Cello Concerto in F Major

After having some problems with the download, I re-uploaded the piece.

This is a rewrite of my cello concerto.

Cello Concerto in F Major

Here's a link to the old version:

Old version

Hi, I have been listening to your piece. Unfortunately without score, since I don't use Sibelius. Could you please provide a PDF?

Ok; a few remarks based on what I heard.

I think you did right to the giocoso. its a happy piece. But This is in a way part of a critique. I feel there is some contrasting material missing.

In my view percussion is the most effective when used with care. I think you overdid it. A bit too much maybe?

And another thing. I hear the note of the melody is often parallel to the root note of the harmony. I would suggest, as a variation or as a bit more development you try other positions of the chords, some inversion.

Did I hear right you used some polytonality?

I saw somewhere this is a revision of a previous version. Could you tell us a bit more about the piece? Your intend? And the changes you made?

Unfortunately, I cannot provide a PDF, as my computer has no PDF distiller, and if I did, the score would be pretty messed up.

This movement is actually designed to be simple harmonically and melodically. It is consistently major (happy for the F and C major and pensive for the Ab major). The concerto is in two parts: Part one is the first two movements in F and Ab major, happy and pensive. Part two is the rest (either one or two movements) which will be dark and pessimistic.

Where did you hear the polytonality? It's possible that it's there since I often put keys like F and C or D and A together without thinking.

I agree with much of what jrcramer said. Your use of percussion doesn't exactly accentuate your textures instead, I feel, at times its over the top and a tad annoying. Your ideas are very nice this piece. Perhaps my ears are atuned to polytonality more than I think but I really don't hear it this piece - at all. The one thing I did notice - and a perusal of your score for me would show this, I think - is that you seldom did any sort of chromatic variance to the overall tonal setup. This piece was all happy.... all the time! That's not all together bad.. BUT.. it's definitely not something that makes me want to rush out and listen to this piece. It needs contrast and interest - even if its for a page. Aside from that, I must say that if you intend for a much better review of your work (structurally and orchestrationally) then it will behest you to upload a PDF copy of your score to the network. For all we know, upon listening only, what we hear may not be what you have on your score!

You start in F major. At first you do some inversions of that chord. When the snares pop in (0:13) I think I hear a F major chord, and an Ab (with F minor at the same time)

The second place I hear something possible polytonal was at 2:46. I think that passage is in C. I hear a I and IV simultaneous.

I cannot control this by score. So if my hearing skills suck, this is the moment to mock me. Anyway. I know little about polytonality. Since I thought to hear only few of these moments, I was not certain as to you did this intentional or just put some random keys together. Since you kind of admitted the latter I would urge you to never do something "without thinking"

Since you kind of admitted the latter I would urge you to never do something "without thinking"

What I meant is that I naturally put similar keys together without giving it a second thought.

Aside from that, I must say that if you intend for a much better review of your work (structurally and orchestrationally) then it will behest you to upload a PDF copy of your score to the network.

I CANNOT make a score in the PDF format, and thus I WILL NOT provide a PDF. Please stop asking for it because I have no Acrobat distillers on any computer that I have access to, and I do not own a copy of Adobe CS, nor do I plan on purchasing the rediculously overpriced suite or anything else from Adobe in the forseeable future.

What I meant is that I naturally put similar keys together without giving it a second thought.

I CANNOT make a score in the PDF format, and thus I WILL NOT provide a PDF. Please stop asking for it because I have no Acrobat distillers on any computer that I have access to, and I do not own a copy of Adobe CS, nor do I plan on purchasing the rediculously overpriced suite or anything else from Adobe in the forseeable future.

You don't need to purchase Adobe or any of the Adobe products to make a PDF file that people can view. I apologize if any of us reviewers are getting you upset over asking for you to post your score.

If I could post the score in PDF format, I would (not that it would be legible anyway), but being asked to do something that I simply cannot do is very frustrating. When the computer on which I have this piece on is working again, I will link to a scorch file, but that is the very best I can do.

However, if someone who has Sibelius and the capability to make the PDF file, I'd be very appreciative.

The best advice I can give you on creating a PDF file is to install the free program PDF Creator. Thats the one I use to create my PDFs. When you install it, you pull up Print in your notation programs File menu and select it in the setup. It's pretty easy to use and FREE. I understand its frustrating - just please don't get upset with us! All we want to do is review your work thoroughly. Know what I mean?

Then I will google that program as soon as my crap laptop finishes its temper tantrum.

Of course, it may take me forever to clean up the score enough to make it legible without using massive pages.

Ill second jawoodruff in saying that PDF creator is an excellent piece of freeware. well worth downloading.

cant open the sibelius file..by any chance did you use sibelius 6? It was a pleasant six minutes, Ill give the best critique I can without a score.

i thought it generally needed more contrast- since your themes are so simple i dont think they withstand the repetition too well. I would have put in a longer development that strays further from the A section in terms of key, dynamics, orchestration, maybe even metre,,,I just heard a lot of major scales and arp.s and that, relatively few minors.

percussion was a little overwhelming

otherwise very cool. hummable I'd say, if thats what you were going for.

well done!

Lol, there are many Polka-ish parts, kinda Cello-Polka :D (I missed the Tuba's umm-paa-umm-paa, but nevermind)

What I hear is many unison parts, dont hear many divisi ones, and some parts in the cello's melody is too forced in my opinion (especially in the end). Agreed with the overwhelming percussion, focus on balance. I have to setup sibelius again to say more. But besides these, you have good ideas, but I think you have to work on this one more.

It's a nice composition, but as a cellist I can pretty surely say that the solo part is rather simple and it doesn't sound very challenging (other than the super fast part). Nor does your piece exploit the strong points of the cello as a musical instrument such as the warm, dark, low register. And a word about the orchestral part; most of the entrances sound the same to me which would be fine, but the repetition is so cheerful that it gets kind of irritating.