# A quick critique please.



## paulguterl (May 12, 2010)

This little piece started as just an exercise for arranging something bigger than a quartet. I played it for a few people and they seem to enjoy it. So my two questions:

1) As far as orchestration (and this being my first time arranging for full orchestra) what are some mistakes you see and things I could improve?

2) Obviously this isn't a serious piece, but the melodies and ideas and such in it, do you guys think it would be worth putting in more effort and trying to fix, elaborate on and finish it?

For the audio:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=1001356

It's the first one creatively labeled "orchestration practice".

I also attached a pdf of the score.

Have at it, please.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

This second piece, Iconoclast, is better.


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## MJTTOMB (Dec 16, 2007)

I can't hear half of what's going on, there's far too much reverb.


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## Head_case (Feb 5, 2010)

It sounds promising with the minor key intro by the solo instrument. 

The phoney instruments don't make it easy to follow, but the main weakness for me was the lack of development of the piece. It seems you found a hook, and then just proceeded to add instrument after another to carry the same hook with very little development until the sheer volume of the all the instruments brings it to some kind of noisy maelstrom which is too inaudible to continue. 

One of the challenges in writing such a short piece and introducing so many instruments is the sheer flooding of the aural field in such a short space of time. Maybe you could carry the minor key theme and transform it more, a bit akin to an instrumental concerto, so that the orchestra doesn't end up competing against it and drowning it. Its the use of silence (control) for the instruments in an orchestra which matters a lot, particularly when there are so many instruments. 

It is indeed enjoyable, but if you want to make more of it, go for it!

Iconoclast is okay as far heavy meta formula rockl goes. Use a riff and inaudible vocals with guitar crunching noise, preferably with a 70's HM rock album cover with lots of blood and dead animals on the cover and you've got yourself an instant hit with loadsa teenagers.


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