Henry Ng Tsz Kiu

LoL haha! Yeah there are a lot of themes here given how tumultous my thoughts were then. I didn't aim the blues theme as a surprise though, but rather (sondern in German I just learnt this morning lol) an escape from the heavy emotions I was facing. I actually like the abrupt retransition as a wake up call from that escape! Thx for your 2nd reply haha! Henry

Thx Luis! The shift is also surprising to me to be honest, I never know the music will turn that way until I got that inspiration. I tried to make the transition as smooth as possible since I know it would sound abrupt if the transition is not well handled. The retransition is abrupt since for me it's more a shock call from escapism of jazz. Henry

Hi Maggie! Thx! The recording is far from perfect, it took me the 4th take to get this recording. The rent of the studio lasts only an hour so I took the last recording as the best one. I did get touched playing this recording, esp. after the final C sharp minor blow I can barely made those 3 digs of graves of that C sharp minor chords, due to desolation in myself as well as in the music. Thx! I like them too, esp. the crazy section since it's indeed a bit hard and technical to change btw styles. Yeah for me coherence is always the most crucial aspect in my own music. I have to make the movements in a multimovement work is indeed connected in a meaningful way temporally, otherwise they shouldn't be put together in the firt place. Through reappearence and variation the same theme and motive will have different narrative and emotional significance. Thx for your review! Henry

yeah it's really difficult and does take me a lot of time to practice. But it definitely worths it even though I still make some mistakes on the recording! Thx! I actually like the sudden attack idea of the 1st subject so I don't arrange a longer transition after the 2nd Subject! Haha yeah I feel like the 2nd mov is out of place in a good way, since it is there I try to find peace between two bombardous movements! And I do like its reappearence at the end here. Thx very much for listening and commenting! Henry

So maybe you believe Chrsitianity much like Kierkegaard's way. Can you tell more how your religion relates to your program and the acoustical aspect of the music? I am really curious on that.

Oh so how is your program related to Hegel's writing? I am quite interested in it to be honest.

Oh I would be very happy to see your music reach its final Hegelian Geist state! Keep going!!!!!!!!!!

It's great you have a great confidence in your own works. For me personally I like your earlier music than recent music written from the program, as for me the earlier music sound more beautiful and have more varities than the recent ones when the timbre of those program music are a bit piercing to me. But that's personal and I'm sure you won't mind my very personal opinion, given how much you like your own music. Henry

Well I just clicked into the post to listen it, unawaring the volume and my ears really got hurt by it for real!! Those shivering sound is annoying and damaging my ears to be honest! I really don't know what your theory is to be honest, but I know my ears are hurting!! 🤪

Hey Peter, thx for your quick review! I don't know how on earth do I get the idea from, maybe from playing the naughty @Thatguy v2.0's preludes haha 🤪! But I really love that passage too! This is wonderful and 10 times better than mine lol! I will if you commision me to write one and play me $99999999999999999999999999999! But I have to know how to orchestrate first of course! Yup, stupid me! I removed it immediately and thought no one would notice it, but thx to you everyone knows!!!! Waiting for your book-length review! Henry

Hi @ferrum.wav! Like Peter said I enjoy your orchestration very much by enriching the color without getting too heavy like many of the film composers do. Your music here maintains a sense of cute and beautiful naviety and freshness which I enjoy very much! Your orchestration is what I will have to learn from. I love your orchestral interludes after each stanza, and I love that imitation between the voice and clarinet in 2:01 in b.53, very clever! The modulation into E major is so well prepared and so well made, yet so refreshing and funny and doesn't sound you take a lot of effort into making it despite you must take a lot effort in it! I should be the one feel honored that you use my theme in a much more colorful way than I did. When my Image theme gets in at b.89 I just instantly laugh out because it's so colorful, and the horn color is so cute, and as a secondary theme it sounds like an old white rabbit assisting Alice in the wonderland! The run to Eb major is so so cute!! And one things I notice at the end: you use your motive so well and probably too well that I only notice how coherent and organized this piece is, probably because I was more attracted to the wonderful colorful at first and ignore the structual tightness in the beginning. This is so fascinating! Congrats on composing this and thx for sharing it to us! Henry

Hello @Rômulo Mello! I've listened to the first movement of the piece. The opening reminds me very much of Brahms' chamber music, especially his Piano Quintet and Quartets, given the thick texture, hemiolas and imitations of the instruments. A very nice transition to the 2nd subject and I particularly love how you let the always-neglected viola sing in b.70! I always love viola's particularly timbre in its high register, more beautiful than violin in the same register, but not as tight as cello! The development beginning is excatly what Brahms would do by dissecting the motives to different instruments, and the transition to b.122 reminds me exactly the development section of Brahms' Piano Quintet. The tension of the retransition from b.137 is greatly achieved, reminds me very much of the retransition of the 1st mov of Brahms' 3rd Piano Quartet. I like you arrange for cello to play the 2nd subject theme since it will be more fitting than the viola in exposition. Personally I would hope for a 2nd development section in the coda as in Brahms' work, by creating another climax before ending it! Yeah given how experienced you are in composing it would also marvellous too if you could offer some of your listener's opinion to other members' works as well! Thx for sharing! Henry

Hello @Valerio DallaRagione! Welcome to the forum! I have listened to the opening movement and I like how you set up the serene mood at the beginning with flute and clarinet melody. I really like the mood you create in the movement. Like you said the piano part in the first movement is not that virtuosic for a Piano Concerto first movement, but I think it quite fits for a slow movement when you really bring the signing ability of piano out. I quite like 5:55 when you have the gradual crescendo to a climax by the orchestra then followed by the piano solo. I would personally want a more virtuosic piano writing though as to bring out the drama and tension for a first movement of a Piano Concerto though. Your writing is beautiful, but for me personally to maintain most of the 11 minutes in serenity without more drama would make the music less attractive to listen to! The climax in this movement is mainly pushed by dynamic when you reach fortissimo and full orchestra, but I can you can also create climax by more exciting rhythms with shorter note values! Tremolos in strings would be great! The ending for me is a bit abrupt and you may also end it with more preparation! Your harmonic writing is nevertheless beautiful and I love your modulation very much! Thx for joining the forum and sharing your own music. Maybe take some time to look into other members' works and possibly review them as well! Henry

Hello! As a Chinese myself I understand Mandarin, so I enjoy this song very much since I know what this song is saying. But since most of the members here don't know Chinese, maybe you should include the English translation of the lyrics and the background of your song so our fellow members can grasp your song's meaning! Thx for sharing. Henry

Hello @Cafebabe, This piece reminds me very much of Scarlatti given its light touch, texture and also how you modulate to distnat key A minor in b.81 from F sharp major! The harmony in the piece is very fitting to the style and I love your German sixth usage. Thx for sharing this light hearted piece! Henry