Luis Hernández

Hello, I really liked it. I don't find it “difficult” to listen to at all. You just have to open your ears and let yourself be carried away. I'm not usually very fond of such high-pitched instruments as soloists, but here I think everything sounds fantastic. Movement III is very lyrical. So is V. That gives a lot of balance to the more frenetic rhythm of other parts.

The first composition is very beautiful, both the melody and the accompaniment, which I find very romantic in style. What I am not quite sure about (as I am no expert in this field) are the bowing indications in some bars (such as bar 12).

Apologies, I thought that this type of thing, where there is no intervention, would be better suited to other subforums...

Apologies, it's just that I'm very “meticulous” and I like to leave the scores as “clean” as I can. One thing I learned about orchestration is that the bass, apart from being essential for setting the harmony and rhythm at times, is what the human ear perceives the least, since our ears are tuned to mid-range frequencies and also reacts immediately to high frequencies. Therefore, especially when the orchestra becomes denser, it is advisable to reinforce the bass. The usual practice is to double the double basses with cellos, in unison or an octave. The double bass can play only the strong notes in pizzicato and the cellos can play sustained notes. You can also add the bassoon to your ensemble, whose low range is more comfortable. The timpani can also reinforce the bass at times. And then there are other instruments that are not in this style: the tuba, par excellence. And others such as the contrabassoon, bass trombone, etc.

This is an orchestration exercise, and my solution.

How did this go unnoticed? It's a really good piece, in a style that, to my mind, is like neoclassical. The writing is very refined. The recurring motifs give it a lot of coherence.

Nice song. But this subforum is intended for music composed by us...

Hello, I think it's a huge undertaking. In particular, it's very well structured and the themes develop and evolve smoothly and beautifully. To me, it sounds like late classical or early romantic music. The solo violin part isn't particularly complicated (virtuoso). There are some things that strike me as rather strange. For example, the tessitura where the timpani appears is excessively high, although it seems to sound where it should (so I gather it is a question of notation). Sometimes the horn acts as a “bass” in a very (too much, I think) deep tessitura... when you have other instruments available. The indication Qleg (quasi legato?) appears in many places where it makes no sense (with separate notes and staccato). There is a tendency (logical at certain stages of one's training in orchestration) to use strings predominantly. In moments with orchestral weight, I think the bass (double bass) needs to be doubled, as it is what the ear hears least. On the other hand, when parts are played where sections are separated (wind or strings), the counterpoints can be heard very well. Good work.

Thank you for listening and commenting. Yes, the high range always gives you pause with these instruments. In fact, in the original piece for piano, there are moments when the tessitura shoots much higher, but I had to think of other ways to express those exaltations. I don't get too complicated with the sound bank because, although I know my way around a DAW, my priority is not to make the sound perfect and realistic, but to write the music and make it sound decent. In other words, what I like is composing. So, what I use is the Dorico editing programme, where I write directly, and I leave the sounds to Noteperformer. Of course, I have taken care to equalise each and every instrument, apply a compressor to the final sound and make some panning and stereo adjustments (all of which can be done in Dorico itself). My own compositions... There will be loads of them on this forum. Some bad, some better. Given that I am an amateur and never stop learning. The thing is, right now I'm focused on learning to orchestrate better, rather than writing my own stuff.

Thank you for listening and for your comments. Yes, the piano version is considerably faster. But when transferring it to an orchestra, or an ensemble like this one, if you don't reduce the tempo, it's difficult to appreciate what's happening. That's why, rather than a literal copy for orchestra, it's a reinterpretation. However, in some parts I had (and still have) doubts. More than because of the ranges and tessitura, but because of what each instrument can do, especially in the runs or fast passages. Best regards.

Hello On this occasion, and to increase my skills with regard to brass instruments, I have orchestrated a song by Mendelssohn, Op. 19 No. 3 (Hunting Song), originally for solo piano. The ensemble consists of four French horns, two trumpets, two trombones, and one tuba. I had to improvise to resolve some passages where the registers were very high, but it is not a literal copy, rather a version with certain liberties taken. I have respected the original key (A major, which is not bad for brass). But another might have been better, such as B flat major (but some notes were too high for me). Everything is untransposed and in separate systems (I am working on condensing it with the programme, but it's a bit of a nightmare...).

A very thorough and beautiful piece of work. I find the music very visual, cinematic; you can almost see it in a film from the 50s or 60s. The level of detail in the writing is admirable. What's more, the sounds are fantastic. One thing I really liked is that you use a very “restrained” orchestra, with a romantic feel. In other words, nothing “hypertrophic.” But the amount of colors and sounds you introduce is spectacular.

Bravo. Great work. I really like it. The main theme is beautiful, and so is the development. I find the orchestration very balanced and brought to a climax very effectively. The sounds, which I don't know what they are, are not bad at all, except perhaps the strings, which tend to shorten the final part of their duration on long notes.

Great work. There are brilliant parts and some very original arrangements. However, I think that at times it is too literal with respect to the original song, which isn't bad, it's just a matter of taste. The introduction is very good, distributing the melody between the strings and the winds. I think the first verse forgets this dialogue a little and relies heavily on the strings, which then move to another level but continue to carry the melody. There are some tessituras that I think are unnecessarily out of place, if they are even possible to play effectively (double basses in 29 and 30). There are also several instances where the strings split into several notes and it is unclear whether they are double-triple stops or divisi. I also find it strange to see the piccolo and flute in unison, with the former in a very low register. In conclusion, I see a huge amount of work that sounds good. But orchestrating is not easy, and the orchestra you have chosen is quite large.

A fascinating instrument. Tiorba is how I know it in my language. I don't know anything about how to write for this instrument. I thought, perhaps associated with the Baroque and its use as a continuo, that the lower open strings were for the bass. Although it seems that you use it differently.