Original Composition (Feedback Needed)

• Jan 29, 2025 - 06:19

Hi Everyone,

I've already asked for feedback before, but that was when this piece was only half completed. I would appreciate any and all feedback you could give me! I have attached two files - the first is what you should listen to for the recording, the second is the fully formatted score.

Thank you!

Attachment Size
Highlands FINAL PLAYBACK.mscz 133.76 KB
Highlands - FINAL SCORE.mscz 170.06 KB

Comments

I think it is quite a nice piece.
The Harp parts need to be changed.
The Harp can only play 4 notes with each hand
and you have 8 notes in the early bars. These
should be distributed between the two hands.
The very lowest harp notes (E and G) are too close
together to sound good (they tend to sound muddy)
so make that a 5th (E to B). That's all I can say!

I enjoyed this piece.
I write for playback. So I sometimes look at things a little differently. My suggestion would be to pan your score more than the little you already have. Why?
1. let's say you are in a concert hall behind the conductor. The orchestra is spread out across the stage in front of you. Depending on the country you are in you might see this layout. The first violin section stretches way out to your left. The contrabasses are far right. In front of them might be the second violins and/or the cellos. The violas might be inset to the left. Everything else is left to right of center. Some sections spanning center.
2. What this does is help you hear sections easier. On my system I could barely hear the solo violin. Possibly because all the other instruments are on top of it.

Think about it, anyway.

Very nice--I especially like the harp figure at m. 90, and the dotted figures in the clarinets mm 40 ff.
Two points concerning notation--
1) I think that harp part in m 4 etc. would better notated as a (written-out arpeggio) of four septuplets. @jeffcarrollco already discussed the distribution of notes between hands, but often harpists like to figure that out themselves, so don't worry if you don't do it for them.
2) Standard score order would put the E-flat clarinet above the B-flat one, as it is higher in pitch. In which case, you don't have to label them Cl. 1 and Cl. 2, just Cl. in E-flat and Cl. in B-flat (but you still have to bracket them together, along with the Bass Clarinet.

Are you writing for a live IRL performance by an existing ensemble, with those specific forces? If not, the clarinet part mm. 16-27 would be best distributed between two clarinets, interlocking--look at the opening of Smetana's The Moldau to see how it's done. Otherwise, there's no place to catch a breath. Actually, two E-flat clarinets would be a good idea as well.

But why are you limiting yourself to clarinets (of various sizes)? Giving some of those parts to a flute or oboe would add some nice variety in wind color!

Hope this helps.

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