Chorale

Chorale for brass quintet. One theme inspired by Satoshi Yagisawa's "Hymn to the Infinite Sky" for wind ensemble.Comments appreciated. :)EDIT: v2.0 audio uploadedEDIT2: final version audio and score uploaded. Still accepting comments for feedback and future reference.ChoraleChorale

Chorale

This is very smooth but I could see some problems with intonation and missed notes when the 1st trumpet jump partials. I like the call and response throughout your work....That is all

Sorry wrong symbol :happy:

The horn part gets a bit high (from a high-schooler's perspective at the deep end of braces). But, of course, most professionals aren't high schoolers on the deep end of braces.

Thank you for the comments!

Just to set the performance issues/range to rest: the Siegfried horn call goes up to a *loud* high C. This piece goes up to a high B at a comfortable dynamic and goes downward from there.

The biggest interval for the trumpet in this piece is an octave jump to at most an A; that's very reasonable to ask of a clutch 1st trumpet in a brass quintet. Quintet playing is not for the faint of heart. :)

Ok, Peter_W, time for some real comments.

Obviously, I like it. You're a good composer, and you know about the instruments. The harmony in the beggining, and few other places sounds a little thin. With five voices, especially brass, you can get a really lush sound, which this piece seems to be calling for in a few places. Resolving dissonances into an octave, is something here which thins it out in particular. Generally watch your voice leading (always good advice for any composer at any time). I really like that canon-like thing on the descending scale. Leading to some cool harmonic changes which still sound a little thin. I think that the non-trumpets could probably take the melody a bit more, and the Tuba could have a more interesting part (I know this is typical).

I think it's too short to stand on it's own. It's fine how it is, if it's part of a larger context, but if it's going to be a stand-alone piece, I think it needs more development. You could have sections which focus on just a few instruments, even solo bits, would go very well with this sort of emotional sound.

Last life,

I suppose I set myself up for the triadic chords to sound very thin, good catch. I will fix those now because I really didn't like the sudden mega-consonances either, though the octaves forming the main themes might end up being left alone. And regarding the tuba part, guilty as charged, no excuses. I'll jazz it up, and it'll really add depth to a lot of the harmonies and melodic motion, actually.

As for plotting out development: I'll chew on that, but I really, really don't have an ear for contextualizing that sort of thing, it's one of my major shortcomings. I have no idea where to begin.

I think keeping a few thinner harmonies is fine.

As for larger forms: I agree, it's very difficult for me too. I think it's important to be able to develop an idea to it's fullest extent (whatever that is), so that you can have control over the flow of development. That might be impossible though, as I certainly don't have that kind of control yet.

Okay, here we go:

First, I have to say, it's really cool, and I really like it, BUT:

1: I think that you should probably change Bb trumpet to A, because I would think sharp keys on a Bb trumpet might be hard... but then again, your the trumpet player! :P

2: Maybe the horn part IS a bit high, for the held spots, sure it's loud, but, I think maybe it would be brought down a bit, like, a 4th, maybe, or an octave. Just a suggestion, but a good enough group could do it.

The ending is WAY cool. I love the change in keys, for the very end, and the final chord is just right.

Keep on composing!

Heklaphong

Hekla,

don't take this like I'm coming down on you, because I'm not. Just some fyi's which you should be expecting, coming from a trumpet player.

1) There is no such thing as a practical "A trumpet," save piccolo which would not be possible here. However, it would definitely be easier on C trumpet, and key has nothing to do with it. Unlike the concert band music of the high school idiom, complete wind players performing in solo or chamber situations should like any other instrumentalists be facile in all keys. The sharp key signature (written key of E is NOT a hard key signature) beside the point, playing up to a high C# IS a bit high at the end of a piece, so doing it on C trumpet would definitely be much nicer. Unfortunately, *I* don't own a C trumpet, so I didn't feel inclined to write it. :P I could play this part on Bb.

2) The parts where the horn is decently high are the parts where I really want them. The high B (highest note in the piece and the only one in there) occurs as a minor second crunch. Although you have a good suggestion, that's really something that I don't want to take out. You'll note at the end of the piece that that particular line in the new key IS diatonically transposed down a fourth. All of the other high stuff in this piece is melody. I would definitely make sure the horn player is comfortable with high As, but I know some mediocre horn players who could play this part.

I want the horn singing that primary theme in the money register.

Thanks! Glad you liked the piece. :)

Bump.

Version 2 posted. A few chords fleshed out, tuba part rewritten.

I have to disagree and agree with some others in this thread. First, I really like your ideas and can say that you handle brass quintet very nicely. A few things I would've of liked to see is more contrary motion - especially given this is a chorale. Second, I disagree with the observations made by others. I don't think this moves as smoothly as it should. A few of your transitions are virtually non-exsistent. Two spots in particularly, to me, could use better transition: mm. 23 - 24 and mm. 14 - 15. The latter (14 - 15), I think its an issue of voice leading - but not sure (could also be the rendering!). That said, I also disagree with Last Life's view that this work is too short to stand on its own merit. Fixing those transitions and providing more pacing to elongate them slightly would really help this work stand on its own (not that it already doesn't, in my opinion.) Good work and I hope to hear more from you!

I meant that a performance of just this piece would feel strange. In the context of other pieces on a program, it might make sense.