Why oh Why is this most horrible of all instruments returning to an orchestra?

In school, as kids in 1st grade, we where tortured with recorder lessons - they forced you to buy one, go to lesson and where forced to blow some tunes, as good as it gets. . At christmas, all proud parent came and watched us trying to hit the same note at the same time and declare it as christmas carroll.

sigh - the final Hobbit score will probably now with recorder sections instead of strings.

I was too dumb anyway for recorders - they gave me the triangle after my first lesson.

just my lonely opinion..

hs

@Holgmeister said:

 Why oh Why is this most horrible of all instruments returning to an orchestra?

Hallo Holgermeister

(Hoffe dein Beitrag sei nicht ganz so ernst gemeint...)

Yes, unfortunately it was and still is a "must" for thousands of children.

I also had to learn this instrument before my father decided that it's time for the violin when I was 12.

Later on I was happy that I played the Recorder once because I learnd to play the Saxophone.

It has nearly the same finger placing of a recorder...

Beside its name "Speuzchnebel" (= spit stick) in my language it can give an orchestra some freshness...

Beat

 Hi Beat,

(no, I was not really serious with my posting).

Kid's music education is one thing - in our family it was a 2:1 (my brother and my sister became famous Jazz musicians, I became the computer geek)

That's why I am doing only electronic music - my late revenge...

But seriously: of course you are right.. I am badly missing a serious education in score reading and piano playing now..

Regards

Holger

P.S. I still don't like the sound of recorders  ;-)

Holgmeister:

That post - considering the  inspiring musicality of the virtuosic performer who recorded these samples - is extremely irritating.

I'm surprised you didn't add  "Why oh why do we have to have these violins in the orchestra?  I can't stand the way those elementary students screech on them." That would make the same sense as your post. 

Sorry if I offended someone - my post was considered a fun opinion. Maybe my sense of  joke was lost in translation.

Of course the VSL product is superb, as well as the beautiful instruments - I adore the build of these ancient wooden forms..This was by no means a critique of the VSL library. I just have my childish opinion about the nature of the sound - that is all. .

I hope, no one was harmed by my attack of the recorders..

cheers

Holger

I'm sure 20 years of therapy will fix you right up! [6]

@Holgmeister said:

 Hi Beat,

(no, I was not really serious with my posting).

Kid's music education is one thing - in our family it was a 2:1 (my brother and my sister became famous Jazz musicians, I became the computer geek)

That's why I am doing only electronic music - my late revenge...

But seriously: of course you are right.. I am badly missing a serious education in score reading and piano playing now..

Regards

Holger

P.S. I still don't like the sound of recorders  😉

Here is a piece for the VSL recorders -

I was traveling through a forest near Mount Shasta California, and wanted to compose something for it.  It was a beautiful tranquil place, with very old trees in vast, ancient woods that surrounded the road in all directions.  This place is very tranquil and quiet. So I thought of using the Mystic Spaces which is an incredibly beautiful reverb, and these wonderful recorders to try and get that feeling of the forest echoes and sounds of nature coming out of the distance.   

http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=1&DemoID=5995

@William said:

Here is a piece for the VSL recorders -

I was traveling through a forest near Mount Shasta California, and wanted to compose something for it.  It was a beautiful tranquil place, with very old trees in vast, ancient woods that surrounded the road in all directions.  This place is very tranquil and quiet. So I thought of using the Mystic Spaces which is an incredibly beautiful reverb, and these wonderful recorders to try and get that feeling of the forest echoes and sounds of nature coming out of the distance.   

http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=1&DemoID=5995

Wow! Apaches!!!!!!! Flatheads!!!!!!

Or could it be medieval persons. 

Loads and loads of reverb there. The recorder is an instrument that definitely reminds me of early school days and is somewhat forgotten in this listeners orchestral template. I must look into that. Nice sound there Billy. I hope you took photos of the area and get them over asap.

Thankfully the only positive aspect of the Greek musical education system is that it doesn't traumatize schoolchildren by excessive recorder practice. Actually there is no instrumental practice whatsoever.... So I had to buy a recorder for myself whne I was little, and tinker with it. I must say I got bored of it pretty quickly.

Be that as it may, in small doses it is a very welcome and evocative instrument - like in this track. I don't think I have ever encountered romantic, or 20th century-sequenza-like virtuosic writng for this instrument. Perhaps happily. It does seem however that the recorder is inextricably linked with, and shackled by Renaissance, or Renaissance-like aesthetics, probably due to its stubborn stereotypical use in such, as well as Medieval movies' soundtracks. It is a pity, since the instrument family seems to be able to carry melodies and emotions beyond what simple modal writing can offer.

I enjoyed this highly reverberated track, the recorder lending itself very aptly to William's favourite, sorrowful kind of melodic writing, and I most enjoyed the Herrmannesque harp writing towards the end.

 Herrmannesque? How did that happen?

Enjoyed that william as did guy's double concertino for flutes. Both very sensous and educational. ∞

Very beautiful and magic piece William. Bravo !

Best

Phil

Thanks Philippe, Dar, Errikos and Paul.   All fine members of various warring barbarian tribes.    Of course Errikos woud insist that the Franconian (Philippe), the Angle (Paul) and the Emorite (Dar) were the barbarians, gibbering "Bar-Bar-Bar-Bar.." incomprehensibly to his sarcastic apprehension.  But the debased Modernist-Spartan has to admit that he is just as warlike as any of his detested barbarian New-Horde-members. 

 Errrrr .... wut?!? 8-] .... answers like these are one of the reasons why I love this forum. ;-)

BTW - beautiful music, William! Congratulations.

Indeed... Thanks for the music and acerbic wit as always William.

Hi,

I own the Recorders and i love the sound. But some single samples really destroy the context when you play. 

For example: Alto Recorder - Sustain with Vibrato - please play A2 and G#2 in a context with the other Keys.

Yesterday I played the Beginning of the Harry Potter Song  "A Window to the past". to find here: 

Thank you.

BR Lars

Hi Lars,

i totally agree with you : the sustain vibrato G#2 and A2 sound hoarse compare to other notes. It would be great to have an update to fix this problem ...

Best.

Philippe