Re: Long notes for Piccolo?

Mind if I comment on another aspect?

I enjoy the world sound you're after here but I'm not sure about the form, it seems a bit loose to me, it's a luxury carpet with lots of nice bits in it that do however seem a bit random to me. But I think if you make an architecture of this sound world which is based on the sounds that you feel confident you can have your players make, and if you have a good overview of that, you could get a little more control over how you let this texture flow and I think it might become more convincing.

So perhaps it's best to turn it around and based on this general sound world, first determine a very clear 'vocabulary' of instrumental effects and them put them in time.

If now you're totally convinced that a high long flute or picc crescendo should be in it, it's also largely a question of finding players who are willing to do it, right? which may be hard because as you can judge by the thread you're asking for something not particularly easy, if possible at all.

But I can't say I'm hearing a very clear reason why in this texture you absolutely need a flute to do that.

OTOH, consider the dramatic impact of a few shrill high loud short picc notes in that texture. To me that seems plausible and such a theatrical element itself again suggests a lot of form, though I don't suppose it's the sort of effect you're after. Still...


Just my thoughts!


Samuel




Alabaster wrote:

Thanks again for the advice, everyone. Perhaps some context would help. This is the effect I'm going for, realized with samples. This is Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet, and Oboe + percussion, harp, and strings. It's the piccolo and flute parts I'm most concerned about.

http://tinyurl.com/bqnkb - Streaming
http://tinyurl.com/7rdln - download mp3

If this is not possible, what can I do to approximate it? A violin harmonic isn't the sound I'm looking for. Maybe if I double the flutes and have them stagger breathing as seamlessly as possible? Any thoughts?

thanks,
chris.


Alabaster wrote:

Is it realistic to ask a piccolo player to hold a D (written 3 spaces above the staff, sounding 8va) for 16 seconds (on one breath)?

Is it possible to start this note at pp, and slowly crescendo to mf or f? I'm looking to create a "fade-in" effect, with the piccolo slowly emerging over a sustained string ensemble. I'd like the attack to be inaudible, or at least hidden behind the sustained strings.

Same questions for a flute, playing high B (5 lines above the staff).

Thanks,
chris.



--
samuel
MP3's of my works and performances:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~sqv/

Nobody out there but us. And I can never figure out who that was or will be, much less is.

	- Charles Bernstein
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