Well I did these for coursework this year. The Fantasia on a Welsh Folk Song is obviously based on a welsh folk song, although I have no idea of the name of it. If anyone knows, please tell me xD I can't find it anywhere!

The Süße Suite is free composition. It goes a bit scary at some points, because I had to try and get a neapoliton 6th in there somewhere... xD. The order is: Prelude, Allemande, Fughetto, Finale. :D


OH, and also, don't listen to them through iTunes. It doesn't like pizzicato and pauses in iTunes, so it changes where they're meant to be xD.
And another edit- They're all midis xD the pieces are actually written for string quartets :P

The Allemande and Finale are tied for my favorite.

Okay, as a general critique, you have WAY TOO MUCH parallel motion going on in your parts. It makes the individual lines seem unimportant and dull. This may seem like stuffy advice for 2011, but you should really brush up on your counterpoint rules if you're going to do this kind of composing.

Also, you have some fun rhythmic ideas, but you don't do anything with them. (Actually, you get better at this as the suite goes on.) Turn those little rhythmic turns-of-phrase into motifs. They can help sustain the piece and give it some cohesion.

Last, the instruments aren't super balanced. There's a lot of dead time in each part, and it hardly ever feels like an organic joining of the instruments. It feels a lot more like they're competing for their composer's attention.

Keep at it, though. I know that most of my criticism is tough, but only because I think you have potential. This shows a level of ambition that far exceeds most composers of your level. And honestly, I think once you study counterpoint in a serious way, you'll be quite formidable.

I recommend this guy to you as an online guru of counterpoint:

http://www.youtube.com/user/artofcounterpoint

He's great, and his lessons are simple and effective. He has 14 lessons on counterpoint proper, and then an hour-long lesson on fugue writing. Plus, he just did a rather genius fugal arrangement of "Bad Romance." You should check it out.

KEEP WORKING! YOU'LL BE AWESOME!

P.S. Welcome to Ichigo's!

Hmm, okay, I don't really know that much about counterpoint, so I'll make sure to watch those lessons :P. Thanks for the advice, comments, and for listening to my compositions!

I recommend this guy to you as an online guru of counterpoint:

http://www.youtube.com/user/artofcounterpoint

He's great, and his lessons are simple and effective. He has 14 lessons on counterpoint proper, and then an hour-long lesson on fugue writing. Plus, he just did a rather genius fugal arrangement of "Bad Romance." You should check it out.


That's pretty cool! I've got to check that one out too! Also if your up for an interesting read, check out a copy of gradus ad parnassum (http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308708078&sr=8-1).