# mellotronworks



## Mike Dickson (May 12, 2008)

Ladies and Gentlemen, a gift to you all

*mellotronworks*

A series of popular classical music pieces played entirely on the Mellotron


Mars, The Bringer of War (Holst)
Adagio in G minor (Albinoni)
Adagio for Strings (Barber)
Air on The G String (Bach)
Canon in D major (Pachelbel)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Vaughan Williams)

A free album available for download from http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/mellotronworks/

Please enjoy and thank you for listening

kind regards

-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

Free Music Project: http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
Or http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/


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## Mike Dickson (May 12, 2008)

*mellotronworks II (sort of)*

Another gift for you all.

Further to the previous release of _mellotronworks_, I am happy to release a further five pieces in the same series. Although considered for the original album they were shelved temporarily, but have now been resusitated.

The pieces have again all been recorded only on the Mellotron (aside from a couple of samples of timpani and cymbals). The music that I have recorded are versions of


Also Sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)
Nimrod (Enigma 9) (Elgar)
Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach)
Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)
Hallelujah Chorus (Handel)

The music can be found at http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/mellotronworks/ under the 'extras' column on the left hand side of the page. All the music is free for download.

Please enjoy!

Mike Dickson
Edinburgh, 2009


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## LvB (Nov 21, 2008)

Fascinating. Unlike some people, I have no intrinsic objection to arrangements, provided only that they are serious and respect the spirit of the original, at least as much as possible within the limitations of the instruments involved (thus I have, and enjoy on their own terms, such arrangements as Mussorgsky's _Pictures at an Exhibition_ for guitar and Beethoven's _Coriolan_ Overture for accordion trio (!--  ). While I didn't listen to all of your selections, those I did listen to seemed to be genuine efforts to capture the originals in a new medium, one rather like a cross between a Midi synthesizer and a Hammond Organ, but with way more bass oomph than either. I enjoyed these, though a couple of questions do occur. The Holst piece adds, at least according to my score, two measures of the ostinato before the main motif, while the R. Strauss excerpt (rather weaker overall, imo) seems to cut the introductory bass rumble considerably; I don't see any need for these changes, since otherwise you are very careful to be faithful to the score.

But your efforts deserve acknowledgement and congratulations. I look forward to seeing you arrange some of Anton Rubinstein's music for this unusual instrument (but please, not the 'Melody in F,' which has been arranged for just about everything. How about the 'Cavalry Trot' instead?). Anyway, thanks; it was fun to hear your arrangements.


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## Mike Dickson (May 12, 2008)

Re the Holst piece - the intro used to be much longer, deliberately fading in at greater length, hence the added measures. Too much may be better than too less.

As for the bass rumble on the intro to the Strauss, that's down to the voices used rather than to any deviation from the score. As the notes say, I don't really read music at all and instead annotate (to death) scores I have with all manner of marks, colours, letters, chord names and god knows what else. I don't think I have anything on the score that says 'rumble a lot' but I take your point. 

Mike


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

The mellotron is an interesting critter. Invented to create portable orchestral sounds, it of course doesn't sound anything like an orchestra. Instead it sounds like a mellotron which is at it should be. How else could it have lent such eerie sounds to all those early progressive rock works?

I think it is limited as an interpretive solo instrument because it seems very hard to get clean articulation, the notes blur into one another, not unlike a pipe organ. The pieces done on these links are amazing nonetheless, showing what can be done with it, no doubt with a lot of work. And all these years I thought the instrument was best used as an orchestral pad sound for 20 minute progressive rock epics.

After the advent of digital samples making the instrument seemingly obsolete, many of us didn't realize how much we missed the unique sound of a mellotron, but it is now enjoying a resurgence as more artists seek a warmer analog sound.

I agree the opening rumble of _Zarathustra_ was cut too short by several bars. It seems a rushed affair. Otherwise they are nicely done. Thanks for the links.


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## LvB (Nov 21, 2008)

Having done some research on what a Mellotron is, I went back and listened to several more pieces, and I'm even more impressed than before; this can't have been easy (how long does it take you to do a typical arrangement?). The Beethoven works surprisingly well, though at times it sounded startlingly like Philip Glass (minus a few dozen repeats (  ), as did the 'Albinoni' (one of the pieces which helped introduce me to the delights of classical music, and one for which I still have a soft spot in my musical heart). I take back my earlier suggestion about Rubinstein's 'Cavalry Trot;' it's clear that the instrument works best with less frenetic music (I was misled by your success with the Holst, though now, having read your commentary, I see that it isn't purely Mellotron music). But if you're looking to add to your repertoire, I would suggest Rubinstein's Barcarolle #1 in f minor, Op. 30, #1, and Barcarolle #3 in g minor, Op. 50, #3; both of these are lovely pieces, gently melancholy and moderate in tempo, and should make for very good Mellotron arrangements (as, in fact, would the notorious 'Melody in F, Op., 3, #1).

I'll be suggesting your site to some of my friends; keep up the good work. I enjoyed it.


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## Mike Dickson (May 12, 2008)

Re the above: I have considered the ASZ intro too and you're right, so I'll change it by extending it slightly.

A Mellotron can be a solo instrument, but it's hard to get that right. It's biggest issue is tuning; when a lot of these sounds were recorded in the 1960s and 1970s scant attention was paid to tuning issues, so a large amount of the sounds are wildly out. (That is one reason why some of the tunes are transposed the way they are!)

Aside from the sampled timpani and snare the music is entirely Mellotron. Some is achieved, however, using trickery with tape speeds and recording speeds.

As for the time it takes - it varies. 'Barber' was pretty much done in two days. Vaughan-Williams took four months. Everything else fitted in between.


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## brianstreet54 (Mar 27, 2009)

nice deal! it's working


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