@William said:

p.s. - I hope you noticed the high C just before the end for the entire horn section on the bellowing counter melody.  They were struggling to be heard over the entire 6 Trumpet - Flugelhorn/5 trombone-Bass Trombone/Tuba section but I think they succeeded. 

Yeah, I caught that. Made me smile and think, "It's the last few bars of a 38-minute blowfest of a chart and he's got all 8 of 'em screaming out a high C against every known instrument and the kitchen sink. That's the Bill we all know and love!" That being said, I'd give my eye teeth to sit in with a good orchestra and attempt to play it...as long as the rest of the horn section was certified in CPR.

Perfect midi rendering apart, it is a great work. The narrative quality pushes one's attention forward at each measure, and the very transparent orchestration lets one see the huge masses conflicting during the tight development. Lyrical moments are never devoided of the same tension of the more epic parts. More than strictly Romantic, I feel it as very Mahlerian, mixed with a more direct epic quality, a textural thickness that is, maybe, very American.

Paolo

Thanks very much for listening Paolo and your comments!

Tom I am trying to get it played live but my lips would be hamburger after even the fourth horn part.  Which makes me something of a hypocrite I guess. 

Hi William,

I agree with the people who already commented - very impressive. Must have been quite a labour to create such a fluid MIDI performance.

Indeed, the piece reminded me of Mahler, those parts with a quiet harp (sounded very natural, by the way) for instance. 

Didn't see that organ coming, :) it felt right, though.

Those toms at 17:15 attracted my attention (they are concert toms, right?). I wonder if you are 100% happy with the way they worked in that part. This would be the only crticism, if it is, everything else sounded flawless to me.

Cheers,

Crusoe.

Crusoe that is a good call as the level of the tom-toms was questionable.  I cranked them up, also adjusted their individual dry/wet to -45.12% in the MIR Vienna Konzerthaus GrosserSaal v2 Conductor position with overall dry/wet  at -35.44% and the Miracle Close Orchestral Stage Enhance default setting.  

@William said:

Crusoe that is a good call as the level of the tom-toms was questionable.  I cranked them up, also adjusted their individual dry/wet to -45.12% in the MIR Vienna Konzerthaus GrosserSaal v2 Conductor position with overall dry/wet  at -35.44% and the Miracle Close Orchestral Stage Enhance default setting.  

Oh, I guess I can see the reasoning behind this. Thanks for the explanation!

Bravo William!

I'm in awe of your magnificent creative energy, your fine skills in composition, orchestration and midistration, and your boundless care and attention to all detail, artistic and technical. I happen to be a fan of big bold romantic pieces (especially by the Russian greats) and I agree with Paolo in that I found myself effortlessly and willingly moved along by the narrative in this work, always finding my place as a listener appositely alongside the narrative at every moment.

Right now I can't aspire to such feats but your fine example inspires me to strive ever onwards in the great ocean of musical art and craft. Thank you William.

Hi Macker,  thanks a lot!

I didn't expect much reaction as every time I've submitted this symphony to conductors they just ignore it.  I really appreciate hearing from you and the other people here!

Wow, Wiliam it sounds fantastic. The composition AND the sound quality are masterful. For my aesthetic, this is as good as it gets. My one complaint, I wish I had written it. 

I am listening again for the second time right now. The harmonies are rich and delicious. Every few seconds there is another amazing section that achieves ever greater emotional impact. The trombones and bass trombone really grab at the listener. Thank you for giving my favorite instrument (trombone of course) such wonderful lines. 

Your strings sound completely believable. I constantly struggle with strings. The woodwinds are perfection. The brass sounds like it could be from a CD. Just marvelous. I wish I could accurately express my admiration with my poor vocabulary. 

Hi Paul, thanks very much - I am a fan of your music so that is great to hear.