
Sahil Sidhu
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Everything posted by Sahil Sidhu
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This is a small fugue for three voices that I have written for the piano. I would love to hear what you have to say about it. Any small piece of advice will be invaluable to my improvement of this work. Thank you for your time and efforts.
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Thanks so much for listening to my work and thank you for your compliments. Now, on to your criticisms. That is a very good point; thanks for bringing it to my attention. I think that, in order to create a better sense of form, I should perhaps vary the complexity at times. I think I should write a section such as the Poco adagio in the actual contrapuntal sections with proper strict counterpoint again; perhaps, exploring some of the themes in various other manipulations. I will definitely seriously consider implementing your advice. Thank you so much! Your advice is invaluable.
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What an impressive work! I don't listen to much minimalism (I did a single semester of it in highschool, and that's about it); so therefore, take my advice with a grain of salt. First of all, two months ago, I was studying the Debussy's orchestration in La Mer and Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; and I noticed many interesting similarities between his orchestration and yours. So, that again is another job well done! One particular moment that caught my ear was the texture from 1:40 onwards (I can't read the bar numbers, I'm sorry). Your treatment of the lower brass and lower woodwinds to add depth in your soundscape does occasionally remind me of Debussy's style (or in fact an impressionist's style for that matter) of orchestration. Your rhythmic and harmonic language does seem reminiscent of Stravinsky, which is again good; it sometimes works, but sometimes it does not; and I'll get to that below. Lastly, I really appreciated the idea of building tension and releasing tension. It worked well in this piece, and I would not be surprised were it to work in others as well. Now, on the topic of your rhythmic language, I exhort you to take a closer look at movement two and the ideals it represents. I could only understand the purpose once you had described them to me; for the rhythmic language was not reminiscent of the ocean (at least for me). It was far too rhythmical. Perhaps you could consider further subdivisions (especially in the piano) or polyrhythms. Obviously, this type of texture and rhythms worked splendidly for the third movement (in which I would have appreciated a wider usage of percussion to add to your palette). Another thing you should look at, is that I believe your last page is missing... Other than that, I commend you on your efforts. Well done and I look forward to more!
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I don't usually reply a second time to someone, but I thought this was interesting. I can only assume you're referring to m. 669 to m. 673. This is actually where I signed my name. In the second violin section, that actually spells out my name (each set of six notes corresponds to one letter). The E-flat pedal is used because the first letter of all my three names begin with the letter 'S' (Es = S); and also this is 42 semitones away (the sum of my birth date 13+06+20+03=42) from an A, which has an integer frequency (a more natural choice given the prominence of numbers and integers in this section). This is also the reason I ended the work in E-flat minor The second violin part has to do with my perspective on how the entire universe operates on the shape of a circle (cycle of life, the approximate shape of planetary bodies, gravitational pull, a symbol of unity and infinity; which makes a reference to time, wholeness, and etc.). Take the distance (in semitones) from each individual note and the nearest E-flat below it and this will yield a number for each packet of six as demonstrated below: This will yield a number. If one considers this 6 digit number as a decimal (because otherwise the 0 at the start will be redundant), then you get 0.16534. Divide pi (the number pertaining to the concept of circles) by this decimal and you will get a number very close to an integer (in this case 19). Once each packet of six has been attributed an integer, one can see the corresponding letter of the English alphabet to find my name. My name is again signed in various spots such as m. 674 to m. 676 (S-A-H S-D-H) and m. 323 to m. 324 (same concept as before). I don't know if you noticed that; but still, I am writing this here for anyone else viewing the work in the future.
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Thank you so much for listening! Wow! That is a very astute observation. The study score of Beethoven's Op. 133 recently arrived at my doorstep and so I have been studying it with great assiduity. I can absolutely understand your point about the retrogrades and inversions. The theme that is introduced in m. 363 was deliberately written to be rhythmically and melodically confusing (both in inversion and proper form). However, other than that, I tried my best to make the manipulations sound convincing. I will perhaps go back and listen to each voice individually again to make sure it sounds natural. Well, a new style I am acquainting myself with is that of using polytonality (not exactly atonality) to create a sense of musical conflict. Later on, I simply use the whole tone scale. As the music progresses (much like a waltz I wrote not too long ago), I tend to degrade the sense of tonality and allow each voice to have its own unique idea. The only difference is that in the beginning all voices were in harmony with their own lines; however, they soon lost that in due time which hopefully creates a sense of madness or confusion (an idea I got from the coda of Chopin's Ballade No. 4). Well, if I can even be 10% as good as he was, I'd be happy. Thanks for your criticisms, it was most helpful!
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Well, I had m. 6 in mind. For me, I tend to think of the simplicity of textures in the same way as I think of build ups to climaxes. I think (this is very personal), that this bar had a sudden complexity to the texture which left the soundscape almost as abruptly as it came. If it was either explored for a little longer or simplified, it would (in my honest opinion) come across as a more effective change in mood. That being said, I think you could model this upon the excellent build up to m. 21, which I thought was extremely effective.
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Well, this is certainly a very refreshing work! I must say, your understanding of the textures on the piano is very commendable; only an accomplished pianist or a very good composer would have this level of understanding. The musescore soundfont does not do these textures justice! Also, I will commend your use of harmony; it also emphasizes the 'freshness' of the work. Now, I am a little confused at times in regards to the subtle changes in writing style that occurs throughout; obviously, if this was your intention then my previous comment will be negated. This confuses the musical direction at times (not always). Another small problem is that the music feels slightly 'imbalanced'. It needs to explore more within its own constraints. An example that might hopefully illustrate my above point will be the climax at m. 21. You voiced your affection for this portion of the music (a sentiment that I share); however, I think that it might need to go on for slightly longer to help 'balance' the music a little more. On a side (non-musical) note, I must comment on how good your engraving is! Your command over musescore is certainly great; and I should take lessons from you one day! I think that will be all for now. Feel free to neglect these comments; music is certainly very subjective. Congratulations on this work and thanks for sharing!
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I have written a quartet for strings on which I would like the honour of some of your criticisms. This work has sprouted from almost a year and a half of counterpoint study. It is similar to a fugue; that is, it does tend to have fugal aspects; however on the whole, this is mostly a work of counterpoint with many interesting hidden ideas embedded within it. I can understand if you are unable to listen to the entire work, as it is almost 16 minutes long; however, if you give me some feedback on even a single contrapuntal passage, I would be greatly indebted to you. Thank you for your time and I dearly hope you enjoy this work. On a side note, this recording that I have here does not take into consideration single note dynamics which is indeed frustrating; however, it is the only soundfont I could find that effectively does some of the counterpoint justice (that is, so it is not too muddy sounding).
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A Little "Innocent" Waltz for Piano
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
@Thatguy v2.0 Thank you so much for your helpful criticisms! I am very glad that you liked the style. I must say, now that you pointed out the disappointing lack of rests, I am starting to feel like perhaps you are right. I have been looking through the work for places where I can implement your criticisms. I wouldn't take out a whole lot, since most of the driving energy stems from the lack of rests. However, I agree that to some extent, there needs to be less notes and more contemplation of what was just heard. I am not sure if you will see this comment but if it is not too much to ask, can you give me an example of one or two bars where the notes overwhelm you. Just so that I can have a starting point to begin considering. I thank you very much for your comments! They are invaluable for improvement! -
A Little "Innocent" Waltz for Piano
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
@U238 Absolutely agree with you on that one. I wrote a deliberately clichéd melody. You see, music is all about contrasts in my opinion. Perfect balance is achieved through perfectly contrasted sections, whether they choose to resolve or not. I wrote that opening to directly contrast and subvert the dance: an elegant waltz. I still dislike the melody I wrote in the opening (which is actually a good sign). Well, again here it is all about contrasts. The work is balanced, in my humble opinion, due to the fact that most of its musical direction stems from its increasing use of dissonance and contrapuntal passages. Pace and tone is just one simple side of music that would affect the music for brief moments. As you can see, I did alter the tone and pace as per your critique towards the end (it would probably be a better rendition of that if it was performed by a human being). The return of the hackneyed melody towards the end is not so much of contrast per se, but of perhaps a sudden jarring change of musical direction, which would again throw the listener off. However, there is only so much I can do in less than 4 minutes All in all, this piece is not here to charm but instead is here to provide a glimpse into reality. The dark and unfortunate reality of life, hence why I chose to disfigure a commonly known dance associated with charm and beauty. Thank you for your critique. It was very helpful. -
A Little "Innocent" Waltz for Piano
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
PaperComposer, thank you so much for your kind review. I use musescore and so in the intensely contrapuntal sections (e.g. m.117 where all the voices are in different keys that are major 3rds from each other) I would usually place an invisible accent on the theme introduced in either m.107 (which is an alteration of m.49) or the opening theme. This way the counterpoint is not sounding too messy without sounding too clean either? Not sure if that makes sense. About the bashing thing, well it depends on where you are. From m.117 to m.122 I would like the 'bashing' sound but only on the left hand. At m. 123 onwards I would probably not want such a sound. Here instead I would like to to 'try' to sound elegant (hence my marking of dolce e espress. which of course is almost impossible to pull off. This passage would then come off as quite sarcastic or mocking). I am curious as to what you mean by the chromaticism being wacky. I'm not defending my use of chromaticism, but if something doesn't go with the rest of the work, I would like to do something about it. Thank you so much for your comments! I am always glad when someone points out a way that I can improve upon my works. -
A very interesting piece indeed! A tad on the long side for a waltz (which I honestly don't mind, since I have listened to Mahler's Ländlers, which are mostly really long). I will not restate PaperComposer's comments (which I believe are all valid). However, there are some things I think you could take a look at; mostly very picky things, nothing too major. - The descending sequences (from m.9 and from m.170) take up too much time, to the point that they lose their effect. Parallel fifths work well here though. - M.25, fff is too much? Your call. - M.142, a very harsh change from the thickness of the texture before. - M.160, ff and leggiero? Not sure how that works. - M.282, not sure if this is the performer or the music, but I don't really hear a scherzando effect on this particular passage. - M.332 3rd beat, harmony doesn't fit. Sounds a little awkward. This happens quite often in your work which causes sudden dissonances that seem out of context. This is just my (very) humble opinion. It's just some things you could think about, perhaps even change. Ultimately, the work is yours and you can do with it whatever you please. If you have some time, I would be very grateful if you could perhaps take a look at a waltz I wrote as well. It's probably a different style to yours. My Piano Waltz in G major Hope I helped! Sahil Sidhu
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A Little "Innocent" Waltz for Piano
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
@bkho Hahaha, I am very glad that the changes in character that I wanted the listener to perceive was effective. I am also very glad you enjoyed it. It means a lot. Thank you for your time! -
I have written a small classical waltz for the piano in G major. It goes through a few minor changes throughout the duration of the work. Please feel free to give me any criticism at all. I am looking to improving the work (possibly posting on this thread an improved version later). I will not describe my intentions because then it tells you what to imagine (same reason to why I do not name my compositions). Thank you for your time.
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Symphony No. 1 in D minor | Op. 9
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Orchestral and Large Ensemble
Sorry everyone! I just edited it for the 4 mvts. It's just that my computer is very very slow and it takes a while to export, that's why I figured i could get away with just a shareable link (to the .wav file which isn't supported here). Thank you! -
A new symphony! I completely understand if you do not have the time to listen to some random person's full length symphony. Therefore, I appreciate feedback of any sort, even if for just one movement. However, as the composer I do not recommend you listen to the finale before the rest of the symphony, as much of the finale's musical direction is drawn from the rest of the symphony. I have provided a full analysis of the work in the score provided. Please give as much criticism as you can (and try to reference measures in the work to give weight to your points, and so I can also see what you mean). As always, thank you very much for your time and I look forward to this becoming a better symphony! The recordings (made by Musescore): Mvt 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CAOxhNLxX5mTM8I3pN6a00cJ6LObPzIA/view?usp=sharing Mvt 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vgF-fNAFtjASFNw4Ni65gIQQnYiyP7M1/view?usp=sharing Mvt 3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pil7DL1e0xil9X8P3a89r-0qjQ3nFiC8/view?usp=sharing Mvt 4: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HgNhClxXphbyeCLpMbsNBtL58nDL1eGF/view?usp=sharing
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2 Nocturnes for Solo Piano | Op. 2
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
Thank you very much for taking the time to review it! Honestly, I believe you are definitely correct. I do tend to play more Chopin on my piano than any other composer, (ballades, nocturnes, etudes etc.) But, I think that since I play him so much, his style is starting to seep into me. Now I am learning Rachmaninoff's Concerto no. 2 and 3, and also composing a piano concerto of my own, (you can see where this is going!) But, I honestly am just trying to follow this one quote I heard somewhere: If you rip off an artist, people will just say you are the next *artist's name*. But, if you rip off a hundred artists, people will comment that you are so original. I guess that right there is the secret to originality! Thanks anyways and good day! -
A set of two nocturnes! I am going to write a few nocturnes in minor keys as well, so don't worry if these are too happy for you. My dark and brooding side is yet to come in the form of a symphony! Enjoy this for now! (You can see how I was originally going to start the B-flat major prelude in D minor!) Please give all the criticism you can.
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5 Preludes for Solo Piano | Op. 1
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
What a pity. Thanks for listening to it, though! I am very glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you very much! -
5 Preludes for Solo Piano | Op. 1
Sahil Sidhu replied to Sahil Sidhu's topic in Piano Music, Solo Keyboard
Well, thanks for taking the time to review it! I must say, I am very disappointed with my choice of tempo. Like you said, some of the slower ones sound fast with unnatural energy, and the ones that are fast sound slow with wasted drive and energy. It almost sounds as if it is capable of more. As for the resemblance to various composers. Well! I was trying to sound original, hahaha. Thanks for your time anyway! -
I see what you mean. Well, I guess you can argue your point by virtue of the subjective nature of music. Obviously, my comments were just what I heard or what I saw that jarred with my notion and understanding of a sonata by Mozart or Haydn, or even Beethoven. I see what you mean, yes. I was just telling you because, from what I saw, it did not look like you intentionally did it. I am a pianist as well and I know there are many more difficult passages, *cough* Rachmaninoff concerto 3 3rd mvmt *cough*. In the first ten bars of your second movement, is there really anything that the mind can hold on to? Your movement is quite short (excluding repeats), therefore I would expect a shorter motive that reappears in the piece. It you want a longer more expansive melody (more Romantic really, however, not uncommon in Classical), make a longer movement to properly develop thematic material. In Mozart's K.545 Andante, you can see that after 8 bars (even phrasing), the theme repeats with variation. Hence, we have something we can remember. Also in that he ends each two bar phrase with the same thing: the dotted quaver and a semiquaver. All I'm saying is that, since you overtly borrowed the theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, I don't see why you manipulated it here (especially since this piece focuses on Mozart). Anyways, thanks. Sounds like you really know your theory. You are just missing the human aspect of the piece. Would you mind doing a review on my preludes?
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It is a good attempt to honour Mozart on his birthday. The Alberti bass has a resemblance of Mozart's music. However, I feel that the piece is not very pianistic, if you know what I mean. It doesn't sound like it was supposed to be written for the piano. More careful use of texture and harmonic rhythm would have also ensured a better musical direction and experience overall. A few things you can look at: I have to talk about your choice of phrasing. The piece you are writing is clearly in the style of classical music and Mozart. However, in your opening, you have a seven bar phrase. That is very irregular and is more of a romantic characteristic. In Mozart's K.545 sonata, you can see an opening of four bars followed by scales (which I assume is the inspiration for the scale passage following that opening). The dramatic change in position of the Alberti bass from b.1 to b.2 and in the second beat of b.3 to the third beat of b.4 is very queer sounding and awkward to play. Also, the change in speed of the Alberti bass from b.2 and b.3 is quite abrupt, and does not serve its purpose. B.18 and b.19, parallel chords are ineffective. B.36, I see some experimentation with shifting music cells. However, I find that ineffective in this context, especially in a classical Mozart style piece. Alberti bass in the right hand? Really subverting the genre there. However, that is good news if you want to be original and not write in the style of someone else. In your second movement, overall the melody seems to be going nowhere and at times I feel no sense of emotional direction. I do admire your strict sense of form, though. Each section has its own unique texture, however, it is united as a movement through the same way of concluding. In the third movement, I can see you used the K.550 motive after you mentioned it. However, you manipulated it until it was unrecognisable, which is great for originality. However, I don't think that was your intention. It is very good. Just change these and you will have something Mozart would be proud of! Just my humble opinion!
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These are a set of five preludes for the piano that I wrote, so they are relatively short. Keep in mind, this is the musescore render of it, so it's missing a lot of expression and musicality. Looking for feedback on them. Thank you!
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Thank you for the feedback. I have no idea why I always, without a doubt, give the music an extremely fast speed.It has always been daunting to start the second movements of these pieces as I have no idea how to approach a slow, more relaxed piece. Perhaps you could give me some tips on how to approach such a type of music. There are many mistakes in my music, as I have never gone for composition tuition or anything which is similar, all you hear in my music is what I have been teaching myself. I did this by listening to classical pieces I considered "nice" and try to hear for things that make it stand out. And then when I have an idea that sounds good, I write a piece. Thanks, as always, for your opinion!
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The work is finished, at least the first movement is. I remember I was writing this piece in my head that day reflecting back on my mood. My computer's sound is spoilt so I can't hear the music I make, only once I'm finished and I send it to my other devices for playback. So far this piece has had only one revision. I probably should slow it down, because it seems I have no hope of playing it. Thanks for the feedback!