|
Critical Evaluation |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
|
Overall Evaluation |
60 |
100 |
|
Appropriateness Lever |
0.8 |
1.0 |
An epic-dramatic character that wouldn’t be out of place in those
tongue-in-cheek Greek mythology American TV series. Too short to say
much. Too ’major’ to be really threatening. Too little dissonance to
truly terrify. A useful exercise in orchestration though.
By: wobbie |
Score: 48 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
|
Overall Evaluation |
75 |
100 |
|
Appropriateness Lever |
1.0 |
1.0 |
This was a fine attempt: it had
drive, forward momentum, and the inexorable march of a fire; there was
danger, and there were many rhythmic variations which gave the effect of
chaos. This piece began, stated its purpose and ended. There was
no panic, the controlled hand of the composer brought all the elements
into sharp relief, and the scene became real.
By: Judge No. 1 (See Notes) |
Score: 75 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Complexity |
40 |
50 |
Exciting, though perhaps a bit
too short. I thought that the harmonies and the orchestration
you used were quite interesting. I also liked the crescendi;
they made the piece very thrilling. It felt complex without
sounding like you were trying to fill the pages with notes. I
thought that your use of percussion keep the piece moving well.
I have a few negative comments though: I listened to your piece
several times and could not detect a memorable melody that held
the piece together - one that I could really hold on to and
notice each time it reoccurred. I also feel that your ending
could use some work - I would have had a large crescendo at the
end, and a loud bombastic climax that would continue the mood
that you set in the beginning. However, I enjoyed most of it
quite a bit. I would have preferred it if your piece was longer
though, to get a better impression of your style and how you
would develop the theme that was given. |
|
Orchestration |
20 |
25 |
You should have submitted the
score, but it sounds like you have a decent knowledge of
orchestration. You created a "big" sound with the instruments
you chose, which I assume is what you wanted. I thought the way
you used the brass and strings (particularly when they played
the fast runs you have in there) gave the piece "fire". |
|
Composition |
15 |
25 |
Come up with a more original
melody, and develop it more. Do a bit more with dynamics around
the end to give a greater "bang". Overall, it was an enjoyable
piece, and I probably would listen to it again. Keep composing! |
|
Relevance |
1.0 |
1.0 |
It fit the theme well. |
By: Judge No. 2 |
Score: 75 |
|
Peer Evaluation |
General
-
Complexity -
Mild
in complexity. I know what's going on while... I don't really.
Excellence.
-
Instrumentation -
The
instruments are strong, they are fast, and it is progressive.
Instruments used with such grace! However, there is something very
obscure at the ending.
-
Composition -
The
melody is apparent. The timpani and the percussions are marvel on
their own. It (holds its) own. I give you points for
excellent use of them. However, the song runs short, but with it's
speed and progression, it's all made up for.
-
Initial
Inspiration -
The feeling
of fire. It is there, I feel my heart pumping, raising my body
temperature, and it tingles as if I were seeing fire.
Specifics
-
Opening -
Instantly, very fast and upbeat. It opens the door for the rest of
the song, and it's effective.
-
Middle -
The
middle theme is strong. It has its own statement, and the voice is
strong. I almost feel like I can hear the fire itself.
-
Ending -
Very
climactic, very fierce ending, and builds up nicely. However,
somewhere towards the very end seems a little too abrupt.
I would be proud of myself if I were
you. Your use of percussions and timpanis are out of this world.
Wonderful!
From the composer of:
Abysmal Flames |
Score: 85 |
|
From the composer of:
Affordable Wisdom |
Score: 72 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Complexity |
8 |
15 |
Not really a related note:
the title is so horribly over-clichéd it makes me lose all hope
in humanity. A little creativity here and there doesn't harm
you. =P
But now about the piece: It's fairly nice, but it clings
a bit to the cliché, so I wasn’t really impressed by it. The
beginning sounds much more like some kind of RPG’s ‘Hero theme’
than like a destructive force raging through a forest. It gets
more appropriate after the first 35 seconds or so, but it stays
a bit random and there seems to be kind of a lack of repeating
motives. In fact, it seems there isn’t even a main motive.
Well,
certainly not a bad piece, but not brilliant either. |
|
Orchestration |
7 |
15 |
|
Composition |
9 |
15 |
|
Appropriateness |
11 |
20 |
|
Beginning/Start |
1 |
5 |
|
Middle/Climax |
3 |
5 |
|
Ending |
4 |
5 |
|
Overall Opinion |
12 |
20 |
|
Bonus/Malus |
none given |
|
From the composer of:
Blisters |
Score: 55 |
Heard a whole lot of Final Fantasy elements throughout this piece etc.
rhythm/articulation/orchestration. I heard a lot of them before,
especially the one starting from 0:30/ 1:00/ 1:30. I could at least
distinguish those from the rest. Unfortunately, the piece was not long
enough, so i couldn't pick out which segments were really genuinely or
completely yours. I know that most of the melodies are from you, though.
Ending - a little bit short
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
|
Complexity |
13 |
15 |
|
Orchestration |
14 |
15 |
|
Composition |
12 |
15 |
|
Appropriateness |
17 |
20 |
|
Beginning/Start |
5 |
5 |
|
Middle/Climax |
5 |
5 |
|
Ending |
4 |
5 |
|
Overall Opinion |
14 |
20 |
Bonus/Malus
Very familiar compared to FF8 |
-9 |
From the composer of: Fate of the Forest |
Score: 75 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Complexity |
17 |
20 |
|
|
Orchestration |
15 |
20 |
Things sound great during the tutti
passages, but when you use sections of the orchestra, it feels
too thin |
|
Beginning |
5 |
5 |
The beginning is really wonderful and
intense. The string runs are a nice touch. |
|
Middle |
3 |
5 |
After the first 30 seconds or so, it
really drops off, tending for empty-sounding string and wind
passages with intermittent brass exclamation points |
|
Ending |
4 |
5 |
Toward the end, it begins to pick up its
lost momentum, but the super-abrupt ending hurts it a bit. |
|
Overall Composition Quality |
19 |
25 |
With the piece being as short as it was, I
felt as though the motives weren't allowed to develop much. |
|
Appropriateness |
17 |
20 |
|
From the composer of:
Forest Fire: A Brief
Tone Poem for Orchestra |
Score: 80 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Setting |
4 |
10 |
This sounds like a
military march, not a forest fire. |
|
Composition |
6 |
10 |
Not much development or
even presentation of themes. |
|
Orchestration |
6 |
10 |
Pretty basic for a large
orchestral fanfare. Nothing too interesting. |
|
Overall Score |
5 |
10 |
Too short...waay too
short. |
From the composer of:
Music for Trumpet and
Strings |
Score: 53 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
|
Overall Evaluation |
93 |
100 |
|
Appropriateness Lever |
0.9 |
1.0 |
From the composer of:
Of Desperation,
Death, and Hope |
Score: 84 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Relevance |
9.5 |
10 |
Good.
This really hits the forest fire theme home, bravo. Though the
piece isn’t complex, though the harmonies are not crazy – this
does a good job. It sounds almost video game in it’s
representation. Bravo. |
|
Orchestration |
7.5 |
10 |
Needs quite a bit of work here. This is
fine in synth but can you IMAGINE a real-life orchestra trying
to play this? It’d take quite a bit of work. The violins
particularly are quite unrealistic. The use of timpani is good –
this was in fact my favorite part of the orchestration. In
general actually the percussion is quite well used. The flute
needs a bit of work – it sounds as if it’s going a little high
at points (but I can’t tell without a score). Also the trumpet –
check the range. Sometimes it ventures into the stratosphere a
little. Sometimes I’m not sure what you mean in your
orchestration – choices aren’t clear. Overall works well, needs
a little more variance from the “string doing melody/flourishes”
and brass doing shots and dramatic stuff. Maybe I’m over
reacting. Still above average, quite good. |
|
Overall Effect |
16 |
20 |
Good. This reminds me of the music of
Motoi Sakuraba – intentional? I like it though, the orchestra
work is driving. Some parts are better than others, but it is
overall pretty good. Very hard-hitting. This is not really music
up my alley, but it stuck with me quite well. In general very
videogame-esque. Good job. |
From the composer of:
Prelude for Solo
Piano |
Score: 83 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
|
Complexity |
13 |
15 |
|
Orchestration |
13 |
15 |
|
Composition |
13 |
15 |
|
Appropriateness |
16 |
20 |
|
Beginning |
5 |
5 |
|
Middle/Climax |
5 |
5 |
|
Ending |
3 |
5 |
|
Overall Opinion |
16 |
20 |
Bonus/Malus
A bit short |
-2 |
From the composer of: Tell Me About The
Forest |
Score: 82 |
Technical Elements [35/60]:
- Harmony:
Good use of triadic harmonies as well as an interesting polychord
near the beginning. I also liked the picardy thirds (tonic major/
minor modal mixture) although there was perhaps a little too much
- Development:
The material in the piece is reused but not really developed all
that much. The different key area near the beginning was a very nice
moment.
- Orchestration:
The use of different sounds in this piece is interesting - nice job.
I also appreciate the professionalism of the MIDI/synth render. As I
mentioned in a number of other reviews, you are writing for sounds,
not for instruments. For this reason it sounds like a synth
composition rather than a work written for real instruments. Some of
the string lines sound as though they are out of the realm of
possibility for players, although I’d have to see a score to know
for sure. It mostly works though.
- Form:
This piece is battle music through and through. Its purpose is more
to create energy than to serve an artistic musical function. The
tonal digressions add a sense of movement but the piece feels
static. i.e. it travels at the same speed down a straight line
through its entirety. That being said, the content makes way for
some nice growth dynamically. The piece does have a climax at one
point which is nice but other then that the formal divisions aren’t
obvious.
-
Overall, the piece has a driving energy which
is nice. It makes me want to take up Jazzercize.
Musicality [16/20]:
-
This piece would work well in Soul Calibur.
Relevance [10/20]:
-
Don’t beat me up, PLEASE??? Battle music is a subgenre of
music which serves a specific function. Although this piece would
work well as a battle music track in an RPG or a fighting game, it
is difficult to hear the work outside of this context, i.e it
doesn’t make sense as a program for the picture given. If this work
was entered as a battle music track for an RPG soundtrack
competition similar to the SSF one, you’d have gotten 100% for it.
Overall Thoughts [C / Acceptable]. I really
enjoyed listening to this piece hence the A rating for ‘musicality’. It
is enjoyable and pleasing to the ear.
From the composer of:
The Dance of the
Clumsy Bear |
Score: 61 |
|
Criterion |
Pts. |
Total |
Comments |
|
Overall Evaluation |
60 |
100 |
Composition and
orchestration are both ok |
|
Appropriateness Lever |
0.7 |
1.0 |
Matches good, but a bit
too much "Game-bossfight-music"-like |
From the composer of: The Wildfire Suite |
Score: 42 |
