If you’ll forgive me for riding my hobbyhorse again, let me make two vital points about composing with authentic orchestral intonation.
1. The composer may benefit enormously by hearing proper orchestral intonation (i.e. Pythagorean) while composing - not only after the composition has taken shape, nor even as each and every note is played live by the composer, regardless of which notes are eventually used or discarded, but even before any music has been transfered from inside the composer's head to the outside world. When orchestral intonation is implemented in his technical setup and used habitually by the composer, it may eventually alter the way “the muse” forms musical ideas before popping them into the composer’s consciousness. A whole new dimension of musical inspiration, inventiveness and engagement may well open up for the composer. Many if not most of the great classical composers spent years with orchestras, either playing or conducting; I don’t doubt that their ears were so well steeped in orchestral intonation that even while writing at their piano they could hear and think and compose in orchestral intonation.
2. All other things being equal (which they never are!), a composer’s mockup that has proper orchestral intonation will tend to pop out and engage other listeners - such as the producer and director of a movie - in a very special and beneficial way. Then word will get around. As a competitive edge, intonation may well be a game changer.
In considering the following excellent YouTube video by Scott Glasgow, I wondered what difference it might have have made in the blind comparison test if one of the brass libraries had been played using orchestral intonation - I bet it would win hands down, even for listeners with no knowledge or understanding of the differences of intonation between ET and real orchestras.
- “A video comparison of four different brass sample libraries featuring a section of music by John Williams from Star Wars 7 The Force Awakens "Ren's Theme".
Maybe someone will do and publish such a test one day - it’s unlikely to be me because I can’t justify buying all the best libraries out there. (I’m not a pro composer nor hoping to be.)
One of the comments posted below this video was:
“Oh jeez... after listening to the original piece, all these libraries sound terrible, to be honest :(”
to which Glasgow replied:
“yep! can't beat live. maybe I could have spent more time programming but honestly there is no time for that in film scoring... you gotta work quick, so just hire a live orchestra instead!”
Real orchestras have a number of strong advantages over computer mockups, not the least of which - yet, like the elephant sitting in the room, never mentioned - is their traditional intonation.
