Celloman

Salome by Richard Strauss (1905) Great music, great orchestration!

I actually finished an opera a week ago, and I also wrote my own libretto. At first, I tried writing the libretto first, then fitting the music to the words. This proved to be frustrating, because I was having difficulty getting the words to flow naturally. So finally, I decided to create the music and the libretto simultaneously, and I was surprised to find it much easier. Sometimes, I wrote a musical passage first, then added lyrics later. This strategy was much more productive for me personally. But it might be different for you. It might be easier to write the libretto first...it just depends on the composer. What's important is that you find the strategy that fits you best, and stick to it to the very end. Personally, I find opera writing to be tedious and sometimes frustrating! P.S. What's my opera about? Frankenstein's monster. :horrified:

My favorites are: -Eric Korngold -Miklos Rosza -Bernard Hermann -Max Steiner -Franz Waxman -John Williams -Thomas Newman Hermann's soundtrack to "Vertigo" is possibly my favorite! :toothygrin:

Interesting piece! I think you have some very good ideas flowing throughout. Here are some friendly criticisms, however: Some of your chord progressions didn't seem quite satisfactory, such as the chords in mm. 8 and 11. You might want to open up the chords in the left hand a bit, since they could sound somewhat muddy, especially in the lower range. The fugue was wonderfully virtuosic and impressive! I did think that some of the harmonic progressions seemed a little awkward, but these could be fixed easily. The episode(sequence) at measure 63 seemed just a little too long. One of these repetitions could be removed, I think. Overall, I thought the fugue was a little too lengthy. But otherwise, great job! Keep up the good work.

Scherzo giocoso placed first in the upper division of the Arden and Harry Fisher Young Composers Competition in 2007. I have included the original program notes for your benefit:Scherzo giocoso is in simple ABA form. The first theme is in 5/8 time, played by the two violins in thirds, with pizzicato in the cello and harmonic interest in the viola. Following a brief transition, a subordinate theme appears, alternating between 3 + 2 and 2 + 3 meters. The first theme briefly returns before merging into the lyrical middle section, in 3/4 time. This melody is first played by the 1st violin above block harmony, and later by the cello beneath running eighths and pizzicati in the upper strings. A turbulent transition follows, resulting in a brief climax before the return of the first theme. At the end of the recapitulation, a transformed first theme appears in 4/4, and the piece concludes in a rapid coda and the final pizzicato chords. Scherzo giocoso is dedicated to my late friend, Randy Cook, for his unfailing sense of humor.Thanks for listening! Scherzo giocoso

I loved this! Rhythmically, very engaging and clever. The type of piece that experiments with tonality, but doesn't abandon it altogether. The score looks very detailed and attractive. Just one question: Would it be better to separate the notes in measures 10-13? I thought this might be better from a visual standpoint. Could just be my opinion, though. Great work!

I'm seconding Ian's comment. I was left wanting more! Sure would like to hear the rest of the variations. Finish it up so we can hear it!

Not bad. I thought it was a bit repetitive, but then again, a lot of combat music is repetitive. Maybe, a sudden shift in texture, rhythm, etc. would be nice somewhere around 1:00-2:00.

This music kept my attention all the way to the end. Nice work, alessandrogozzo! I liked the complexity of the rhythms, which contrasted with the lyrical themes. Did anyone hear Prokofiev at 2:00? It's easy to descend into cliche when writing film music of this nature, but I think the composer really succeeded in maintaining originality. Well done!

A piano piece I wrote as a sort of perpetual motion. It's in ABA form. Debussy and Prokofiev were influences on the music, I think. Listen for the Beethoven moment! Zephyrs

Oh, and listen to the slow movement of the Shostakovich 1st symphony. The last few measures, in particular. You'll see what I mean!

Great question! So, for example...if your piece is in E Phrygian, you should end it with a downward stepwise motion in the bass: G, F, E. This motion would easily accommodate an Augmented Italian 6th chord: F in the bass, B in the middle, and D# in the soprano. You could use the French and German 6ths, as well. You might make the last chord as an E major, to make it even more interesting. Yeah, great question. Have fun with it!

One way I can tell that I'm listening to a great piece of music is that I begin to suffer from a severe attack of jealousy. I say to myself: "Now, why couldn't I have thought of that?" Congratulations on a job well done, Nightfly, and I'm looking forward to listening to your music on the Grammophone, EMI, and RCA Victor labels in the near future.

I wrote this back in 2009. The main theme might sound vaguely familiar. : )Here's a brief description of the sections:1. Adventure theme2. The hero in peril3. Love theme4. Battle theme5. Adventure theme reprise6. Coda Overture to Adventure

I wrote it about 2 years ago. Hope you like it!