oingo86

How's everyone doing with this? I'm fiercely trying to finish up before the deadline, I got a little side-tracked with work and life and whatnot. Looking forward to presenting my piece and hearing everyone else's!

I would like to enter! The creative possibilities for this one are endless. Please don't cancel this one! :)

Perfect pitch is helpful in practical situations, I would think, only if one has the knowledge of theory or basic harmonic principles to correctly interpret what you are hearing. Is there a benefit to being able to pick one or more notes out of thin air if you don't know the context in which the sounds are being used? If you are trying to describe, say a four-note chord, and use all four note names because you can hear them independently and identify them - isn't it more useful in a practical way to just say 'it's a dominant 7th chord', without being able to identify the key it's in? This is from my experience in a music conservatory: Freshman year at Peabody, I was placed into the 'Perfect pitch' Ear Training class, along with my horn player friend and about 20 piano or string players, all who actually had PP (I did/do not). I quickly learned that perfect pitch does not equal good musicianship. The professor would start every lesson with note-guessing exercises, which the PP students were great at (I only did well after it was revealed what the first pitch was, because I have good relative pitch, but not PP). But, when challenged with identifying chords or intervals, they struggled greatly and I succeeded because of the practicality of relative versus perfect in that situation. Perhaps my success in the latter type of challenges was more because of my history with theory, but I couldn't help but notice that PP only really helped them identify pitches in the air and not how they were being used. I hope I haven't offended anyone with this story or my sentiments, like I said, this is just my experience!

Thanks, Luke! Sibelius Sounds 7 surprises me sometimes with actually decent string sounds! Monarcheon - Just looking at the first page - would you consider making bars 3, 6 and 9 be 3/4 and 4, 7, 10 2/4? I guess that would make more sense, starting the viola on beat 1 (where it started) and having that extra beat be written into the previous measure. I'll tool with it tonight. Thanks for your insight! EDITED - new score! How's this?

I love your harmony and how you brought back the main theme at the end - what a lovely 6th chord to end on! Well done writing for vibraphone, also.

This is a piece I composed for the Birthday challenge. August 5 got me Celesta and Viola. I call the piece 'A Viking's March to the Ice Kingdom'. It is hard to write for celesta without thinking of snow and ice... Enjoy!

August 5 - Celesta and Viola.

At ms. 66, I did start borrowing from the minor mode here, perhaps it sticks out a little too much considering I barely used that technique elsewhere. As for C-D, I couldn't bear just repeating the same harmony since the theme was being presented for the 2nd time. I knew that at the end when the main theme comes back, I wanted the traditional harmony and to keep it tonal and clear, so when I was writing the 2nd 'verse', knowing that the last time it would be traditional, I felt free to experiment. The harmonies came out slightly jazzy, which is how I re-harmonize in general. I also like to use voice-leading to create some harmonies that aren't even functional, e.g. beats 3+4 of ms. 25, and playing with major/minor in opposite fashion of traditional harmony. So, I guess I'd say that was exactly what I intended, if only for the break of monotony regarding the traditional harmony that is repeated. Thanks for your insight - I was always a little let down by how the big transition at G came out - I think you nailed it on the head when you described it as (paraphrasing): a failed symphonic attempt. I guess sometimes my musical brain forgets what ensemble I'm writing for until I orchestrate - I really did hear strings and winds and bells when I conceptualized this transition, and perhaps it feels weak because the intent was a larger sound than what I had to work with. Thanks!

This is an arrangement of one of my favorite hymn tunes, SALVE FESTA DIES by R.V. Williams. As a church organist, I know and play a lot of tunes and this one has always been an Easter favorite of mine. Although, as a United Methodist organist for the past 7-8 years, I never got the chance to play it. Until this past easter when I had a brilliant idea - if the Methodists don't want to sing my favorite Easter tune, I'll just arrange it for organ and brass and present it to them as a prelude! This is what I did, and it went very well, although I got the sense that no one in the congregation had ever heard the tune... Here is my arrangement of 'Hail Thee, Festival Day', by one of the great English hymn-writers, Ralph Vaughn Williams. Notice the fanfare intro - it will return! Also, in the B section I attempted to create a brass quartet sound, using a tuba stop on either pedals or manual left hand. Listen for the 3rd them to pop it's head in again towards the end! Comments and criticism welcome. I'm glad to be back to Young Composers Forum, and also to have some music to share! I'm Nick, by the way. :)

Using the Alto Flute's pedal Dflat at bars 114-122 under the shifting harmonies of the other flutes creates a pretty smooth transition back to F major, because it acts as a sub-dominant, leading us to C (usually C7), then to F. Although, the fact that once it resolves to C we are not hearing C7 but instead Cmaj7 creates an uneasy feel, and begs the question - where are we really going with this? Your use of flat 9's in the next measures (and the addition of a Bb - the 7th) give us more of a feeling of dominance than the Cmaj7 did, and as such you have created a perfectly viable modulation. Your piece is very playful! I especially enjoyed your use of counterpoint and countermelody - giving every flute a chance to take up the melody and shine! I love the interplay between Flutes 1 and 2 in measures 97-111. Well done, and great work on the score!

This is a good "statement" song. Your best achievements are your creation of a strong melody, an infectious rhythm and belting opportunities. Your harmony is very static and repetitive, although I love how you've created many opportunities for a talented tenor to really use his voice. There was a point going into the 2nd verse (1:06) that I was thinking could have used a key change to build drama but the vocal line took him way above the staff and I realized, "Oh, that's what he was planning!". I was surprised to hear the vocal line riff a little bit but that built the drama just as well as going crazy with key changes and sudden changes. Sometimes restraint pays off, especially with a gifted technical singer. Good work!

John Adams wrote 'On the Transmigration of Souls', which you're right, isn't his best work. I don't like to say I 'hate' any type of music or even composer. That would make me not want to listen to it at all, and if I've never listened to a piece I can't really say I don't like it, right?

John Adams - Chamber Symphony (1992) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEebugUD2dw G. Ligeti - Chamber Concerto (1970) O. Messaien - Oiseaux Exotiques (1956) My favorites of the chamber music repetoire ever, really.

Just letting you guys know - I haven't stopped working on this project!! I've just gotten REALLY busy all of sudden. In a week or so things will slow down for me again and I can continue writing. But please, other people write!! We'll get this damn thing rolling along eventually!

I would have made a thread like what you're describing already, but YC gives me an error message each time I try to, so please go ahead! It will help out a great deal, especially for newcomers. As to newcomers joining in and writing, that's really not something I'm prepared to let happen. People can't just waltz in and expect to write part of the opera - they MUST be heavily involved in the WHOLE process. And everyone needs to remember to have patience - writing an opera is something that takes time, and a lot of it. Here's where I am - I'm still working on finishing the libretto for the 1st scene, and I've begun composing the 2nd half of that scene, where the Maid enters. Oh! Here's the orchestra I'm using: 2/1/2/1-4/2/2/1-tmp, perc., hp, pno, strings 1st Flute doubles Piccolo, Oboe CAN double Eng. hn if needed, 1st Bb Clar. doubles Eb, 2nd doubles Bass, Trumpets in C

xiii1408- go ahead and start on the first aria. I think we should write the intro or overture or whatever it's going to be after we write at least the first scene. So for now maybe write a small interlude into Flint singing the aria, and later we'll piece the two together. Also, I'm not quite done working on the libretto for the end of his aria before the Maid comes in. There needs to be a good chunk of text more before she enters. I'll write something soon... Morivou - I sort of took the rest of the scene after the first aria, but I will continue working on the libretto so hopefully I'll get the next scene down for you guys. Or, you know, anyone else can try to write some of the libretto...?? Those people, of course would have dibs on composing those scenes. ;)

Thanks everyone! Wow- when you get out of a long writer's block, you suddenly have NO clue how to look at what you've written... it's like you lose any concept of good or bad, because you're pretty much just happy something got written in the first place! But I'm glad to hear you guys like it. @Maestro - That would be great if you could record it! Don't kill your hands tho - start slow! I plan on writing another etude, in F#major very soon. Look out for it! Thanks, guys!

Excellent work, Robin! You guys play really well together! It's a great piece, reminds me of Medeski Martin and Wood.

I'm not really sure how to retro-save in Finale... but here are the files as XML, I'm assuming this will work. As for setting music to my libretto, I'd like to have someone with a more tonal language set the opening aria by Flint, and I'd like to take the rest of the scene, starting with where the Maid enters. Is this ok with everyone? Rest assured, I'll keep working on the libretto and promise not to bogart the rest of it! ;) But of course, whoever takes the first aria MUST discuss motives, moods, instrumentation, etc. with us all first. This is just to try and keep the music sounding alike in whatever way possible. My suggestion would be to always think dark and layered, with linking common tones between chords, creating dissonances, resolutions, etc. Take a look at my dark theme (basically just a short chord progression, and the idea of one tone holding throughout), and work from there. Here are the xmls. A 1 S 1 Opening FULL.xml A 1 S 1 Opening pno voc.xml

Vernon - you can msg me on AIM sometime: nickthoven99 Dan - I knew I was going to have to move that chunk of text... I'll save it for after the drinking song, when he's getting all pissed off. I'll replace some of his speech there, more about his wealth, and I think I'll keep playing on the idea that he thinks he's some sort of king. Thanks for pointing that out - I definitely want the break into reality to be sudden and surprising for both Flint and the audience! Well, I'm glad you guys like what I wrote! Oh - here's mus files of the theme, one orchestrated and one piano-staff. A 1 S 1 Opening FULL.mus A 1 S 1 Opening pno voc.mus

Patience, everybody!! An opera is NOT something that can be written in a couple of days, it takes time! I have written about half of the first scene's libretto, and written one main theme for inclusion in the orchestral Introduction. I haven't been part of the discussion lately, so I'd like to weigh in on what the instrumentation should be. I envision a large orchestra for this, but as long as there is a decent string count, chamber should be fine. I'd like the orchestration to echo the idea of Flint's character - very layered, very deep and dark. So cutting some woodwinds out (maybe 2.1.2.1) seems appropriate. But brass should be rather full, as the character is incredibly angry at parts and needs some power behind him. I'm thinking 4.2.2.1 for brass. Then harp, possibly piano, timp/perc., and strings. It's not a chamber orchestra, but it's not large. Is this pretty much what people had in mind? Ok, here is what I have of the libretto so far (attached as txt). I know it's not perfect. I would like comments please, constructive criticism, etc. Anything really! Also, here is a theme I wrote for the opening: dark theme Libretto.txt

WELL said, Dan. I agree on all points.

I've started the libretto already. I plan on doing just the 1st scene, then maybe helping out wherever needed later. I'm not really a writer, but I wrote the libretto to my 15-minute opera 'One' last year. It's posted in Major Works if you want to check it out. Obviously it's a different mood than this, and I plan on using more poetic language. I'll post what I have soon! Oh, and as far as singers go for when the whole thing is finished, a bunch of my friends are voice students at Peabody, so I'm sure I could have them read some parts. My friend Billy is actually the best tenor at Peabody right now, so he'd be great for the main role. But we can't record if there's no music yet, and we can't write music if there's no libretto so....... I have to get back to work!! :)