# Fantasy for Orchestra



## dzc4627

This is the piece I have written and submitted for the 2017 National Young Composers Challenge.

I see it as music that constantly tries to ascend, with little success. It builds itself up as though making a go for the heavens, trying to achieve the un-achievable. I gave it the generic title of "Fantasy for Orchestra" because of the lack of a consistent tonality (an aspect that I know longer consider indicative of my recent projects which are largely all rooted in a firm western style of tonality), and because of its sound of strong desire and emotion which could be described as "fantastical" in its hope and ambition. This music is not programmatic and these brief descriptions I have given are not meant to go beyond insignificant musings of the composer.

It is based firmly in the ideas of intense spiritual emotion drawn out by unsuspected chromatic shifts in harmony, which I have adopted largely from late Mahler and Bruckner. While not totally representing my current style or tendencies (the music was largely conceived of months ago), I am very proud of this music and hope you will find enjoyment from it.

The score:
View attachment Fantasy for Orchestra - Full Score.pdf


The music:


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## Vasks

A bit too obviously Mahlerian influenced for me. 

On another note, if you want me to point out how to improve your score just say so and I'll do some TC PMs to discuss it. Although I'm heading out of town for a few days now.


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## dzc4627

Vasks said:


> A bit too obviously Mahlerian influenced for me.
> 
> On another note, if you want me to point out how to improve your score just say so and I'll do some TC PMs to discuss it. Although I'm heading out of town for a few days now.


I'm disappointed that you feel the Mahler influence in excess.


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## Pugg

dzc4627 said:


> I'm disappointed that you feel the Mahler influence in excess.


But, I had the same thoughts, but nevertheless I liked it.


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## dzc4627

I am happy to announce that the piece has become a finalist. If I won or not will be revealed this coming June.


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## Captainnumber36

I dislike the sound of computer generated orchestras. I'd love to hear it performed by a real orchestra! It is quite like Mahler, but it's great you can compose something that likens his style at all!


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## dzc4627

I am happy to announce that the piece has won the 2017 National Young Composers Challenge in the orchestral division. The piece will be played this coming November by a live orchestra, and I will receive 1000$ as a reward.

I appreciate the comments on this thread, and would also like to thank all those in this section who have to some degree influenced the composer I am today! Thanks guys.


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## Bettina

dzc4627 said:


> I am happy to announce that the piece has won the 2017 National Young Composers Challenge in the orchestral division. The piece will be played this coming November by a live orchestra, and I will receive 1000$ as a reward.
> 
> I appreciate the comments on this thread, and would also like to thank all those in this section who have to some degree influenced the composer I am today! Thanks guys.


Congratulations!


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## dzc4627

I'd like to invite everyone to listen to the orchestral recording of this piece, performed by the Orlando Phil: http://www.youngcomposerschallenge.org/winners_playerwindow.php?composer=Zarb-Cousin_2017


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## arnerich

dzc4627 said:


> I'd like to invite everyone to listen to the orchestral recording of this piece, performed by the Orlando Phil: http://www.youngcomposerschallenge.org/winners_playerwindow.php?composer=Zarb-Cousin_2017


Wow, it certainly is beautiful and tragic. Congratulations on your lovely composition and getting it recorded by an orchestration. What a great achievement, I'm very happy for you!


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## tvparty

dzc4627 said:


> I'd like to invite everyone to listen to the orchestral recording of this piece, performed by the Orlando Phil: http://www.youngcomposerschallenge.org/winners_playerwindow.php?composer=Zarb-Cousin_2017


Congratulations dzc462! Sounding brilliant.


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## Phil loves classical

Did anyone mention it sounds like Mahler? Everything is very logical, and sounds very inspired.


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## Zeus

First of all; Congratulations on your award.

Secondly: I feel like there are quite a few elements (thematic and non-thematic) which give expectations for a larger (time-wise) movement, or piece.

Thirdly: It does sound, as so many people above me said, very Mahler-influenced. Personally, I don't have a problem with that. My first string trio, when I showed it to a Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory teacher who I've become acquainted with, he praised it, even though it was literally out of a Shostakovich factory of string chamber works. He told me, it doesn't matter, because we all start somewhere, and go shifting through styles, until we forge, from all our experience with music, our own. Just listen to Scriabin early works (Chopin), Beethoven's early works (Mozart+Haydn), Mahler early works (Brahms), Bach early works (Vivaldi! Buxtehude!). Well I don't want to ramble too much, it's not like I have composed anything better, but I guess what I say makes sense?

Next: I don't know if this kind of criticism can be given, but to my taste, the orchestration felt empty at times. It's as if the textures were poorly woven, and I don't know if this is because of lack of orchestration experience, or just my own opinion being different.

Well I don't know what else to say. Perhaps I miss the initial theme some time later on. It's the first thing we listen, after all, and it does sound like thematic material, not just merely introductory. 

Finally, and this is just after another quick look at the score, I think some sections (Dbass, tuba, why do you hate the flute so much? Etc.) were bored out of their minds playing this. Apart from their lack of material to be played, in general I miss rythmic tension throughout the whole piece. In one of my recent compositions (I uploaded it to this forum, it's the only one I have) the first 4 minutes are boring out of my mind, because of lack of rythmic development. This is fixed later on, but your work sounds like that, except for the whole piece (with short fragments of relief).

Well I can keep on going with a few more aspects but this is my honest take on it. Hope I made sense (English isn't my primary language) and if you weren't asking for this kind of comment I apologize.

Good day

Oh also if someone wants to correct something I said please do


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## DeepR

Congratulations.
This young composers challenge is a really cool initiative.


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## dzc4627

Phil loves classical said:


> Did anyone mention it sounds like Mahler? Everything is very logical, and sounds very inspired.


Oh yes. This piece is a total product of my hyper Mahlerian fixation at the time. It is practically an homage to late Gustav, taking key inspiration from the adagio of the 9th but even more so the first and last movements of the 10th. One of the judges said "If Mahler wrote something that was five minutes, this would be it."

The piece is also a product of a time when I knew little to nothing of theory or proper notation even. Everything I knew was self taught or just intuition at the keyboard. I have since acquired quite a bit more musical know-how and, in addition to that a very Brucknerian sensibility, and so this type of music is not something I'd produce again.

Like everything else I am writing at this point in my life, it is a piece of juvenilia. That being said, I am proud of it and the recording and so I will use it to my advantage.

I appreciate your comments on the logic and inspiration! Thanks for listening


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## dzc4627

Zeus said:


> First of all; Congratulations on your award.
> 
> Secondly: I feel like there are quite a few elements (thematic and non-thematic) which give expectations for a larger (time-wise) movement, or piece.
> 
> Thirdly: It does sound, as so many people above me said, very Mahler-influenced. Personally, I don't have a problem with that. My first string trio, when I showed it to a Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory teacher who I've become acquainted with, he praised it, even though it was literally out of a Shostakovich factory of string chamber works. He told me, it doesn't matter, because we all start somewhere, and go shifting through styles, until we forge, from all our experience with music, our own. Just listen to Scriabin early works (Chopin), Beethoven's early works (Mozart+Haydn), Mahler early works (Brahms), Bach early works (Vivaldi! Buxtehude!). Well I don't want to ramble too much, it's not like I have composed anything better, but I guess what I say makes sense?
> 
> Next: I don't know if this kind of criticism can be given, but to my taste, the orchestration felt empty at times. It's as if the textures were poorly woven, and I don't know if this is because of lack of orchestration experience, or just my own opinion being different.
> 
> Well I don't know what else to say. Perhaps I miss the initial theme some time later on. It's the first thing we listen, after all, and it does sound like thematic material, not just merely introductory.
> 
> Finally, and this is just after another quick look at the score, I think some sections (Dbass, tuba, why do you hate the flute so much? Etc.) were bored out of their minds playing this. Apart from their lack of material to be played, in general I miss rythmic tension throughout the whole piece. In one of my recent compositions (I uploaded it to this forum, it's the only one I have) the first 4 minutes are boring out of my mind, because of lack of rythmic development. This is fixed later on, but your work sounds like that, except for the whole piece (with short fragments of relief).
> 
> Well I can keep on going with a few more aspects but this is my honest take on it. Hope I made sense (English isn't my primary language) and if you weren't asking for this kind of comment I apologize.
> 
> Good day
> 
> Oh also if someone wants to correct something I said please do


I very much enjoyed reading your comments and agree fullheartedly!

Yes, my professor David Conte fully takes the approach of young composers writing models after pieces or composers they love to develop their own style. We are what we eat, musically.

Please see my above response to Phil to get an idea of the lack of technical ability I had before hand. Orchestration was something I did just based on what felt right. The piece definitely has a rhythmically plodding nature about it, I agree.

The initial little theme is more of a red herring kind of theme, the actual main theme being introduced by the string section. The motive reappears in little places but is ultimately introductory or at least was meant to be.

That beginning motive is a ii7 V7 in the key of C# major, which is repeated thrice, but then resolves deceptively into B major which works into the main key area of D major. At the climax, C# major is finally achieved but the horns play a dreadful call in a different dissonant key (Bb major), suggesting that the C# major yearned for by the opening motive is actually a horrible place to have gone.


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