C.P.E.BACH Flute Concerto WQ166 - First measures

[Philippe BAYLAC]

Hi,

here are the first measures (about 1mn) of a new project i just started : the flute concerto of CPE BACH.WQ166. I use solo and dimension strings. Downloading and foobar (or other FLAC player) highly recommanded.

CPE BACH flute concerto WQ166

Enjoy !

Best.

[BachRules]

awesome

[William]

I couldn't access this link.

[Philippe BAYLAC]

Hi William,

 it was working for me ... i delete and create it again.

Best

Philippe

[William]

thanks Philippe, it must have been a glitch on my own system.  It sounds great - very strong performance in the strings and the sound quality seems perfect!   I hope you can do the whole thing. 

[BachRules]

@Philippe BAYLAC said:

Hi,

here are the first measures (about 1mn) of a new project i just started : the flute concerto of CPE BACH.WQ166. I use solo and dimension strings. Downloading and foobar (or other FLAC player) highly recommanded.

CPE BACH flute concerto WQ166

Enjoy !

Best.

Listening on AKG K141 MkII, it sounds excellent to me, like a well produced live performance by good players.

[Jos Wylin]

Fantastic, Philippe. The orchestral sound (strings so far) is excellent, just like the detailed techniques and articulations. I really hope to hear the rest of it. The flute is sometimes a little tricky, but a master as you are, should let it ring easily! I'm looking forward to hearing the rest!

Max

[MWE]

Hi Philippe,

You definitely nailed the sound of contemporary 18th century classical performances and it makes me wonder in what way you build your ensembles/what particular filtering you are using to achieve this sonic miracle.  

In terms of sound/performance I like this one slightly better than the concerto for two horns. (but this could also be the music itself which I feel this concerto is more interesting).

Anyway subtle use of dynamics and a nice and agile performance. 

Martijn

[Philippe BAYLAC]

Thanks to all for listening.

I am mixing solo, dimension et chamber strings. I use few filtering (much less than few months ago - and the result is better !). I use the vienna suite  exciter to add some high harmonics and give some "acidity" to the strings.

The first mouvement is achieved now, i just have to realize the figured bass (no much time, to much work ...). I give the link in a new post.

Best.

Philippe

[Tensivity]

@Philippe BAYLAC said:

Thanks to all for listening.

I am mixing solo, dimension et chamber strings. I use few filtering (much less than few months ago - and the result is better !). I use the vienna suite  exciter to add some high harmonics and give some "acidity" to the strings.

The first mouvement is achieved now, i just have to realize the figured bass (no much time, to much work ...). I give the link in a new post.

Best.

Philippe

Philippe, sounds great, as all your work.  I am curious about your reverb workflow, since I'm struggling with it in my own work at present.  What do you use to develop the strength of reverb tail balanced against the delicacy of the intitial playing?  I can't seem to get that right...

What reverb do you use?  What are the settings?  I'd love to know more about how you acheive the strength in your sound.

Michael

[johnstaf]

I think the fact that this is a sound musical interpretation is the most important reason why it sounds so good. Too often we hear great string libraries, but without any real musical thought. This proves that you can create a valid musical performance using samples. I think everyone at VSL should be very proud to hear their instruments sounding so beautiful.

[William]

That is so true - in fact, maybe the most important thing is the actual musical interpretation.  Though that is made possible by the detail of articulations avaialble in VSL, the same thing could be done and sound bad because it was not musical in the expression and realization.  Also, by the same token, someone can use many different articulations and create a bad sound, or use remarkably few aticulations and create a beautiful performance because of a musical conception on the part of the performer that comes through - like with Philippe who is a really fine musician. 

Also, I am glad to see Beat Kaufmann listening to Philippe's work, as two great Baroque VSL masters need to compare notes.  I really appreciate hearing these great works performed by both of these guys (and the others as well) as it gives me another perspective on what can be done with this awesome library.

[Beat Kaufmann]

@William said:

Also, I am glad to see Beat Kaufmann listening to Philippe's work,...

William, thanks for your compliment!

I made a comment in the other topic, where the finished piece is published. Her is a copy:

It's an impessive piece of Bach. And as always: You did a huge work which ended with a really good result.

As mentioned above by William the flute could be improved a bit if you want to invest some more time.

Also: Specially the strings are sounding very authentic --- as long as no sustained notes appear.

Philippe, even if you are correct with "no vibrato for baroque musique" those long notes with the strings do not have the sound quality of the rest. Specially in case of repeated sustain notes.

That's not your fault, no, unfortunately you seem to have just one "sus" articulation without vibrato...

So because "making music with samples" is also "making compromises in any case" ... have you ever tried to exchange the samples with no vibrato by samples with a light vibrato?

And I had also a question in the other thread:

Because I'm not owner of the dimension strings I have another question here in connection with your piece:

When I listen to the strings it seems to me that the registers are playing very, very, very precise (synchronized).

But when I understand the dimension library the right way you should be able to play the 8 string players individually so that we get the feeling that really 8 individual players (like in reality) play for example this piece... I can't make out such an individual sound of 8 different players - quite the reverse.

Am I wrong or should you release some "synchronization knob"?

All the best and go on your way, Philippe

Beat

[Philippe BAYLAC]

Hi guys,

thanks to all for your comments and/or support.

Sorry for replying so late, but some health problems forced me to slow down on my activities, especially unfortunately the music which is an activity that I can just do at night.

I know there are still a lot of work on the flute, but the problem is that I'll never be really satisfied with the result because I do not have a baroque flute at my disposal. The sound of modern and baroque flute are very different ... No flitrageor effect is able to transform a modern flute in a baroque flute (which is not the case of the oboe for example ).

Otherwise, I don't want tot go into the old debate on the vibrato and non vibrato. In this case, the compromise is not  to put samples with vibrato where they have nothing to do, the compromise is to try to make baroque music with what I have (please VSL, do something, baroque strings sound and articulations are so beautiful ...). Compromise is not compromission (not sure the word "comprossion" exists in english ...[<:o)].

Regarding accuracy, it's the daily struggle of all baroque mucsiciens with whom I had the opportunity to work the last 30 years: making a "sound", round, clear, perfectly articulated. A perfect symbiosis between all the musicians. Afterwards, everyone's tastes, of course.

I'm going to take a brake on this piece, waiting other samples, from VSL or others, that will better serve this beautiful score of the most brilliant son of Bach.

Best.

Philippe