Elegy for String Orchestra

Thanks for any kind of feedback.
https://youtu.be/9Ht6MTTI3wY

Nice expressive string orchestra piece!  The only thing I would advise against is having two contrabass parts.  Having two different contrabass parts in that low range can give a very muddy sound and my orchestration book advises against even doubling at the octave for contrabasses.  Doubling the cello and contrabass an octave apart is much more common and less muddy.  Listening on headphones it does sound a bit muddy in the lower range but in this piece it is not as obtrusive because it is slow.  In a piece with a faster tempo the low notes wouldn't have very much time to speak and all you'd hear is a momentary muddy texture without clarity.

Also, in meas. 46 and 47 those B naturals sound a bit foreign to the mode you'd been using up to that point and afterward.  They would sound better as Bb's imo but that's just my opinion.  Thanks for sharing!

Must admit I felt the same as PaperComposer about the bass. It muddies up an otherwise lovely work. Perhaps worse because those very low intervals don't allow a relationship to be established with the harmonies above. Any louder and the acoustic modulation, a beat wave, could become intrusive. So I ask if you've really convinced yourself what parts each DB plays in the harmonic structure. You may have thought it out in detail and well, it's your work, so please disregard that last remark.

Otherwise it's an intensely expressive work with what seems excellent harmonic progression and thematic material.

Great.

Beautiful piece!

I don't see a problem in having two groups of double basses. In fact, I think it gives the piece more depth. And it's coherent with the low register of the rest of the instruments, particularly the violins (except the solo).

There are works in which the composers "unbalance" the string ensemble with a purpose. For example Akhnaten, the opera by Philip Glass has no violins. Instead: 12 violas, 8 celli, 6 double basses.

@PaperComposer @Quinn @Luis Hernández 

Thank you for your compliments to all of you, I'm glad for this, it means a lot to me.

Also thanks for your thoughts and information on the two double bass parti. I do not have any real orchestral experience, so I will accept these thoughts and later then try to arrange it on a for one double bass parti. 

2 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

In fact, I think it gives the piece more depth.

that was my intention, glad it worked for you

19 hours ago, PaperComposer said:

Also, in meas. 46 and 47 those B naturals sound a bit foreign to the mode you'd been using up to that point and afterward.

I confess that I had a hard time making the transition between the two sentences. but I like that naturals soften the piece.

3 hours ago, ClasiCompose said:

later then try to arrange it on a for one double bass parti. 

Perhaps it works fine with two celli sections instead of two double bass ones.

3 hours ago, ClasiCompose said:

but I like that naturals soften the piece.

I think those B naturals are passing tones and they are OK.

This is nice! I like your broad and expressive melodies, they really contribute to a somber and elegiac feeling.

I'll echo what others have said about splitting the double bass part. Splitting the bass section is not unheard of in general, but I'm not sure I see why you did so here. As an example, in m.20 you have the first bass part playing a B flat, which is doubled two octaves up in the violas. It would make more sense to me to just have all the basses play the low G (as you have written in the second bass part). This way you would still get a very full G minor chord sound without all of the muddiness from having the basses play in thirds in such a low register.

Also regarding the split bass parts, I'm curious if you intend to split a normal size bass section, or do you intend to have two full-size bass sections? It would make a difference it how it balances, but I still think you could have gotten away without splitting.

Very nice music, I look forward to more!

@Luis Hernández

thank you. splitting cellos might be a better idea than splitting cb's. Or I'll try to get rid of the bass split idea.

@gmm

thank you im glad u like. I appreciate your thoughts. thanks for the detailed review.
Except for a few bars, I guess ,don't seem to need a second parti harmonically. my intention was to add depth and color to the bass atmosphere, but I'll try to get rid of it.
I also looking forward to your pieces.