Symphony for Kids

[rappy]

This is now something totally different. I wanted to train my orchestration skills and thought of writing a funny little symphony using traditional harmonization and form - "for kids". That shall apologise the innocent character  0:)
Here's the first movement... it's a raw version and I guess there's much to correct  Some instrumentalists could check if the parts are playable, for example...

MP3: http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie1satz.mp3

MP3: http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie1satz.pdf

Hope you'll enjoy it.

[lukeottevanger]

Despite the 'for children' disclaimer, this is a pretty mammoth effort, Rappy, and most of it sounds pretty darned cool on your recording.  There's far too much here to comment on, of course - at least without my studying the score in depth. So I'll restrict myself to a couple of comments:

your orchestra - 2 D trumpets is an odd requirement in music of this sort.

your orchestration - the sound is great, as I said. But not everything is playable or kid-friendly. There aree some very high horn parts (Bs and Cs) which would catch all but the best child out - and they aren't all in the prominent, dramatic places such things should be reserved for. I also think the piece is rather over-scored too much of the time - some of the best moments are the more chamber-like passages, and the ear would be glad of more of them!

your rhythmic notation - we have a few unnecessary and obscuring ties. E.g the triplet section would be better and clearer written in groups of triplet crotchets, not triplet quavers tied in pairs. And generally, you use quaver-tied-to-quaver where crotchet would be better.


But all that risks sounding churlish - this does indeed sound great, and the material is charming! Good work!

[rappy]

Thanks, luke! Your remarks of course make sense. I used D trumpets because it looks better if the score is in D 
I can simply change them to two Bb trumpets - do you mean that?

Concerning the orchestration: thanks for the compliment, I gave my best  0:) I guess you mean the a minor section in the middle of the movement if you talk about the high horn notes, eh? Ok, I could put those phrases one octave down. But to avoid misunderstandings, with "for kids" I rather meant the audience than the orchestra  I've already tried to play the first and second violine and I failed  I guess most of the parts are pretty difficult to play.
I did already worry about over-scoring actually... of all the loud sections, I don't find any which I could thin out... all parts begin quietly and end up in a bombastic way 

Concerning the rhythmic notation, you're absolutly right, I will change that when I clean up the score.

Thanks again for the nice words and help 

[lukeottevanger]

Thanks, luke! Your remarks of course make sense. I used D trumpets because it looks better if the score is in D 
I can simply change them to two Bb trumpets - do you mean that?

Yes, or C ones in fact. That would be easiest and best, I think.

Concerning the orchestration: thanks for the compliment, I gave my best  0:) I guess you mean the a minor section in the middle of the movement if you talk about the high horn notes, eh? Ok, I could put those phrases one octave down. But to avoid misunderstandings, with "for kids" I rather meant the audience than the orchestra  I've already tried to play the first and second violine and I failed  I guess most of the parts are pretty difficult to play.

Ah, OK, I get it. There's no problem with high horn parts, but you have to be sure they are worth it - high horn notes are special, and should be reserved for special moment. But ditto anything extreme of this sort.

I did already worry about over-scoring actually... of all the loud sections, I don't find any which I could thin out... all parts begin quietly and end up in a bombastic way 

hehe, I know what that's like. I wrote a similar piece once, after my daughter was born and as a present for her - a big tonal symphonic poem complete with battle-fugue and so on. It also had a (glorious) tendency to build up to big things. Perhaps I ought to unearth it....

Concerning the rhythmic notation, you're absolutly right, I will change that when I clean up the score.

Cool.

Thanks again for the nice words and help 

A pleasure. BTW, I couldn't help noticing some rather Mahlerian sounds in there! Very nice they are too - deliberate or subconscious?

[rappy]

hehe, I know what that's like. I wrote a similar piece once, after my daughter was born and as a present for her - a big tonal symphonic poem complete with battle-fugue and so on. It also had a (glorious) tendency to build up to big things. Perhaps I ought to unearth it....

I'd like to hear that 
Interesting how we connect kids with bombast!

A pleasure. BTW, I couldn't help noticing some rather Mahlerian sounds in there! Very nice they are too - deliberate or subconscious?

Some "roughness" (brokenness? Do you say that in English? Was the translation I found for "Gebrochenheit") was deliberate, but the reference to Mahler was rather subconscious I think... what elements to you mean specifically?

[rappy]

Hey luke,

in case you (or anybody else) are interested in the second movement which I just finished, here's the score+mp3!

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.mp3

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.pdf

[greg]

Hey luke,

in case you (or anybody else) are interested in the second movement which I just finished, here's the score+mp3!

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.mp3

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.pdf

I didn't quite get the first movement (i might have to revisit it sometime), but the second movement, i thought was very, very, nicely constructed! You time the entrance of lines (and their colors) perfectly.
It almost felt Tchaikovskian to me, with the pizzicato opening. I don't think there's anything I could say I ant different about this movement, because it all sounded right to me. I'm looking forward to what you have next, maybe an Adagio?  0:)

[rappy]

Hi Greg,

thanks for listening and feedback
I thought the first movement would be easier to get than the second! The PC does not always stress the important melodic lines, though, so it's sometimes hard to get what's going on I must admit.

Adagio? Nah  the Scherzo is already in progress.  0:)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Hey luke,

in case you (or anybody else) are interested in the second movement which I just finished, here's the score+mp3!

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.mp3

http://www.dgsp-rheinland-pfalz.de/sinfonie2satz.pdf

I am very interested, Ralph. Just give me some time.

[greg]

Hi Greg,

thanks for listening and feedback
I thought the first movement would be easier to get than the second! The PC does not always stress the important melodic lines, though, so it's sometimes hard to get what's going on I must admit.

Adagio? Nah  the Scherzo is already in progress.  0:)

You're not an Adagio type composer, are you? 

[M forever]

Is this intended to be played for or by kids? If so, what age group did you have in mind?

[rappy]

I am very interested, Ralph. Just give me some time.

Of course!

You're not an Adagio type composer, are you?

Oh, I wouldn't say I don't like Adagios, but one slow movement is enough for me 

Is this intended to be played for or by kids? If so, what age group did you have in mind?

For kids. Like Prokofiev and his c# minor one. Honestly, I haven't thought of a specific age yet.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Of course!

Oh, I wouldn't say I don't like Adagios, but one slow movement is enough for me 

For kids. Like Prokofiev and his c# minor one. Honestly, I haven't thought of a specific age yet.

You might suggest various age groups - for example, one symphony for ages 3-6, another for 5-10, a third for teenagers.

[rappy]

I might differentiate between the movements.