Konzertst

This is a piece on which I've been working for some time.

The first minute or so came easily, and then not so easily, and then the next minute came easily, and then not so easily.

This meant I took a few months writing the first few minutes of the piece. However, recently I had a little bout of inspiration, so I was able to finish the piece off quite quickly.

Hopefully the result isn't too uneven because of this.

The piece is a moderately short concert work for piano and orchestra in a concerto style. The key is D minor, and the piece lasts for about 7 minutes.

I didn't write the piece with any form in mind - I just let my sense of proportion etc. guide me. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the piece ended up as some kind of malformed rondo.

The writing process was as I mentioned before. When I got going though, there weren't really any obstacles.. Just at one point I was concentrating on my part writing and accidentally wrote in some huge stretch for the piano :thumbsup:

That's obviously fixed now.

As usual with me, the score is messy. When I saved in sib2 format, alot of pedal and tempo markings etc., which I had hidden, became unhidden, so just ignore those.

Also - I will be touching up the piece, as it may be slightly rough in places.

Please tell me your comments and suggestions.. what you thought of the piece.. did you enjoy it? etc.etc.

Thanks!

Edit: now with mp3

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konzertst

konzertst

Wonderful... I liked it a lot!! I have no way of explaining why, I just loved it...

I'm a terrible "commenter", I know, but if my emotions could speak, then I would be the best in the world... :happytears:

Hmm. No time to comment in detail, but I will say that I think the orchestration was fantastic, especially the imitation between parts, and the frequent counterpoint between strings and winds. Overall, a bit disorganized, but noticeably in a loose rondo form (you probably knew that already)... I think what contributes most to the feeling of disorganization is the wide-ranging stylistic changes - it seems to me like this piece doesn't know whether it wants to be Mozart or Schumann - the difference between the two is where the schizophrenic feeling comes in.

I think I'm going to practice the piano part and see if I can get my orchestra to at least read through the piece.

Edit: the low E is technically within timpani range, but the D and E below the bass clef are difficult for a timpanist to tune properly. Would it hurt to transpose that E up an octave?

When I hear this, I think Disney ((just a little >_>))

When I heard "Mozart_is_back" 's so-called symphony, I think

OH S***, TURN OFF THE SPEAKER

Anyway, I'm quite enjoying this song. Very interesting, something that I might hear on one of my CDs; it'd reminded me quite a bit of Bach, not that anything really sounded Bach. Conclusion: damn good.

When I hear this, I think Disney ((just a little >_>))

You think WHAT???

Get outta here!!

:happytears:

hm. nice work. i'm commenting now as i hear it.

m. 12-13. this is a tiny bit awkward, the change.

I love where the piano comes in.

the flute melody here is cool. i like how it's repeated in the piano later on. although, music is supposed to do that isn't it? ha, anyhow, moving on.

the fermata on m 46 sounds a little weird to me. it doesn't really go well with the quicker notes that follows right after it, which by the way sounds awesome. haha.

m. 66. nice. i like that chord. and the french horn after that sounds fitting. good job. awww. the piano stole it. i would have liked that horn solo to be longer.

at measure 80, the flute has two notes that sound.. funny. it doesn't really sound right to me, but you know, i dunno. darnnit.

nice, violin solo, bassoon, i like how you trade the melody around the orchestra. but at 85 the strings aren't loud enough, it's like BASOON strings. I dunno, it seems really really thin there.

the section at 110-117 seems a little unorganized there. it seems like you chopped up little bits of melody and switched them around to me. to ME it might not sound like that to you, it's just one of those things. I think it would be better if you just had running 16ths SOMEWHERE in the orchestra in the whole section and it'd sound all right.

grr. at 135 there's another fermata. make that pause a little shorter.

I really like the woodwidn part after the fermata though.

haha! you brought back the thing in 165! great1 i love it!

nice change of rhythm at measure 198. i really like that. nice and surprising.

206 is nice. oh.. it's the end. well it's good that you decided to change the rhythm there because it sounds really.. snug. and it sets you up great for the end of the piece.

hmm, nice job, i really enjoyed this. it does seems a bit unorganized. but great nonetheless.

i bet you're surprised i gave such a review, well this IS a major work. although i might sound a bit crazy or possesed. haha. i'm just tired, this kept me awake. nice and exciting.

*yawn*

bye now.

Thanks alot for the comments everyone!

Mitchell, I will check out your comments when I get back from school.

I think what contributes most to the feeling of disorganization is the wide-ranging stylistic changes - it seems to me like this piece doesn't know whether it wants to be Mozart or Schumann - the difference between the two is where the schizophrenic feeling comes in.

Hmm ok. It seems I have a tendency to do this.. I will aim for more stylistic unity in my next piece.

I think I'm going to practice the piano part and see if I can get my orchestra to at least read through the piece.

:P

Wow - that would be amazing. :D

If you are going to do something like that though, I'll try and smooth over all the rough bits, and clean the score up a bit for you. I'll transpose the E up for the timpani as well.

If you have any specific annoyances with the piano part, let me know. I really never ever thought anyone would try to play it, so it might not be the most accommodating!

Thanks again everyone for the comments!

Ok Mitchell, I've checked out your comments now. Thanks for the review!

I agree with some of the things you say, but I won't go into detail on those that i don't, because these are mainly matters of preference.

Andrew - I hacked my way through the piano part, and the only bit I find that stands out as being especially awkward is the last double trill. If the trill ended with some kind of ornament, it could be easier to reach the notes which succeed the trill.

I'm going to start tidying up the score, and fixing bits and pieces.

I might even make a pdf of it.

Thanks again everyone for comments and compliments etc. :thumbsup:

The only thing I can say about this piece is that it was well written. (except 2 or 3 minute things and the form)

If you stay in this style for at least a year, am sure you will come up with some intersting ideas as far as the harmony, melody and countermelody are concern.

*study some of the early pieces by beethoven and Schuman.

thank you for sharing.

greetings

Yeah Daniel, really cool and Beethovian and at least 20 times better than your piano sonata, but I do notice some unecessary dissonance here and there, you should watch out. And the form wasn't too much of a problem for me.

For some reason it reminded me alot of Mendelsohn's Hebrides Overture til the piano came in. But man... I really liked it! There were some iffy spots... Mainly the large pauses. I might reconsider the length of them, but for the most part it was really quite beautiful. Bar 42's top high note seemed kinda like the bottom dropped out however... I mighta put a chord there not so high.

Also- for some reason it seemed as if it switched from a sort of romantic beautiful to a more classical feel as the piece progressed... Just wondering if you meant that. There were totally some parts reminding me of Mendelssohn, and then others reminding me of Mozart. lol...

Great piece though man, one of you're best... I've listened to a number of yours on Sibelius. Great stuff. Keep it up man!

Thanks alot, again, guys! :P

Leon -

Haha some of the parts remind me of the Mendelssohn too. It wasn't intentional. I think the second "main theme" in this piece is my most Mendelssohn melody.

The pauses are standard Sibelius pauses. I think they're ok, but maybe the tiniest bit too long.

I understand what you're saying about bar 42. I only have a problem with that though when the top note can't be clearly heard. It can, so I'm fine with it, but I see your point. I want the texture to die away there the way it does.

The fact that I seem to compose in somewhat different styles throughout pieces is something that has been noted by people several times..

I suppose I am subconsciously making a synthesis of the styles which I love, but obviously it is not very homogeneous yet. I will work on this.

Thanks alot for you comments!

M_is_D - Thanks for the comments, and the review!

Where are these bits of unneccesary dissonance that you hear?

I'm glad the form was ok for you.

Your welcome! ^_^ Great piece man.

Nice piece, I like the chord progressions near the start. A bit strange around 2:10, but my pieces are strange too. Great work.

thanks for sharing it.:whistling:

Excellent work Daniel :wacko: The beginning was especially awesome. I like the part around 0:07. Some of the transitions sound a bit rough at times...could just be the midi. The orchestration is great, the piano part is awesome too! The ending sounded rushed, I wasn't looking at the player I was listening to it on, and I wasn't expecting it to end when it did.

Overall, a pleasure to listen to :D

Ciel....this doesn't even remotely remind me of Disney :whistling:

Thanks alot, again, guys! :D

Leon -

Haha some of the parts remind me of the Mendelssohn too. It wasn't intentional. I think the second "main theme" in this piece is my most Mendelssohn melody.

The pauses are standard Sibelius pauses. I think they're ok, but maybe the tiniest bit too long.

I understand what you're saying about bar 42. I only have a problem with that though when the top note can't be clearly heard. It can, so I'm fine with it, but I see your point. I want the texture to die away there the way it does.

The fact that I seem to compose in somewhat different styles throughout pieces is something that has been noted by people several times..

I suppose I am subconsciously making a synthesis of the styles which I love, but obviously it is not very homogeneous yet. I will work on this.

Thanks alot for you comments!

M_is_D - Thanks for the comments, and the review!

Where are these bits of unneccesary dissonance that you hear?

I'm glad the form was ok for you.

They're pretty much spread everywhere, especially during tuttis.

I'm asking you to point them out, because they aren't spread everywhere. Please give examples.

Bars 34, 72, 104 and 116.

Bar 34 - those are passing notes, and the dissonance is not unneccesary.

Bar 72 - same again. There is no dissonance except in the piano part, where it is passing notes.

Bar 104 - dissonant obviously, but it was neccesary imo.

Bar 116 - a bit dissonant, but again neccesary.

Anyone else have a review?

I will wait :P

Edit: mp3 of piece now here:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=553110

Latest attachments now in first post.

Well, Daniel, I had to rmeind myself at several points in this work that I was not listening to either a late Beethoven work, or an early Romantic work by the likes of a von Weber, Mendelssohn,or Schumann. Instead, it was yours. Quite a lovely little piece of drama here. Not to suggest all is roses here, but there is a lot that is praiseworthy that you've given us!

First off, the opening is excellent. The theme has just enough melodic twists to keep the listener interested, and that dash of a diminished chord in the third measure brought a big grin to my face. I love the way it all blends together. When the piano makes it entrance, it minces no words, but launches right into a broadly declamatory exultation of the main theme. I like the dotted-note rhythm you use, and it is very effective here. Your reliance on shimmering triplets in the strings was curious, but towards the end it made more sense.

Many of the middle snippets were quite delightful, vascillating between stormy blasts and pleasant calm. They suffer from your excessive use of pauses. At first it was okay, but after a while, it just broke the music up too much. Find a better way to bridge the material there so that the piece continues to flow. Nobody likes to sit in stop-and-go traffic, and they don't like it in their music either.

Now, the recapitulation caught me by surprise. I like that. It made it even more pleasing to hear. I enjoyed the romp of the piano as it thundered the mighty opening theme again. I do think you use far too many octaves in your piano line. Consider using sixths instead. They can add a harmonic and melodic vitality to the piano's voice. Brahms would heartily endorse such a move.

The ending sequence screamed ending to me. But the way you built it up and kep t it going, bearing full throttle right up to the last moment, ah, it is worthy of the classical masters! I adored that section. It made me want to jump up and shout, "Yes! Now that's how it's done!"

So all in all, I think you do have some work to do here to clean up the middle section, but you have strong material and an inventive mind. Your bookends are great, now just make sure te books between them are well-organized.

Much thanks for the review!

Seeing as people continue to mention the pauses in my music, I'm going to have to look into that.

I will also look for more organization ususally.. this piece suffers from not having a proper defined form/structure, so hopefully that can be improved for future works.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and review!

Oh, just one very very minor thing - it should be spelled Konzertst

I did used to have that spelling, but I have Konzertst

"Konzertst

That's what I originally though, but i googled it.... not that that's neccesarily a very reliable source.

Anyway, Konzertst