NotePerformer NPPE VSL/BBCSO Core short test

A quick little test of fast figures using BBCSO Strings and VSL Synchron Prime Winds and Brass.

[henrik]

Great composition, sounds good too with NPPE

[stradfenrir]

Wow I'm interested in the rest of this music.😊👍

[javiermedina]

First of all, I like your compositions, you are a good composer and make beautiful music. I made some observations on the orchestral thing here in this example:

The trombones (and trumpets) in forte dynamics, such as fff, ff, f, are twice as powerful as the horns played at the same dynamic level. Therefore, if homogeneity is desired, as in this case, they would need to be one dynamic level below the horns or, alternatively, duplicate the horns with more horns, which would be the most natural solution. However, since you only have 4 horns, it is not possible to double them, so the solution would be to decrease the dynamic level of the trombones by one degree. If the horns play ff, the trombones play f; if the horns play f, the trombones play mf.

With the woodwinds in forte dynamics, you need 2 woodwinds to match the power of 1 horn, or put a higher grade of dynamic. In the notation I see here, they are matched with the horns (except for the trombone, which should be mf). The problem here is that you don't want that in this case; the woodwinds should stand out more since they have a leading role in these measures, in addition to the high activity of the strings. So it would be much better to double them with more woodwinds, even a triplication, because the brass is very powerful in forte dynamics. If the orchestra is quite basic and only has 1 of each, then there is no other option but to increase the dynamic level (or decrease it in the case of accompanists).

There is another issue, which is the disparity of timbres. But again, if the orchestra only has 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, and 1 bassoon, there is no other choice. The problem with the disparity of timbres is that it doesn't create a homogeneous whole, which is clearly what is intended here in that chordal melody. It would be much better to, let's say, use 3 oboes playing that chordal melody, while the other woodwinds double their notes.. One solution would be to have 3 oboes playing the chordal melody, and for the doubling: 2 clarinets playing the two lower notes and a flute playing the upper note. For the fast part of the flute (last bar), the flute would be so weak in that register, so that's the time when you can stop the duplication of the bottom notes, let the flute part with 2 flutes (or 3), stop the duplication of the bottom notes and even decrease their dynamics.