Sequence I-VI

Just a little something for orchestra with a nice percussion section.

Sequence I-VI - Score.pdf

Edited September 19Sep 19 by BipolarComposer

Hello, a fantastic piece.

Some really great combinations of timbres – a few of them really caught me out. For example, glockenspiel + trumpet + strings in Sequence II.

It would be helpful if you could indicate at the start how many of each instrument there are (Flute 1, 2… etc.).

When an instrument from a group of two or three plays solo, you need to specify which one it is (Bassoon 1, for example, at the start of Sequence III), not just ‘solo’ (because then you don’t know which one it is).

A comment (which isn’t mine but comes from classical orchestrators): when you have a melody in octaves, don’t use the same instrument for both (flutes in Sequence III, bar 70) because one will clearly dominate. In this case, the upper one, as the flute in the lower octave is in a much weaker register. In this instance, it is better to double the upper flute with another instrument that has the same range in the lower octave (a clarinet here, for example).

When we’re talking about MELODY (not harmonic chords), as a general rule: double at the octave with different instruments; melody in thirds or fifths with the same instrument; melody in sixths with different instruments… There will always be justified exceptions.

In this respect, the two clarinettists from bar 80 onwards are fantastic.

Sorry, these are just suggestions based on what I’ve learnt about orchestration. I always respect what everyone else does. But if you try what I’m suggesting, it might sound better to you.

The climax towards the end is brilliant.

And one more thing: I don’t know if you’re concerned about practical, real-world issues. Sometimes I get the impression that you need a lot of percussionists, given the number of instruments playing at the same time. Although I’m sure you’ve got this sorted.

Best regards.

20 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

Hello, a fantastic piece.

Some really great combinations of timbres – a few of them really caught me out. For example, glockenspiel + trumpet + strings in Sequence II.

It would be helpful if you could indicate at the start how many of each instrument there are (Flute 1, 2… etc.).

When an instrument from a group of two or three plays solo, you need to specify which one it is (Bassoon 1, for example, at the start of Sequence III), not just ‘solo’ (because then you don’t know which one it is).

A comment (which isn’t mine but comes from classical orchestrators): when you have a melody in octaves, don’t use the same instrument for both (flutes in Sequence III, bar 70) because one will clearly dominate. In this case, the upper one, as the flute in the lower octave is in a much weaker register. In this instance, it is better to double the upper flute with another instrument that has the same range in the lower octave (a clarinet here, for example).

When we’re talking about MELODY (not harmonic chords), as a general rule: double at the octave with different instruments; melody in thirds or fifths with the same instrument; melody in sixths with different instruments… There will always be justified exceptions.

In this respect, the two clarinettists from bar 80 onwards are fantastic.

Sorry, these are just suggestions based on what I’ve learnt about orchestration. I always respect what everyone else does. But if you try what I’m suggesting, it might sound better to you.

The climax towards the end is brilliant.

And one more thing: I don’t know if you’re concerned about practical, real-world issues. Sometimes I get the impression that you need a lot of percussionists, given the number of instruments playing at the same time. Although I’m sure you’ve got this sorted.

Best regards.

Thanks for taking the time to review the piece and give feedback.
Also, thanks for the tips about the solo notation.

For the octaves with the flutes, it's not something I've thought about before, but does make perfect sense. I'll keep that in mind for the future.

As far as the percussion section, I seriously don't ever expect anything I write to be performed by an actual orchestra. So honestly, any thought of how many players it may take to perform it never comes to mind.