Original String Quartet No. 1

Al M.

VIP/Donor
Sep 10, 2013
8,686
4,474
963
Greater Boston
Hi Oscar,

I will re-post my reply, which was lost in the transition to the new forum (it was written between Oct 8 and Oct10, the 'blackout' period). I have modified it though since I have listened more to your piano piece Second Praise (under: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC39KlAqPM_KU220wrlZKDtw):


You wrote:
"As a young composer of the 21st century it can be easy to be intimidated by the sheer amount of musical styles and ideas now floating in the internet".

That seems to be the problem, you do not yet quite seem beyond the phase of being intimidated. You still need to find your own style. The string quartet does not sound 21st century, but more like a neoclassical piece from mid-20th century. There is so much great music out there competing for our attention, and a merely competent composition does not cut it. You need something original to say.

I have now listened to 4 pieces by you, the string quartet, the piece for bassoon and piano, and First Praise as well as Second Praise for piano. I thought stylistically the string quartet was o.k. but not highly original, and I found the bassoon/piano piece the most unremarkable of those four pieces. I like Second Praise for piano the best (well played, too), clearly a huge step from First Praise.

I now have listened a good number of times to Second Praise, and I REALLY like it!!! It has the most promise in terms of finding a new, personal style that really can hold interest, and I would suggest to you further exploring this direction, and beyond. Good beginnings at such a young age!

Al

PS: When it comes to modern classical music, personally I am most fascinated by classical avantgarde, and have written extensively about Stockhausen:

http://home.earthlink.net/~almoritz/stockhausenreviews.htm

Perhaps this info helps to see my criticism in context, my demands on originality are quite high (not that all avantgarde composers are (always) very original either, far from it).
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing