Alex Weidmann Posted October 1 Posted October 1 (edited) Hi to all. Just wanted to post an orchestration I've attempted of Purcell's "Funeral Sentences". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this was originally written for SATB choir, with timpani and a quartet of trumpets. Here I've arranged the piece for full symphony orchestra. Not sure if it's been orchestrated like this before, but haven't heard any other versions in this instrumentation. I used an old midi file as the basis for my score: so some of the trills and drum rolls look a bit strange. Think they sound more realistic like this though: so it may not be such a bad thing. Haven't bothered with slurs, as the score is designed for midi rendition only. (Also have noticed I need to correct my spelling of D major chords.) Hope you enjoy! Edited October 2 by Alex Weidmann MP3 Play / pause JavaScript is required. 0:00 0:00 volume > next menu Funeral Sentences (Purcell orchestration) #13 > next PDF Funeral Sentences (Purcell orchestration) #13 1 Quote
Alex Weidmann Posted October 2 Author Posted October 2 Have now listened to Steven Stucky's arrangement of this work from 1991, and was pleased to discover it's very different from mine! He uses less woodwind, and more brass, with a far more radical reimagining of the original material (especially towards the end). Also interesting use of tubular bells that totally caught me by surprise! It's a far more accomplished piece of orchestral writing; but I feel like mine is more faithful to the original intention of the work. Anyway I'll let you be the judge. Quote
Alex Weidmann Posted 3 hours ago Author Posted 3 hours ago Just made a new version of this with more varied instrumentation, including harp and vibraphone. Hopefully it's an improvement? Added some extra counterpoint on the doublebass, which I wrote myself. Not sure it works! MP3 Play / pause JavaScript is required. 0:00 0:00 volume > next menu Funeral Sentences (Purcell orchestration) #15 > next PDF Funeral Sentences (Purcell orchestration) #15 Quote
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