New Waltz in C Major for String Quartet or Piano Quintet

Waltz 062725 2 - Full Score.pdf

This is one I've been working on for a while. I was trying for section something like Tchaikovsky's Valse-Scherzo but lighter for the first section. 

The mp3 is only string quartet for now. Might have a recording latter, but in the meanwhile. Enjoy!

Firstly, I think the audio rendering doesn't do this piece justice. Everything sounds too muddy, and I can barely hear the 2nd violin and viola parts coming through. 

As to the String Quartet vs Piano Quintet, I don't see the value of having a piano added since it seems to be doubling what's going on in the strings. Leaving this as a string quartet piece would be more logical.

Your string writing isn't bad...but it's very "basic". Each instrument/part seems to have a pre-defined range, and the music rarely goes in and out of that range. Maybe throw the melody to the cellist in its higher ranges, or have the viola play something other than this accompaniment role: 

I also think the transition to the trio section (somewhere around bars 80-82) can be a little more developed, as the trio (bar 83) is VERY different from what came before....just a bit jarring. It might work better, and be a little more interesting, to have that section in a major key. Otherwise, a bit more counterpoint material can help as well. It just sounds very homophonic at the moment. 

Last comment: The outer sections could use dynamic and phrasing marks.

I am the cellist but I do have some other unfinished pieces with cello melody

Hi @Chemathmusician0510,

I agree with @danishali903, the piano shouldn’t just repeat what the strings are playing, but instead have its own part. I wouldn’t go as far as calling the music basic since I think it does display some good chamber music part writing and counterpoint, but I may add more interaction between the instruments and allow other instruments to play the melodic role as well. The piece sounds quite Baroque for me even with those dissonance, because of the drive of the outer sections and the Trio sonata slow movement like middle section. Thx for sharing!

Henry

I was originally going for a piano quartet (no viola) since I was thinking of having some people perform it, but then one of the violinists stepped up to play viola. Thats why the viola part follows the piano. 

An extra question: what do you thing about having the cello part plucked for the outer sections

3 hours ago, Chemathmusician0510 said:

Thats why the viola part follows the piano. 

But you don't only have the viola part follows the piano here, you have the piano playing all 4 parts of the String Quartet which in a way writes like a piano accompaniment to a choir which is common practice there but certainly not a good one here since piano shouldn't be considered an accompaniment in a Piano Quintet. The piano part has its own right to play its own parts, rather only repeating the strings. But ofc if I'm the pianist I would be happy to play it since it would be easy to play with.

I 'thing' that having cello plucked would be a nice variation to its part.

Remember to hit the like button on the bottom right corner as well so that the reviewer knows that you like their posts. Thx.

On 7/2/2025 at 11:23 PM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I wouldn’t go as far as calling the music basic since I think it does display some good chamber music part writing and counterpoint, but I may add more interaction between the instruments and allow other instruments to play the melodic role as well.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not saying the composition itself is basic. It's the string writing that's "basic"...as in there seems to be these defined roles akin to a 4 part choir (1st violin = soprano, 2nd = alto, etc.)

Well i got to start somewhere

Whew, don't need to listen to it all right now, you are a competent composer and sound like me in a baroque mood.

Heard it all; I've even sounded Baroque and thrown in some Rock & Roll!  Good writing and Counterpoint, my man.