Arrangements, Transcriptions, Orchestrations, etc.

Started by EigenUser, March 22, 2014, 06:28:46 PM

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EigenUser

Quote from: EigenUser on August 06, 2014, 06:04:35 AM
I've been working on the orchestration of Bartok's Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs (there are 8) from 1920. Since it was written around the time of The Miraculous Mandarin (1919-ish) and the Dance Suite, I've been referring to these compositions a lot as well since they are good examples of orchestration from that period. I have finished the first 3 movements (though I am kind of unhappy with the 2nd one) and I've started the last one (the beginning and the end of it). Here is the third one, just finished today:

[audio]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/4vr90pigt2taw0j/BartokImprovisations_OrchIII_1.mp3[/audio]

I extended the loud, lyrical section in the middle because I thought that the orchestration built up too much for its original short length

I am overall very happy with it (when orchestrated, the louder parts do remind me of sections from The Miraculous Mandarin), but there are some things that I am not sure about:
1. The celesta rolls at the beginning (I added -- there are two of them)
2. For that matter, the harp "rolls" at the beginning. Are there too many of them? They are doubled by the strings and a clarinet trill
3. An annoying, singular harp chord (stacked fourth) around 30 seconds in, but maybe the software is playing it back too loud.
4. For the 2nd loud section near the end, the strings come in with a fast scale before the lyrical melody. It sounds sparse. Maybe add a crescendo in the horns?

I'd really appreciate any helpful comments and friendly criticism on the above or anything else that catches your attention. Not only by musicians, but also listeners (in fact, I am slightly more interested in aesthetic-oriented comments than technical ones). Especially by Bartok fans, even if you don't know the original piece.

*ahem* ::)

(It's only 2 minutes and 2 seconds)

8)
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".