Concert Overture for Piano and Orchestra

Hi!

This piece is just a triffle. Not a really "concert" piece, but an overture. Perhaps an opening piece for an evening concert or so. Or a little "encore" after a concert!

Anyhow, I am very proud of this piece. I've been working on it for months.

All critique (good or bad) are welcome. I shall not neccesarily adjust the piece if I don't feel like it, but give me your thoughts. Critique (good or bad) is always stimulating.

Bless you!

PS :shifty:

Concert Overture for Piano and Orchestra.mid

Concert Overture for Piano and Orchestra.pdf

While I didn't really hear any new or innovative ideas, I enjoyed listening. My favorite section was the little dance-esque section at the end with the accompanying tambourine, but I must say I thought it sounded a little bit out of place.

The score looks very nice.

Good job!

I can't see it as an innovative piece. But it's fun! :) Hahahaha!

I don't know how many times I have to tell you that pizz/arco goes ABOVE THE STAFF

Wow... I shall NEVER forget that. Thanx! Woah...

I liked it but the midi was horrible!

the ending part is extemely , suck

and the music is very werid , good night

dark

I don't know how many times I have to tell you that pizz/arco goes ABOVE THE STAFF

many of my study scores (symphonies of brahms tschaikofsky shostakovich) have it below. Is there maybe an European and American convention that differs?

Study scores fit stuff in where ever they can to save space. Sometimes dynamics are ON the staff, etc.

Pizz/arco, and any other playing technique -- sul ponticello, sul tasto, etc. -- goes above the staff.

okay that makes sense.

I've some score published by Dover. Nice huge editions, are those to be considered as study as well? They don't need to make the best use of their space...

Here's something else you should never forget: ALWAYS WRITE THE NUMBER OF WIND INSTRUMENTS YOU NEED. (imagine the rest of this post is written in the same size) Orchestration = bad. How many woodwinds of each type? 1? 2? 100? How many brass instruments? Why do you never indicate when any wind instruments are playing in unison or not (a2, a3, a4, etc.)??

Woodwinds: Why do you always score woodwind chords for as many types of woodwinds as possible? The more types of woodwinds you use for a chord, the harder it is to blend the notes with each other, and the less they'll sound like a chord, they'll sound more like individual voices. If you have a three note chord you want to score for woodwinds, it's best to give it to 3 flutes, or 3 oboes, etc. That is why scoring for a large woodwind section is easier than scoring for a small one. Also don't score a woodwind chord in wide spacing if you want it to sound like a chord, use close voice spacing.

Brass: Same thing. Stop using one instrument of each type everywhere.

Strings: Ever heard about divisi? It's cool. You should try it sometime.

Woodwinds: Why do you always score woodwind chords for as many types of woodwinds as possible? The more types of woodwinds you use for a chord, the harder it is to blend the notes with each other, and the less they'll sound like a chord, they'll sound more like individual voices.

If you dont want to use so much instrument you can use a tecnique called 'dove tailing'. A 4 part harmony by 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons would be orchestrated like this: Cla1 sopr, Bsn1 alt. Cla2 ten, Bsn2 bass

Anothere simple rule: when louder than mf you need 2 wood to be in balance with 1 brass instrument.

I wont say I am a good orchestrator, but you really should pay more attention to yours. Tip: I learned a lot from a compact nice small (hence cheap?) book By Gordon Jacob: Orchestral Technique, a manual for students.

Pardon me.

In the future (if I am lucky) I won't know who's performing. In South Africa... orchestra's aren't that standard. Sometimes you have 5 flutes, sometimes 4. I know about divisi, but I didnt bother too much with that. My bad :blush:

Orchestra sizes aren't absolute. Especially violins :P

About the scoring for smaller groups... great advice! Thank you! :)

Orchestration is about balance. I refuse to write for an orchestra with 5 flutes. Then send 2 or 3 home...

Doesn't matter if there is a standard size or not. You always have to specify what you need.

Orchestration is about balance. I refuse to write for an orchestra with 5 flutes. Then send 2 or 3 home...

If there's 5 flutes I'm assuming the rest of the orchestra is big too. You could score the flutes for 2-3 parts and double the more important parts.

If there's 5 flutes I'm assuming the rest of the orchestra is big too. You could score the flutes for 2-3 parts and double the more important parts.

I assume not. It sounded like Pieter was defending that sudafrica has no standard orchestra's. So i was guessing they would be out of balance... :(

Have to admit I know little or nothing about South Africa, yet ... it would surprise me to learn that professional orchestras in South Africa have no standard sizes. Their sizes are probably the same as anywhere else depending on the type of music/period they play, no?

Hmm, broadly reminiscent of K491 in places. I agree with a previous post - by far the most promising part is the little dance section at the end. There's a lot more can be done with that.

Can't really comment on the orchestration, since to my mind it's barely orchestrated beyond the sketch stage. But I do think you rely far too much on octaves and simple triads in your piano figuration.

You have some good themes here. Why not give them some nice clothes and invite them out so they can enjoy themselves?

But hey - you'll probably just tell me it's perfect and I should love it as it is.

J

I don't understand much about orchestration but I really liked it, even as a midi. Though only one tiny complaint was the ending seemed weird.... might just be me. Overall just by ear it sounded great and I liked the piano parts, they were interesting. :)

But hey - you'll probably just tell me it's perfect and I should love it as it is.

J

Probably.

Pieter

This is much more standard than the last one of yours I looked at.

As has been said, there is nothing new in this, but music is not always about being different. The piece has some very nice moments in it and flows along nicely.

I will give you little bit of advice and it is up to you to do with it as you please.

Music is more than just notes. As the composer you want to be constantly thinking about the timbre as well. Throughout most of this piece you have all of the winds playing at once. That would get boring real quick. You have the different sounds available, so make use of them. Have the flutes by themselves, then the Oboes etc. Use the timbres to your advantage.

There are a few standard rules concerning brass. You always want to be thinking about their dynamics. If you have one trumpet playing and want to hear the horns as well, you have to use 2 of them. The general rule is 2 horns for each trumpet, trombone or tuba. So if you have 2 trumpets playing, it would take 4 horns for them to be heard. The normal way is to also put the horns at one dynamic step higher than any of the other brass for the same reasons.

Lastly, just ignore those that shout at you.

Nice piece

Ron

Well here is your one main problem:

You write music with a good idea, you like it, then it doesn't change....

UNTIL THE END

:huh:

What happened there?????

It's confusing... the end!

But otherwise, it has a good idea, just change it up a bit ;)

PieterThere are a few standard rules concerning brass. You always want to be thinking about their dynamics. If you have one trumpet playing and want to hear the horns as well, you have to use 2 of them. The general rule is 2 horns for each trumpet, trombone or tuba. So if you have 2 trumpets playing, it would take 4 horns for them to be heard. The normal way is to also put the horns at one dynamic step higher than any of the other brass for the same reasons.

Some composers would disagree here with you. Even though horns are facing the wrong direction and have hands stuck in them, they aren't that quiet. One horn is usually enough, maybe except in very loud dynamics. And 4 horns are enough to cut through almost anything.

The end may be confusing... but at least it's a surprise!

Thank you for all the kind comments. I learned a lot through your comments and my next orchestral work shall show imrpovement. I shall never forget where the arco/pizz signs come!

PS :)