I'll write you personally on this topic, Dave, but it will take a bit of thinking and organizing in my head and hunting/pecking/editing at the keyboard to turn those thoughts into intelligible communication. I will have some time this weekend. Just wanted you to know that I saw this and remind you of the inestimable value your music has for me.

I said this on your YouTube site, I'll say it here, too: Extraordinary, Dave! I think I'm going to update my favorite David Carovillano tune to "whichever one I heard most recently." You continue to grow and become more expressive. You have a unique voice; keep singing.

Originally Posted by: Acclarion

The horn player sent me a very nice email today. It was a pleasant surprise, considering how often reaching out to performers gets no response.

Fingers crossed. At the very least she/he showed some serious class in taking a moment to communicate. There is hope in this world.

Bill, I'm dumbfounded. I've started and restarted this post a half-dozen times, each time adding another point-by-point refutation of this screed. But I finally came to the conclusion that there is really nothing to refute. This dude/dudette actually said...absolutely nothing. Generalities, insults, spurious claims of knowledge of Truth regarding the nature of music itself. But on 2nd look, it is 850 words of unsubstantiated simulated-intellectual drivel that B&B would have stated so much more eloquently:

"Huh...Huh...Thith thuckth, Beavith." "Heh...heh...Yeah...sucks!...heh...heh..."

No, the only thing that I am left with is a profound curiosity as to what form of mental illness or social retardation is on display here. What would motivate or drive someone to this type of behavior? What pleasure or satisfaction does it elicit? What forces, what missteps in a person's upbringing would lead him/her to believe that this was an appropriate way to engage other human beings in debate over the merits of a musical composition? Kind of pathetic when you think about it.

As for your Romantic Symphony, Bill, if I were to learn that I am the person who has listened to it from beginning to end more often than anyone but you, yourself, I would not be surprised. Every time I do, I hear something new, something surprising, something that touches me. It is a tremendous accomplishment; thank you for sharing it.

As always, I'm looking forward to hearing your next creation.

Tom

PS: If enjoying your music makes me an "ignorant, uncultivated Zimmeroïd pleb that has no taste or qualifications to appreciate the finer things in music," then it is a description I will bear with pride. I think I'll have it printed on a T-shirt! T

Originally Posted by: Acclarion

It hasn't been improved, although perhaps the Soundcloud vs youtube compression affects the listening experience. 

One other possibility: I listened to the Soudcloud on headphones and the YouTube on computer speakers. So the less sonically accurate system sounded smoother to me. Weird.

Originally Posted by: Acclarion

Just for kicks, I sent the link to a VERY famous European hornist. I, of course, don't expect a response, but at this point, what do I have to lose? 

You know there's quite a few travelling horn virtuosi running around. Hit up some more of 'em!

T

When one of my favorite composers writes a solo for my favorite instrument, it cannot go without comment. This is a wonderful piece, Dave! It will take a skilled hornist to do it justice but nothing is unplayable; in fact, it is beautifully "hornistic," as I am wont to say. Am I right in guessing that Becky has taken time to massage the horn track into a polished performance from the preliminary I version I heard awhile back? It really sounds genuine and noble. Wish I could play it. I mean that in two ways: 1) I wish there was a published version of the chart, a willing and capable accompanist, and an upcoming date on a chamber music concert. 2) I wish I was actually capable of playing the tune if such a date existed!

This is a real gem, Dave and Becky. Here's hoping it catches the ear of a pro player and gets the performance it deserves.

Cheers,

Tom

Well, don't I feel silly.  I guess I can now say that I'm impressed by your music and the music of others that you enjoy and share.

Originally Posted by: Pier-V

About the question at the end, well the answer is simple: I'm not a virtuoso pianist at all! Everything you listened to on my Soundcloud is programmed in the exact same way, that is with mouse only. I admit that sometimes editing every single note can be frustrating, but it is always compensated by the satisfaction of seeing the composition and the performance slowly taking shape as a whole and enhancing each other.

Well, if I was impressed before I am absolutely flabbergasted now! You pecked every note of Valse d' adieu one at a time into your sequencer with a mouse then massaged every phrase, every voice into expressive, flowing music? Incredible! I was completely fooled. Thank you for sharing your 3 tips; I wish I was in a place to put them to use but I am still dreaming of the day I can get the computer and software I need to create my own music. Rest assured that I will keep your guidance in mind when that day comes. Again, thank you!

Tom

Very nice tune. For me, the brighter tempo/higher key felt better. I listened to the slow version first and enjoyed it but hearing the original was a revelation. It felt lighter, more complex and flowing. Your technique of programming your MIDI without a keyboard gives me hope! I have no keyboard chops whatsoever so I will need to use your method of pains-takingly sculpting every phrase. I know that most of my favorite composers here are wonderful pianists, able to play the lines in real time, baking much of the musical nuance right into the recording. Your work proves that this is not an absolutely necessary skill (although it would certainly be nice to have!). Thank you for sharing. I will check out more of your work on SoundCloud and YouTube.

Tom

PS: Well, after listening to more of your music, I find myself with a question: since you are a virtuoso pianist, why did you chose to create Chant for a Lost Spring without using the keyboard? Lots of wonderful music, BTW

Dave, when I reflect on the gifts I have in my life, the opportunity to listen to your wonderful music is high on my list. Thank you sharing it with the world.

Warmest holiday greetings to you and your family.

Tom 

Dave and Becky,

This is a really beautiful piece. I don't know if I am missing the boat completely, but for some reason, I find myself feeling hopeful after viewing it, despite all the harsh truths it points out.. As you know, I've always enjoyed the music but the combination with images and your poetry adds a another dimension altogether. I was especially impressed by the video and photos you used. It seems that music isn't the only art form where talented creators are striving to find an audience for their creations. I'm glad that you could showcase them, too.

All the best to you, and Merry Christmas!

Tom

He's back! I wondered what you had been up to and I'm pleased to find that you have been busily creating piano-and-whatever tunes. I've always thought that recitalists would be the folks most open to your music. Can you imagine being, say, a French horn soloist and simply having to play the 2nd Mozart Horn Concerto at every gig until you die? The chance to learn a new piece that has plenty of challenge and is still accessible to an audience would seem to be pretty attractive. This piece is great! It kind of reminds me of the Halsey Stevens, but very much in your voice. Thanks, BTW, for hipping me to Bandcamp. I have listened to Aria's Dance so far and will check out anything else I have not heard. Wishing all all the best to you and your family.

Your fan,

Tom

In searching through the vast VSL offerings for everything I need, I became aware of an odd omission: SYNCHRON-ized saxophones in the SYNCHRON-ized Single Woodwinds. You see, I come from the wind band tradition and most of my musical ideas will be realized in that medium. My band ambitions are OK; VSL has all the wind and percussion instruments I need in the various SYNCHRON and SYNCHRON-ized packages. But when the new SYNCHRON-ized Single Woodwinds came out, I was really surprised to see no saxes. Heckelphone? Check! Contrabass clarinet? Got it! Oboe d'amore, basset horn? But of course! Alto sax? Nope. For my modest needs, the cut-down versions of the saxes in SYNCHRON-ized Special Editions Vols 2 and 4 will probably be OK, but more advanced users could benefit from a complete SYNCHRON-ized saxophones package. I know you can't do everything at once, but really...did your market surveys actually show a bigger customer demand for heckelphone than alto sax?

Originally Posted by: jsg

While working on the ending of this movement I tried exactly what you suggested for the ending and I decided against it. Letting the ostinato end without the last chord was certainly an option but I chose the larger ending with the full orchestra because this movement is the last movement of a 4-movement 35 minute work and felt this works better for the piece as a whole.

Ah, I get it! My assumption that there was a Finale movement after this one was incorrect; you added that final chord for pretty much the same reason old Strauss put the coda on Hero's Life. It puts a satisfying finish on a long, large-scale work. Makes sense. Thanks for explaining and again, I really enjoyed the piece.

Regards,

Tom

Jerry, I like this the most of any work of yours that I have heard. It is complex and feels very logically developed but it never seems like an academic exercise; full of fun and always interesting. I was continually surprised and pleased when it turned a way that I didn't expect. If I could offer a small criticism: I wish the ending had just been the finish of that pizzicato line on the tonic; the chord felt tacked on. I've read that Strauss was going to end Ein Heldenleben with nothing but the solo horn and violin fading out on Eb 3 octaves apart...pretty unsatisfying for the audience after 45 minutes of snarling along with a gigantic orchestra! Fortunately, he was talked out of it and put on the coda. For your piece, though, simply tip-toeing out the room seems natural, especially if you are (I assume) moving right into the Finale. Just a thought; I am interested in what your thoughts were. Again, a very cool piece. Thanks for sharing it!

Tom 

Originally Posted by: William

They advise people to get followers - ha-ha! I think I may have one.

At the very least, Bill, this gets you up to two!

Tom

I've always enjoyed this piece, Dave, and am pleased to hear that you have adjusted it to make it more attractive to concert musicians. As always, I wish you much success in getting live performances of your wonderful music; it deserves to be heard and enjoyed. On a strictly technical note, I'm wondering if you have updated your website to include this new rendering of the piece. I am comparing the YouTube of the new Synchron version to the recording on davidcarovillano.com to see if I can hear a difference. So far, I can't spot any with my barely functional audition. Are they different?

Bill, you win. I was certain this was a recording of Becky playing the tune and complimented the Carovillanos as such on their YouTube page. Turns out you are correct; Dave assures me that this is a virtual recording! Wow. So congratulations to Dave and Becky for this masterful composition and MIDI realization and congratulations to you, Bill, for having the ear to spot it. I didn't.

Thank you, Macker, for this thoughtful reply. I feel that I now have a better understanding of your strong negative reaction to a score that struck me as reasonably interesting and original (even if I could hear influences of this and that throughout). In fact, I was comparing apples and oranges. In my case, I listened to the score with only the vaguest understanding of the story it was written to accompany. I imagined how the cues might work to enhance a film that I was just imagining; sort of like envisioning a movie of Till Eulenspiegel after listening to the tune and reading Strauss' bare-bones outline of the story in the score. You, on the other hand, experienced the music in the context of its support of the actual movie...and found it wanting. Fair enough. At this point, I think I may give the movie a shot, if only to see how the score works for me in performing the task it was actually created for. Thanks again!

I have to admit, I had not heard of this picture or any of the hype surrounding the score. Your strong reaction piqued my curiosity, however, so I sought the score out on YouTube. I was astonished. Not so much by the music itself, but more by the powerfully negative effect it had on you. Oh, I get it that we all have our own taste. There is music I like very much that I understand is probably not all that hot; there is also music that I don't really dig that I know to be significant works of art. I cannot comment on the film; I have not watched it, but I listened to this score in its entirety (1:33!). I doubt I will ever invest the time to repeat the experience, but it held my interest and evoked images in my mind that I have to believe are of the type the filmmaker intended to accompany and reinforce his story telling. I liked the minimalist chamber orchestra the best, but I also liked when they brought swatches of big, lush 50s Hollywood, too. The Swing Era stuff worked; especially the cues that had that Minimalist Big Band vibe (sort of like if Duke Ellington and Steve Reich had a love child). And all of it really authentically performed/recorded/produced. No, this isn't going into my regular listening rotation. But "sets new lows in...entry-level, bush league scoring? Nowhere near up to scratch?" I am not nearly musically sophisticated enough to have heard that.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. Your intense dislike and offhand dismissal of this piece just surprises me, that's all. I have always read your contributions to this forum with great interest...often while nodding in agreement. In this case, I disagree. But more than that, I don't understand the criteria upon which you based your total rejection of the value of this score. For me to get anything useful out of a critique of a work of art, I need to have that. In other words, Macker, why do you think the score to Mank sucks?

Great piece, Bill. I've always listened to this on Spotify, where you had to divide it up into two 6-minute chunks to fit their format, I suppose. I like it better presented as the unified work it was meant to be. I also dig following along with the score; great job! It sounds like this chart dates from your Bruckner days; hanging tenaciously with an adagio tempo throughout. Big and somber. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Congratulations, Bill! This was an incredible undertaking. I'll have to wait a bit until I can take the time to watch it all the way through, but I watched some of the initial scenes to check out the score and see how the dialog-free story telling worked. Very cool. It kind of makes me think of those earliest sound movies as they were making the transition to talkies where you just had music and Foley stuff. The score fits right in with that time frame, too. But all that with modern audio and video effects. Can't wait to watch the whole thing.

Originally Posted by: William

MMKA you are right about it being a difficult piece, I played horn on the first and so far only live performance, and received nearly fatal lip damage.  Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it has blistering horn and trumpet parts.   I did have some mercy and put the second, third and fourth parts down an octave in a couple places...

Final thoughts: Yes, Bill, you are exaggerating. I have it on very good authority that the first horn part, while challenging, is completely playable by old men with pulmonary conditions at an elevation of 6,040' (1,840 m) without causing permanent damage.

Bill and I have already communicated at length about this fine composition so I will address my remarks here primarily to the VSL community at large. Suffice it to say that I was so impressed by this piece that I recommended it to the conductor of our adult community concert band for inclusion in a future program. He loved it, too. I got Bill's beautifully prepared score and parts and we will perform it...whenever we are allowed to get a band together again, that is. Here's hoping I live long enough to see that day .

That being said, I don't think the importance of Bill's VSL version of this work can be overstated. To many concert music enthusiasts, wind bands are strictly denizens of the parade field. But for over 100 years, serious concert music has been composed for wind ensemble. Many of the most famous concert musicians of the 20th century wrote for band (or transcribed their orchestral compositions for the medium): Holst, Vaughn Williams, Grainger, Hindemith, Copeland, R. R. Bennett...Stravinsky himself, for crying out loud! Today, concert wind ensembles are found around the world, from student and young peoples' groups, to adult community bands, to the finest colleges and conservatories, premier military bands, and professional organizations. But VSL has made absolutely no attempt to market their products as a tool for aspiring band composers. And this in spite of the fact that they would not have to record any additional samples to do it. In this recording, Bill has proven it! It should go straight into the VSL music library. In fact, if I were the VSL marketing people, I would make something of a big deal of it. It could be their opening to a large, untapped market.

One final thought for you composers out there: bands will play new music. You don't have to compete with 400+ years of classical chestnuts to find room on a concert program like you do with orchestras. Just sayin'...

Originally Posted by: Pianokey56

...suggestions of instruments to add to the VI collection: 1. a tenor horn, like the one used in the intro to Mahler's 7th symphony

I'm surprised that the English brass band aficionadi haven't been screaming for years for this one.