Cello, Violin, Viola, and Piano

I updated the piece down below.

Ok spend a few hours and added about 10 minutes, and restructured it so the orginal part comes near the end. I made it about three times as long, and made the beginning slower. I still have updated the soundclick file also, though a minute is missing from the end.

I added a second movement. I has some of the same material, though most of it is played by the clarinet. It is the faster movement. I will probably go back and add a clarinet now that I've decided on the instrumention of clarinet quintet (Cello,Viola,Violin,Clarinet, and Piano).

2nd movement Clarinet Quintet

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Cello, Violin, Viola, and Piano

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It was orginally 5:40 minutes long when I first posted it, Usually I work with motifs, and phrases so it was a different composing experience working with a complete harmonic progression. This piece started out as just an exercise, I was curious to hear how good N.S. Canzano's progression was posted in this thread http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/cant-write-slow-movement-6357.html. ("Eb Major, Eb Aug., G7. C min, F7-1 (C, Eb, A), Bb. Bb7, B dim, C min, F min, Eb, Bb7, Eb.") to help someone else with composing slow movements. But as I was composing I realized alot of my old music has weak harmonic progressions, and aburpt modulations which are really just transpositions. I just bought Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony which hopefully is better than Piston's harmony book which I've read the past year. I wonder, should I start preplaning my own harmonies before I work on melodies and motifs? Because I usually work the other way around.

Here's the updated midi :

A harmonic progression is only as good as the manner in which it is developed, either in terms of the melody used, or the rhythmic or orchestral variety you use. The work you've constructed here seems akin to a Theme and Variations only in the most loose sense. I am not sure what you are attempting to write exactly.

However, as an experiment in making use of a harmonic progression, it does seem to work fine. And the harmonic progression in question is suited to a leisurely stroll through aural gardens. However, if you are going to write a Theme and Variations, then you need to do more than just modify the theme, you also need to introduce harmonic variations. Consider the third movement to my still in progress Piano Concerto. It is in Theme and Variations form, but you will note that I routinely modify the harmonies underneath to create the effects I want.

I think you have a good feel for the melody you are using. I adored many sections of this work. But as I said, it feels like a sketchbook of ideas instead of an actual piece. The ending brings no sense of closure to the piece. With a theme and variations, you need to bring the work full circle.

Anyway, I think you will do fine once you settle on what you want to do with it. :-)

Matusleo

I was attempting to write variations on the same harmonic progression. Ok, maybe I'll change and develop the harmony to make it a fuller piece and make a better ending. Thank you for your comments.

Any thoughts on the second movement? Sorry for the bump, I've waited two weeks for a review on the second movement. Also don't listen to the first movement, it's crap right now; I'll fix it when I have time next week.