Questions:
1. How to make an orchestra sound best (see image ‘timbre/frequency’):
- Good Composition:
- Orchestration:
- Creation of SPACES and SILENCES. Relation to FORM.
- Combination, mixing of sound-colors.
- Too literal orchestration of events.
- Strange objects in percussion: distraction.
- Harmonics:
- Chord- stacking: wide / narrow / natural order of I I V III
- Octave: relation composition and instrument.
- Harmonic Rhythm: holding hands; predictability and surprise. Playabiliy.
- Orchestration:
- Players: Right training (FC, RT), train them to listen (re-hear-sal).
- Conductor: Right training, right mind-set.
- Listeners: Concentration / Distraction. Everybody will hear something different. I will hear something different every time.
2. How to organize orchestration in a composition over TIME:
- FORM dominates orchestration: repetitive orchestrations in an ‘orchestration rhythm’.
- Energy-curve dominates orchestration: consciously building orchestration up to climax.
- Let the instruments talk: no plan, intuitive approach.
3. Common orchestrations versus experiments:
- Dream versus Practical: can I get the composition played? Will it be picked up?
- Experimenting with ‘arrangements’: Every time a new composition emerges, it’s not simply writing different instruments. This is a useful exercise, but it only shows possibilities, not definite solutions.
- Dream: Strings with windensembles (flutes, saxophones, tuba/euphonium, percussion)
Stage Set-up of Dream Orchestration:
- The percussion is divided into 3 pits: one (timpani) in the back and 2 (mallets) in the front
- The flute ensemble is standing at the left front.
- The brass ensemble is seated at the right front.
- The saxophones are standing/seated in the middle front.
- The strings are standing behind the wind-instruments.
- The singers are behind the audience, at a balcony.
- The video screen is behind the orchestra. The live sand-artist is the soloist of the evening. (Click-track signal with video available.)
- Set up on stage: Explain the dream. Standing musicians?
- The 30 players orchestra. Will it sound grand? Set up?
- Does this huge sound happen without a PAD bass? When outside?
4. Busoni: Words:
- How words distract from Music, how they are not Music. (The brain processes: 1. images, 2. words, 3. music. Meaning the images will dominate, are the ‘soloist’)
- Use of words (AHAB versus DAVID): telling or singing. (Point at the horizon: off/online musical puppet theater)
5. Busoni: The THIRD option:
- How to go beyond absolute versus programmatic. How to make develop beyond this point?
