Wind quintet 2

Please find below my second attempt on the wind quintet format. I have no formal training and DO appreciate all feedbacks. Suggestions, proposals for changes. Or bravos...:blush:

The melody line (meas. 6-) is a soft and simple 8 bar melody with a somewhat unexpected chord at the second last bar. I have added a second theme (close to "Nearer, My God, to Thee") and an introduction to make create interest before the (overly) soft melody line starts.

Meas. 38 starts some kind of melodic development with strong harmonics. I have tried to create tension around measure 41.

The ending is peaceful with theme + second theme returning.

Do you think there is tooooo much crowded into 3:30 minutes (overly ambitious)? Please comment!!!!:thumbsup:

/ BR Tomas F.

mp3: mp3

wind_quint2_080114.MUS

wind_quint2_080114.pdf

PLEASE... . . . :whistling:

Hey, TomasF:

Oh hey! My name is Thomas F! With an H! Go figure.

Anyway, I'm willing to take a look, but if you could upload a MIDI, that'd be fantastic. I can only see the score right now...and I don't have Finale. As soon as you upload a MIDI I'll take a listen. :)

Oh wait I found an mp3. Sorry. Lemme listen to it.

Cheers,

Thomas

Okay, here goes.

I like your piece. A lot. I think it is absolutely fantastic; if you arranged it for concert band, I would love it so much.

The first thing that really caught my attention was your choice of instrumentation. I've never seen a quintet in that instrumentation before! It's an unusual blend of colors, but quite effective.

I don't play any of these instruments (I play flute) but I do know that when playing a wind instrument, you may want to mark in the slurs because as a wind player, we have to tongue everything that's not legato. So, for example, unless it's marked legato, we have to play sixteenth notes TTTTTT or TKTKTKTK, which is an exercise for the mouth. I suggest you put in slurs for phrasing and/or technical purposes; there's nothing wrong with it as it stands, but it might make things slightly easier for the performers.

Through the entire piece, I did not hear anything "overly" ambitious. So it's all good.

One more thing...the tempo is 72, which isn't exactly "largo". I would say it's between andante and andantino? Just being a little picky...:)

Overall, great job! Keep it up, I'd love to hear more.

Okay, first off this instrumentation was a pleasant surprise, and altogether different from what I assumed we would be hearing (fl, ob, cl, fr hrn, bsn traditional wind quintet)...I like the type of harmonic underpinning you're going for, here...With so many instruments playing in the same register (alto/mezzo), you get some interesting effects. A word of caution, though - sometimes, just every once in awhile, the melody (at least on the mp3 - I couldn't get the finale file to open) was in danger of being covered, particularly during the first half - but really sings once you get to the hymn quotation, as you put some intervallic distance between the clarinet and the rest of the ensemble.

I was a little bit confused by the constant voice crossings in some sections - for example, in bars 7-9, the trumpets enter after resting for at least 1 bar. At that point, it's not necessary to have the second trumpet spaced above the first, as there is previous melodic motion you are trying to preserve. My advice would be to simply try to remember what approximate range of notes (or degree, in the case of the trumpets) you are assigning to each instrument, to watch the voice crossings, and all will be good :)

Bar 25 is an example of where it might pay off to rethink the voicing of that passage - I can see the imitative descending motion you were working towards, which happens between the alto sax and second trumpet - however, the harmony of thirds between the clarinet and the first trumpet does not give your second trumpet a very wide berth while "passing through" - but again, perhaps this is what you intended. Aside from the above issues, and other variations thereupon, I have to say that I really enjoyed listening to this :) Your harmonies and use of a familiar melody were very soothing. Thanks for sharing this! :)

Soothing is the right word for me. I enjoyed this. I thought the melodic and harmonic progression stays a bit shallow, but that accounts for the soothing effect. So that's ok in my opinion. I have not much more to add, accept I like to hear more from you.

Thanks a lot. Largo... :blush:

Kromo.; very insightful. M.25 has a problem but I never figured out the why before. M.38 has a similar issue and now I'll know what to do (and should that bar be f, not mf ??). / BR Tomas F.