The Swan
- Thread starter DavidK
- Start date
dementedchord
Psychotic State alumni ch
david... what are we going to do with you??? too fukin much buddy... very cool... never got around to it before... how do you feel about grappelli???
Erockrazor
I mix in (2x) real-time
Really cool piece. I like the violin at 45 and 55 seconds. Awesome choices were made.
I like your gentler side.
I like your gentler side.
eyema_believer
Bondservant
This is beautiful Davidk. Wow.... simply satisfying. Thank you for sharing.
Peace!!
~Shawn
Peace!!
~Shawn
mshilarious
Banned
Ah, the long-awaited return to the Animals. I trust your contractual obligations have expired!
Well, expectations are always high; this piece I consider to be one of the finest, if not the finest melody ever committed to paper. So I was prepared to love this!
but . . .
I don't
I just don't get the lyricism I should be hearing. This is the first arrangement I've heard for violin, and I think it suffers from the lack of the physical demands of the cello. There are places in the melody where the cello demands larger shifts between positions, and I suppose that leads the performer to embrace portamento (I don't know if that is scored or not). And maybe a cellist can fit longer passages between bowstrokes? I don't know.
Who I am, however, to criticize a fiddler? So I try to remain constructive. If you want to suspend disbelief and transport the listener to the realm of fantasy, have a look at the panning of your harps. I think there are three distinct harp parts, the arpeggios left and center, and the glissando on the right. I would make the arpeggiated portions in exaggerated stereo, and do some autopanning of the glissando, and continue to use an extreme width in stereo and stereo panning effects (tastefully on the effects, of course) to create a dreamscape. I think you go there in the heavier orchestrations in the latter half.
How about your flute patch applied here, as birds in ascent? It could take or double some of the higher harp parts.
Well, expectations are always high; this piece I consider to be one of the finest, if not the finest melody ever committed to paper. So I was prepared to love this!
but . . .
I don't
I just don't get the lyricism I should be hearing. This is the first arrangement I've heard for violin, and I think it suffers from the lack of the physical demands of the cello. There are places in the melody where the cello demands larger shifts between positions, and I suppose that leads the performer to embrace portamento (I don't know if that is scored or not). And maybe a cellist can fit longer passages between bowstrokes? I don't know.
Who I am, however, to criticize a fiddler? So I try to remain constructive. If you want to suspend disbelief and transport the listener to the realm of fantasy, have a look at the panning of your harps. I think there are three distinct harp parts, the arpeggios left and center, and the glissando on the right. I would make the arpeggiated portions in exaggerated stereo, and do some autopanning of the glissando, and continue to use an extreme width in stereo and stereo panning effects (tastefully on the effects, of course) to create a dreamscape. I think you go there in the heavier orchestrations in the latter half.
How about your flute patch applied here, as birds in ascent? It could take or double some of the higher harp parts.
DavidK
New member
Ah, the long-awaited return to the Animals. I trust your contractual obligations have expired!
Well, expectations are always high; this piece I consider to be one of the finest, if not the finest melody ever committed to paper. So I was prepared to love this!
but . . .
I don't
Try this version, its a different violin take. The rest is about the same.
another swan
If you don't like it, you won't like it. I can live with that.
Thats probably (possibly?) because it's been bastardized over the years. It's a swan, not an Eagle.
Cellists have turned this into the Barber Adagio meets uber-romantic, and that's simply not the real piece. It's a simple, soft piece and not this gushing, crying nonsense that it's unfortunately been turned into.See for yourself, download a free score
http://imslp.org/index.php?title=La_Carnaval_des_Animaux_(Saint-Sa%C3%ABns,_Camille)&
Its on page 45. Its Andantino grazioso, not Appassionato Lugibrous molto emotiono.
I intentionally wanted this to be much different than the overblown version. Notice the dynamics in the score.
ido1957
9K Gold Member
I like both takes - each has their plus'. There's some cool dynamics going on, as you mention. It really ebbs and flows.... Your vibrato is super and the tone is rich. The backups sound like an acoustic guitar in spots, (rather than harps). Good patches on those synths... Always inspiring and uplifting...nice to hear after a long hard day at work....! 
Chili
Site Moderator
I don't even feel I'm qualified to ever give any kind of critique. Your contributions to this board are far and above anything else here. It's nice to see MS is able to converse at your level. I always come away with a little something... nuggets for a rainy day.
Thanks for sharing,
Thanks for sharing,
B.SABBATH
New member
Very nice. I don't know how you'd do it, a tuba maybe? But maybe a fuller bottom end would sound a little better to me.
And I notice sometimes in classical music that the backing instruments will drag for like a nano-beat before going to the next note. Like I think you do it at 2:18-2:19 and again at 2:26. What's that called, or is it even called anything?
But maybe a fuller bottom end would sound a little better to me.And I notice sometimes in classical music that the backing instruments will drag for like a nano-beat before going to the next note. Like I think you do it at 2:18-2:19 and again at 2:26. What's that called, or is it even called anything?
mshilarious
Banned
It would be nice if I could play at that level. But that's almost universally true of critics
DavidK said:
Yeah, I did like the second version. But then I compared to the first version, and it really wasn't that different. I should smoke less crack late in the evening, I guess.
Graceful it is then. Fight the powers that be!
Hey David,
Although you've always been a performance monster, I remember back when you weren't that good at the recording/mixing aspect of things.
My ... things have changed a little, huh?
lol ...
Extremely pretty arrangement/performance, and the production aspect is excellent, bud.
I've question for you ... I'm wondering if I could solicit some fiddle work on something I'm currently working on?
Check your PM.
Best,
Kev-
Although you've always been a performance monster, I remember back when you weren't that good at the recording/mixing aspect of things.
My ... things have changed a little, huh?
lol ...
Extremely pretty arrangement/performance, and the production aspect is excellent, bud.
I've question for you ... I'm wondering if I could solicit some fiddle work on something I'm currently working on?
Check your PM.
Best,
Kev-
benji_willis
New member
I'm in no position to critique this either, but I do know what I like when I hear it, and that playing was very impressive.
Phenomenal choices of chord progression and harmony.
Nice clarity in the recording too, very bright and ... well, clear.
Phenomenal choices of chord progression and harmony.
Nice clarity in the recording too, very bright and ... well, clear.
dementedchord
Psychotic State alumni ch
how about jean luc ponty??? ya ever do the fusion thing??? you using that zeta on the site??? it is a zeta right???
Riffmaster
New member
Man that's downright pleasant. The violin just takes the listener away on this one. Grand work.
chrisharris
King of Bling
You've certainly out-gayed yourself with this one.
DavidK
New member
Thanks for checkin it out Chili, MS, Sabbath (good to see ya back), Tim, Chris, Kev, Gerry, Riff, Benji, Greg, Marcia, Cindy, Bobby, Peter, Jan and George Glass.
It's called "Rubato", and it literally means "to rob". You rob time from one part and give it to another part.
Osmosis. I guess hangin with you knuckleheads finally rubbed off.
Its a custom violin made for me by Mark Wood. I hate it. I'm just not very good with fusion, I'm a classical geek and I always will be. It feels like a toy compared to my real violin, I rarely play it anymore. Its up in the closet, seriously.
Hogwash. I can do much gayer.
It's called "Rubato", and it literally means "to rob". You rob time from one part and give it to another part.
Osmosis. I guess hangin with you knuckleheads finally rubbed off.
Its a custom violin made for me by Mark Wood. I hate it.
I'm just not very good with fusion, I'm a classical geek and I always will be. It feels like a toy compared to my real violin, I rarely play it anymore. Its up in the closet, seriously.Hogwash. I can do much gayer.
rayc
retroreprobate
You didn't milk it for sentimentality so I give you 5 thumbs up.
Re: Ugly Duck #2 - how would you describe the diff in the violin tone? To me it sounded "woodier" in the first few bars before I wasn't able to remember well enough to compare. Truth be told it's probably the same fiddle & take & you fiddled with my mind and took me for a ride (pleasant trip anyway) because I'm a rube when it comes to rubarto - not even pentacostal!
Re: Ugly Duck #2 - how would you describe the diff in the violin tone? To me it sounded "woodier" in the first few bars before I wasn't able to remember well enough to compare. Truth be told it's probably the same fiddle & take & you fiddled with my mind and took me for a ride (pleasant trip anyway) because I'm a rube when it comes to rubarto - not even pentacostal!