# A baroque composition Amin/Dmin



## Vivaldi (Aug 26, 2012)

Hello.

I composed this little piece in 30 minutes as I had some free time. I have included a little more thought in terms of modulation and harmony. I haven't learnt how to modulate properly (being a completely self taught new composer). The piece starts in A minor and modulates to D minor then finishes with obviously, A minor. The structure is a kind of binary form with section A being A minor and section B being D minor. Section A and B are intended to contrast but also synergize together - although I'm not sure if they do.

Please listen and comments always welcome. (Remember I'm new to composition)! 


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https://soundcloud.com/user305636706%2F1368472773-1


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## Vivaldi (Aug 26, 2012)

The sheet music.


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## StevenOBrien (Jun 27, 2011)

Hey, this is certainly a huge improvement on what I've heard from you previously. Nice work!

I think the style occasionally deviates from a traditional baroque style, so if that's something you want to avoid, I'd take note. (Personally, I don't think this is such a bad thing, it could evolve into some brand new "neo-baroque" hybrid if you wanted it to.)

Some of your modulations and progressions would have certainly turned heads in the 18th century, and I think your voice leading and counterpoint still has much room for improvement (though it's certainly much better than what I've heard previously from you). Have you done exercises in species counterpoint?

You certainly have some very nice ideas to work with, it's just a matter of honing your craft and learning how to express them in a more coherent manner.

Some notes:

*The score itself*

- Up to you, but it's a good idea nowadays to include a metronome mark. Even a rough one in brackets, just to give the performer an idea of what you want.
- The initial repeat barline (in bar 1) is an unnecessary addition. The performer will automatically go back to the start of the piece anyway if this isn't included.
- Seeing as there's only one instrument in the piece, the instrument text "Harpsichord" and "Hspd." are unnecessary and are just taking up space in the score. Add a title which says "Piece for Harpsichord in A minor" or something.
- There are consistency issues. In the bass for bar one, on the first beat of the first few bars, you have a rest for a single beat, but you notate it differently between Bar 1 and Bars 2-4. While it's not a massive error, it's good to keep things consistent to avoid any confusion when a performer is sight reading.
- You have rests which are colliding with the notes, which makes the score more difficult to read. In sibelius, just select the note and use the arrow keys to "shift" them up or down. The problems occur in Bars 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 and 54.
- In Bar 52, you appear to have an extra rest which is not meant to be there.
- The staves which begins with Bar 5, and Bar 52 could have more spacing. The beams for the eighth notes are almost colliding with each other, and you have more than enough space to make this appear tidier, and therefore easier to read.
- In Bar 10, in the bass, move that eighth rest up so that it's a part of the line which the upper voice is playing. Putting it between the two quarter notes could confuse a sight-reading performer into thinking that there is meant to be a rest between the two quarter notes instead of the eighth notes.
- Don't be shy, sign your composition!

*Performance considerations*

- Bar 1/3: That octave you expect the performer to suddenly play is unnecessary, as the lower note is being played by the left hand at the same time. Eliminating it will also make it MUCH easier to play what comes afterwards. It will also sound much more fluid.
- Bar 53: Unless your performer is Rachmaninoff, the interval between the high A and the lower E in the left hand will be borderline impossible to play . The general rule is that the maximum interval should be a seventh or an octave. You can go up to a ninth or a tenth as long as you give the performer time to prepare their hand.
- Bar 6: $%#&^! I could maybe accept that low A being played in the left hand, but you're expecting the performer to span a TWELFTH with their right hand?! 
- Also in Bar 6, those two consecutive D's in the uppermost voice are very fast to expect a keyboardist to play. Bear in mind that they have to put extra effort into doing this, and it should be done conservatively.
- Throughout these early measures, the octave being created by the playing of the low A just seems to me like it's getting in the way. By adding them, you're making the piece much more difficult to perform than it should be while not adding much musical value to it. If you insist on keeping them, at least place them in the left hand which will be jumping a little to play those octaves anyway.

*More subjective considerations*
- I think marking the piece as "Allegro" could be worth reconsidering. After playing through the piece a little at half the marked tempo, the form becomes MUCH more apparent, but it all just passes by too quickly for my ears to perceive very much at an Allegro pace.
- It might help the form a little more (especially if you agree with my above suggestion about the tempo) if you placed a bar in between 4 and 5 which contained just the rhythmic motif of those A's, and perhaps a low A in the bass:








I think doing this would make the impact of the section which succeeds it much more dramatic, and would really make it feel like a bigger contrast to what came before it.

That's all I really have time to comment on for the time being. Good luck!
-Steven


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