of shifting maj/minor tonalities. Bar 9 seems a bit empty, though as the piece progresses, I think the idea starts to make more sense. So, you do something similar at bar 26 and again at bar 36, and you sort of finish the piece with this idea. So I want to be careful with my feedback...since this seems integral to the structure of your piece. m21 sounds pretty cool. m28 things really start taking off, the opening bars start to make more sense now. m48, the LH part of the chord is real nice. Personally, the ending seems way too abrupt. In my opinion you got this nice, almost hyponotic sort of pulse going and it just ends all of a sudden. Even if you just faded out (which I guess is more of a modern convention, they probably didn't do fade outs in Beethovan's day), that might work better. Someone recently posted a piece about trying to make piece about a lifeless doll. I don't know what it is about your piece...but it seems sort of lifeless? But in a good way! Hope that helps.

Hello Lithl! Yes! I do like this sort of beautiful post-classical vibe sort of thing. I like to refer to it as a more neo-impressionistic style personally since I tend to see a lot of crossover between both the very modern contemporary style music as well as some ideals of the impressionistic era. I've never heard of Nils, but I think I have at least heard of John Adams. My inspirations come from the composers Max Vinetz, Caroline Shaw, Ravel, and Christopher Cerrone. Highly recommend listening to the following for each: Max Vinetz: Stars On the Ground and Wax Catalog Caroline Shaw: Plans & Elevations Ravel: All of his works, but particularly his string quartet for this specific piece Christopher Cerrone: High Windows I did set out to make the composition more and more strong as time progressed since I didn't like how some classical songs made a hook and then did something random and not memorable right after lol. I'm just not really a fan of that, I want the listener to have to reach the end to get to the cool parts. This was recorded by a professional quartet which was hired! Thanks for the kind words, Lucky

My dear friend, indeed, this collaboration was a dream come true. It was an enormous honour and joy for me. And, as always, I want to thank you for your support and your wonderful words. May you always be well, my dear friend!

I enjoyed listening to this. I’m far from the best person to analyze other people’s music, but here are some thoughts on what I heard. First, I think you should just call this f minor and write it as such. Phrygian dominant would have a g flat, I believe. (But I haven’t worked with modes in years and you might have a different reason for not putting this is f minor.) Add accidentals for the natural minor as needed. It will still give the sound you are looking for and make it much easier for a piano player to read. Also, is that a tie on the top note of each pair of notes on beats 2 and 3? It doesn’t sound like it is in the recording. I think they are not necessary and I found them distracting when playing through the piece. I like the themes. They are pleasing to the ear, at least to mine. There could probably be a little more variety. Measures 13-14 do reverse the direction of the tune, but it’s still rhythmically the same, and I wonder if that is giving enough sense of “new material”. Also, it’s in the same key. (This is a problem I have writing music — trying to keep things familiar but not beating any dead horses). How about putting something in a related key, maybe a major or try reversing measures 13 and 14, so you would have the new phrase start with three quarter notes. How about putting in some theme that has wider intervals. You have mostly step-wise motion the whole way through with the exception of a few jumps in the octave section. I think measure 39 and following have the more successful new material. Good variety but the key is still intact, so it’s provides some connection (again, for my ears, can’t speak for others). Maybe don’t use repeats for measures 63 / E section. The listeners’ ears will be well-familiar with the ideas by that point. Finally, I vote for an authentic cadence to at the end. It sounds unfinished. Like I said, just some thoughts I had.