Somnolence, orchestral fa

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Somnolence, orchestral fa

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Author Comments

The state of near-sleep, when we are prone to delusion and nightmarish visions. Suggestions of waltz, skittering voices, and dramatic flights of imagination intertwine with constantly distorted motifs.

English horn, 2 horns, harp, glass harmonica, violas (div.), cellos (div.), contrabass

Redesign cut the full title, "orchestral fantasy".

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blackattackbitch

2012-01-20 22:01:56

Beautiful!

The instrumentation in this piece is amazing. It fits very, very well with the theme you described in your comments, and the dynamics in this are, well, this is just top notch. This is probably one of the best songs I've heard in quite a while.

Melody/Harmony: Almost flawless, and for me to point out the small areas that weren't perfect would be an exercise in nitpicking.
Rhythm: Well, this song wasn't focused on that, but the melody carried the rhythm quite well, and it's a good rhythm.
Beginning and End: Perfect. Usually I can find one thing to criticize about either, but not this time.
Dynamics and Articulation: As I already said, you've done beautifully in both areas.

All in all, a solid 10/10 and 5/5, also a download and a favorite. Nice job!

sinequanon responds:

hey thanks for all the great reviews

NickPerrin

2012-01-18 20:32:02

Great work.

I enjoyed this one. Easily the best entry in the orchestral MAC contest so far. Of course, NG loves its big, obvious & overblown epic tracks more than thoughtful, slowly-developing and more challenging music, but at least you'll have my love if not the contest's. :)

Some thoughts - the orchestration seems a little flat. Perhaps this is just a case of difficulty making an accurately colourful mockup with virtual instruments, or the limitations of the smaller and fairly homogenous-sounding ensemble you've chosen, but the overall texture, while suitable for the melodic/motivic material, could use some variation - mainly if used as an entry for a contest that will highlight the idiomatic nature of ALL orchestral music.

The musical ideas themselves are obviously headed in an original direction, but sometimes fade into atmospherics in terms of interest, rather than always being fully engaging material (note: engaging doesn't always mean FAST/EPIC/STUPID/ETC to an experienced listener, so no need to sacrifice the mood you're aiming at). This is something I'm sure is just a matter of improving your craft over time, so I can't really give any advice on it.

Anyway as I said, I enjoyed it and listened fully through, keep up the good work!

I think I'll put something together for this contest too... see you around!

sinequanon responds:

hey nick, it's great to hear from you again. your points are well taken and merit considerate response.

on orchestration, I believe deeply that each musical conception must be realized uniquely to the expectation of its materials. in this piece I'm challenging listeners to experience not color, but nuance within color. with a sample library our means are limitless, but it would be dishonest given the dramatic arc of this particular piece to interrupt the relentless musical introspection with extraneous elements or instruments. I rarely hear consistency in the audio portal since it seems composers prefer indulgence, and in a sense this is a direct response to that.

this is contrary to most listener's expectation of a musical ROYGBIV as opposed to, say, seven shades of blue. it could be that I sabotage the piece's success by deliberately throwing a wrench into the standard conception of orchestration here, but ultimately I would rather educate or at least give pause than win.

that ties into the atmospheric element as well. this is meant to be listened to intensely, not passively engage the audience by working overtime (i.e., overdone brass sections and crazy percussion) to keep their interest. if you take note of and follow the musical elements (such as the mournful melody and all of the motives it contains, the unsettling tremolos embedded in the inner voices, the harmonically uncertain opening and its subsequent references - there are others) you'll find that nothing happens the same way twice - the materials are consistent, but their interaction is constantly evolving. to me, this is both atmosphere and constant interest, if I may also assume from the listener investment enough to profit from that understanding.

I don't mean to disagree - in a sense, you're absolutely right, and you capture and articulate a pervasive perspective. I appreciate reviews like these above all others. looking forward to your entry!

Bristlestorm

2012-01-14 11:02:48

Very nice

Maybe a little slow for the tastes of NG, but I can see your talent...you're now officially on my NG "sine qua non" list! (Et tu, Brute?) If you have a link to your newer works you could add it to your profile..... just a thought.

sinequanon responds:

hey, I appreciate the review. I get what you're saying about the tastes of NG, tho I don't agree. maybe I'll be proven wrong.