I have to vote for saxophones, the most maligned and least represented instruments in the classical orchestra. I have always thought that they fill a gap in the mid range of the orchestral woodwind section that no other instrument can supply.

My vote would be for solo viola and bass.

Hi Herb!

Well my favourite would be stringsections (small or large) that have a vibrato that could be almost described like this:

Glimmering (schillernd), so that you could almost hear every single violin vibrating.

Hope you understand what I mean since f.ex. the detaché strings of Garritan sound very close to that!!! I cannot describe it in other words - sorry for that.

Hope you get the right idea anyway - I am convinced you will!

Best regards,

Matt

solo viola and bass!

If you follow the string ensembles with the woodwind ensembles, there's no further need to use Miroslav.

Small String ensembles and the solo viola. I would do these first.

I was initially suprised to see 8 horns as one of the choices on this list. I've never come across a score that called for that many horns in unison. But that got me to thinking - is a huge horn section how Jerry Goldsmith gets his incredible horn sound? If Peter Alexander sees this post, I bet he might know...

It's certainly intriguing.

Film composers and orchestrators often gang the various horn sections into unison. Just about every action film has examples of this.

Hi Herb,
as a trumpet player in a brass choir - I will prefer to see a bigger horn ensemble.
See you on the Musikmesse in Frankfurt [;)]
Greetings
theiss2003

As commonly misunderstood "horn section" in the classical orchestral sense does not imply a section of french horns, trumpets, trombones (and tuba(s)) - but a FRENCH HORNS section [[[[[:)]]]]]

Oh and btw, 8 horns are quite unusual but 6 are very common.
The trademark Goldsmith Horn sound comes from micing the instruments fairly distant (a hotter A/B (conductors mic) pair signal) that allows the horn sound to travel around in the hall (resonate) and evolve into their full, thick and beautiful smooth sound before it is picked up by the mics.

James Newton Howard and James Horner are also fond of horns.
Horner utilized two sections of 4 horns on each side of the recording stage for his score to "The Perfect Storm", with great effect.

James Newton Howard challenged his musicians in "Wyatt Earp" and wrote high E, 5 or 6 times in one cue. First for solo horn and later for the horns in unison. They appear to have no trouble at all on the score [[[[[:)]]]]]


My vote is for this horn section of 6-8 french horns.

Intimate divisi (two desks perhaps?) strings would be nice too!

All of the available alternatives are of interest to me, except saxophones.
I truly hate those instruments in orchestral settings. If you were to sample
saxophones it would have to be recorded with solo jazz in mind, I think. This is where the instrument is at home. Calling for saxophones in an orchestral piece is like building a Zoo on the North Pole with exotic tropical animals from Africa....

I served one year in the army as a musician in an army band, and even though the musicians were great the sound of the saxophone group started to annoy me very quickly. The massive clarinet choir was also a tad too much for my liking [[[[[:)]]]]] (Clarinets and soprano saxes are pretty similar in sound in tutti parts)

Clarinets in unison is also a terrible sound. Closer to an accordion than anything else. Having said that, though, the dynamics of the clarinet (from whisper soft to loud and blaring) by far outweighs the sonic deficiencies [[[[[:)]]]]]

Oh, I'm rambling [[[[[:)]]]]]

6-8 Horns!!


Thomas

Thanks for the insight Thomas. I would be interested in two-desk string samples as well.

Also interesting is that no one has yet requested 28 violins in unison (VI plus VII.) I suppose you could double the existing violins with the half section and get most of the way there, however. Personally, I would be interested in additional string techniques (several have been requested already) in great depth before I would want a combined section. There are just so many different string techniques it seems daunting to have to duplicate the enitre effort with all the different possible section sizes.

And in addition to 8 horns, perhaps 76 trombones?... [[;)]]

Thanks for the 50 votes - another 50 would be cool.

Here a little VSL story (50 votes = another story):

Our 2nd Tubular bells set - the Philharmonic version,
were built at the beginning of the last century.
They are very special, because they have a greater key range (d#3 - g5) than modern tubulars.
I've been told these are the lowest tubulars in the world. - Maybe.

During second world war they were stored in a massive wood box in the Vienna Opera. The Opera was bombed and burnt down.
But the Tubulars in the woodbox survived!!
Yeah, every time I play this d#3 tubular on the keyboard I feel awestruck.

VSL story 1
narrated by Herb

(Don't forget every 50 votes comes another story, and there are plenty of them...)

Hi Thomas,

I appreciate you taking a very clear position about the classical saxophone I do not mean to discuss about your taste and your opinion, but I am not really sure if you have heard some well played saxophone and clarinet. I mean the players from your army band are probably not the highest standard.... If you have the opportunity to go to the latest movie from Steven Spielberg - I did see it in spanish, so I do not know the english title -, but it must something like ¬Run as fast as you can¬with Leonardo di Caprio. The music is composed by John Williams and there is an important saxophone part in a very classical styled music. IMHO, the saxophonist has a very beautiful sound and blends perfectly in to the rest of the orchestra.

Despite this, I do not really wish to have saxophones samples in VSL [;)]

Iwan Roth
http://www.iwanroth-sax.com
[:P]

@Iwan Roth said:

Hi Thomas,

I did see it in spanish, so I do not know the english title -, but it must something like ¬Run as fast as you can¬with Leonardo di Caprio. Iwan Roth
http://www.iwanroth-sax.com
[:P]

It was apparently a very unidiomatic translation to Spanish. the English title was "Catch Me If You Can" which Bablefish translates to Spanish as "cójame si usted puede".

I agree with you, Iwan, about the beautiful, period saxophone music. I disagree about the inclusion of sax in the Library.[;)] And, BTW, I have listened to your creations at your site. Gorgeous!

regards

bill

My vote = Small string ensembles

Can't have enough string performances and variations.

Btw, love this site!! Thx for listening to our input!

Woodwind Ensembles, I say [:O] !

electric guitar


then kazoos with fulll legato performances....

[[;)]]

ok maybe not [[;)]]

Now I got a really good one for you Herb:
Alpenhorn - if you can fit one into the silent stage [:D]

Seriously though, I voted for the Eb Clarinet, cause I like that
shrilling tone on top of the woods it can provide - but not much
chance of seing it soon ( only 3 votes ).

Full legato burps! [[:|]]

Seriously though folks, you might find me sweet-talking my bank manager (he stopped smiling at me last year) into extending my limit to 5k if you nail intimate divisi strings [:D]

What about "Ondes Martenot" . No, not a joke, I really would like to have this...For those who do not know what it is = an electronic instrument - maybe the first one ever invented -, and used beautifully by French composer Olivier Messiaen.

Iwan
http://www.iwanroth-sax.com