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  4. Hetoreyns 'Also Spruch Zarathrustra'

  • Hetoreyns 'Also Spruch Zarathrustra'

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    Well. Let me explain how this came about. Basically one of my projects at the moment is a symphonic work of Arthur C. Clarkes '3001: The Final Odyssey'. Work is still in progress and I don't want to show any of those pieces until they're completed. Also I hope to actually sell this one ;D So I'm holding off putting demo pieces on my site.

    Essentially the work will be interpretations of scenes from the book. Themes for appropriate events, places and people. But I came to think that anyone buying this, presumably a 2001: Space Odyssey fan, will expect yet another rendition of the momentous main theme, Also spruch Zarathrustra.

    So I did it anyway and I'll decide later if it's going on the album. I've yet to see how much it will cost to license this piece! So at the moment it's okay since I'm not making any money out of it, and nor do I wish to. I rather prefer making money and being regarded for my own work and talent (if indeed I have any ;D).

    In any event I think you will find this piece an interesting 'simulation' (I rather like this term for VSL songs), of a piece that is really quite difficult to play in VSL terms, at least to put the same dynamics into it. And yes I have changed the ending, and I realize that the hard core fans of this song will be mortified .. but It has to have something of it's present composer in it, or you may aswell listen to the original. I have also added a choral part (background though).

    So, I hope you like, and all comments are welcome. It's not a final mix per se, but I think the composition is done. (well, I may change it a little! A few notes not completely where they should be .. but most are, hehe)

    http://www.elvenmusic.com/other-eng.html

    (The guys who run my site had a collosal problem and unfortunately lost the German version of my site and are rebuilding it, so sorry to all those, ... if any ... who preferred to read my site in German .. back again soon though ;D)

    Hetoreyn
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    Opening very good: nice "growl" on the celli and double basses but the ending????? Just let's say that I think I prefer the original... [8-)]

    Well done, nevertheless: it's a fascinating work and I would be interested to hear what your renditions of the rest of the piece would be like. Or perhaps you've set your sights firmly on the "Alpine Symphony"...
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    @jamriding said:

    Opening very good: nice "growl" on the celli and double basses but the ending????? Just let's say that I think I prefer the original... [8-)]

    Well done, nevertheless: it's a fascinating work and I would be interested to hear what your renditions of the rest of the piece would be like. Or perhaps you've set your sights firmly on the "Alpine Symphony"...


    Alpine? Not quite sure what you mean there ;D. Still, the ending!! hehe As I expected. I did it this way to fit in with the composition style of the rest of what I'm writing. There's this 2 chord ostenato which switches from minor to major alot in the pieces and so I put a hint of that in the ending of 'my' Zarathrustra. Well I did say that those who know and love the original will be mortified! In any event it can't be worse than the 2010 (Odyssey two) version .. wow that one sucked!

    Don't worry though .. I won't be attempting 'The Blue Danube' or anything like that!

    Wasn't easy getting the dynamic. Used a lot of long crecendo's on each instrument to get it. Maybe with the right kind of mixing and effecting it could even pass for 'real'.

    Hetoreyn
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    @hetoreyn said:

    In any event it can't be worse than the 2010 (Odyssey two) version .. wow that one sucked!

    Hetoreyn


    Thinks I'll definitely give that Odyssey version a miss...

    The Alpine Symphony (or Alpensinfonie to give its German title): wow... Makes "Also sprach Zarathustra" seem like a chamber work in comparison! Not without its fair share of longeurs but the "big" bits certainly make up for any shortcomings.

    Then there's "Tod und Verklarung" (my favourite) or "Don Quixote" with its chorus of braying sheep... Wonder how Epic Horns would cope with them?????
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    @Another User said:

    The Alpine Symphony (or Alpensinfonie to give its German title): wow... Makes "Also sprach Zarathustra" seem like a chamber work in comparison! Not without its fair share of longeurs but the "big" bits certainly make up for any shortcomings.

    Then there's "Tod und Verklarung" (my favourite) or "Don Quixote" with its chorus of braying sheep... Wonder how Epic Horns would cope with them?????


    Heh, well I'm not sure my work will sound quite as strange is that would appear. Essentially I'm doing a good ol' fashioned space opera, in my style of course! I don't think I could live without the epic horns .. they're just so cool. I used them for the first piece of the album. The 'Goliath' theme (Goliath is a spaceship designed for catching and transporting large ice asteriods), and the horns give just the perfect top line melody for this grand scene.

    Hetoreyn
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    I would say that instead of doing "also sprach zarathrusta", you should just take inspiration and come up with something completely new, but similar enough to evoke the same kind of emotion.

    -BW
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    @Horse Opera said:

    I would say that instead of doing "also sprach zarathrusta", you should just take inspiration and come up with something completely new, but similar enough to evoke the same kind of emotion.

    -BW


    Well, funny enough that's actually what I am doing ;D. The entire CD is original compositions. The inclusion of 'Also Sprach Zarathrustra' would only be done to enhance the listeners experience of the music being a part of the 'Space Odyssey' saga.. I'm still dwelling over whether or not it will be included. Probably not, but I performed the piece, half as practise, and half to see if I could do a credible job.

    When I eventually take this to a publisher, having gotten all the permissions etc to publish, I want to be sure that if they say to me, "You really need to have the Zarathrustra piece in this!", that I've got it ready.

    However, you haven't said anything bad about the performance of the piece so I'll assume that you found it a perfectly credible renditioning. ;D

    Hetoreyn
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    Just a tip, if you're going to take it to the publishers...

    It's actually called "Also sprach Zarathustra" not "Also spruch Zarathrustra". A tiny point, I know (and something which you might think is overtly pedantic) but I wouldn't want you to fail on something which could easily be put right.

    Best of luck with the piece: as I say it was a credible rendition so here's hoping...
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    Actually, I meant you should simply take inspiration from the introduction of also sprach zarathrusta as opposed to including the actual introduction. Come up with your own original intro, if you are able to create something as iconic and triumphant, people won't (hopefully) care. This way it accomplishes what it intends without having to rehash something verbatim.

    And incidentally I'm a snobby purist and find the original ending much more rewarding to the listener. The ending of the introduction is so engrained in all of our minds that we anticipate it from the very beginning of that opening chord. To change it to something different in a sense ruins the whole piece. It's like picking up a glass of beer and expecting to taste the beautiful essence of guinness and drinking luke warm milk instead. No offense of course! It's hard to mess with the Strauss.

    -BW
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    @Horse Opera said:

    Actually, I meant you should simply take inspiration from the introduction of also sprach zarathrusta as opposed to including the actual introduction. Come up with your own original intro, if you are able to create something as iconic and triumphant, people won't (hopefully) care. This way it accomplishes what it intends without having to rehash something verbatim.

    And incidentally I'm a snobby purist and find the original ending much more rewarding to the listener. The ending of the introduction is so engrained in all of our minds that we anticipate it from the very beginning of that opening chord. To change it to something different in a sense ruins the whole piece. It's like picking up a glass of beer and expecting to taste the beautiful essence of guinness and drinking luke warm milk instead. No offense of course! It's hard to mess with the Strauss.

    -BW


    Well, Alex North tried to come up with a similar begining .. and it sounded really quite lacklustre .. and he was a consumat professional ;D So I'm not sure I fancy my chances trying to re-create a new version .. of course during the course of my compositions I may inadvertantly come across a way to do it. It's a shame you didin't like my ending .. myself I find it more satisfying, but I appreciate your reasoning ;D

    In writing this piece I listened to both versions that I have .. the original 2001, and the 2010 version. Other than audio quality the 2001 version seemed to just lack punch at the end. For 3001: The Final odyssey, I wanted it to sound like it was indeed 'Final'. And all I've really done is to add two extra notes!

    Well .. who knows, just have to wait and see what providence provides .. I admit it'd be nice to come up with a new intro title.

    Hetoreyn
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