2023 Beethoven Challenge Website Evaluations J

For complete details on the 2023 Orchestration Challenge, visit the Orchestration Online EVENTS page: orchestrationonline.com/events/
The official playlist for this year's orchestration challenge:
• 2023 Orchestration Cha...
Sonata no. 24 in F# Major, Op. 78 by Ludwig van Beethoven, as performed by pianist Spencer Myer. Recording used by permission.
Original performances:
Movt. 1: • Spencer Myer plays Bee...
Movt. 2: • Spencer Myer plays Bee...
Spencer's website: www.spencermyer.com
Support the creation of free internet orchestration resources by joining Orchestration Online on Patreon:
/ orchestrationonline
Visit the official Orchestration Online website and subscribe to our newsletter. orchestrationonline.com
Join the orchestration online community by subscribing to this channel, checking in on Twitter @OrchestrationOL, and being part of the conversation on Facebook.
/ 278568792265515

[@grahamhaynes9201]

Very, very nice Kalen. Lovely details. I like the big build up in dynamics toward the third bar of the melody with the winds. Also lovely use of the triangle .

[@kalensmith-composer]

This is great, thanks so much for breaking down the little details. You're right about the woodwinds in the opening, I did have them as you suggested originally but changed them to be interlocking as a bit of an experiment. I also did mean portato for the accompaniment, not sure how I missed adding those slurs. For the harp notation, I am a harpist, so I marked the muffling and pedaling as I normally do for scores.

[@noelleggett5368]

Yoav Shati: dreamy orchestration. I love the cello solo in the introduction. Marvellous idea! The string writing is (mostly) delicate and fun. The wind colours are beautiful. (Maybe some legato slurs are missing for the violins and flutes, though. And maybe a breath for the bassoonist?). All in all, a beautiful job. Positively charming!

[@yoavshati]

Thank you! I had a solo cello last year so I thought I'd use it again, and the introduction really worked with it

[@noelleggett5368]

Kalen Smith: magical orchestration! A lovely approach, reminiscent of a classical ballet or light opera. The harp and trumpets are a nice surprise.

[@kalensmith-composer]

Thanks! I am a harpist myself, so I had to include it in that little orchestration.

[@emilygclarinet]

Noah Horowitz: I like how the dark sound of the opening contrasts with the lighter character of the following section. Kalen Smith: Nice, bright-sounding score. The touches of harp and percussion are a neat addition. Yoav Shati: Love the cello solo, and your writing for winds. Ryan O’Farrell: I like your idea of starting with the full orchestra. Robert Bassill: I like your use of strings in the opening, and your string writing in general. Erica Szymanski: So colourful and full of life.

[@grahamhaynes9201]

Beautiful Yoav. I love the cello intro. Nice dark sound .

[@yoavshati]

Thank you for the feedback Thomas! A lot of the things you commented on I actually did intentionally, but I agree that I made some weird decisions in some places I feel like I've grown and learned a lot as an orchestrator this year, and sadly this score doesn't show it like other pieces I've written/orchestrated. Hopefully next year's piece will inspire me more

[@kalensmith-composer]

Noah Horowitz: This is a great score with good attention to detail! The opening is creative, and the writing throughout is well balanced. I wonder if some small sustain might help glue that woodwind call and answer part.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

Darn it, I had so many comments and then I didn't save them! ARG!

[@kalensmith-composer]

Yoav Shati: The opening is great, I love the idea of a solo cello taking that line. The woodwind and string blending works well throughout the score. Looks to me like there are some legato slurs missing from the violin and flute parts.

[@yoavshati]

Thank you!

[@noelleggett5368]

Robert Bassill: Beautiful sound combinations! Lovely textures and colours. I’m sure Thomas will help you improve the dynamics and phrasing. I particularly liked the gentle thickening of the wind harmonies and colour changes in the last few bars.

[@noelleggett5368]

Erica Szymanski: Such a beautiful orchestration - reminiscent of a Strauss waltz. Lovely rich colouring - daring harmony for the early 19th century! I would have preferred to see the flutes and oboes continue the triplets - (the drama seemed to deflate, along with the harmonic ambiguity). Overall, it was magical!

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Amazing entry, Noah! Only two concerns to add to Thomas' solid remarks. First, in the 8th to 9th measures, there was a gap that you could have filled in (e. g. with the Horns), but even that worked (just wanted to make sure you know, since though the idea works here, it will not work in every situation). Second, in the 3rd measure from the end, I'm not sure why there is a "p" dynamic being restated unnecessarily in the Oboes.

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Great entry, Yoav! Generally, try to avoid putting long slurs over Wind, Brass, and especially String parts. (Also, in case you didn't know, the Flutes are unrealistically loud in your mockup.) More specifically, first, beware of the trap of the incomplete measure at the Common Time (or the "Allegro ma non troppo"), where there is a whole rest in the Oboes (which would mess up the players' counting). Notation programs (in particular Sibelius) sometimes default to this, so watch out. Second, in m. 6, the notation in the Violas was confusing (try to avoid slurring over repeated notes). Third, in m. 7-8, Thomas mentioned the Bassoon dropping out, but also I felt the Horns should have continued along with the Bassoon(-s) (or at least played the first beat in m. 7), since I felt bereaved in a section that should have expanded. Fourth, in m. 10, marking "1" and "2" on your Bassoons is totally unnecessary (unless you want the 2nd player on top, in which you would mark "2" on top and "1" on bottom, but you should rarely do that). Overall, a wonderfully intricate orchestration. (As an aside, the entire Double Bass part is fantastic from start to finish in the context and function of the music!)

[@jadrianverkouteren3799]

NOAH: The start was a little "growly" for my taste (esp. the tremoli in the low strings), but the rest of the arrangement was really enjoyable. YOAV: I like the cello at the start (but it needs the opening C). Very smooth transitions. Impressive. ROBERT: A nice arrangement. I would suggest marking the horns down one dynamic level at the start (and use single players). ERICA: Interesting that you started the Allegro section with the eighths in the woodwinds, a nice change from what others have done. Adding thirds tot he sixteenth-note section was a nice way to thicken the texture on the way to your powerful tutti finish. THOMAS: "Three trumpets would be 'Aye Aye Aye'"? Bad dad joke, Thomas! 😬 🤣

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Nice entry, Robert! Though the Strings a bit loud in the mockup, I have no concerns to add to Thomas's solid remarks.

[@noelleggett5368]

Noah Horowitz: a truly beautiful realisation! I love the brooding introduction contrasted with the flowing strings. Great textural contrasts and playful colours. Congratulations! 🎉

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Fascinating score, Erica! Watch out for the whole rest with the fermata in m. 4, as it might mess up the players' counting. Also, in the 5th measure from the end, it became very cloudy, especially without a well-defined bass line; and putting "II" to mark the entrance of the 2nd Oboe is totally unnecessary. Your Timpani was also nicely scored, though it would cloud the harmony in the 3rd measure from the end.

[@peterbouma3943]

Noah Horowitz Very good entry. Great contrast in colours and textures. Quite skilfully worked out, very clear and well-organised score (fellow Dorico user maybe?). I love the surprising low opening solo in the brooding chalumeau register. And your articulations are very good throughout. Yes, the cello part is very playable. Without the position shift needed to reach E4 it would even be beginner’s level. I would slightly change the slurring though: in bar 7 (if I count right), I’d prefer four down, two up (lot of bow available to make crescendo), then down from the mf. Or what about switching viola and cello? Cello in octaves with V1 is very radiant. Then the violas get a very sonorous lower part with their open G string. You should then omit V2 on the melody, give them some other broken chord figuration, or keep repeating the D’s from the beginning. Sorry for fantasizing a bit, your score is just so inviting! Excellent work, Noah. Kalen Smith Love the harp and especially the bright wind opening, and the overall elegance of your scoring. I don’t think you need the triangle, but that’s a matter of taste. Maybe you could have used the harp even more extensively under the 16th figures? Yoav Shati A cello solo intro, what a perfect idea! But as a cellist, I may be slightly biased. You could also put this solo an octave higher (in tenor clef), where it’s in the cello’s best register, but TBH, this dark line is also beautiful. As the soloist, I would definitely break the long slur without even asking. Oh, and be careful to keep other strings out of this register in order not to drown the solo.

[@kalensmith-composer]

Thanks for the comment! You're right that the harp could be used a little more extensively. I think it's a situation where I'd augment the part during the repeat (although I only orchestrated those few bars).

[@yoavshati]

Thank you! I used a solo cello last year in its higher register and it was beautiful, but I thought this sounded good an octave down

[@peterbouma3943]

Ryan O’Farrell I like the full-bodied opening, also the rich doublings on the theme make it really stand out. Thomas discusses your slurring extensively, so I won't delve into that. Just let me add, from a cellist’s point of view, that I can confirm you really don’t need to break the slur in the sixteenths in the cello in m.10-11. Robert Bassill I like the warm strings opening, but the doubling of the second voice may be a bit too powerful, especially when you also give it to the cellos in their brightest register. I also like the brisk staccatos in the leggieramente. The horns are a bit too loud in your soundset, but that's not how you wrote them. The cello in m.5 is not difficult (except maybe for a beginner), especially with the low note separated (slurring it would require a bit of ‘masking’, i.e. avoiding articulation when landing on the high string). In this case, if you place the first finger on the low F, you can even leave it there for a few moments, so that it resonates a bit longer. It’s very idiomatic, the Bach solo suites are full of this. Erica Szymansky Those low horns at the start are a great idea, although tricky for inexperienced players. But if it works, it’s gorgeous. Careful with (too) occasional doublings and parallels between violas and cellos, those bass lines become a bit random. Try to discover the real bass line, keep it at the bottom (doesn't actually have to be in the low range) and avoid doubling it in upper voices (apart from octaves meant to enhance the bass itself). I’d suggest to try and re-create old-fashioned 4-part harmony, and work from there. When orchestrating, I mostly start rewriting the piece for a string quartet. It forces you to establish what the basic structure of the piece is, and which functions are present which should be somehow preserved, or mimicked. Harmony is one of the most elementary.

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Wonderful score, Kalen! Generally, do not use italics for "pizz." and "arco" markings (and putting a period after "arco" is unnecessary). First, in the measure before the repeat, I think the Flute set up the Violins' octaves in the following measures, though maybe not as natural as it could have been (because though this arrangement is very period, the Flute would be absorbed somewhat by the Violins below as Thomas mentioned). Second, in the 2nd to 3rd measures after the repeat sign, I suggest you mark down the Brass dynamically, because it is a bit overwhelming, which is especially troublesome because of the "mf" Harp chord, which should probably be left untouched (but make the dynamic "f" so that it comes through). Finally, in the last 3 measures in your Winds, whole rests are superfluous if you mark what player is playing (which should practically always be the first, as Thomas mentioned). Otherwise, a great score with many wonderful touches, especially in the Strings and Harp.

[@noelleggett5368]

Ryan O’Farrell: a rich but delicate approach. I was wondering if you were influenced by a baroque concerto? I love the textures and colours, but I don’t think the mockup was very well balanced. Thomas’s advice should help improve the balance for you.

[@AndrewRayQuiroz]

Pleasing score, Ryan! Generally, be careful about having your dynamics mixed (e. g. in m. 8-9, your Violins increase to and then decrease from "f", your Cellos, Violas, and Winds are at "mp", and your Basses and Timpani are at "p", which all makes no sense because they do not correspond with what instruments are naturally stronger), as (aside from the fact that Beethoven almost never does this except at extremes of dynamics) it may be confusing to the other players who only see their part and may suspect you made a mistake. More specifically, first, in the first 4 measures (i. e. the intro), while "a 2" Bassoons (and Flutes) were a Beethovenian touch, "a 2" Oboes (especially in their low register) may sound harsh, so the 1st Oboe should suffice (and still cut through the texture). Second, watch out for the strange stem directions in the Basses in the 2nd measure from the end.

[@charlesgaskell5899]

1:54 2022? 😅

[@OrchestrationOnline]

I'm a sick man... 😇