# Symphony no. 5 in C minor "Soliloquy"



## E Cristobal Poveda

AAGAGGGHHHH!

I told myself I'd finish the Piano Concerto before starting another symphonic composition, but, uh... inspiration thought otherwise.

I've sketched out four movements:

I: Molto Allegro
II: Caprice
III: Grave
IV: Presto

I'm about a third of the way through writing the first movement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PMavGOHbDxJfSERh1tjqB91CUw3mnJlp/view?usp=sharing

(I'm going to have the next third be a modulated major section, then return back to c minor to conclude the allegro)

It's a bit darker and heavier than my last Symphony, and that'll remain throughout, with the exception of the caprice, since well, it's a caprice!

Hope y'all enjoy what I have thus far.


----------



## Phil loves classical

I don't blame you for going into this instead of completing your piano concerto. I think this is more promising material. I think your style is more programmatic.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

What do you mean by "programmatic"?


----------



## Phil loves classical

like program music to me, it seems music that depicts a mood or event, and goes on to another.


----------



## Captainnumber36

I like this, it has the passion and intensity of Beethoven I feel.


----------



## Captainnumber36

Nice software you are using, the tones are great.


----------



## MarkMcD

I didn't think I was going to like this, but actually I did. I liked it quite a lot. It has atmosphere and I liked it's unusual tonality. I thought like Phil, that it does feel quite cinematic. For me it gave me a sort of early horror film vibe.

Did you give it the title "Soliloquy" for any particular reason. I suppose I could hear an element of the meaning of the word, but would that not be a bit difficult to keep up throughout a whole symphony?


Anyway, nice work, I think it definitely has something you can work with.


Kind regards
Mark


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

MarkMcD said:


> I didn't think I was going to like this, but actually I did. I liked it quite a lot. It has atmosphere and I liked it's unusual tonality. I thought like Phil, that it does feel quite cinematic. For me it gave me a sort of early horror film vibe.
> 
> Did you give it the title "Soliloquy" for any particular reason. I suppose I could hear an element of the meaning of the word, but would that not be a bit difficult to keep up throughout a whole symphony?
> 
> Anyway, nice work, I think it definitely has something you can work with.
> 
> Kind regards
> Mark


i already have pretty much all of the themes/melodies of the whole work planned out, and a lot of them are what i'd call extremely emotionally expressive.

i gave it the title because this symphony is entirely a soliloquy in symphony form. i'm hashing out my thoughts and emotions as best i can here.

i'm almost finished with the entirety of the first movement, i'll post the finished product in a few minutes.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Captainnumber36 said:


> Nice software you are using, the tones are great.


the software i'm using is the totally FREE!(tm) Musescore 2.

Give it a download, it's pretty good.

After looking at trials of other notation and playback software, I found that the difference in sound quality isn't enough to throw hundreds of dollars at it.


----------



## Phil loves classical

I thought the sound wasn't so great actually, I thought it was because of the .wav format. But when I convert mine to .wav, it sounds the same as the .mp3 format. I use Musescore also. On yours the bassoon and a few other instruments has too much reverb. Maybe it's dropbox that is reducing the quality? If you post the score it'll be easier to check.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

it's because i adjusted the wetness to try and produce a less robotic sound.

the reverb doesn't come through for me though, so idk.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Finished the first movement. the ending is supposed to have a dramatic timpani roll, but it didn't quite render the way i'd like.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kUBh63VK9-QrfkebrbZgtEHjMi2bMA_n/view?usp=sharing


----------



## Phil loves classical

I like this better than your last symphony, and it seems to me to have more clarity. I think there could be more development in the darker theme which I think could be longer itself, and better orchestrated to have more bite (I'm thinking it's not only the sound)where is repeated around 2:35 and 3:40 and 4:35 (the last time seemed to have more development, which I feel needs more of that throughout). The parts around the triumphant theme starting around 6:00 seems to linger too long. The return of the dark theme is my favourite part, but is cut short without a longer climax or coda. The parts around the main themes seem too unrelated to be meaningful development, and sound more like atmospheric development instead of thematic. Just my opinion


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

i might extend the ending a bit, i dunno. i'm happy with how it is now.

i guess a live playing would be needed to get the full effect. There are some effects that can only be got once you have a live orchestra in front of you.


----------



## Captainnumber36

This is really my favorite composition I've heard on here, other than my own, of course!


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Captainnumber36 said:


> This is really my favorite composition I've heard on here, other than my own, of course!


I'm flattered! thank you!


----------



## Captainnumber36

E Cristobal Poveda said:


> I'm flattered! thank you!


NP! You deserve it, it's fantastic. I would pay money to see it performed! Dark and heavy like you said, very Beethoven, and I love Beethoven's Symphonies.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O06x51Q8ClI6ZzVGKJvin01zgL_n3OgY/view?usp=sharing

a minute and a half of the second movement. I decided to do an Adagio as opposed to a caprice, since the caprice was too out there compared to the rest of the symphony.

I'll post updates as I work on this tricky movement.


----------



## Phil loves classical

Hey, that's well done. I think this is my favourite 1.5 minutes of your music. I thought it was well arranged. I thought the beginning seemed a bit fast, but if you lead into it with more bars before the melody similar to the Scene from Swan Lake to set the atmosphere it would be a nice set up,


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Phil loves classical said:


> Hey, that's well done. I think this is my favourite 1.5 minutes of your music. I thought it was well arranged. I thought the beginning seemed a bit fast, but if you lead into it with more bars before the melody similar to the Scene from Swan Lake to set the atmosphere it would be a nice set up,


I think I'm doing much better with this new symphony in regards to orchestration and arrangement, although I think the melodies in my previous were stronger. Dunno if I'll ever top the coda of the Romance.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O06x51Q8ClI6ZzVGKJvin01zgL_n3OgY/view?usp=sharing

got it to almost 4 minutes. ignore the extra minutes of silence.

This Adagio is rather rhapsodic compared to the first movement.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

About halfway finished with the second movement, approaching the crux theme, which imo, is the strongest of the themes throughout the movement. Currently working on the buildup to that point.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O06x51Q8ClI6ZzVGKJvin01zgL_n3OgY/view?usp=sharing


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

aaaaaand done!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O06x51Q8ClI6ZzVGKJvin01zgL_n3OgY/view?usp=sharing


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Thoughts, anyone?


----------



## Phil loves classical

My favourite part is around 8:00 which is a very nice culmination. Those parts with the harp runs are really atmospheric. I would find slightly more consonant accompaniment on 0:16 and 0:21 or make the dissonance a shorter duration. Those moments stand out being particularly unstable to me for an otherwise Romantic piece. I feel the accompaniment is a bit too straightforward and is a bit static for a few stretches of time..


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Phil loves classical said:


> My favourite part is around 8:00 which is a very nice culmination. Those parts with the harp runs are really atmospheric. I would find slightly more consonant accompaniment on 0:16 and 0:21 or make the dissonance a shorter duration. Those moments stand out being particularly unstable to me for an otherwise Romantic piece. I feel the accompaniment is a bit too straightforward and is a bit static for a few stretches of time..


The opening bit with the dissonance is meant to transition the more aggressive and dissonant first movement with the more tranquil and atmospheric second movement. The accompaniment often times in the playback lacks the variedness I actually wrote.

I agree with you on the 8:00 mark, probably one of the best moments of the movement, I am very proud of it. I like to think of this movement as a dream sequence.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvSEBLSYFSxzKxgDYFy92zzc0E5-9cIp/view?usp=sharing

Mvt. 3, just started writing the middle transitional bit to C major.


----------



## Phil loves classical

E Cristobal Poveda said:


> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvSEBLSYFSxzKxgDYFy92zzc0E5-9cIp/view?usp=sharing
> 
> Mvt. 3, just started writing the middle transitional bit to C major.


The first part of that theme sounds awfully familiar. I'm trying to think which work I heard it from.

Ah, it came to me: check out around 1:50 of this


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Phil loves classical said:


> The first part of that theme sounds awfully familiar. I'm trying to think which work I heard it from.
> 
> Ah, it came to me: check out around 1:50 of this


Ugh, I'd never even seen that before. Regardless, that's the only time I use it, so I think I'll keep it, I guess.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

I'm going to completely re-write the 3rd movement.


----------



## Phil loves classical

E Cristobal Poveda said:


> I'm going to completely re-write the 3rd movement.


huh? why? just because of that similar little theme in an off beat movie soundtrack


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Phil loves classical said:


> huh? why? just because of that similar little theme in an off beat movie soundtrack


Yeah. I like to try and be as original as I can, and the similarities are too great for me to feel comfortable using it.


----------



## Phil loves classical

Just change a couple notes around, by playing around with the mode. I think you can do that without sacrificing anything. I thought it was well done. I was playing around with it myself and stumbled on the Warsaw Concerto theme!


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

My 5th symphony, along with any other major works, are going to be put on hiatus while I work on the production of my 4th symphony.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvSEBLSYFSxzKxgDYFy92zzc0E5-9cIp/view?usp=sharing

3rd movement done. Significantly shorter than the other two, but I kinda ran out of solid ideas with this one. Didn't want to use up any of my ideas for the finale, either.

It isn't bad, but not the highlight of the piece.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

I'm going to resume work on this. The premier of my 4th was indefinitely postponed, due to the conductor getting into a nasty accident.

Would be cool to get some more feedback.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Molto Allegro: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WW35o3PRIxNSuPX-g8n4_155hrDv4Z0Z/view?usp=sharing
Adagio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O06x51Q8ClI6ZzVGKJvin01zgL_n3OgY/view?usp=sharing
Grave: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvSEBLSYFSxzKxgDYFy92zzc0E5-9cIp/view?usp=sharing
Caprice Molto Maestoso: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yg--cFcig_7oBPQRMWrfA7TuMOh2YidL/view?usp=sharing

I've got a bit of the 4th movement done. Here are the updated renderings of the other movements as well.


----------



## E Cristobal Poveda

Did some more work on the Fourth movement.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yg--cFcig_7oBPQRMWrfA7TuMOh2YidL/view?usp=sharing


----------

