Well, Herr K:
You know that I'm one of your biggest fans and have always admired your work and your generosity with sharing info.
Perhaps you feel a little "overshadowed" with having your early music demos in the same thread as 'Krypton', but keep in mind that the vast majority of users who invest in VSL-VI do so because they are primarily seeking a large romantic orchestral sound. Applications of VSL's massive samples for early music or chamber music are not always the first methods many users will use.
However, that you have done so much with smaller ensembles and less commonly progammed musical styles is a great asset to demonstrate the versatility of the Cube-- and to show off its tremendously musical articulation detailing. I will also add that you have made your own mastery of this library abundantly apparent, and for that you are to be highly commended.
The March is indeed a march and not really Dixieland or Big Band in musical style. It was extremely well done-- and by nature it sounds as if a classical orchestra was playing it. There are stylistic elements with some types of articulations that are characteristic of German Oktoberfest brass bands that are not included with the Cube. Your March is pristine, and all of your "players" obey the rules as any trained classical musician would. For a more folk style, individual players tend to add elements randomly-- trombones will slide up to certain notes, clarinetists will bend certain pitches and even dare to "back-phrase" their solo passages. For faster note passages, these musicians will, at times, emphasize the offbeats a little more: in a long passage of 16ths, the 2nd and fourth notes would have more emphasis than the 1st and 3rd notes. Folk musicians compensate for their lack of technical skill with an enomous vocabulary of music antics which bring another layer of personality to the performance.
This is not to say that there was anything lacking in your track. I found it very exciting and very enjoyable!!!
I loved the two English horn performances of the Cantilena, although after several listenings I enjoyed English horn 2 the best. I really appreciated the insight you shared with how you created both of them from the same basic midi track with minor editing. It takes a bit of time for someone like me to study your accomplishments-- and I'm waiting for a similar project so that I can go back and study your techniques more carefully.
Your wife is correct: never in a million years will you hear a live piccolo peformance like that!! It, again, was very exciting because of its seemingly impossible virtuosity and accuracy. I do wonder, however, that some of the stronger attacks in the first half might not have been a little too strong? They felt a lot more natural during the allegro section, but the more moderate tongue-ing in the first half was wonderfully implimented and beautiful.
The Canzon for brass was also very well done. Bravo! Stylistically, I found the break between the fourth and fifth notes (which repeats at various intervals) a little too short, perhaps? A longer staccato would still allow for the clarity of phrasing without appearing quite as profound-- unless of course this is what you wanted. Without specific instruction, a brass player wouldn't make *such* a large contrast.
But Herr K: please understand that you make it VERY DIFFICULT to be critical of your work. There is not much to dislike, and for all I've said here, it amounts to 0.001% of the greater impression.
Just having demos of music other than those for large romantic orchestra is something that cannot be valued highly enough. That they are done so well and so convincingly ought not to be underrated.
Bravo for the great work-- and thanks again for your musicality and your generosity!!
You know that I'm one of your biggest fans and have always admired your work and your generosity with sharing info.
Perhaps you feel a little "overshadowed" with having your early music demos in the same thread as 'Krypton', but keep in mind that the vast majority of users who invest in VSL-VI do so because they are primarily seeking a large romantic orchestral sound. Applications of VSL's massive samples for early music or chamber music are not always the first methods many users will use.
However, that you have done so much with smaller ensembles and less commonly progammed musical styles is a great asset to demonstrate the versatility of the Cube-- and to show off its tremendously musical articulation detailing. I will also add that you have made your own mastery of this library abundantly apparent, and for that you are to be highly commended.
The March is indeed a march and not really Dixieland or Big Band in musical style. It was extremely well done-- and by nature it sounds as if a classical orchestra was playing it. There are stylistic elements with some types of articulations that are characteristic of German Oktoberfest brass bands that are not included with the Cube. Your March is pristine, and all of your "players" obey the rules as any trained classical musician would. For a more folk style, individual players tend to add elements randomly-- trombones will slide up to certain notes, clarinetists will bend certain pitches and even dare to "back-phrase" their solo passages. For faster note passages, these musicians will, at times, emphasize the offbeats a little more: in a long passage of 16ths, the 2nd and fourth notes would have more emphasis than the 1st and 3rd notes. Folk musicians compensate for their lack of technical skill with an enomous vocabulary of music antics which bring another layer of personality to the performance.
This is not to say that there was anything lacking in your track. I found it very exciting and very enjoyable!!!
I loved the two English horn performances of the Cantilena, although after several listenings I enjoyed English horn 2 the best. I really appreciated the insight you shared with how you created both of them from the same basic midi track with minor editing. It takes a bit of time for someone like me to study your accomplishments-- and I'm waiting for a similar project so that I can go back and study your techniques more carefully.
Your wife is correct: never in a million years will you hear a live piccolo peformance like that!! It, again, was very exciting because of its seemingly impossible virtuosity and accuracy. I do wonder, however, that some of the stronger attacks in the first half might not have been a little too strong? They felt a lot more natural during the allegro section, but the more moderate tongue-ing in the first half was wonderfully implimented and beautiful.
The Canzon for brass was also very well done. Bravo! Stylistically, I found the break between the fourth and fifth notes (which repeats at various intervals) a little too short, perhaps? A longer staccato would still allow for the clarity of phrasing without appearing quite as profound-- unless of course this is what you wanted. Without specific instruction, a brass player wouldn't make *such* a large contrast.
But Herr K: please understand that you make it VERY DIFFICULT to be critical of your work. There is not much to dislike, and for all I've said here, it amounts to 0.001% of the greater impression.
Just having demos of music other than those for large romantic orchestra is something that cannot be valued highly enough. That they are done so well and so convincingly ought not to be underrated.
Bravo for the great work-- and thanks again for your musicality and your generosity!!
