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The Composer's Thread


Justin

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Dear Friends!

I don't know why I haven't posted this earlier, but two short pieces of mine are on Myspace, just search for my name, "Marcus Paus"...

The two pieces are: "Lasuliansko Horo", a 5 minute piece for violin and piano written in 2004, and played more than 30 times since its premiere. It was commissioned by a collective of New York based Bulgarian musicians, hence the Bulgarian flavor (the themes are mine, though).

The other piece is a short intermezzo from my first opera, scored for string quintet, alto sax. and piano,

More music will follow soon, hopefully!

Best,

Marcus

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^Wow!

I really like that Intermezzo. At first, it reminded me of Memoirs of a Geisha. I like the upper-register piano parts in that piece.

Ah, I see you mention Corigliano on your profile. :mrgreen:

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Greetings, and thank you for your comment! Corigliano continues to be a very important influence in my life and music. He seems to have the ability to make every piece he writes the "ideal" representation of itself, an ability I find incredibly impressive. I also like his approach to musical architecture, and his approach to the entire creative process. I must say, the lessons I've had with him have been absolutely fantastic! He is such a generous, intelligent and kind teacher, and truly one of the greatest composers alive today... I'm glad you like him too!

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Yes, I have been very lucky indeed... I am forever grateful for the helpful and very insightful advice and observations he offered.

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Yes, I have been very lucky indeed... I am forever grateful for the helpful and very insightful advice and observations he offered.

you should ask him about his favourite movie composer.

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John Adams must like Rosenman as well. After all, he's recorded an album with his scores. Philip Glass has an interesting quote in FSM's Goldsmith memorial issue. I don't remember it exactly; from what I recall, it's not quite clear how highly he thought of Goldsmith, but he obviously did consider him an important, professional film composer, and one of the best of his time (mind you, someone else might read the quote and interpret it differently :)).

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Whoa, great stuff Marcus :angry: Any way I can obtain the sheet music for "Lasuliansko Horo"? I like it a lot :nono:

Something new from me: I'm currently writing a Piano trio, and just finished the second mvt. (the first is in the works, don't know how many, if any, will follow...).

Piano Trio - II. Chaconne (recorded with EWQL Silver for the time being)

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Nice work, ChrisAfonso! I like how you bring a lot of dramatic and textural development to your chaconne. And kudos to you for deciding on casting your second movement as a chaconne; it is a wonderful formal concept, and has great potential! Are you familiar with the chaconne from Corigliano's 1st symphony?

What's the 1st movement of your trio like? Fast? Moderato? I think you might find that a brief fast movement, like a quick rondo, will work well after the chaconne, depending on the feel and pace of your 1st movement.

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding my work. I can send you a copy of my (very legible) manuscript of "Lasuliansko Horo", if you provide an address (regular mail). My publisher is preparing it for release, but since this could take a while, I'd be happy to send you a copy myself.

Thanks again,

Marcus

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OK, this is your standard Star Wars main title rip-off:

http://members.aol.com/cerrabore/maintheme.mp3

It was done with Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Cerrabore,I really like what you did---BUT.......

You are not being served at all by Garritan Personal Orchestra.....

I hope you take this comment in the spirit of which it was given....

:wave:

Wow, these make me feel so... inadequate... I'd usually blame the quality of my compositions on my age, but there are people younger than me who write much better. Oh well, I'll just blame it on my lack of a sample library.

Actually you should pick up a Roland Juno G when it becomes available.

Then get THIS SRX card to go with it:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productde...px?ObjectId=427

Don't forget to listen to the demo!

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OK, this is your standard Star Wars main title rip-off:

http://members.aol.com/cerrabore/maintheme.mp3

It was done with Garritan Personal Orchestra.

Cerrabore,I really like what you did---BUT.......

You are not being served at all by Garritan Personal Orchestra.....

I hope you take this comment in the spirit of which it was given....

:wave:

Curious that you would bring this up. I composed/produced this piece over two years ago. Obviously, I've grown plenty as a composer since then (recently, I have improved my "dynamic" awareness a lot, adding more modulation to my music), and I've learned how to better use GPO. I've also purchased Garritan Jazz/Big Band, which has some very strong brass that can compensate for GPO's weaknesses to an extent. It also has a wonderful percussion collection, and as for jazz itself (which I don't write much of), it is certainly adequate. Besides, the upcoming GPO Advanced will feature the "SAM brass," which I hear is great.

Thanks for the library advice, but I'm not in the business professionally. Once I start to make a living off of this (if I can), I'll think about investing in the expensive samples.

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I just uploaded a new piece (work in progress) in response to people complaining about the Pirates of the Carribean music (It works, but many people want to hear a returne of ye olde fashioned seafarin' music). It is inspired by my experiences in boats, and loosely I guess a response to people calling for better Pirate soundtracks

You can check "Rouser" out at my site:

http://hopkins.composerarts.com

Any critiques would be welcome. How am I doing on realism? I think I would make more realistic repetition in the short repeated notes, but tell me if anyone notices. If I do that, I'll re-post.

-Jesse

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As I was typing...in the other thread...before you deleted it...;-)

Good work...but...

....it feels more like Knights and Castles....and ye olde dragons from the 1200's...than 1600-1800's pirates.

As for realism, are you using any software for mixing, or is it a straight recording out of the sequencer/sampler?

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It's straight out of the Sequencer/Notation program. I used Overture 4.

I see what you mean by knights. I guess I was thinking Errol Flynn. More of a 1940's sea adventure.

Luckily it is just called "Rouser" so you can think of what you like!

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This is my attempt at a Williams-esque Love Theme, employing some of those wide leaps we've spoken about! Although it isn't a rip, I've tried to make it my own.

I'll be playing it to my boyfriend in the car when I pick him up from the airport. :P

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=838148&t=198

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hi folks

just finished re-scoring Star trek nemesis.

almost 2 hours long, i just needed the practice.

Those of you with the movie can download it and play it over the film.

there's a 2 second delay at the beginning to allow you to switch back to the film and start it when the music starts (at the first frames of the para logo)

http://www.badongo.com/file/1094304

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The "infamous quote" must be at 24 seconds in. I really love the ending of the piece and just wish that there was a nice JWesque gliss at the end (after your last notes and a very brief rest).

Here is my newest creation. It's 3.5 minutes, definitely inspired by JW. I also make use one of the themes that I used in the piece "mitwe.mp3" (posted on page 7 of this thread).

http://web.mit.edu/stransky/Public/st/7-23.mp3

Comments are definitely welcome, and encouraged.

Also, some of my music was featured on CNN Headline News last Friday evening during a short documentary about some MIT students. I'll see if I can get a videocap of it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Marcus, did you get my PM from last month regarding the "Lasuliansko Horo" sheet music?

Thanks everybody for thenice comments about the Chaconne, meanwhile it has received its first performance (at a chamber concert during a German-Croatian youth orchestral project in July) and although some things went a little bit wrong (there wasn't enough time to rehearse), I was happy with the overall performance and it just felt great to have it played :spiny:

The first movement of the Trio is still under construction, but nearly half finished. You can listen to the finished half here:

http://www.chrisafonso.de/music/Trio_I_exp...n_fuge_part.mp3

What's left to do is the rest of the fugue serving as development, and the reprise (just some sketches for that currently).

I'd be really curious if anyone can point at the 4 bars in the exposition which I'm not yet happy with and likely will alter before long... any guesses? ;)

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Dear Chris,

Yes, I got your PM, thank you very much,- I have just been supremely busy with work for a festival in September, for which I am to serve as composer-in-residence, but I will try to send it this week. Forgive me.

Congratulations on your premiere, and congratulations also on what seems to be a very promising piece! I especially enjoy the modal playfulness of your fugal theme. I think it will also work quite nicely when inverted, and perhaps this will be featured later on, and maybe in stretto with the original theme (cello+low piano octaves or double octaves, violin (with strong beats accentuated by triple-stops) and high piano)?

Good job! And good luck with the rest of it!

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No problem, if you have important things to do, take your time :)

If I may ask, what kind of festival is this, and how did you get the composer-in-residence spot? ;) Good luck with that!

Thanks for your comments, but I'm not quite sure what you mean with the "fugal theme"... The theme which begins the fugue (the cello solo) is just a slight variation of the original theme from the beginning of the movement... Your comment regarding "modal playfulness" seems to fit on the secondary theme though? (starting at 1:24), which is itself a development of the piano (later violin) ostinato that accompanies the main theme. Interesting idea with the inversion, I'll look into that :P

The great recapitulation with all themes combined I think I'll save for the end of the third mvt. :)

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The festival is in the Norwegian city of Kristiansund, and it is mostly a chamber music festival, but they are premiering my Symphony no.1, along with a new overture entitled "Ave Mozart!" (based on "Ave Verum Corpus") for Mozart's 250th anniversary, a new Suite no.2 for solo cello, my 3rd string quartet, and a new piece for violin, piano and choir, along with a few older pieces.

As for how I got it, well, I was simply asked (the longer story is years and years of working professionally, and building a reputation that is hopefully good).

Oh, by fugal theme, I am simply refering to the theme of the fugue, not the theme it's generated from. If I understood you correctly in your earlier post, your movement will feature a fugue entire, and not just a fugato, which basically is to say that we are dealing with a "nestled form", or a form-within-a-form. As such, I consider your fugue an insert, based on preceding material, and the theme it is built on is the "fugal theme".

I am in the throes of proofreading the symphony for my publisher, and it is time-consuming and very boring. But I will try to make it to the post office this week!

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Yes, the performances will be recorded (at least they're supposed to be). I have many, many recordings of various works, and I'll see if I can enclose a CD of some of them with the "Lasuliansko Horo" score package. I also have a couple of things released commercially (some older things), and my new trio for clarinet, violin and piano is being recorded and released this fall. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck trying to post other things on my MySpace page, - I am ever so clumsy when it comes to the obstacles of the digital domain...

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  • 1 month later...

I asked this question on the FSM board, and I am just curious about this: Does anyone here compose music or has attempted to compose music? I am trying to do just that, I have created an Olympic theme, constructed very much in the vein of John Williams, big, bold and brassy. I am packaging it as music customized for television, with cuts created to fit various lengths. Originally the whole concept came from an idea I had for a dramatic television anthology series about the Olympics. I was a screenwriter at one time and then I took a break from it and a week or two ago I decided to get back into it, but focus on TV at first. Then, after I emailed a composer friend of mine (Jeshopk) I got the idea for the music and I played around with it, at one point I wanted to adapt Williams' themes, but after someone suggested it wouldn't be a good idea because if the themes were ever played on television as adapted into my work, I would have to pay him royalties, I decided to make it a completely original theme. I have done about four variations of it, my goal is to do 16 total because I put together a preliminary cut list and I envisioned the variations on it, from alternate closes to bumpers and ID cues. I am just in the aspiration stage of composing, I don't know everything, I can't even play my little MIDI keyboard properly. Yet I edited the notation into a cohesive piece of music. If anyone wants to hear it, please let me know.

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If anyone would like to listen to what I composed, please click on the "Original Music" section of my webpage. The name of the piece is called "The Olympiad".

www.geocities.com/pacey_180/originalmusic.html

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I would love to hear a fully orchestrated version of this theme. Do you have a software synth?

Anyone have any comments on the piece I posted above, http://web.mit.edu/stransky/Public/st/7-23.mp3 or its thematic companion, http://web.mit.edu/stransky/Public/st/mitwe.mp3 ?

If anyone would like to listen to what I composed, please click on the "Original Music" section of my webpage. The name of the piece is called "The Olympiad".

www.geocities.com/pacey_180/originalmusic.html

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I'm actually working on laying down some synth/orchestral tracks, my MIDI keyboard is one you can play on the computer and it comes with a lot of instruments, everything except cymbals and snare drums, which is what I need as part of the orchestration. I have to layer everything on top of one another and record them separately. When I'm finished, I'll put some samples up on my page. I am working on the shorter versions because it will be easier for me to arrange everything. I'm glad you liked everything, and please let me know how you like these newly orchestrated versions.

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I am looking forward to hearing an orchestrated version. One thing you may want to consider is that with a keyboard you'll never be *exactly* in time. I'd recommend a free program like http://www.anvilstudio.com/ to help you. You can play the music with the keyboard connected to the computer, then fix up the notes on the screen (or just enter the notes into the computer directly). If you use a program you won't have to worry about mixing the different instruments manually. If you want to make a bigger investment (bigger than free, that is), a software synth would be a good idea.

By the way, your site currently has an error:

Sorry, this GeoCities site is currently unavailable.

The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit. Please try again later

I'm actually working on laying down some synth/orchestral tracks, my MIDI keyboard is one you can play on the computer and it comes with a lot of instruments, everything except cymbals and snare drums, which is what I need as part of the orchestration. I have to layer everything on top of one another and record them separately. When I'm finished, I'll put some samples up on my page. I am working on the shorter versions because it will be easier for me to arrange everything. I'm glad you liked everything, and please let me know how you like these newly orchestrated versions.
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I just downloaded the Anvil Studio program but I don't know how to use it. I play the music on the keyboard but it doesn't play it at the speed I want it to. Could you help me out on this, could you tell me how to arrange everything and such? You say you don't have to lay the tracks on top of each other, are you saying that you can write parts individually without making a MIDI file where all the parts are played at the same time?

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You can try the "REC" button and/or the "Sync" button (near the play button). If you don't do it this way, each note you press will become a quarter note or something. Make sure you have the tempo set properly (you can turn on the metronome to help you out). You can also control the "sensitivity", so if you play slightly out of time, it will fix it for you automatically. If you want a chord, just play it on the keyboard that way, or hold down shift and click on the staff to enter the notes manually.

Then you can add new "Tracks." (Track Menu - Create - Instrument Track). You can pick the instrument you want to play each track. Then you can mute individual or multiple tracks as you wish. When you save the file as a MIDI, all of the parts will be there.

The best bet would be to spend a few minutes experimenting with the program before you start using it for your piece. If you like this type of a program, you might want to purchase a fancier program, such as Finale, and you might consider a software synthesizer which will make your piece sound more realistic.

I just downloaded the Anvil Studio program but I don't know how to use it. I play the music on the keyboard but it doesn't play it at the speed I want it to. Could you help me out on this, could you tell me how to arrange everything and such? You say you don't have to lay the tracks on top of each other, are you saying that you can write parts individually without making a MIDI file where all the parts are played at the same time?
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I tried using it some more, and I was getting somewhere but when I went to play a full note to end a measure, the computer wouldn't play it. Sometimes I did get the fermata symbol on the staff but it wasn't often. Even more difficult was trying to change pitch. I don't have a real keyboard, I have to play it on my computer and I had to go back and change everything and play the same section of the keyboard. When I went to play it, the notes appeared on top of each other instead of separately, which I thought would be very confusing for anyone who was trying to play it and I kept picturing how clumsy it would sound when recorded. I don't quite know what to do now, this is the most frustrated I have ever felt. I know I need to learn more, nothing gets me more upset than messing up a note. Can anyone help me out here? Also, has anyone ever taken an online music course? I am about to take one just as a preparatory class for when I physically attend college and take a music course there.

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well I return again. I bring a music that will be the saddest thing you heard. or so I think.

Very nice sound there, Sherief. At the beginning I thought the cello was real. What was that - EWQL?

And by the way, being new here and all, I have to say I'm extremely impressed with most of the pieces I listened to (and somewhat disillusioned :-P )

cheers

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Sorry to say that acheiving a realistic sounding "fake orchestra" isn't an especially easy task - you need to put in the hard work yourself and research to achieve a good cinematic sound. There's really too much knowledge and information surrounding the area to be able to go through in one single forum post.

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