h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

DE, you can't follow *me* - I'm supposed to follow *you* You're going to make me feel very paranoid...

Describe the character of this large work?
Hmm, sounds like an A-level music question to me...

Well, OK, length-wise it's about 10min long. There's 2 MAIN themes, ones quite slow (on strings most of the time) simple, smooth, very quiet. The other theme is mainly on brass. When I first wrote it I thought it sounded a bit too much like the trumpet theme in Shostakovich's 5th Symphony (4th mov - I think), but then I listened to it again and it isn't anything like it at all note-wise, but that's still the kind of thing I hear when I play it (does that make sense? It does to me, but then again, I sit and play the whole thing on piano and can hear all the parts going on in my head while I compose it...)
It's in C-min, changing time sig's, not too many bit's in the maj. key though, it's tonal but it tends to drift a bit...

It's not very easy to describe anything musical over the net is it? It's the best I can do, but it's not really good enough - sorry

I'll think of something. I've still got to score it out between parts, don't know if I should use a timpani or not, it would only really be useful for a couple of bars...but it's not essential.

E

I wouldn't like to tell E's story for her, she's doing a great job as it is

So it's got an underlying calm (strings) with a more vibrant loud brass theme?

(Timpani can make a big impact see StarWars Superman or 2001 themes)

Um... I think I got the general idea of the thing...

It's hard naming such pieces of music... Look at the classics:
Beethoven's 5th
Shostakovich's 4th
Chaikovsky's 1st...

How about Vicki's 1st? I'm not being serious, I know...

By the way, what kind of piece is it? How many parts, that is?

PP

PS: Do you want the title to be English, or can it be something unusual like French, Russian or Latin?

It's only one movement and I'm not allowed to do any more because it's long enough as it is (or so my music teacher tells me - I'm only allowed between 10-15 min of music, the orchestral thing's 10, and piano one's 4 or 5 min, so I doubt I can squeeze a second movement into that)

I might do another one for fun though

I don't mind what language the titles in either.

DE, you're right about the timpani. I think I'll use it, but I'll have to be careful not to go overboard with it or it'll ruin everything

A singlew movement that take 15 minutes .......hmmmmmmmm......... Sounds like me trying to park a car.

How about something like Dawn Breaks? You can use the timpani to represent the darkness, the brass to represent the sun rising and the piano to indicate birdsong (dsawn chorus).

How about the opposite - "Solum occidit", "The sun sets"?

It just depends on the mood of the piece, if you want to start quietly and with darkness ("Dawn Breaks") or finish with it ("Solum Occidit").


PP

I like them both!!!!
I wouldn't know which one to use though, I'll have to hear it played properly (by the orchestra) before I'd know which one fitted best.

BTW, DE, there isn't piano in it (sorry to make you think that) - I just play what I can of it on the piano when I work on it - it's a bit hard to be an orchestra by yourself

I'm spoilt for choice now...thankyou both!!!!!!

Welcome!


PP

A pleasure to help

Fascinating.

Oh, and no, my birthday is not in May.

11 possibilities left!

January

10 possibilities left!

November?

9 possibilities left!

July...

I know it...

*Feel the Force, Luke!*


PP

YK, bet you can't guess how many dogs I've got?

8 possibilities left!

You're right, Eo, I can't.

Vicki, 5?

YK, April?

PP, sorry, not 5
YK, October