Wooz said:
I'm no history expert, but most people who use the term seem to refer to newly written orchestral works. Although that isn't sufficient to describe neoclassicism, '20th century, classic-inspired' music often meets the term. It's often used kind of like how people who say they like 'classical music' often just mean they like orchestral music. While 'classical music' is a term often used to simply describe 'orchestral music', it is in its more detailed definition a particular period of time in musical development roughly attributed to the 18th and 19th centuries. "Neo classical" music would be newly written (or at least, after the classical period) orchestral music "inspired by" the classical period, but to what extent isn't obvious. To label something as 'neoclassical' thus doesn't say at all as much about a work as other conventional labels. Famous composers to some extent attributed to the neoclassical 'style', or time period, would include Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Orff, Hindemith, Bartók, etc.
As for the composition, keyser Soeze: Not to be mean, but it's boring. Repetative, completely bereft of interesting harmony, not including any contrapuntal finesse, with lame 'melodies' and lacking a theme. The whole thing is like a way too long intro that just won't end. The 'violins' were especially poorly written. When they came in, I thought they
maybe could save the day by instantly doing *something* to lead the piece onto the way into the realm of interesting, but they never did.
Do you know all about intervals? For future development, assuming that you do for it is crucial, I would recommend learning how to do accurate counterpoint pieces based on cantus firmus. It's boring as hell and more 'math' than 'music', but very helpful. After that you can use that knowledge to compose counterpoint works leaving the ancient rules behind and opening for creativity. For the most part, I tend to see the harmony as a consequence of the counterpoint, but knowledge about harmony is naturally also essential in order to be able to construct interesting and counterpoint compatible melodies. Then you should read up on form.
Counterpoint! Harmony! Structure!
