PROF	COMPOSITION	SCORE	Themes/ Melodies	Orchestr.	Harmon.	Develop.	My taste	Originality	REVIEWER COMMENTS
B	Josh's Rag	8.50	8.00	9.00	9.00	8.00	8.70	8.30	Excellent presentation of ragtime music.  Not much in the way of controllers, but perhaps not necessary for this style.
A	Bach Fantasy	7.00	7.00	7.50	7.00	7.50	6.00	7.00	The attempt at fugue and chord progressions defined by specific intervals does emulate Bach, but the particular chord progressions, harmonies, and melodies are modern and unique.  Pretty, but mostly without direction.  (It sounds like an abandoned attempt at a key change at measure 57, for example).  The progressions "aim" in the right directions, but then seem to return to the original key (or its minor) without having accomplished anything.  It wanders (measures 95-110 show this well.  It has no direction.)  The sounds are pretty, but there is just something missing.  In the "piano version," there is a downbeat for each beat in the measure that just beats and beats and beats, and...  No changes in rhythm, same meandering style.  "Bachish" but not Bach.
C	Rozhnik	6.08	6.00	6.50	6.50	5.50	6.00	6.00	Very simply constructed piece.  This might be a very popular piece in it's country of origin, but it doesn't have much to grab me.
B	A Little Weird Song	6.93	6.50	7.50	7.50	6.00	7.00	7.10	Reminds me of Edith J. Forever.  Sort of Beatle like in style with a repetitive chord progression (nice, but old fashioned).  And repetitive.  And it repeats itself.  Over and over again.  And again...  I REALLY liked the very last measure, however.
B	Edit J. Forever	7.08	7.00	7.50	7.50	6.50	7.00	7.00	Another simply constructed song with a somewhat repetitive chord progression, nice, but "old fashioned" background; better done and more interesting than Rozhnik, but still not innovative enough to be called captivating.  Other than panning, not much else in the way of midi effects.
A	Symphony C minor mov 1	8.50	8.50	8.50	8.50	8.50	8.50	8.50	This piece is difficult to describe.  Parts are excellent, fascinating and captivating.  Others are lacking in direction and, perhaps, even inconsistent.  It's the phrasing that is not quite right in places - a passage that is either too long or too short to be complete.  The revised version is much better than the original, but the problems with consistency and phrasing remain.
D	Symphonydenada	7.42	8.00	8.00	8.00	6.00	7.00	7.50	Very interesting.  Some of the passages were intriguing, some were irritating, none boring.  The repetition of a single part several times grated the most, but overall it is a good, brief, experiment.
A	Trio Opus 44	8.75	8.50	9.00	9.00	8.50	8.50	9.00	Interesting rhythmic contrast and nice interplay between the pieces.  The fugues were nicely done and the melody was clever and cute.
A	Concerto 53	9.57	9.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	9.00	9.40	Excellent classical styled piece, "Mozart reincarnated."  Fantastic progression, key changes, harmonies, etc.  No doubt one of the finest pieces I have heard since, um, last month.  Midi effects used well, but no controller 11, volume, etc (but then, key velocities seem sufficient for this style).  Some reverb, panning, tempo changes and the like make it sound quite realistic.  Great instrumentation.  I don't often hear the French horn featured, but it is one of my favorite instruments.
A	Piano Sonata 3	9.08	9.50	9.00	9.00	9.00	9.00	9.00	Absolutely beautiful, and so well done.  Nice pedal work.
C	Brandenberg Echoes	7.83	8.00	8.00	9.00	8.00	7.00	7.00	Given the blank 1st measure, it might help to have the tempo faster to get by the silence, unless you are aiming for pure suspense.  The music is somewhat dissonant in places, with short note durations, that give it a flavor of a hammer on an anvil.  The Brandenburg passages are something like a minor transformation of the original (although Bach did this as well.).  There is some additional "twist" and dissonance, however.  The original parts are quite different from those that involve passages from the Brandenburg concertos, suggesting that the composer was unduly influenced by Bach.  The final result is that this becomes more of an arrangement rather than a purely "original" composition based on a theme.  The overall theme was not particularly pleasant - like an evil clown in a carnival for the dead.  Still, it was well done and, at 28 minutes, a massive undertaking.
C	The Lost Flamenco	9.50	9.50	9.50	9.00	10.00	9.50	9.50	Fantastic work.  Really captures the essence of guitar playing!  And it's great listening too.
A	Journey	7.58	7.00	8.00	8.00	8.00	7.00	7.50	One does get the impression of a journey.  The midi work is very well done, but the melody, harmony, rhythms, and well, overall composition leave me cold.
B	The Blue Sea								Missed it
C	Freddy's Morning Daybreak	7.50	8.00	8.00	8.00	6.00	7.50	7.50	Freddy has a lot in common with The Depot.  Much prettier, though, and with more variety.  The tendency of all of the notes to fall together on the same beat detracts somewhat, and it's short (undeveloped), but nice.
C	The Depot	7.58	8.00	8.00	8.00	6.50	7.50	7.50	Real carnival atmosphere.  Fast paced, and as a result, a little short, but well done.
B	Day Dream	6.75	6.50	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	7.00	Very similar instrumentation, style, panning, etc. to Yukon Territory.  Same pace (and lack of tempo changes).  You could say it sounds like the continuation of Yukon Territory.
B	Yukon Territory	6.75	6.50	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	7.00	Nice, simple structure and melody, pleasant harmony.  A little short, and a curious (perhaps even inappropriate) ending.
C	Final Battle	7.75	7.00	8.00	8.00	8.00	8.00	7.50	Secret - Aaaagent Man!  Well, similar chords at first.  Lots of percussion, nicely done.  Interesting effects.  Nothing grabbing and the sections seem to be completely independent of one another.  I had perhaps expected something with a climax, violence, drama, etc. with a name like Final Battle and, in that sense, the piece was disappointing.  Taken as a whole, it is interesting, but not grabbing.
C	Opening Fire	8.08	8.00	8.50	8.00	8.00	7.50	8.50	Similar to Final Battle in instrumentation and style.  There is more that interests me in this piece and the instruments stand out better.  I have a problem seeing how the first part relates to the second (at about 1:40).  Interesting panning after that.  Again, I don't see what Opening Fire has to do with this music.  It reminds me more of some South American Condor music.  The ending doesn't seem to fit well either.
B	Spanish Impressions	8.25	8.50	8.00	8.00	8.50	8.00	8.50	I've never heard a trumpet sound like that.  Nice spanish rhythm and chord structure.  The Jazz contortions are also well done.  I like the way the intruments faded into the background to allow a solo through, and I liked the way the solo passages were written.  The rhythm does become somewhat monotonous after a while until the end.
C	Never Forgotten	8.42	8.50	8.00	9.00	8.00	8.00	9.00	Another pretty song.  Very nice chord progressions.  With the variety of instruments, it makes for interesting listening and better "drama."  The climax reached at about 1:45 seemed a bit premature, but there was a nice recovery.  Much more could have been done with either volume or controller 11 to make this piece superior.
B	When I Dream of You	7.80	8.00	7.50	8.50	8.00	7.00	7.80	This is pretty.  I can imagine the live performance, but I see a person sitting alone or with one other person, and the music almost doodles rather than progresses.  Pretty, but not grabbing.  It does not demand the listener's attention.
A	Trio Fugue in G minor	7.50	7.50	8.00	6.50	8.00	7.00	8.00	Nice fugue structure, but the music seemed to lack something.  Perhaps it's direction.  It goes nowhere and ends nowhere.  The harmonies that result from following the fugue structure are awkward.  Interesting use of volume to create realism, but not completely successful.
A	Introit and Kyrie								Mine.  It sounds great on my computer, but it really sucks the big one when heard with General Midi font.
A	Violin Concert 1, mov 1	8.17	8.00	8.00	7.00	9.00	8.00	9.00	Generally a little simple for a violin concerto.  Not too demanding of the musicians (with the exception of the violin solos at about 2:50 and 4:39), and the chord progressions are entirely too predictable.  Some really pretty passages with glorious melodies.  Needs a lot of work, though. The ending was something of a letdown as well.
B	Will you be my Valentine	7.58	8.00	7.00	8.00	8.00	7.00	7.50	I'm sure that this would have made a fine vocal piece, but it's hard to translate.  [NOT because of the sound, but rather the structure of the piece.]  The repeated chord sequences from the piano, mostly falling on the downbeats, detract somewhat.  It's pretty though.
A	Opus 11 v2002	7.83	8.00	8.00	8.00	8.00	7.00	8.00	I suppose that version 4 is somewhat better than version 3 (December 2001 contest), but the same problems remain.  Repetitive rhythms, and that curious similarity to "As Time Goes By."  Some of the newer stuff is also out of keeping with the original material.
B	Spinnaker	8.67	8.00	9.00	9.00	9.00	8.00	9.00	Very pleasant, but not engaging.  More like background music in a bar.  Still, it is well put together and the panning, harmonies, chords, expression etc. are all perfect.
A	2nd Symphony, vivace	9.00	9.00	9.50	8.50	9.00	9.00	9.00	Very nice.  Energetic, playful, entertaining.
C	Under Attack	9.12	9.00	9.20	9.00	9.20	9.00	9.30	Oh, nice!  Dramatic, melodic, wonderful key changes, instrumentation, etc.  I wouldn't change a thing except perhaps for the panning.  Oh, it was well panned, but the trombone (or tuba?) on the right sounded all alone.
A	Forty	9.37	9.50	10.00	9.50	9.00	9.00	9.20	Wow, delicate, beautiful harmonies and melodies.  The classic chord progressions were well balanced and the contrast between the woodwinds and brass was well done.  Very nice.
D	Wiraqcha	6.25	6.00	6.50	6.00	7.00	5.00	7.00	Simple passages with unison and "echoing" parts is an ancient style (Medieval).  There is essentially no attempt at crescendo or decrescendo with either controller 11 or volume.  The percussion, rather than acting to unify, was simply destracting.  Interesting sounds, but not much one could call music.  The French horn part became annoying after a while.
A	Flight of Fancy	7.58	7.00	8.00	8.00	7.00	7.50	8.00	The Spanish atmosphere was nice, but the two chord motif wore thin after about the first minute.  The change in tempo and style at about 1:55 was good, but then you exchanged a four chord progression for the two chords in the first two minutes.  Fine for performance (at the local restaurant for example), but to be a captivating piece of music it needs more variety.
	TOTAL AVERAGE	7.93	7.86	8.16	8.09	7.87	7.57	8.03