Henry Ng Tsz Kiu

Hi @mercurypickles! Thx for a really long review. I don't expect someone reviewing this year ago Sextet! Thank you! I am sure there are lots of great pieces in the forum but I would also admit this one is one of them too haha. Yeah actually this formal inspiration only grew after I finished the first movement. I originally only wanted a single movement Sextet, which contains the first movement only, but after reflection and a meeting with my philosophy professor and friends I knew it's not enough, so I planned a 2nd movement as well. I would say had I not written the second movement, this would be a complete miss and a big fault for not having the opening theme reappears at the end of the 1st movement. But luckily I did turn this fault to a bigger blessing when I had the opening theme reappeared rather in the climax of the second movement with a 3 voice unison which really strengthens the power of the theme, which the power would be reduced had I let the theme reappear in the first movement after its initial reappearence. Back then when I wrote the Lamentoso which contains the 23:38 passage I was real depressed so I definitely expressed it in my music. It's always my goal to communicate my thoughts in my pieces. I would rather give up composing if I cannot communicate through my pieces and force to write pieces I don't want to. I think I won't orchestrate this one. I am really shxtty in orchestration as I am only writing my first orchestral piece now, and also I would want to have this Sextet remain in a more intimate and retrospective manner so I would prefer not orchestrating it at all. But if someone does this job for me I would be more than happy! 😁 Thank for saying this, as I always doubt whether I have enough knowledge to provide feedbacks at all, and whether those feedbacks are really helpful to other members at all. Without his videos I am probably still writing Mary-had-a-little-lamb level for chamber writing lol! Big props to his analysis! Thank you! Henry

Hello @RochaTipoPedra, Sorry for a really late review. I do like the piece and even though I am not too familiar with trombones, I don't think it has errors. The overall mood of the piece is solemn to me, and if I am going to say what I am less favour in this piece is most of the movements are in slower tempo. My favourite movement of the piece is the 3rd movement because it is the most exciting one in a marching quick tempo, but the other 4 movements are more or less in a slower tempo which may reduce the excitement, even though you do very well with the dynamics and control of climaxes throughout the piece. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @seo_composer! This is a really soothing and lovely piece, I love it! I like the sections after D section when you start to have more interaction between the voices and reaching the climax later, and I really like how you end on a E major chord for the Section F! The melodies throughout the piece is captivating. What will be the voice for the solo? If it's soprano, the B3 can be a bit low for her to sing! Also for me in section A to C you can reach a higher register since lingering in lower register for a long time would tend to make the piece less exciting! Nonetheless the climax after it does turn the piece around. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @mark styles, Welcome back to YC! This one does covel a large palette of sounds. I like the sound effect in 0:45. I would say the title "Fortitude" really matches the music here. It's like you search through a lot of different things in your life for the first two and a half minute and then you know what remains at the end. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @mercurypickles! I like the modes you explore in different sections of this Scherzo (probably the "Indian" element?): C Phrygian in first section, A Mixolydian for second section and a mixed of modes in third section. I also like how you use repetition of rhythmic ostinato in the first and third section in the accompaniment part for a really indigenous effect, it really sounds like what I would have heard in a World Music class. The 2nd section, benifitted from the Lydian mode and the broader piano part, is really calm to me. Thx for sharing and hopefully you will post the other pieces of the set too. Henry

Haha this would really suit for an April's Fool entry lol.

Hi @Mikayla, I feel like the key of this piece is rather in G flat major so you should mark the score with a six flat key signature and turn all the B naturals to C flats! For b.31 I'm not sure whether you would want a C flat for the C natural. The accompaniment there can definitely add more varieties. Thx for sharing. Henry

Hi @Alex Weidmann! When as a kid (and now as an old man) I always love this Mendelssohn piece! I like your combination of vibraphone and harp, and later also the glockenspiel (maybe I love a xylophone more) combination for the accompaniment. Flute is definitely a great choice for the main solo instrument throughout! Maybe for me, I will definitely have the melody played by the violins and/or the cellos for another timbre. But still, a lovely arrangement! Henry

Hi @ComposedBySam! Really like your poem, piece and singing! I like the occasional short imitations between parts like in b.9 or b.17 which strengthen the chasing theme. I really like the "dismantle this church that bows before strife" lyrics when you really dismantle by getting up an octave and ends on a high register, and then a half cadence which is resolve sacarstically to A minor. Wonderful job here. And also the "sacrificed in vain" lyrics when the voice ends in confusion with diminished 7th chords and the voice breaks off! The F minor modulation in b.47 is wonderful when it's matched with "grave" in the poem! A wonderful lied in my opinion. I think you should definitely make more lieder out of your poem, instead of having a strophic setting, because your through composed technique is wonderful and well matched with your lyrics! Thx for sharing! Henry

Never use or heard of these 2 books so no debate lol!

Still need you guys’ and gals’ opinion! Henry

Hi @Willibald! I just check out the 4th movement and it’s a lively nice rondo, I like your B minor episode inviting some contrast. Thx for your update! Henry

Hi @Cafebabe, I like the recurring March like turn figure in your prelude, it reminds of the D major fugue in WTC I. For the fugue, nice Dido and Aeneas like subject. If you are writing in Baroque style, usually the 3rd entry of the subject (in b.73) will be in tonic G minor instead of dominant D minor. I agree with @Willibald that there can be more appearances of the fugue subject, and to me especially there should be more appearances of the subject in the tonic G minor! Good counterpoint throughout though. Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @mercurypickles! For the first movement even without reading your description (I haven’t) it sounds so Brahmsian with the 2 against 3 and the Brahmsian Scherzo section, as well as the thick and more contrapuntal texture. It can well be a Clarinet Sonata if the saxophone is played with a Clarinet! (I’m thinking of Brahms’s 2 late Clarinet sonatas.) I really like the Scherzo sections with its energy. For the 2nd movement again both Schumannesque and Brahmsian, and b.28 even reminds me of Chopin’s Polonaise Fantasy where he has a similar figuration. The 3rd movement is exciting and I love the complex rhythm as you say the most. For me both fugues are more rhythmic than contrapuntal because there’s at a least a voice playing the ostinato instead of individual voices, but that doesn’t undermine it given how complex the rhythm is! Thx for sharing! Henry

Hi @Kvothe! The waltz is fine and I think you can add a contrasting section to it, probably in a major key or something. Also the false relation in b.12 sounds a bit harsh in this context to me. Thx for sharing! Henry