Eek! Suggestions?

As I love the film Koyaanisqatsi (Reggio, music by Philip Glass) I thought I would try a simple arrangement of the opening theme from the film (also used as an important motif throughout).

I'm hoping to get suggestions on how to improve this... particularly the ending. I know I've broken a few voice leading rules (and more than once!) so please don't point that out, unless you find a better solution.

koyaan.mid

This was actually really nice! I don't generally like Philip Glass. It certainly wasn't minimalist in any "normal" sense.

The only thing I'd suggest to watch out for is the way you end phrases in various instruments... try to avoid those abrupt "stops" on the last beat, which leaves a big naked hole on the FIRST beat. It makes the music very square-ish, and emphasizes the fact that one of the instruments has stopped.

Remember that an instrument NOT playing is as expressive as one playing. Its absence is noticed if it had a particularly melodic role shortly before stopping. The ear actively searches to hear its next entrance. The problem arises when you've decided to give the important mateiral to another instrument meanwhile. The audience hasn't made the switch to that new instrument, and in essense, loses its way.

So one important way to avid this is to "hand off" melodic matieral from whatever instrument will become tacet to whichever will take over. This can be done by literally overlapping notes, or it can be done by simply having the "soon to be tacet" instrument move into a closer register to the "take over" instrument.

All that said, good job on not having all four instruments constantly playing. That makes for a much more interesting quartet.

Thanks Qccowboy. I'll try to be more mindful of those things, and have a look at how I can improve the phrasing in this particular work.