Symphony for Wind Ensemble

A short, 3-movement symphony for Wind Ensemble. The form is quite free, with seamless transitions between each movement and recurring thematic material used to stitch the piece together.This is the first complete draft of the work-- I plan to wait a month or so, and then revisit the score in order to correct typographical errors and explore minor changes in the music based on feedback.

Symphony for Wind Ensemble

I must say; at first glance, it definitely fits well for winds. I'll say two things:

Movement I.

1) Post the transposing score. It's easier/quicker to catch range problems. i.e. measure 58. Typically, the tuba would be an octave lower, unless you specifiaclly want that sound!

2) How about deviating the rhythm at meas. 18. The "e-ah" rhythm could use some breaths! Maybe e-&-ah, &-ah-3, or something like that! Just a suggestion!

I must say; at first glance, it definitely fits well for winds. I'll say two things:

<strong>Movement I.</strong>

1) Post the transposing score. It's easier/quicker to catch range problems. i.e. measure 58. Typically, the tuba would be an octave lower, unless you specifiaclly want that sound!

2) How about deviating the rhythm at meas. 18. The "e-ah" rhythm could use some breaths! Maybe e-&-ah, &-ah-3, or something like that! Just a suggestion!

Great suggestions, all of them! These are going straight to my checklist for the first revision. Appreciate the feedback.

Hi,

What you have here is a very wonderful piece. The orchestration throughout was really special. That being said, I feel like you could have used your middle voices more effectively. It sounds like you stuck to the general orchestration style of using middle voices as harmony placeholders in many parts of the piece. Some of the textures that you used were innovative, regardless.

As for the form and structure, I feel like you did a spectacular job moving through ideas without ever losing track of the overall theme. I was able to pick up on the theme just on the first listen, which is very important to understanding where you are moving with material and the techniques you used. Congratulations on that. However, the piece remains in the same key throughout the majority of time... Eventually, a listener will grow tired of listening to the same ideas in the same key. You did dodge this for the most part through your orchestration.

Mechanically, there were a lot of awkward spots between loud tuttis and lighter-texture sections. As a tutti ends, it seemed like you did not know how to gradually transition between loud and soft sections... Instead using a subito pp or subito mp many times.

The piece, harmonically, was very reminiscent of the current wind ensemble literature, and I feel like you could have done a lot more to stray from that mold. At around measure 100 or so (that loud tutti section), I was impressed by the orchestration but the harmony was just too predictable... too film-music like (it's the predictability that needs improvement).

Other than that, I really enjoyed the music.

Keep writing :)

Very interesting work here. The ideas are very simple - and the cohesion doesn't quite seem clear. I will study the score a bit more on the structural/cohesive aspects. A few notes though on the orchestration. A few of your wind lines might have some audibility problems. In particular around measure 102 - where you have single woodwinds playing ff against the brass at ff. There were a few spots like that here and there. The cohesion issue isn't necessarily cohesion - I think it's more on whether or not this captures interest. You maintain your ideas sufficiently but there are points here and there where I get the feeling that you move from one idea to the next in a very slow manner. That didn't really hold my interest much. Mind you, that's subjective! That said, I like this for the most part. Can't wait to hear the polished version!

good job

Hi,

What you have here is a very wonderful piece. The orchestration throughout was really special. That being said, I feel like you could have used your middle voices more effectively. It sounds like you stuck to the general orchestration style of using middle voices as harmony placeholders in many parts of the piece. Some of the textures that you used were innovative, regardless.

As for the form and structure, I feel like you did a spectacular job moving through ideas without ever losing track of the overall theme. I was able to pick up on the theme just on the first listen, which is very important to understanding where you are moving with material and the techniques you used. Congratulations on that. However, the piece remains in the same key throughout the majority of time... Eventually, a listener will grow tired of listening to the same ideas in the same key. You did dodge this for the most part through your orchestration.

Mechanically, there were a lot of awkward spots between loud tuttis and lighter-texture sections. As a tutti ends, it seemed like you did not know how to gradually transition between loud and soft sections... Instead using a subito pp or subito mp many times.

The piece, harmonically, was very reminiscent of the current wind ensemble literature, and I feel like you could have done a lot more to stray from that mold. At around measure 100 or so (that loud tutti section), I was impressed by the orchestration but the harmony was just too predictable... too film-music like (it's the predictability that needs improvement).

Other than that, I really enjoyed the music.

Keep writing :)

Very interesting work here. The ideas are very simple - and the cohesion doesn't quite seem clear. I will study the score a bit more on the structural/cohesive aspects. A few notes though on the orchestration. A few of your wind lines might have some audibility problems. In particular around measure 102 - where you have single woodwinds playing ff against the brass at ff. There were a few spots like that here and there. The cohesion issue isn't necessarily cohesion - I think it's more on whether or not this captures interest. You maintain your ideas sufficiently but there are points here and there where I get the feeling that you move from one idea to the next in a very slow manner. That didn't really hold my interest much. Mind you, that's subjective! That said, I like this for the most part. Can't wait to hear the polished version!

Thank you for your feedback, especially the very specific note about audibility aspects. Definitely something that I can look for and change in future revisions. Thank you for your time, and your comment-- it was very helpful!

Love it.

Very original, very good.

Honestly I found the piece a little too safe and a tad spread thin --- except when you treated the wind ensemble as chamber units and the 5/4 5/8 section was a nice contrast to your opening melody (the opening melody I wanted to hear extended --- it seems to cry to become a longer line). Some wonderful colors. Yet, with the chamber like sections and breaking up and recombining of material I do wish I heard stronger relationships to what you have - two primary themes from which you derive much of your secondary and transitory themes.

What I suggest would grab more interest for me at least is really varying the first melody - there was a point in the score where I heard the melody come back in 3/4 when I thought it really ought to be 5/4 (especially after the nice rhythmic vitality of the 5/4 and 5/8 section). Also, don't be afraid to go back strictly to you earlier orchestration of material. I did enjoy the variety of colors but changing the colors as much as you do in this piece actually can decline interest. BTW the amount of change is not over the top but sounds a little much - it could be the computer rendition making this seem so. It was a great idea your derivations of secondary themes and the atomization of it at times. BUT this work implies a longer work than what you have.

So, I suggest conducting this piece with the score alone, identifying and numbering all the orchestral combos you use and for what. Be very systemic and logical about it. Don't make changes just yet but do this as an inventory. Also, try your opening melody in a variety of compound meters 5/4, 7/4, 3/2.

Even just conducting the piece with the score alone in a quiet place may be sufficient to have you reconsider and think hard if all of what your wrote reflects your intentions or only hints at it.

Good luck!

You should enter this into the Concert Band Competition I am hosting. Good stuff you have! :)