Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

181,914 users have contributed to 42,191 threads and 254,630 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 2 new thread(s), 17 new post(s) and 50 new user(s).

  1. Home
  2. Orchestration & Composition
  3. Your Music
  4. Romantic Symphony HUGE version

  • Romantic Symphony HUGE version

    W
    W
    last edited
    last edited

    I probably should not post another piece right away, but this one is totally different from the Andante and Allegro. That was tiny, this is obscenely huge:

    Romantic Symphony

    I recorded this with VSL before. However, I wanted to do a new mix using MIR Pro, and decided to increase the size of the orchestra to near Berlioz-conducting-with-a-sword levels. It is mixed in Viennakonzerthaus Great Hall Conductor's Postion with Miracle Close Orchestral Stage Enhance. This is the instrumentation:

    Solo Flute 1

    Flute Ensemble

    Flute 2

    French Oboe

    Viennese Oboe

    Oboe Ensemble

    Clarinet 1

    Clarinet Ensemble

    Bassoon 1

    Bassoon Ensemble

    Contrabassoon

    Trumpet 1

    Cornet

    Trumpet B Flat

    Trumpet 3 Transposed

    2 Flugelhorns

    8 Horn ensemble

    Solo Horn 1

    Solo Triple horn

    Dimension horns 1-4

    4 horn ensemble

    Trombone ensemble

    Solo Trombone

    Bass Trombone

    Tuba

    Timpani

    Orchestral Percussion

    Gongs

    Cymbals/Anvil

    Glockenspiel

    Chimes 1 & 2

    Tom-toms

    Harp

    Viennakonzerthaus Pipe Organ

    Appassionata Violins with Orchestral divisi

    Solo Violin

    Orchestral Violins with Chamber divisi

    Solo Violin 2

    Appassionata Violas with Orchestral divisi

    Solo Viola

    Appassionata Cellos with Orchestal divisi

    Solo Cello 2

    Orchestral Basses

    Chamber Basses
  • P
    P

    Hi William

    That Symphony is superb, huge orchestra or not, its wonderful, god only knows how long it took you to write, but it sounds fantastic.

    I've often toyed with uploading some of my own music on here, but after listening to your stuff, and many other forum members who have posted feel i REALLY need to up my game!

    To me, all 38 minuets are fabulous, the melodies are wonderful and the use of dynamics and tension, to me, are simpley lovely and you should feel rightly proud of it mate.

    I think i'll take a look at the score you linked in your youtube description, as im very keen to be able to write with passion like this

    Very, very well done, I loved it

    With kindest regards

    Paul.
  • W
    W

    Thanks a lot Paul I appreciate your listening.
  • J
    J

    William, I'm at a loss of words.

    If there was ever a glaring example of the prowess capability and potential of the "Virtual Orchestra"  your Romantic Symphony is that example.  And not just any virtual orchestra but The Vienna Symphonic Library. If Herb or any of the VSL team listen to this piece then I think they have every right to feel just as proud of it as you must feel because 99.999% of it is completely indiscernible from a live orchestra. Of course it wouldn't be possible without a competent and skilled virtual orchestrator such as yourself waving the baton. This piece surely makes the case that the virtual orchestra is a medium for composition that needs to be taken seriously in professional music circles once and for all.

    I'm sorry to say that I wasn't able to listen to the entire piece but from the 20 minutes I heard I was just blown away by the expressiveness and naturalism demonstrated in the performances.  The composition itself was lyrical and filled with emotion conveyed by a beautiful arrangement but not to the point of pretentiousness which is characteristic of some bombastic Romantic symphonies.

    So thank you for posting, not just this piece, but all of the wonderful work you have done over the years.
  • M
    M

    Hey William, impressive, really. Very impressive!
  • W
    W

    MMKA thanks very much.

    Jasen, thank you for your very kind words!  
  • T
    T

    Bill, 

    I've listened to your symphony numerous times, now in the Supersized rendition. It is a masterful work, clearly your magnum opus, and I am thankful that you created it and put it out there for those of us who love great concert music to enjoy.

    As for your MIDIstration, I will eschew my usual habit of blathering on and come straight to the point: This is the finest example of a virtual performance of an original, large-scale orchestral work that I am aware of. To me, its greatest strength is the fact that you are such a fantastic orchestrator. Even with your advanced MIDI skills, great ear, and the finest orchestral samples, the GIGO principle would strike in a hurry in a gigantic piece like this if those myriad parts weren't right. They are right.

    Congratulations on this marvelous accomplishment and again, thank you for sharing it.

    Tom
  • W
    W

    thanks so much Tom, I  really appreciate that!    I think Guy Bacos, Christian Kardeis, Jay Bacal and a lot of other guys here are beyond me, but that is very nice of you to say!  

     

    p.s. - I hope you noticed the high C just before the end for the entire horn section on the bellowing counter melody.  They were struggling to be heard over the entire 6 Trumpet - Flugelhorn/5 trombone-Bass Trombone/Tuba section but I think they succeeded. 

    Also, I should mention that the 8 horn ensemble on this recording was accurately divided by means of using two four-horn ensembles when there was just 2 note divisi, and four combo solo/dimension horns when it was 4 note divisi.  I had them sittting on top of each other in MIR to represent the spacing similarly. 
  • JBacalJ
    JBacalJ
    Very impressive composition and performance!! And i’m sure an unspeakable amount of hard work. Bravo, William!!
  • W
    W

    Thanks very much Jay it is great to hear from you! 

     

     

    You and all the people who have commented here are extremely talented musicans that I admire and I greatly appreciate the feedback.  
  • T
    T
    last edited
    last edited

    @William said:

    p.s. - I hope you noticed the high C just before the end for the entire horn section on the bellowing counter melody.  They were struggling to be heard over the entire 6 Trumpet - Flugelhorn/5 trombone-Bass Trombone/Tuba section but I think they succeeded. 

    Yeah, I caught that. Made me smile and think, "It's the last few bars of a 38-minute blowfest of a chart and he's got all 8 of 'em screaming out a high C against every known instrument and the kitchen sink. That's the Bill we all know and love!" That being said, I'd give my eye teeth to sit in with a good orchestra and attempt to play it...as long as the rest of the horn section was certified in CPR.
  • PaoloTP
    PaoloTP

    Perfect midi rendering apart, it is a great work. The narrative quality pushes one's attention forward at each measure, and the very transparent orchestration lets one see the huge masses conflicting during the tight development. Lyrical moments are never devoided of the same tension of the more epic parts. More than strictly Romantic, I feel it as very Mahlerian, mixed with a more direct epic quality, a textural thickness that is, maybe, very American.

    Paolo
  • W
    W

    Thanks very much for listening Paolo and your comments!

    Tom I am trying to get it played live but my lips would be hamburger after even the fourth horn part.  Which makes me something of a hypocrite I guess. 
  • C
    C

    Hi William,

    I agree with the people who already commented - very impressive. Must have been quite a labour to create such a fluid MIDI performance.

    Indeed, the piece reminded me of Mahler, those parts with a quiet harp (sounded very natural, by the way) for instance. 

    Didn't see that organ coming, :) it felt right, though.

    Those toms at 17:15 attracted my attention (they are concert toms, right?). I wonder if you are 100% happy with the way they worked in that part. This would be the only crticism, if it is, everything else sounded flawless to me.

    Cheers,

    Crusoe.
  • W
    W

    Crusoe that is a good call as the level of the tom-toms was questionable.  I cranked them up, also adjusted their individual dry/wet to -45.12% in the MIR Vienna Konzerthaus GrosserSaal v2 Conductor position with overall dry/wet  at -35.44% and the Miracle Close Orchestral Stage Enhance default setting.  
  • C
    C
    last edited
    last edited

    @William said:

    Crusoe that is a good call as the level of the tom-toms was questionable.  I cranked them up, also adjusted their individual dry/wet to -45.12% in the MIR Vienna Konzerthaus GrosserSaal v2 Conductor position with overall dry/wet  at -35.44% and the Miracle Close Orchestral Stage Enhance default setting.  

    Oh, I guess I can see the reasoning behind this. Thanks for the explanation!
  • MackerM
    MackerM

    Bravo William!

    I'm in awe of your magnificent creative energy, your fine skills in composition, orchestration and midistration, and your boundless care and attention to all detail, artistic and technical. I happen to be a fan of big bold romantic pieces (especially by the Russian greats) and I agree with Paolo in that I found myself effortlessly and willingly moved along by the narrative in this work, always finding my place as a listener appositely alongside the narrative at every moment.

    Right now I can't aspire to such feats but your fine example inspires me to strive ever onwards in the great ocean of musical art and craft. Thank you William.
  • W
    W

    Hi Macker,  thanks a lot!

    I didn't expect much reaction as every time I've submitted this symphony to conductors they just ignore it.  I really appreciate hearing from you and the other people here!
  • P
    P

    Wow, Wiliam it sounds fantastic. The composition AND the sound quality are masterful. For my aesthetic, this is as good as it gets. My one complaint, I wish I had written it. 

    I am listening again for the second time right now. The harmonies are rich and delicious. Every few seconds there is another amazing section that achieves ever greater emotional impact. The trombones and bass trombone really grab at the listener. Thank you for giving my favorite instrument (trombone of course) such wonderful lines. 

    Your strings sound completely believable. I constantly struggle with strings. The woodwinds are perfection. The brass sounds like it could be from a CD. Just marvelous. I wish I could accurately express my admiration with my poor vocabulary. 
  • W
    W

    Hi Paul, thanks very much - I am a fan of your music so that is great to hear.  
  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on