SamvParr

This is a nocturne for violin and piano. My first opportunity to write for a solo string instrument. I would greatly appreciate some technique considerations, etc! Nocturne for Violin and Piano

Sorry to do this, but i've had some stuff come up. I drop out. Sorry =(

I'm in!

Tidemand: I find your comment striking because at one point I listened and heard similarities to another piece of music too. However, it was at a different spot than you mentioned: The oboe solo before the caesura. I listened and heard a bit of the theme from Shrek. But, I liked it... and kept it. I feel it's unique. Thank you for your kind words. My school wind ensemble will be playing this sometime in the coming year!!! ParanoidFreak: I had the same sentiments as you. I felt that sometimes it just gets too I or II or IV, V, or VI ish, if you understand what I mean. I do wish that I added a little more harmonic variety, as you said. Thank you for your comments!!!

The beginning of the third minuet sounds precisely like that one Beethoven minuet!!! I like these. Very idiomatic, seems to me!

Thank you very much for your comment!!

Hello! First thing I notice is that the harmonies for the first few measures are open fifths; was that intentional? Some of the more rhythmic sections of the piece (at measure 11, for instance) remind me of John Cheetham's Scherzo for brass quintet. Every heard it? It's a good one. Another thing I'm noticing is confusing horn notation. You have a trill on F notated in the bass clef. As a horn player, I can tell you that while it's not going to cause any major confusion at all, It is a bit odd notation. Just put it in the treble clef. Same for from 84-139. Any ease gained from not reading the ledger lines for the low E's is far outweighed by the inconvenience of reading those A's and what not way up in the stratusphere of the bass clef. I also like the effect of the flutter tonguing giving way to the major triads (9-10), etc. That's all I have for now. Enjoyable piece and recording! -Sam Parrilla

This is a serenade for 13 wind players. It features pairs of flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, 2 pairs of horns, and a single contrabassoon. This is the same instrumentation as Richard Strauss's Serenade, which was the inspiration for this piece. However, the orchestration itself is not inspired by Strauss, only the concept and instrumentation. The orchestration is much heavier, in my opinion, than tradional harmonie musique. Thicker than Strauss, and certainly thicker than Mozart! It opens with a flute solo, then a repetition with clarinet and oboe on the melody (F minor). It roams around in F major for a bit as a result of a Picardy third at the end of the first phrase. However, we eventually wind up in the tonal center of A-Flat for a horn solo. The piece reaches a climax about 3 minutes in. A slight break --- A clarinet melody accompanied by the other clarinet and one pair of horns. The oboe joins in. After a flourish or two, the upper winds wind us down to the denouement with a single oboe on a C. After a brief caesura, the horns recapitulate the beginning flute melody. The rest of the ensemble joins in for the last four chords (VI, half-diminished ii, V7, I. Serenade for Winds

As a composer I like this very much... As a hornist, i'm disappointed with the music.

It's odd to see "AMEN" at the end, but not have it be a Plagal Cadence.

Anything Alfred Reed. Particularly Armenian Dances. Amazing! And.. a not very well known piece, Vigils Keep, by Julie Giroux. Amazing. It's a 5, we played it at festival and got a 1+ a few years back. Gustav Holst's two suites for military band. Molly on the Shore by Grainger is also amazing.

Percy Grainger. Things like, instead of molto ritardando, "SLOW DOWN LOTS" and instructions to play "throbbingly"

I? doesn't it only go up to G? :P

1. Mahler 5 2. Mozart 40 3. Brahms 3 4. Nielsen 1 5. Shostakovich 5 =D

Hey. This is in concert pitch? I may just be confused, but if it is in concert, the horn parts are way too high. Concert f sharp ppp. Hmm.. if that's right, that would make the a C sharp above the staff. Move everything down an octave. Or are you having the parts down a perfect fourth? If I'm not understanding something, disregard this. Sam Parrilla