Feedback on Composition

[Stefan Welebny]

Dear Forum,

as an amateur composer I would ask politely for feedback on the following symphonic composition for orchester (basses, chelli, violas, violin I+II, timpani, trombone, horn, bassoon, oboe, flutes) :

https://youtu.be/XBVbF4Xw50Y

1. sonate set

2. andante

3. menuet

4. rondo

Best regards

Stefan Welebny

[Charles Holt]

20+ minutes is a long time for strangers to sit through so maybe you have a 2-3 minute section you're most proud of or you think in most need of feedback?

A score would be useful as the midi playback doesn't illuminate what's happening very well but from what I listened to at the start the rhythm was a little monotonous. It was just a pulse without any shorter or longer notes to subdivide and keep the audience guessing.

[Daniel Krausz]

Hello! Yes, 20 minutes is pretty long to sit through especially with those those VI samples... A shorter piece will get you more responses. I did not sit through the entire thing in one go but rather "skimmed" through it so my impression is probably a bit skewed. That said, I think there a bit too much unfocused meandering around which makes it seem sort of disjointed and strung together. It's a rather ambitious piece though and I applaud the effort! It reminds my a lot of the way I used to compose when I first started doing orchestral type compositions way back in the day... I tried to get every single musical idea I had that I thought was good and then sort of mashed them all together into a single very long piece. Keep it up though - there is some really nice stuff in there!

[Stefan Welebny]

Thank you Charles and Daniel!

I am providing the structure with minute:second so everybody can  distinguish the parts and navigate them:

00:01 - 03:48 Exposition (2x)

03:50 - 09:24 Development

09:27 - 11:08 Recapitulation

11:18 - 14:45 Andante

14:48 - 18:03 Menuett

18:07 - 20:40 Rondo

[Stefan Welebny]

I like your ops #1, it is worth to be performed in public. Did you create that sample library yourself, or did you buy it? I am using logic pro x and the standard instruments delivered with it. I have not a deep  knowledge about sound processing, but I feel to be in trouble with the logic library.

Daniel Krausz said:

Hello! Yes, 20 minutes is pretty long to sit through especially with those those VI samples... A shorter piece will get you more responses. I did not sit through the entire thing in one go but rather "skimmed" through it so my impression is probably a bit skewed. That said, I think there a bit too much unfocused meandering around which makes it seem sort of disjointed and strung together. It's a rather ambitious piece though and I applaud the effort! It reminds my a lot of the way I used to compose when I first started doing orchestral type compositions way back in the day... I tried to get every single musical idea I had that I thought was good and then sort of mashed them all together into a single very long piece. Keep it up though - there is some really nice stuff in there!

[Daniel Krausz]

Hi Stefan. Thanks for the kind words. I use Logic X as well but I don't use any of the built in orchestral sounds.

I primarily use virtual instruments by a company called East West. Specifically "Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Platinum Plus". For big dramatic drums I use their "Storm Drum 2" and for realistic ethnic sounds I use "RA" also by East West. Their VI's served me well over the years.

Their may be better libraries out their but for the price, I don't think you can beat it. 10 years ago QLSO was $1699.00. Today it's less than half that price!

Regardless of which library you use, I cannot overstate how important the actual time consuming minutia of good MIDI programming is though when you're going for realism! Even with the BEST samples! 

Cheers!

Stefan Welebny said:

I like your ops #1, it is worth to be performed in public. Did you create that sample library yourself, or did you buy it? I am using logic pro x and the standard instruments delivered with it. I have not a deep  knowledge about sound processing, but I feel to be in trouble with the logic library.

Daniel Krausz said:

Hello! Yes, 20 minutes is pretty long to sit through especially with those those VI samples... A shorter piece will get you more responses. I did not sit through the entire thing in one go but rather "skimmed" through it so my impression is probably a bit skewed. That said, I think there a bit too much unfocused meandering around which makes it seem sort of disjointed and strung together. It's a rather ambitious piece though and I applaud the effort! It reminds my a lot of the way I used to compose when I first started doing orchestral type compositions way back in the day... I tried to get every single musical idea I had that I thought was good and then sort of mashed them all together into a single very long piece. Keep it up though - there is some really nice stuff in there!

[Stefan Welebny]

Thank you Daniel, I checked it out: now East West offer 1. a Hollywood Orchestra and 2. a Symphonic Orchestra (which is the Quantum Leap) at approx. the same price.

Daniel Krausz said:

Hi Stefan. Thanks for the kind words. I use Logic X as well but I don't use any of the built in orchestral sounds.

I primarily use virtual instruments by a company called East West. Specifically "Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Platinum Plus". For big dramatic drums I use their "Storm Drum 2" and for realistic ethnic sounds I use "RA" also by East West. Their VI's served me well over the years.

Their may be better libraries out their but for the price, I don't think you can beat it. 10 years ago QLSO was $1699.00. Today it's less than half that price!

Regardless of which library you use, I cannot overstate how important the actual time consuming minutia of good MIDI programming is though when you're going for realism! Even with the BEST samples! 

Cheers!

Stefan Welebny said:

I like your ops #1, it is worth to be performed in public. Did you create that sample library yourself, or did you buy it? I am using logic pro x and the standard instruments delivered with it. I have not a deep  knowledge about sound processing, but I feel to be in trouble with the logic library.

Daniel Krausz said:

Hello! Yes, 20 minutes is pretty long to sit through especially with those those VI samples... A shorter piece will get you more responses. I did not sit through the entire thing in one go but rather "skimmed" through it so my impression is probably a bit skewed. That said, I think there a bit too much unfocused meandering around which makes it seem sort of disjointed and strung together. It's a rather ambitious piece though and I applaud the effort! It reminds my a lot of the way I used to compose when I first started doing orchestral type compositions way back in the day... I tried to get every single musical idea I had that I thought was good and then sort of mashed them all together into a single very long piece. Keep it up though - there is some really nice stuff in there!

[Stefan Welebny]

uploaded Cassiopeia to SoundCloud for enabling in-track comments:

https://soundcloud.com/stefan-welebny/cassiopeia