Yew's Compositions and Other Things

Started by IAmYou, March 07, 2011, 06:47:19 PM

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IAmYou

Alright, so I'm a novice composer. Nice to meet you. Firstly, I'd like to upload my composition I first used for TMS.  A small ensemble consisting of and Oboe, a Bb Soprano Clarinet, and a String Quartet. I was aiming for a 'pastoral', happy feeling.

MUS: http://www.mediafire.com/?6a96uw04417xgpt - MIDI: http://www.mediafire.com/?j94gkdw1c01869j

And secondly, a woodwind choir arrangement of The Stone Tower Temple. There's a lot more to it, and I've barely started with the second half of the melody, but this is what I have so far.

MUS: http://www.mediafire.com/?159746fvlucpagx - MIDI: http://www.mediafire.com/?38gx843b88hi3e4


These were written with Finale Printmusic 2011. I've provided MIDIs for those without the latest reader.
So, any comments? Criticism will be very much appreciated.

DrP

Your first piece was amazing... the Clarinet/Oboe combo has always been a favorite of mine, and I believe you pulled it off nicely. I'm not sure if you're a Clarinet player, but there are just some issues that will really have to be worked on (especially toward the end) if they are to be executed nicely, same with the Oboe. I'm glad you put some of the harder parts with nice key sigs! No Bb clarinetist likes doing stuff like that in A Concert... its brutal. Overall, everything complements each other and it sounds beautiful. Great Job!

The second one is meh, in my opinion. The beginning, before the main melody, that F that the clarinet plays kinda takes away from the Bassoon solo (It kinda scared me for a sec). Perhaps you're still still working things out, but there are still areas of notes not necessarily matching, but that's isn't a huge deal. I would love to hear the finished project!!! Keep up the great work!

IAmYou

Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I know the clarinet and oboe stuff is really challenging. Especially because I just kind of throw it in their faces after a bunch of easy stuff. I've been going to a lot of region and state clinics, though, and the clarinets (at least in Arkansas) have insane audition materials. I didn't want to make it that challenging, but at least throw a few challenging things in. I do need to rework those scale runs in the end, to see if I can get the same effect, because that would be insane on clarinet. I don't think the oboe part is as challenging as you seem to, though. The runs in 54 are the only oboe issue I can see, and that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Maybe its just me.

Yeah, I can see what you're saying about the second one. Have you heard the song from the game? I kind of wanted to add some counter-melodies to make it more interesting, and the clarinet one should really stay subtle for those eighth notes in the bass instruments to be brought out more. Its hard for me to get good bass support in finale. All of the bass instruments just kind of whisper, so I have to write the parts differently than I actually should to get them to stick out more. What do you think of the counter-melodies in the first clarinet and flute? Here's a link to the original, if you want it for comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNDLoncWz30

DrP

Clarinets have an easier ability to do runs than Oboes, imo. I have been given some insane clarinet parts, and the ending is doable, but just requires a lot of practice, just like some nasty chopin and mozart 16th note sections in sonatas and waltzes. I sight read the piece on my clarinet, and the runs just need time to work out, so it isn't a huge issue! It is challenging and I like a good challenge, if only I had an Oboe, I could tell you about that.

About the second one, the counter melodies in the clarinet and flute should be fun to listen to! What's kind of nice about the clarinet, you can go pretty low on the staff in the Soprano, which makes it probably the most versatile woodwinds (out of flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon) imo... saxophones are a different story! I have heard the song from the game... many, many times, and if you have the flute thing going on with the clarinet taking the harpsichord part (I think its a harpsi), then it should sound epic! I really want to hear the end product!

IAmYou

Alright, I have the arrangement finished. It hasn't turned out as well as I'd hoped it would, and it's pretty short. I think I might just have lost interest in it, to be honest.

A note, the bassoon double the bari sax part after they rejoin during the second melody, because apparently saxophones play quietly in Finale world.

http://www.mediafire.com/?qgur0sx6tals5a9 - Mus

http://www.mediafire.com/?nbiopkwrvdd9k3l - Midi

I might just not be good at arrangements like this, or maybe its the instruments I'm arranging it for. All I know is I don't like it :P. It might also be that I don't have a clearly set goal. With my composition, I was in a contest, and was given something to model it after, and a goal for how it should sound. I think that's what's wrong with this.

IAmYou

So here's an arrangement of Lux Aeterna from the film Requiem for a Dream that I started on a while back. It's arranged for a small Wind Ensemble, and I'd very much like some feedback.

Here's the original, and this is what I've arranged so far: MUS