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Hi Bioplar, The choice of instrument for this composition, certainty, was correct. Harp, Bassoon, and Oboe do create the tonal colors for a pastoral piece. You could have choose any wood wind instrument, for they soft, warm colors. When I hear the harp, I envision mermaid playing on rock. (that is just me) The woods, I think, create dreamy aura in this piece. I enjoy interplay oboe and bassoon with the harp. Overall...nice job

Sir Pickles of Mercury hereby declares his entrance into the Grand Competition. (also: happy five years on the forum to me!!!!)

Thanks for listening luderart, glad you enjoyed it :) Hey Kvothe, thanks for listening! Regarding your point #1, yeah you're correct, it was more for playback. @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu was kind enough to record it, I could just write con pedale or something now 🙂

Hello Have you heard of this virtual instrument called CANTAI? Please note: I have no affiliation with these programmes, even though I use them. https://cantai.app/ It’s a virtual instrument for voices and choirs. It works with MuseScore (which is more advanced), Dorico (the official version was released a couple of days ago) and Sibelius. The novelty is that you write the score, add the parts (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, choir) and write the lyrics... And once everything is set up, the result is that it ‘sings’. I use it with Dorico. It still needs improving, because although it interprets dynamics and accents, and there are many voices available, there will be more. At the moment, in Dorico you can write in English and Latin. But Chinese and Spanish are already available in MuseScore (I think). I’ve written this little sample song to see how it works.

Dear all. I am glad to share with you the final movement of my Symphony No.1! This is the official conclusion of my whole set of Symphony No.1! I can't believe it is done after few years. Hope you all enjoy it! About the work As usual, the highly motivic and related to other movements. The third three notes "dat-dat dat!" serves the main motive (and new material) of this movement. As an answer, the motive from First movement (blue) is immediately recalled with little modiciation in rhythm. The second mvt. motive (green) also enter the party very soon. The work reaches the climax at m.244 from the build up of m.193 which goes into a very big bright chord. The last part of the work starts are m.274 and ended with a crash of different motives.

Thank you for your kind comments! You are not the first one who recall Bartok while listening my works - I guess it is because of the crude dissonance. I mainly write on computer as it gives me immediate playback which makes my writing more convenient. It is important the method of writing follows the speed my idea comes! haha. It also make the engraving easier. Here is the full set of my Symphony No.1: Symphony No.1 - First Movement - Orchestral and Large Ensemble - Young Composers Music Forum Symphony No.1 - Second Movement - Orchestral and Large Ensemble - Young Composers Music Forum Symphony No.1 - Finale - Orchestral and Large Ensemble - Young Composers Music Forum

[INFO DUMP pt.2] Unfortunately this scenario is only hypothetical and will stay hypothetical. To be as blunt as possible, there is flaw in the logic. So far, no one I have seen on the forums or any of your uploads have critiqued the raw music. It has been often aimed on the presentation of the music and in this case, about the sheet music. Having music performed is a competitive goal. 100s-1000s of people submit works every year for performance opportunities, both in the educational and professional scene. Speaking from my own experience, all the opportunities I have applied for have asked for a Resume and portfolio. Even if you have "the best work" from an subjective standpoint, they will go with the more experienced person in the professional scene and in the educational realm, they are more likely to give more chances to newer composers. I have made over 20 original pieces that I personally say are perfect and several arrangements. Most of my pieces are for the orchestra, and in my notation engine... I have over 100 files worth of scores. Out of all my music, I've been given the chance to have only four of my pieces performed, three of which were by me. I cannot understate how hard it is to get music performed for large ensembles. Yes, I know a lot and can guide a lot of musicians, but I am just another dude who does not have a big portfolio. I have to start small and work my way up. If a producer asks if you have a portfolio, this indirectly will show if you have had music performed, NOT just if it was made. I can draw a stickman but I do not call myself Monet or Dali. Just because you made a song or two is great, yet, how much experience do you have hearing your music live? If you haven't... then how often are you participating in the music community? Have you worked with other conductors, professors, soloists and varying ensembles? To tie back into the forum, we only want to see others succeed. This is why I share such detailed analysis of varying scores. It may be the one encounter that opens a new door in their thinking, or help provide an expectation of scores in the community. This is why I comment now. None of it is personal, at least coming from me. If you wish to talk about score engraving, then I'd be willing. It's a different ballgame compared to the music creation.

[INFO DUMP] Kvothe has merit in their critique. There are plenty of truths about music and the most basic one is that this art is here for you to enjoy. Whether it is by music creation, performance or listening to a song, it is here for all humans to express and interact with. This said, we live a society, and there are rules, expectations and trends for us to follow. In the music industry, this is very much true. Most of us here are professionals in the classical/ traditional aspect of music creation and performance, while some focus on more modern productions and performances on the popular stage. When it comes to the idea of having your work performed, the first and most basic universal is to have sheet music ready for musicians to perform. Sure, a studio or individual can only use the MP3 render and call it a day, however, that may not work for all cases. You may hire a band or an orchestra to play the music, however, they too will expect some PDF or printed copy to use. No matter the means, if you truly wish to participate in this field, you must inform yourself on the current practices. Why? Because there is an expectation and standard for music distribution. One aspect often overlooked is the side of copyright and trademark protection. If you have a work performed or licensed, you need to have this protection for widespread use. If you publish the score, it must also be protected. Just because "you made it" doesn't always guarantee it is protected. To tie back in, this is the fundamental point of Kvothe's comments. You cannot just throw a score out into the community and expect everyone to respect it like they would a Mozart work. There are professional expectations in engraving, formatting and document layout. So much so, people may disregard your score if you misspelled an instrument part. Sheet music distribution is under a lot of scrutiny and please do not take any comments about it personally. We are all spoiled by good sheet music and to be fair, we expect to see it... especially if we have to spend money for a copy.

Several months ago, I posted a piece which was at the time an exercise in sonata allegro form, which I decided to make the third movement of a sonata in d minor. I've had this theme in my head for a while, so I decided it would be the perfect time to use it. I went down a big rabbit hole of nonfunctional modal harmony, which was quite fun but really challenging to work out (though I wrote the secondary theme in five minutes during a chemistry lecture). sonata in d minor movement 1 audio.mp3 sonata in d minor movement 1 score.pdf

I enter

I'm really enjoying this movement and shall have to check out the rest! One thing your orchestral style reminds me of is the style of parts of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, where folksy tunes and whimsical syncopation disguise rather dissonant harmony! Just wondering; do you write directly into the computer, or on paper? Honestly, I can't tell, which is a good thing...I will write directly into the computer for a piano piece, but wouldn't do so for a symphony, if I ever wanted to write another. Heck, it kinda reminds me of the Shostakovich First, teenage masterpiece, in its playful quirkiness. I'll be looking into more of your stuff.

I want to join the competition, but I'm not sure if I'll make it.

I declare my intent to join into this competition

To fix this, I'd suggest setting your page margins and score size to fit Letter sized pages, only. As when you export PDF, it will try to fit the score on a standard printer sized page. You can also attempt to shrink the size of the score by going to Format > Page Settings... > Staff Space: (Lower this value to decrease the size of the staff, which will allow for more room on the page to fit it while shrinking the overall size, or, increase it to enlarge the staff, allowing for less to fit on the page.)

Hi @Bjarke ! Good job making the score look cleaner! I think it really simplifies the look when you write it in 9/8. But you could have applied the same logic to the 5/4 bar as well! You could have written it as a 15/8 bar! Thanks for sharing.

Why hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and write such a detailed comment—I really appreciate it :) I’d be happy to share the full score! It’s still a bit messy since it came together from sketches, but I’m currently cleaning it up and will share it as soon as it’s presentable. Your point about saving some of those authentic cadences for a coda (especially with cymbals) is very interesting, and I think you’re right that it could make the ending feel more impactful. I've used similar structures in my codas, usually ending the introduction with a subtle phrase. This time it was a bit different, but hey! I'm glad they provided a great start :) And I love reinforcing the waltz harmony with brass and winds underneath (specially with the French Horn)! Thanks again for the kind words and thoughtful feedback—it really means a lot!

Greetings! This is a very simple madrigal, as when i was making this i was very bored, so the writing isn't my best. But i kinda like it. Enjoy! LOB 72 There was once a bird.mp3

This is my submission for the Landscapes competition. For my landscape I have chosen this photo I took a few years ago while on vacation on Whidbey Island, which sits on the Puget Sound near Seattle. It's written for Oboe, Bassoon, and Harp. I wanted to capture the quiet, stillness of the moment with music that is very simple and delicate. Morning On Whidbey Island.mp3 Morning On Whidbey Island - Score.pdf

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 9.5 9 9.5 8.5 10 9.5 8 8 Average Score: 9

Seeing as my schedule will open up in the next few weeks, I suppose I will participate :)

This piece of music did it’s a really good job, capturing the quietness and beauty of the given landscape. It’s not really my cup of tea, but it’s relaxing and it gives the atmospheric feeling that you’re actually there. Melodic material. 7.5 Chords and texture 6.7 Structure 7.4 Originality 8.2 Engraving 9.7 Orchestration and playability 7 Execution 9.86 taste 5.2 Total 7.69

Very Good Well Done You've Set a Standard that's Hard to compete with.... By using only 3 Instruments, you've been able to create an inspiring, "MOOD".

Sometimes I just sit down at the keyboard and just let my fingers go wherever they want to. Most of the time I fail to capture any of that and immediately forget what I did. Today however, I just happened to be recording and captured what I played. I thought this wasn’t that bad and decided to share it. Hope you enjoy my playing around on the keys. Stream of consciousness.mp3

A beautiful piece that strikes me as being in the neoclassical style. It’s always lovely to see handwritten sheet music. I’m not sure if it’s a live performance or a virtual instrument; these days, anything is possible. The sound is a bit ‘muddled’ for my taste in a style like this.

Hey Vince, It’s a long time since I review anything so here’s the first one! (I’m still going on with the hiatus though since I’m revising my Clarinet Quintet, listening orchestral music and will write the Orchestral Variations on Peter’s theme tho.) I like how you combine the dreamy dissonance with counterpoint technique here. I love b.3 of the subjects as it’s already containing two voices in a line and it kinds of reminds me the sighing motive of the Kyrie subject of Bach’s Mass in B minor. Motivically you make use of all the motives from the subject for coherence and economy in episodes which of course come from Bach! My favourite spot of the piece comes in the D flat major passage, it definitely is your voice there, I love your harmony! Also, only by analysing in order to play your fugue did I notice a sneaky quasi subject augmentation in b.28 so I bring it out myself. I also love the ending myself, as it’s in F sharp minor which sadness kinds of reminds me my own F sharp minor fugue in the Sextet =.= I don’t follow all the pedals and dynamic instruction you tediously write, sorry for that 🤪, for example I add pedals in b.33 to make it more dreamy, b. 29 I probably played forte instead of mp since I thought I fell the passion there, etc. Only one thing I would suggest on the scoring is that, I would use the same beam direction for a voice especially for subject entry. For example I would use an upward beam for the first F# in b.5 to indicate the subject, and turns the A and G# into a downward beam. In b.14 I would turn the D downward and C# upward, since it is the C# that’s in the subject, not D. But these are just nitpickies. It’s fun to play this, and thx for sharing this! Henry

I don’t know why it’s called ‘Cantai’. But I don’t think it has anything to do with artificial intelligence; rather, it means ‘to sing’ or one of its verb forms in various Latin-based languages. What’s more, it uses recordings of real professional singers (soloists and choirs). I’m familiar with that software you mention. And I used to have it, but depending on what you want to do or what your needs are, it’s better or worse for different people. What I like about Cantai is that you write the notes and the text in the same editing programme (MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico). And that’s it. It uses expression maps for dynamics and so on. You don’t have to work outside the editing programme (in a DAW, or in XML, etc.). Which is fine, if that’s what you want to do

From a mixing standpoint, I am confused for the balance in both ears. If it was used in production, then the sound engineer would just balance or displace to the left or right channels when needed. Thus, I think it better to leave the audio equal in both channels. Music: It gives the sense of taiko drums or African drum circles and this is what I wish to speak on. From what I know, it doesn't make sense to repeat the same pattern for too long or have a secondary drum just forcing it's way into the mix by playing off beats. It can work, however, if you ever participate in one, you'll know that one person keeps the beat steady while others play off, conversate, and compliment each other. Whether or not this was your intention, be clear in what you think the music may be paired to. Besides being a generic drum track, think about how others may use it: 1. Jungle fly-over for Documentary 2. Aztec documentary 3. Chase scene 4. Showcase for new product. 5. etc. You can take inspiration from certain cultures or musical examples and create drum tracks for more implied purposes. Lastly, if you want this to be used in a percussion loop within a DAW, make it better for those who want to use it and allow the ending and beginning to overlap or restart on eachother.

Hi there @interlect. Thanks for us the score for this for this submission. Here's my review: When you have string parts, make sure you label them with correct names: violin 1, 2, viola, cello, etc. I am sure the samples you are using in the DAW have those names, too. When the DAW produces a score, the notation can be wonky. However, that does not mean you can clean it up. You are the composer! It is you job to make sure the score is readable, too. Remember: if music can be always performed live, if there is opportunity to. Thus, why not make sure you are ready? Fun fact: Film music has reached the concert setting now. Kvothe.

HI there @interlect, The production of the track is swell; and it can I hear the influence of Bob Marley. But, I would like to see parts and score to give more in depth review. That would be great. Thanks. Kvothe.

You are one step closer, my friend @Bjarke Now let us talk about articulation markings. I notice in the left hand you have every note mark with a staccato mark. This is not necessary. There are several options. Option 1: mark one group with staccato then use the expression sim. Option 2: Sempre Staccato Option 3: use the word staccato in the left hand. I think in your case, where you have certain articulation pattern, the first choice would be best the choice for you. I feel b. 95-97 is too repetitive . Do we need to hear the repeat the chord in the RH? (it is too static...) I feel that if you allow that chord to breathe and move it will create more momentum. On the same not. b93 is a repeat of b.92... :)

Hi to all, Here's my first attempt to orchestrate this nocturne. I actually started this last year, and never really finished it properly. I know there's a load of things wrong with it! Not least all the missing slurs and clumsy handovers, etc... The cadenza-like figure on Pages 8 and 9 is particularly awkward to orchestrate: so any suggestions would be very welcome! Maybe I should divide up the runs into shorter figures, and spread them out across different instruments? Perhaps dovetailing these together with overlapping notes, or single handover notes? That way the cadenza could work its way around the orchestra to give a nice 3D effect? Anyway, just thinking outloud! Hope you enjoy. Nocturne No.1 in Eb minor (Faure orchestration) #41.mp3 Nocturne No.1 in Eb minor (Faure orchestration) #41.pdf

Well... Musescore Studio has never really been all that great at translating MIDI to .mscz... in this case, I see no difference in that fact... lol Here is the .mscz file that resulted from opening the MIDI with Musescore. If you let me know what it is that you're trying to accomplish, or, if willing, you'd be able to send me a copy of the score that you're attempting to format, I might could give you a hand with that, directly rather than indirectly. Just let me know!

Great, that looks better. For the next version, I want to look through the score and look at bars repeat the same material and re think them. I am sure the piece can logically breathe with out them, yes? After that, we will look at 5/4 section...

Hello @Thatguy v2.0 What a lovely prelude you have here. :) I am will now provide review: 1) At bar 5 and following you marked what pedal markings should be. But you do not need to mark them every time. Just show us once and then use sim. expression. That way, you show the performer what the pedal markings. 2) the counterpoint is spot on. I see no issue there.

This is partial correct. However, in media works, there could be musicians involved. Ergo: why not make sure your demo and your score is ready?

This is quite charming! I would love to see a score of the parts that are orchestrated. If I had no context and turned on the radio and this was playing, I would've honestly thought this was a Strauss waltz. That's probably my biggest gripe with this. I think it's suppose to be an homage to the Strauss Viennese Waltz, but it lacks originality or a unique take on the genre.

In your comment following my score analysis last week, you sent photos of an excerpt from a book detailing some orchestration stuff. Kvothe was asking if you know what book the photos were from.

The output is fantastic, you did a great job with the production quality. But when you post in these forums though, please be mindful and respectful of other people's critiques or opinions. Unless you specifically tell us otherwise in your post, you are essentially inviting us to be critical. And @Kvothe 's observation about your sheet music is 100%. It's clear you sequenced this in some other program though, and it appears you are using MuseScore for the output of the sequenced output. This would explain the engraving issues. With that said, the music itself, is beautiful! It instantly brings me back to the 80s!

Please submit links to your Landscapes - Soundscapes competition pieces here! (Please don't submit your music directly into this thread - rather, create your own dedicated thread where members will be able to review your music there - Upload Your Composition for Analysis and Feedback and then copy and paste the URL of your topic into a reply that you make in this thread). Thank you for your participation! To read the requirements/specifications of the competition and declare your intent to participate go here:

A beautiful and thoughtful prelude of which the counterpoint and harmonies linger in your ear long after you listen to it!

The submissions are final at the time that they are submitted to the competition. (I will add this to the competition announcement - thanks for bringing this up)

I do wonder though as I am both participating and looking to review, it wouldn't be in my best interest to review and give feedback if they may change their work and possibly improve their result before the deadline lol. It's not a big issue, however, a little internal dilemma.

Something better. Trio. I am.

Yes - thank you for pointing that out!

Unfortunately, I will be busy this time of year. I am hoping that everything becomes less busy for me during the summer. Good luck to everyone.

It's been a few months since i uploaded this prelude, and it finally has a fugue. Not much to say here, other than that I felt like using a few more fourths, sevenths, and ninths than you'd normally see in a three part fugue.