Variations in c minor for string trio

Hi again, I have finished this work for string trio, and would appreciate your feedback. I'm not sure what style

is this, instruments are violin, viola and cello. It's not very long composition, about 6 minutes or so, and it consists of

five variations, on 'Brother Peter' theme but in c minor instead in major. Yes I know that sounds wierd but it's not, I promise. :)

Inspiration was Mahler's 1st symphony, 3rd movement, so I decided to dedicate one variatio to him (4th, can't miss it) and if you have listened to Titan you'll recognize it. The 5th variatio is mostly in E flat major, I wanted a kind of 'brigther' ambience for ending (like Beethoven's fifth but in wrong key :toothygrin:).

I intended to compose much more variations at first, but than I decided to end it after 5th one.

Maybe later I'll get back to this, but chances are poor.

This is my op.2 which means I have much to learn, so feel free to suggest something and criticise me. :)

Variations in c minor for string trio, op.2 Diana Tolic.mp3

This was nice, the second variation was realy nice, sounded like a fugue. You had a good flow and a nice mix of styles. This is a cute little composition, the 4th sounded nice, sounded like a russian song or something, realy good. i like the second and the 4th best, they where most baroqueish ;) Good work!

Thanx. I'm note sure about baroqueish part, I would say that style is little bit messy. Two of my experienced colleges compositors (one baroque freak, another one romantic freak :) ) also couldn't help me with classification. Mainstream maybe. But yes, I tend to use baroque harmonies, since they are simple (6 months ago didn't know what tonic/dominant/subdominant is :O) and they serve me well for now.

Only criticism I've received refered to last variatio: key is E flat major (instead of C major) - the last note sholud be tonic :).

thanx for your reply :)

Hello, I have carefully listen to your varaiations and i gratulate you for good work. I am a violin-player so i think i can judge about how to handle string instruments and you do this with sense for space and all instruments seem to have the same rights, which in my opinion is important especially in chamber-music in most cases.

I have to critizise, that though the character of melody is sentimantal, i miss sometimes more play with rhythm, especially with the tempo, so that the composition would get more contrasts. Why not write one variation in double-time and then relax again at the end? Or using something more moving to accompany the leading instrument sometimes. This would be a method to keep the exitement of the listener. But all in all good work and it's only opus 2 :)

You need to post a pdf score! Sounded quite baroque(which I loved), harmony was good, simple, clean. I heartily enjoyed it!

And I do agree with Dirk, you need to insert a variation in double time or something like that, perhaps before the end?