Heaven and Hell Competition for Orchestra

This is for large ensamble. You have to write an orchestral piece that express best the feeling of the title "Heaven and Hell". Be creative, use your fantasy and create something great, something original!

I give you the name of the movements you have to write and I give its tempos:

I. - Prologue/ Army of Angels - March tempo

II. - Behind the Gate of Darkness - Moderato

III. - Light and Shadow - Allegro

IV. - Finishing/ - Salvation - Andante Maestoso

The Rules are the followings:

- Your piece must be at least 3:00 minutes long.

- You have to use all instruments of a Symphonic Orchestra. (+ Choir and other instruments if you want)

- You have to use the given Movements but its up to you how long they will be. You also have to use a theme/ a melody that always repeats through the four movements somehow, a melody that will be the main melody, the emblem of your piece.

- You have to send the finished piece in Mp3 format with a short description of what story does your piece tells us, and the score (PDF or Sibelius format acceptable) to my e-mail adress:

mnorbi@t-online.hu

One more thing:

Make your score readable and sign every segment accurately. The accents,

the dynamics, legato sign everything. AND SIGN THE MOVEMENTS. Its important to pay attention to appearance.

You have two little month to finish and send your piece to my e-mail adress.

It's not easy , but you can highly improve your composing skills with it, so go on BE YOU THE BEST!

NEW DEADLINE IS: 2009, April, 26 - Midnight

If you want to join, if you have any questions post here. GOOD WORK! :D:cool:

The contestants till that moment:

1. Micah-?

2. Dane -?

3. Caladluin - Already handled

4. Fury -?

5. Jessica (?) - Already handled

.......................................................................

This is the end reuslts:

1. Jess

2. Caled

3. Fury

Jessica won!!! Congrats. to all three of you.

I hope you all "enjoyed the ride".

---------------------------------------COMPETITION CLOSED-----------------------------------------------

Is there a purpose of this competition beyond "increasing composition skill"? I.e. is there a prize for winning?

It's for fun. What could be greater pleasure than people listen to your work and admit your obvious talent on composing? If after a month of hard work your piece would be the winner piece. If you think that the best piece will be performed by London Symphonies or anything like that your wrong. It's just a little exercise to harden your skills. If you like music enough, you don't need any other motivation. BUT if you have any ideas I'll listen carefully...

I'm just saying. It seems like a rather massive goal in only a month. It sounds like a Straussian Symphonic Poem, and to complete that in a month would certainly take incentive beyond just one's own passion, at least for most of us.

That being said, I'm not doing anything major compositionally right now, so why not? :P

One thing I don't like is being dictated to for tempos. So be warned that it won't be strictly to that guideline.

This looks really cool!

I will try to get something ready.

However, I am a beginner at composing, so I don't know much about arranging (especially for a symphony orchestra) I will do my best anyway. :stoicjedi:

I really like the idea!

Micah (Pianoforte)

Ill give this a shot.

Hmm, I'm in. But I agree with Justin Tokke, can we remove the tempo and style guidelines?

I would probably stick to something close anyway, but its nice to have room to work.

You're right dudes. You don't have to take these tempos, but the first movement must be a kind of march, the second mov. is slower (it can be faster than moderato if you want), than a bit faster (the 3rd), and finally a great , majestical endig.

You dont have to use these tempos I gave them only for your help. The point is that your work must reflect, express the feeling of the Movements, and that Heaven, Hell, Angels, Demons, Good-Bad-fighting-i-dont-know thing. Right?

I'm happy that you have joined this. For your pleasure, and because its a great challenge I extend the deadline:

NEW DEADLINE: 2009, April, 26, Midnight

So you have two month now. If you have any idea what prize should the winner win just post it. :D

May I just point out to several who complain about the tempos:

A tempo marking without metronomical marking is more about character than it is tempo. Shostakovich (first that comes to mind) often wrote movements in Adagio tempo markings with metronome markings around half= 80 in 4/4. Look up the translation of the word and interpret the character.

Norby, I'd love to take part in this, but I have too much on my plate. If anyone wants help with pre-submission review, though, I'm always available. I will, however, always be blunt and unforgiving, so don't ask me if you don't want to hear what I have to say.

is symphonic orchestra the same as the full orchestra, because finale allegro does not have a symphonic orchestra.

Symphonic orchestra = full string section + wind + brass (+ percussion).

I'll give it a shot, Norby, although seeing as I have quite a few scores already underway, I may not make the deadline.

Question:

May we add a chorus and/or non-standard instruments?

does the piece have to be three minutes total, or three minutes each movement?

I'll try something too ;)

At least three minutes total of course :D

And of course you can (you should) use choir in your piece cause its about angels and heaven as they singing on their little clouds and playing their harphs and so on...you know that thing

I didn't mention choir in the guideline cause I know that lot of people use GPO or similar programs, but not everybody have a choir library. But I would really like if you use choir or other instruments in your piece. You have to use all intruments of a Full Band=Simphonyc Orchestra, but if you like you can use more instruments.

I really glad that many of you give a shot on that competition. I wish good work to you all. Don't forget you have two month to finish and send your work.

It's far enough to write a 3 minute long piece. If you have any other questions just ask. :D

First you said Symphonic Orchestra... now you mention "Full Band" ... so are you allowing us to write this for symphonic band as well? That's essentially the same as a concert band. Either of which mean an instrumentation such as Flutes, Oboes, Bassoons, Clarinet family, Sax family, trumpets/cornets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, tubas, percussion, no strings (optional string bass)

When I write Full Band I mean Symphonic Orchestra that's why I wrote that:

Full Band=Symphonic Orchestra

So you must use the string section!

I mentioned Full Band cause it was an answer to a previous question.

why don't you have a slow movement too? For example the dark parts of the story (behind the gate maybe) should be slow I think... I would let the composers to write those tempo markings that they want.

Andante isn't slow enough for you??

It's not about "what is good for me"... The finishing can be Andante. But, the Gate of darkness should be Largo or something. I would write a Largo miesterioso in that movement. For example if the composer thinks that the "gate of darkness" should be a fast movement with brutality, it will be Presto (or Moderato) or something. But I need a really slow movement and the topic of "the gate of darkness" is able to do it in that. I think you'd better to let us free about tempos.

The tempos that I gave are only for your help. Just reflect the feeling of the Movements.

So can I use Largo misterioso? :)

Yes you can. Just your piece sound good.

im in. and i wont nitpick every statement. i just wanna have fun

I'm glad that many people join! Well done.