Beethoven Patreon Evaluation 19. Sebastian Mercado

For complete details on the 2023 Orchestration Challenge, visit the Orchestration Online EVENTS page: orchestrationonline.com/events/
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• 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
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[@tritono666]

Dear community, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to Thomas for providing me with such detailed feedback. This is the first time I've received such a professional review of my work, and I truly appreciate the opportunity he has given me. I also wish to extend my thanks in the same manner to the entire community for their insightful observations. I have learned a great deal from all the contributions I've had the chance to observe. Regarding the main issues found in my work, they arose from a combination of factors: a lack of understanding of how slurs work in woodwind instruments, numerous proofreading omissions, and last-minute changes. I thank Thomas, all the challenge participants, and the community as a whole for this valuable learning opportunity.

[@enriquesanchez2001]

SEBASTIAN - wonderful work! ♥

[@allensbankmusic]

Absolutely lovely Sebastien.

[@grahamhaynes9201]

Beautiful work Sebastian ! Very smooth and clearly balanced. Beautiful contrasts and handing off between the reeds and strings. One thing I particular like is how when you pass one phrase in reeds to an answering phrase in strings or vice versa , you give us one pivot instrument to tie the 2 phrases together. You do it at one point after the beginning of the C section with the C Basso horn. This to me is like a painter moving from one color to the other by using a shaded color moving from one tone color to the next to make the transitions smooth. Brilliant !

[@jadrianverkouteren3799]

A very thoughtful entry with several surprises that then sounded perfectly natural.

[@herveorus7432]

Wonderfull score Sebastian! There is a lot to learn from your work! I really like it. well done!

[@ConqueringFinale]

Really nicely done. Loved the push into Letter C!

[@grahamhaynes9201]

Beautiful work Sebastian. Very beautifully crafted, balanced and distributed through out the orchestra. One of my favorite parts is the intro and the little counterpoint between the winds. Very nice !

[@andrewerusher2289]

Lovely work Sebastian! I particularly liked the "organ stop" scoring at B, with the oboe and clarinet in octaves. [I am also an organist - that could be why I like it!] And the semiquaver figuration in the violins leading up to C is a nice solution, I reckon - it makes it idiomatic for the strings in a way which a more literal transcription perhaps wouldn't. I did feel that the double bass upbeat to bar 10 was a bit heavy (possibly just because of the soundset). Maybe keeping the triplet upbeat in the violoncelli, with the basses coming in on the downbeat would work better for me? I thought at C the new soft material needed a little bit of a gap before it - the echo of the downbeat chord was still going and it lessened the impact of the contrast. [I put an invisible pause on the rest to counter this] I liked the woodwind scoring over the next few bars, particularly the dovetailing from oboe / clarinet to flute. Well done!

[@abravo88]

Love this - love the horn “glow” in the 3rd bar of the theme, love the gradual transition to a new pattern in the last 6 bars of B. We had similar ideas but ended up with very different moods, which is so interesting!

[@peterbouma3943]

Very, very good! This is maybe the most Beethovenesque entry we've seen so far. Excellently crafted. Pretty good slurring (mostly, but no doubt Thomas will go into that). Doubling flutes with bassoons in the opening theme is perfect, so typical of this musical style. I think there's no need for divisis in the bars before B, could be simple 4-part harmony. Fairly good decisions for the figuration in section B, though I think you could free yourself from the literal piano notes even more, especially at the start of B. I'd add a cautionary natural on the E in the first violins in the bar before C. Good natural horn writing. Section C is very nice with all the exchange of well-chosen timbres. Also good dovetailing in the strings towards the repeat, simple but perfectly executed. Congratulations!

[@annadieckhoff]

Gorgeous work, Sebastian! Such an elegant and polished score!

[@emilygclarinet]

I find that your score has a broad, majestic sound to it. Nicely done.

[@kaijenkin3631]

Wow fantastic work! I loved the intro and amazing woodwind writing throughout!

[@justintraywick1187]

Really great entry! I liked this one a lot. I feel like it has some nice qualities that Beethoven himself might have used if he had scored this. Great job!

[@noelleggett5368]

Sebastian: Beautiful work! Truly sympathetic to the period and Beethoven’s characteristic idiom. I agree with Thomas about the phrasing: in many places it’s perfect, but in other places the phrasing works against the rhythm. Your harmony is beautiful. Even where you vary from the piano score, you keep to the classical style. Very satisfying! Lovely colour choices and contrasting textures. Superb!

[@kovachito]

Nice score..!! I liked it despite all the details Thomas has already mentioned just to improve.!! I must add I'm writing in english just to share my comments with the community all, since I guess Sebastian speaks spanish and I know him...am I wrong?. Si eres tu, Sebastian, te felicito por tu trabajo. Hasta ahora, no habìa visto a alguien conocido entrar en estos desafios. (If that is you, Sebastian, I congratulate you for your entry. I hadn't seen any known get into this challenges.!!)