My first concert

Hey everyone,

May 21st marks the very first concert that my pieces are premiered at. I'm sooo excited but I need a little feedback.

Because of some miscommunication between me and the composer's "club" (which is more of a class, but whatever) leaders saying "don't worry about finding insturmentalists, it will all work out" now are saying "you haven't found anyone to perform your music!?!? the concert is less than 2 weeks away!!!"

So,

I wrote 2 pieces specifically for the concert, one a jazz piece, the other a string quartet, which I thought would add some good variety for my 2 pieces (total of like 5 or 6, but it's also incorporated with our choir's concert as well)

It turns out that I don't have a jazz band to play it, because nearly every high school in our district with an even slightly decent jazz band's concert just so happens to have a concert on May 21st as well... which is stupid.

SO.

I am down to a string quartet that I haven't finished, and I remembered that I had a very good (one of my best.. but i mean, that's still not great compared to some of you all) a capella piece that I need someone to look over NOW and tell me NOW if it's possible after a few hours of rehersal time and personal practice to get good enough by may 21st.

So, i've attached both pieces in pdf and midi format. Remember that my string quartet isn't finished... so don't comment on the "bad ending" :P

thanks so much!

-Mathieu

Greensleeves.mid

greensleeves.pdf

Mod 1.pdf

Mod 1 - String Quartet.mid

String Quartet - First off I like you did employ the ideas we discussed about this earlier. But it needs more work. You need to get out of the downbeats on 1 and 3 - tend to overdue it and you take too much of a top down approach - eg violin 1 and violin 2 doing most of the melodic material and cello mostly accompaniment - the exception is the viola which does have some nice melodic lines.

So as you continue give the cello much more melodic material. it has such potential for melody or countermelody that you barely use it. Second - SUSPENSION, ANTICIPATIONS, SYNCOPATIONS - employ them more.

Greensleeves -

Much stronger piece. Nice mix of note values and textures. But I wish you gave the theme stronger prominence to the lower voices and the ending seems quite dull and will sound unbalanced (mm 139 to end). Why not have the eighth note figure extended and shared by basses and tenors or basses and altos and then a different coupling while the longer note values build in volume by add parts to it at each appearance. in other words - bass and altos say share an extended eight note figure then Soprano 1 comes in with a sustained note. As that note sounds, tenors and soprano 2 shared an elaboration of the eight note figure. While this happens the sop 1 stop. When tenors and sop2 are finished then have bass and altos sing a sustained note ... At one point the elaboration of the eighth note figure will end and you will have all voices join to sing the last two long notes.

thank you CO!

I wrote Greensleeves over christmas break and then picked it back up and finished it, but since I had forgotten how i wanted it finished originally i couldn't think of a good way to end it, because of the general tone of the piece I sort of wanted it to end very sadly, and the way I did finish it didn't sound like I wanted it to. Now I have a better idea on how to finish it, following your guidelines I can hear something already on how to finish it pretty well :)

Thanks for your feedback, I know what to work on now and get ready hopefully by Monday or Tuesday, because the performers need a change to practice or it will sound horrible.

thanks again!

Mathieu