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Variations on a theme by F.W. Rust


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Theme is from Rust Violin Solo Sonata no.2

Orchestration:

2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassons, 4 Horns, Strings.

Variaces sul tema de Rust.pdf

Youtube Video

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Nazariy,

Thank you kindly for publishing your work on YoungComposers! With the score we can study the composition process.

Here there is a great understanding of counterpoint and it shows the great orchestral experience you have. My most sincere congratulations for such meticulous work, it's very well composed and the result shows it. I look forward to your next posts!

Claudio

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Dear @Nazariy,

Thank you so much posting your piece on the forum! I greatly appreciate this!

This is a successful and lovely variation in the Classical style! I enjoy your usage of the Classical Orchestra, use of harmony and variation approach!

Giving the melody to the winds is lovely with those beautiful pizz. in the strings in Var.1. Very lovely imitative counterpoint in var.2 especially in b.37 when there are two figures to be imitated! Great job here with the variation focuses on harmony starting from now.

Var.3 is very elegant with those violin triplets but I just hope other instruments can be more varied instead of just providing chords, maybe adding a little bit more rhythmic diversity will be great!

Var. 4 is a minore variation and I like you usage of the inverted original theme. B.73 to b.76 the peime theme comes back but the inverted one once again comes back in b.77. I love your usage of clarinet here to cover that darkened version of the originally elegant theme! I wish Bassoon can play the theme too!

You move to the "core" in var. 5 by eliminating some of the melodic tones to have the Bb-Eb remains  This gives the impression of that bassline theme from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony and Piano Variations! The theme in var.6 gives me the impression of that melodic theme in the Eroica Symphony and Variations!

Var.7 again sounds very Beethovanian for me with its energy and vivacity! The ending almost ends like the first movement of the Eroica as well!

I enjoy this one very much! Again, thanks for sharing and hope you can more present more of your works here! I have subscribed to your YT channel and find that there are lots of interesting contents there! Maybe you can share some of them to us?

Henry

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Dear Nazariy,

I liked the variations very much. I like the sensitive slower passages very much, the more agitated variations spark a lot of energy and I agree with Henry that a certain stylistic similarity to Beethoven is unmistakable.

I especially like the sound of your sound library.
Which libraries do you use?

About the individual variations:

Introduction:
Beautiful soft and lovely sounds. A very nice tempo. Harmonically very nice. Very nicely done as an introduction.

Variation 1:
At this point I must again emphasize the really good sounding sound library. The woodwinds included sound exceptionally good.
Again, I find the sound very pleasant. The ornaments and resolutions are Beautiful, especially the trills in the flute.

Variation 2:
At this point, I think the similarity to Beethoven comes out very well. Rhythmically very beautiful.

Variation 3:
The triplet passage in the first violins is very rousing and (as already mentioned) exudes a lot of energy. I also find a it a little bit Mozartean.  

Variation 4:
Again very sustained, but this time also lithargic and heavy. Like a funeral march. Here, too, I somehow hear more Mozart (maybe it's just me).

Variation 5:
Powerful and with a lot of energy, very nicely realized. 

Variation 6:
This variation is even more cheerful and carries "joie de vivre". I like it very much. 

Variation 7:
Here you put one more on top. I like that especially in the last 3 variations you have a kind of steady increase towards a "finale".
The end is powerful and very well fitting.

All in all you have written 7 variations which (I think) fit together very well, partly build on each other a bit and generally represent a good tonal and rhythmic variety.
I have listened to the variations 6-7 times now and like them very much.
You handled the instrumentation competently and showed fine feeling for melody and harmony. Bravo!

Edited by Schorninator
Grammar errors
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Well done!  I will just echo what @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said about variation 4 and its creative use of inversion and the minor mode - coupled with the dark tone color of that range of the clarinet - it's a very fitting combination!  I am left with a yearning in this piece to maybe have heard some more harmonic adventurousness instead of just relying on the Eb tonal center and variations in virtuosic figuration.  You seem to follow a sort of classical tradition of making melodic and figurational variations based on the same or similar harmonic progression.  It would have been even better if you had modulated or changed the harmonic rhythm more or fragmented and rearranged the fragments of the theme in a different order!  But just because this piece is finished doesn't mean you can't revisit the theme in a later work and find more creative variation if the fancy strikes you!  I would gladly hear it!  Thanks for sharing!

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@PeterthePapercomPoser @Schorninator

Thank you for your comments!!
Of course I don't think that just because I shared it here I may not change things. Maybe in the future I'll see these things in a different way and I can rewrite in some form. 
This work was intended to be like it is in the way of simplicity regarding tonality or other aspects, that's why I didn't consider doing something more "adventurous". I wanted it to be symmetrical with the minore variation in the middle. But of course i take into account your comments for a future revision!

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