Another Classical Symphony

[andreasvanharen]

Hi!
I would love to have some critical comments on an orchestral piece I worked on for many years. I called it Another Classical Symphony.


You can see the complete score on line here: http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=500889
you can also go here http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin...?scoreid=93902
that is the sibelius site, there you can hear the music as well.

yes, it is on lulu.com site, and there is a price tag above it, but that is just in case someone wants to order a copy. You can preview the whole piece for free. I attached an pdf file of the score with this post as well.

Here are links to the first three parts, performed by an amateur orchestra. The tempi are a little bit slower then I intended.

part 1: http://www.andrevanharen.com/orkest1.mp3
part 2: http://www.andrevanharen.com/orkest2.mp3
part 3: http://www.andrevanharen.com/orkest3.mp3


greetings,
André

[Thorolf]

Hi, and welcome to Music-Web!

I just listened to the first movement so far, and I must say that the subject is really good and tight! I feel that the development section (measure 77-?) could be “freer”, tho.

I think the tempo is ok as it is.

A note on the scoring: I suggest you do away the key signatures all over, as e. g. the part in E major (F# major notated for Bb instruments!), with whole sections in yet another key looks rather messy, and unnecessarily complicated.



Regards

[andreasvanharen]

Hi!
Thanks for your comment,
You mean the introduction with the 4 sharps? The problem is that it really is in E major, so it should have those sharps. Of course, I could give it the key signature of E flat from the beginning,but that wouldn't be correct, I think.

André

[reith]

First movement. Comes over as a lighthearted piece, easy to listen to. Nice progressions and development.

Second movement: Gentle and old-worlde. Flows naturally. As in the first movement the scoring is excellent.


I'll have a look at the score when I have a moment.
(Still have to listen to 3rd mvt so I'll be back)

[Stenir]

I think Thorolf was actually meaning to just write it without key signatures. Not necessarily change the key signatures, but follow the practice of many atonal pieces and just don't have a key signature at that section.

But then again, in the "Classical" era, Trumpets and Horns didn't have key signatures, and this is the reason why. I mean, think of what would happen if you had A trumpets? *shudder*

[andreasvanharen]

Aha! That sounds actually like a very good idea, so the piece will be really in E flat Major and not first in E major. Thanks!

André

[Stenir]

Exactly. Once you get up to the part where you change to Eb major, you can put that key signature.

Then again, I'm used to writing with no key signatures, then going back and working measure by measure, analyzing it as I go to find the right key signature that will fit.

I'm about to look at it for the first time while listening, so hopefully I can give a better thought on it.

[Thorolf]

Hi, I just reconsidered your first movement, and I really stand by my suggestion about getting rid of all key signatures. All over the place, the tonality jumps from measure to measure, and you always deviate from the diatonic, no accidential-lines, anyway, e. g. the recurrent thematic run in the 2nd measure asf. from the fifth to the octave always goes via the minor 7th, meaning that you have to introduce loose accidentials to the score in every melodic line, anyway.

The subjects types and (bi-)tonalities you use are abundant in film music, and for this very reason, the idea of dropping the key signatures altogether is more or less the standard in such scores nowadays, an example posted by me here, and parts standards mentioned by chckn8r here.



Regards

[andreasvanharen]

Hi Thorolf,
I had a look at my score and think it would be a good idea. I do jump around a lot, intended of course to avoid the feeling of tonality. I also want to build an extra section in the development to make it a little bit more interesting. This will take some time though, especially because after remeoving the key signatures, I will have to check the whole score again and re space etc. I think however that it will improve the piece.

At this moment, I'm working on my To Laugh at the Full Moon piece (for solo voice and strings), rewriting it for orchestra. After that, I will lose myself again in my symphony.

I think that your comments also apply for the 3th and 4th movement, not so much though for the 2nd, that one is more classical in tonality.

Thanks for your input!

André