Summer Winds - Completed version

Hello,

I have posted the imcomplete version of this piece about two weeks ago. It was the first 2 minutes of the version here. I have since then completed it, and attached it here. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I might do some modifications, but I thought it'd be great to have some opinions about it. Any feedback is very welcome.

(P.S. Around measure 35 there is a notation issue I have to fix yet)

François

This is quite good.  In many places it has an impressionist flavor while at other times it seems subject to constant random harmonic changes.  How you manage to keep melodic/harmonic goals amid the seeming randomness of your chromaticism is beyond me.  I enjoyed listening with the score.

8 hours ago, PaperComposer said:

This is quite good.  In many places it has an impressionist flavor while at other times it seems subject to constant random harmonic changes.  How you manage to keep melodic/harmonic goals amid the seeming randomness of your chromaticism is beyond me.  I enjoyed listening with the score.

 

Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed. I do change harmonies quite often.

I thought it was beautiful. I'll echo a previous commentator with that I got some impressionistic vibes from it. The ebb and flow of the harmony was enjoyable and fresh. The interplay between the flute and piano was very idiomatic.  It would be a great piece for a flutist to show off their low register chops, but I wonder if too much of the piece is too low. I worry if the flute in mm 34-37(ish) will be heard, though you may just want the effect in those places where the flute and sustained piano are playing quick note in the same register, which would be nice. Of course, when you do use the middle register of the flute, the piano texture thins out and that's really effective. I love the short hemiola interplay in this section. Still, the highest note in the section is only an F, so I think you're missing out a little on the potential drama that the top 5th or 6th of the instrument can deliver. The ending section was good too. I appreciated the development there, I think. However, I do think the end is weak. Before that was 7 minutes of lavish and active music, where the flute and piano shared accompaniment and melody and to finish out on some block chords doesn't really do the rest of it justice. To me it sounds like you ran out of steam and the music kind of just stops there. It could be a good place to accelerate the harmony some clever way like your hemiolae earlier on going to beat by beat changes. You might take a cue from how you closed the first section. You could ignore me and keep it the way you like it. 

A couple engraving complaints: You Must Always Use Metronome Markings That Exist On Metronomes - I'm seeing numbers like 45, 55, 70 etc., and these aren't on a metronome, so we have to use 44, 54, 69 or 72 etc.
m. 102 and such instances, the 8th notes all beams together isn't consistent with how you notated the rest of the piece. 

Tempo markings and pedal markings should line up thoughout.

Excellent job. Reminded me of Black Anemone by Schwantner. Thanks for writing flute music 

On 7/12/2020 at 12:52 PM, Mitchell said:

I thought it was beautiful. I'll echo a previous commentator with that I got some impressionistic vibes from it. The ebb and flow of the harmony was enjoyable and fresh. The interplay between the flute and piano was very idiomatic.  It would be a great piece for a flutist to show off their low register chops, but I wonder if too much of the piece is too low. I worry if the flute in mm 34-37(ish) will be heard, though you may just want the effect in those places where the flute and sustained piano are playing quick note in the same register, which would be nice. Of course, when you do use the middle register of the flute, the piano texture thins out and that's really effective. I love the short hemiola interplay in this section. Still, the highest note in the section is only an F, so I think you're missing out a little on the potential drama that the top 5th or 6th of the instrument can deliver. The ending section was good too. I appreciated the development there, I think. However, I do think the end is weak. Before that was 7 minutes of lavish and active music, where the flute and piano shared accompaniment and melody and to finish out on some block chords doesn't really do the rest of it justice. To me it sounds like you ran out of steam and the music kind of just stops there. It could be a good place to accelerate the harmony some clever way like your hemiolae earlier on going to beat by beat changes. You might take a cue from how you closed the first section. You could ignore me and keep it the way you like it. 

A couple engraving complaints: You Must Always Use Metronome Markings That Exist On Metronomes - I'm seeing numbers like 45, 55, 70 etc., and these aren't on a metronome, so we have to use 44, 54, 69 or 72 etc.
m. 102 and such instances, the 8th notes all beams together isn't consistent with how you notated the rest of the piece. 

Tempo markings and pedal markings should line up thoughout.

 

Excellent job. Reminded me of Black Anemone by Schwantner. Thanks for writing flute music 

 

Sorry for the delayed response. Thank you for your elaborate comment! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

The flute is indeed often in the lower register. I'm not sure I understand what you meant by top 5th or 6th of the instruments range. Just about how high is the high register in the flute? I thought the F I used in that section (third F above middle C) was close to the highest note a flute can play. At leasts, that's what the software allows me to write in.

I agree with you about the end of the piece, and I'm updating it right now. My initial thought was to do a modified recapitulation of the 32nd note runs in the flute from the beginning of the piece as an ending, and that's what I'm doing.

Thanks for the remark on metronome markings, I did not know that.

No worries,

If I recall correctly you can adjust the "skill level" of your software's ranges. I attached a decent chart for the flute's typical range. 

I like your idea on an updated recap.

On 7/16/2020 at 6:33 PM, Mitchell said:

No worries,

If I recall correctly you can adjust the "skill level" of your software's ranges. I attached a decent chart for the flute's typical range. 

I like your idea on an updated recap.

 

Okay thank you for the information!