Lamentation

My first orchestra piece perfromed by the BBCNOW. I wrote this piece with the intention of exploring long expressive melodic lines and took the shape of an arch. The music builds and rises to the main climax and then subsides again. This wave like structure is something I use a lot in all of my music.

Lamentation, created by Ryan Yard and presented through ACIDplanet.com

All comments welcome!

Hiya,

That piece is just absolutely awesome! I love all the climaxes and harmony changes! I suppose you could have used the woodwind a little more imaginatively but that really is scraping the bucket and the timps at 4:43 maybe could have been doubled just to make them sound ironically less percussive and fit in with the overall sound.

Having a real orchestra perform it also helps to sell it I think, but yeah, brilliant work.

Chris

this all sounds terribly professional. I'm afraid I may not fit in here.. thank you for sharing this great piece! I enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks for your comment snail, very kind of you. Don't feel unsure, this is a place to get really good feedback on your music, it can get quite critical, but its only to help you when writing new music, we are hear to offer experience so as long as you have an open mind and are willing to learn new things as well as get your music heard, then this is the best place to be. I look forward to hearing your music soon!

Best wishes

Ryan

Just thought I would see if I could prompt some more reviews in my orchestral piece that was played by the BBC. Only had a couple of responses, anyone else want to contribute their thoughts?

I have recently listened to your string quartet. And I must say I am quite disappointedly with this after your string Quartet. The string quartet had wonderful harmonies. This one is more diatonic. But yes, this is a very personal preference. I rather write criticism.

What I liked: You definitely have knowledge with, foreground-middle ground-background when writing for orchestra. It is evident with all the textures you have introduced. It is rich, and well orchestrated.

What I don't like: I think that the harmonies, themes were a bit uninteresting. And the use of the orchestra was not much innovative. The piece hardly had a character. If I listen to this I would think of any other film music composer.

But BBC performed this ? great, you must be something. It is only this piece that I criticise as I don't know much of your work. And please, my criticism is not to make you feel bad. I think you know it already.

Hey thanks for your comments. It may be worth giving you a timeline of this music. This orchestral piece comes only in my second year of study, whilst the quartet comes from my fourth so in a way Lamentation is an immature work in terms of my development. This was my first attempt at writing for orchestra and in a sense I think it is a worthy attempt.

In a sense you have complemented me because obviously it must show that I have developed as a composer in terms of melodic and harmonic sophistication.

Hope that makes things a bit clearer?

Although failed attempts of my composition teacher at convincing me otherwise,

I wrote a piano concerto in my second year of study. I think we are alike in that sense, I always wanted to write bigger things while not knowing that a smaller work may as well be as effective and if written well, more effective than a bigger piece. So obviously this piece and your string quartet is a proof of that.

Yes, In a sense I have complemented on your development as a composer (although unintentionally as I didn't know that you wrote the orchestral piece earlier)

EDIT: check out my piano concerto. I also composed on my second year of study http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/concerto-piano-strings-3773.html

I like the rich textures you employed with your harmonies and orchestration. Very nice.

Very cool that you got it played by a live orchestra.

Thought I would bump this early work of mine, its been out of sight for sometime.

Cheers

Ryan,

Pity you haven't posted a score.

As expected of a work coming from you, this is impeccably done. It is not as original and individual as the other works I've heard (although I can hear the more adventurous -you- struggling to get out), but this could get you a job as a composer, someday (if you don't have one already)!

The performance is very expressive...I was sure the crescendo would be perfect and the cooling off right after was a melodic climax in itself...

Superb! Cheers!

Ryan, I just saw this thread, since it's been bumped. :w00t: great thing someone bumped it :glare:

It is definately an earlier piece of yours. But what's important is that you got a real life orchestra to play it. What on earth are you doing to get these opportunities? I feel bad with my self now, for being jealous!

I do see signs of romantism here as well as the violin concerto, which does makes me think that this piece IS yours. I do also trace some signs of film music, which is fine as well. :w00t:

I don't know what to say but good luck on your future (definately) career! not that you need a wish like "good luck". Probably something more like "be prepared for the fame that will come..." or something simmilar.

I would love to see the score as well (although I do get pretty well what's going on).

The question still remains: How did you get to have BBC of whales to play and record your piece? A competition? Where are you studying if I may ask?

Lamentation for Orchestra.pdf

Here is the score. It is an older version of the score, so it is not as impeccably tidy as I would like.

It was written over 2 years ago, in my second year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was the first attempt at writing for orchestra and I won the opportunity to have it played in a workshop with the BBC. A great moment for me.

What I think is interesting, is that actually going back to this piece you can really see where I was coming from and also where I have come since. I think my recent scores sound so much more advanced than this so it shows that I am progressing.

It is very filmic and also very romantic, but I still think it has a great deal of genuine feeling, nothing is ever trite or cliche...or at least I hope not!

Bumping is a risky business so was unsure if I would be met with steely glares! :glare:

Ryan,

Pity you haven't posted a score.

As expected of a work coming from you, this is impeccably done. It is not as original and individual as the other works I've heard (although I can hear the more adventurous -you- struggling to get out), but this could get you a job as a composer, someday (if you don't have one already)!

The performance is very expressive...I was sure the crescendo would be perfect and the cooling off right after was a melodic climax in itself...

Superb! Cheers!

Cheers mate, I really do appreciate your comments, they are always very eloquently written and well expressed. You are right, it is not the original voice I think I am developing now, but it was a crucial piece for me in my development.

I really want to write for orchestra again but time is the biggest issue!

I don't know where I belong, as I just write New Age music of various lengths, some of it pretty orchestral. I loved Lamentation and learned a lot from listening to it - how to use climaxes, how to do better build-ups (New Age doesn't tend to go in for build-ups much, unless your name's Yanni or John Tesh! Or Vangelis.)

The only criticism I have of it really, and I don't know if I know enough to make this, is the buildup seemed a tad contrived, forced on the piece a little as opposed to evolving out of the piece.

Congratulations on getting it played by a real orchestra, that's one heck of an achievement and you rightly should be proud of yourself.

Bring on the symphony!

Yours with great respect

Chris (ulrichburke on site).

Cheers Chris for your comments. It is considered an early piece of mine and both my harmonic and melodic language has changed quite considerably since. I really want to write for orchestra again no that my musical voice is developing. This piece was my first orchestral piece so I was trying things out quite a bit, like how to write orchestral climaxes etc

It may be a little contrived, although I tried to make it as organic as I possibly could, but the piece had to be no longer than 8 minutes and I felt a little hampered by this as I probably would have extended it some more.

I'm glad you learnt things from it, and yes, I am very proud that it got chosen to be played by the BBC

Nice big sound with a reflective mood.

Good composition.

I could nit pick if I wanted to, but since it is much better than I could do (at the moment) I won't. It is an awesome piece. Awesome.

Colin Thomson

cdpfohgu[wotey!!!!! p;oihswte w'po dsf;jweuf slgeglsdfgkj.

Sorry I couldn't see thru my tears.

Tears of jealousy 1st and foremost for you getting played by the big boys.

Congratulations!!!!!

I too am glad you bumped this one as I am trying to slow down some of my own stuff and this helps me focus on that.

As to the score, the major problem I see is that on page 2 in measure 1 there is a smudge in the corner. How unprofessional can you get???

But then you have had 2 years to clean up your act, so I guess somethings can be overlooked.

Bravo!!! Well done!!!

cdpfohgu[wotey!!!!! p;oihswte w'po dsf;jweuf slgeglsdfgkj.

Sorry I couldn't see thru my tears.

Tears of jealousy 1st and foremost for you getting played by the big boys.

Congratulations!!!!!

I too am glad you bumped this one as I am trying to slow down some of my own stuff and this helps me focus on that.

As to the score, the major problem I see is that on page 2 in measure 1 there is a smudge in the corner. How unprofessional can you get???

But then you have had 2 years to clean up your act, so I guess somethings can be overlooked.

Bravo!!! Well done!!!

Cheers mate. As to the smudge, I am not entirely sure where you mean. I had a look but could not see anything. Could you give me the exact bar number?

If it is there then apologies that I let that one slip through the net!

Sorry if my satire was not clear.

Ah I see, sorry, bit slow today! lol:sleeping:

As this is my first post - can I just say how much i enjoyed your piece. Can't wait to hear others.

Thanks Edath, there are other works of mine floating around the site. Hope to hear some of your stuff uploaded here too!

Very pretty!:( I love the arch structure.

I do prefer your newer stuff though, but this really shows how you developed.:)