sympony sketch

This unfinished sketch is of the first movement of my first planned symphony. As you can probably see, it's not over half way done, as I only have the first theme of the exposition sketched out. I have the second expository theme composed, but haven't written it in the sketch score yet. Later I'll write the development, recapitulation, etc... hope you all like it. I imagine it to be in somewhat Tchaikovsky style, he's one of my favorite orchestral composers.
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symph.not (151.0 k)</td></tr></table></center>
~Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Congratulations on your first planned symphony! Nice start! I can't wait to hear the progress. Tchaikovsky is also one of my favorites. I might suggest you use an instrument sound change for the timpany in the beginning, then another to change it back to String Ensemble 1. You would need to add one blank measure in the beginning in order for it to not mess up your staff setup. Again, congrats! You are in for a lot of enjoyment.
Cheers,
Fred

Hi Daniel,

Well begun! I think you have established the theme firmly, and this is what an exposition should do, so that the listener can better follow what you are doing later, during your development. Your movement of the the theme from E minor through a number of keys not only helps to impress the theme on the listener, it also adds drama, which is heightened nicely by the faster A minor section, with its diminished chords, as well as the chromatic movement in the F# minor section.

It will be interesting to hear the second theme, and the rest of the movement, as well as to see what kind of instrumentation you choose (assuming that you aren't planning a symphony for strings and percussion). That you imagine it might sound something like Tchaikovsky gives a bit of a hint, perhaps. Certainly Tchaikovsky was a master of playing an orchestra, and looking into how he achieves his sound is worth the time. There are a number of scores you could find using Composer's midi search function.

Technically, if you follow the standard issue sonata allegro form, you don't have to write the recapitulation--just change the keys. So with the second theme already composed, once you work out the development of the two themes, you have the first movement basically sketched out.

I'll be looking forward to see how not only this movement, but the entire work, progresses.

all best,
mgj

Fred: Thanks for the congrats! Yea, when composing something like this, I get really excited, it's so fun. By the way, this is a skeleton sketch you could call it. This is only the basic outline, no orchestration at all is attached to the sketch. The timpani drum roll is the only thing that I'm 100% sure about, so that's why I wrote that note.

M G: Thanks a lot for your encouragement too! I imagine the orchestration being like Tchaikovsky's usual (both blaring brass and passionate strings dominating), but hearing orchestral effects of other composers makes me want to do a little mixing of orchestration styles. I'm really glad to have access to full symphonic scores of several composers at this site: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variatio...symphonic.html. As to all the key changing, as was debating with myself whether or not to bring the "climax" of the theme back into E minor, but decided to take the freedom not to, since it naturally flowed right into f# minor.

And note to everyone: Please dont be expecting me to make fast progress on this... I dont know how long it will take me to finish the sketch of the 1st mov., let alone the other 3 mov.'s (which consist of an adagio or other slow tempo in minor key, light fast scherzo in major key, and allegro in minor key.)

Can't thank both of you enough for everything said,
~Daniel

Well here's some more. I added the second theme and some development, but want to put some more. The last notes are a kind of horn call, which intros the quieter development. I want to put some "quiet" development for the listener to catch his/her breath, then bring back the mani theme full force. Hope you all like it.
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symph.not (312.7 k)</td></tr></table></center>

Hi Daniel,
I like it! Man, you have made a ton of progress on your symphony in the past few weeks. It sure is easy to see in your work how much enjoyment you are getting from it. Keep it coming, Daniel!
Cheers,
Fred

Hi Daniel,

It seems to be going well. I continue interested in what will develop. I agree that some contrast would be a good idea--it is a pretty dynamic movement up to now. I particularly like measures 155-169, which for some reason I couldn't begin to ferret out, strike me as Brahms-like.

Do you plan to sketch out all the movements for strings before beginning orchestration, or complete each movement? I sometimes wish I could do a complete sketch before starting on details, but I've never been able to do that. I guess I'm afraid that my ideas for the orchestral sound will slip out of my mind before I can get to them, so I have to orchestrate at least a few measures here and there as reminders.

Keep it up--waiting to hear what the horn call ushers in.

all best,
mgj

Hi Daniel.
I like very much that symphony of yours!
Great!
I don't like very much Tchaikovsky (see, my favorite is Mozart, my melodies are somewhat Mozart's style), but I can appreciate his melodies.
Go on! Work on that symphony, I can't wait for it finished.