Hello Guy,
 
 Just a small message from France to tell i was very moved hearing your concerto for Cello and Orchestra.
 
 You did an excellent work and wanted to congratulate you.
 
 In every excellent piece of music we always have a personal few seconds of "can't explain why magical moment " (called music [:)] )
 
 In your piece it happens at 1 minute and 26 seconds with the B minor and A minor vamp : I love this passage with the celesta , very aery nostalgic vibes.

_________________________

OB.one French Composer
www.myspace.com/obonemusic

I have nothing to say more than has already been said. Great piece, wonderful realization of it.

William: I don't know, there will always be a place for real instruments, the expression of knowing how to play a specific instrument, real orchestras make accoustic sound - although most concert halls record and amplify the orchestra with over head mics... so you're still hearing transister at some point. I'm just saying samples are valid and legitimate for "true" artistic creativity now, IF the writer, composer / performer puts in the hard yards, and gives it the same degree of dedication and attention. My point is that it is this dedication attention and focus that is inspiring and that makes music come alive. If you consider the computer and sample library as an instrument, then apply the human element and you have music. What must be present is that human element of dedication, intention, focus, etc. I argue that it is *this* element that is what people find most appealing about music, film etc. it is that focus. Focus, intensity, all these things contribute. The point is that you can do it in one way with real instruments, an enormous task, or you can also do it with sample based technology. There are so many avenues for creativity. What is best about the library is that it allows an inspired person to create things that could not have been created without it. It's like any great invention - the piano, the orchestra, now the library we have today. It's a new avenue of creativity. Just like some people would have said when the piano was invented 'I don't know, you don't put your fingers on the strings, but play these "keys" seems to be a bit removed, I can't see how it could be very expressive".

Miklos.

Yes of course, the live orchestra is the origin of all these sounds. And it will always exist, just like there will always be a bicycle, even though somebody invented a motorcycle. Because it is a perfect technology, and something that people will always want as long as they remain people. As soon as they evolve into something else, you're on your own. Though these days, I usually feel people are DEvolving, not Evolving.

And by the way, an orchestra IS technology. A Stradivarius is technology. But because it is so perfect, no one thinks of it as such. But it is an "instrument." In other words, a device for producing sound. A pipe organ is also technology, and was invented for the purpose of giving one person many different timbres to play. So anyone who thinks that samples are somehow just a technical effect, and real music is basically different, is an idiot. Because all of music is created by machinations, devices, instruments and objects that humans manipulate in some strange way to produce sounds.

I do feel that samples represent not a replacement, but an evolution of orchestral sound that allows a composer to gain the true freedom as an individual artist creating music that painters, poets and sculptors have always had, but composers never had, until now.