# Clarinet Quintet & Two piano Pieces



## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Clarinet Quintet

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https://soundcloud.com/m-burroughs%2Fclarinet-quintet-in-b-minor-1

View attachment Clarinet Quintet.pdf


Piano Pieces

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https://soundcloud.com/m-burroughs%2Fandante-espressivo

View attachment Andante Espressivo.pdf


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https://soundcloud.com/m-burroughs%2Fpresto

View attachment Presto.pdf


What do you think?


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## Bored (Sep 6, 2012)

I listened to the piano pieces. Andante Espressivo sounds pretty good to me, there are a few little random awkward parts that kind of irk out but overall very moody. I also applaud you for not going down the cliche route with all the sadness usually shown in andantes. There were mood-lifting parts and overall it felt really nice, I especially liked the end. The presto is well- fast to say the least. It reminded me of one of those slapstick comedy chase scenes music. Perhaps a little more feeling and note progression in the presto would make it sound more complete and captivating. Overall really nice though, thanks for the music.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks! 

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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Anyone else?
......


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Burroughs said:


> Anyone else?
> ......


ssssssssssssssss
Me


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

Burroughs, I like this. Very nice melodic writing: a good balance among the instruments.

I thought, in a few places, there was an odd emphasis placed on solo or paired entrances on weaker melodic material. I thought the entrance of the violins in measure 52 was nicely handled because of the repetition of a varied version of those lines, accompanied by the other instruments. An impactful way to pick up after a general pause!

I think I see where you are meaning to go in measures 69 - 71. A general slackening of momentum, dissolving into a bolder rise in energy beginning in the lower voices. Is that so? Measures 68 - 69 show an effective way to present this movement, but measure 70 throws off that expectation [perhaps what you were meaning?]. The clarinet's note values might be augmented with a tied half note to a quarter in the next measure, with an effective diminuendo. Insert fermata on the following quarter rest, and begin the upward descent in the lower voices with a strong crescendo on the downbeat?

I think this will make the whole movement well positioned for the spritely rhythms that are to follow in measure 77. And I think it could make for the centerpiece of the whole movement.

Only my opinion. But I enjoyed this a lot!

Nice conclusion, too! :tiphat:


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks, Novelette


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## Kazaman (Apr 13, 2013)

I have some comments for the two piano works. 

Andante Espressivo:

Whenever possible it's best to stick to notational conventions. The reason for this is very practical: performers will have a much easier time reading the score, and learning the piece will be less effort. As a composer you'll find that time invested in small changes in notation can provide fairly large gains of time at rehearsals. There is one departure in particular that sticks out in this piece, which is all of the E-flats. It's fairly clear after examining the score for a moment that you intend the sonority in mm. 4, 5, 8 and so on to be a B dominant-7 chord (it even resolves conventionally part of the time). If you used D-sharp instead of E-flat, that would be clear from a quick glance during a sight read, which is much faster. 

There's only one other suggestion I'd make for this piece, and that's that you be more sparing about ending a phrase on the tonic. If you examine short piano works by Schumann, for instance, you'll see that he is very careful about the sort of cadence he uses, usually saving a cadence with the tonic note in bass and melody for the very end. The reasoning for this care is that the tonic feels very final, and it partitions your composition a bit too decisively, taking away from the continuity between sections. I think making more use of the dominant or small modulations (taking advantage of your hints at E minor, maybe) would solve this problem nicely, for instance in mm. 13, 18, 25. 

Otherwise, nice work. I like the mood you've created and the challenge you've set (those hand crossings in the middle section would take some work to sound graceful!). 

Presto:

There are some problems with the notation here, too. I think it could be much easier to read than it is, and of course readability is extremely important when the piece has to go so quickly. For example, the accompaniment figure would provide a much better visual for the motion involved in executing it if it were something like B A-sharp B or C-flat B-flat C-flat (the second might be better, since you go down to A afterward). That way we see the mordent-like motion. And the melody would be clearer if the G-flat were written as an F-sharp, giving each pitch in the melody its own place on the staff. Little changes like that might not seem substantial, but they make learning and playing from the score much easier for the performer. 

That's all I have to suggest for the Presto; I really enjoyed the dialogue between the two parts and the build in momentum. Very well done.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks
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