Gustate et Videte--new composition
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Friends, I put out a call for 2-pt mixed stuff earlier in the year, and finally bit the bullet and wrote my own.

    Gustate et Videte (2013)

    --SB
    --Accompanied, w/optional Oboe/Cello
    --English text (Taste and See)

    I meant for this to be a dignified setting, but *easy*! I broke it out for our 45-minute rehearsal before our first choir Mass of the year. As I had hoped, we had it learned and performance-ready in less than 15 minutes!

    Note: My first time using Finale, so there's plenty of formatting things I'd like to eventually clean up.

    Feel free to copy and use!
    GustateHM.pdf
    180K
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen francis janetgorbitz ZacPB189
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    OK, 9 months later, finally took the 90 seconds it took to fit the score into 4 pages instead of 8.

    : )

    New attachment above.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    Looks better. Since you are specifiying instruments that expect dynamic marks and tempo indications, might be a good idea to make those decisions yourself. The 'cello entrance is peculiar: it implies a fifth voice, but then just doubles? Why not do one or the other?
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Dynamics: Nah. If someone wants to perform my pieces I like to leave it up to their discretion.

    Cello: As I wrote above, this piece was designed to be learned in a very, very short window of time. With that in mind, the cello plays the main theme for the men before they come in. I give the cello some more independence later.
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    well, Heath, consider this: you are imagining a "very short window of time". The discussion of dynamics among the players will take up a chunk of that time.

    Here is a very typical conversation: "did you say bar 8 or 18?" "I'm sorry, was that p at 24 or f?" "What?" "Oh, ok, hold on, let me write it in here." "Why didn't Heath put in dynamics?" "What?" "How loud is the choir, anyway?" .

    If you just specify something, it will generally be used, making things learned more swiftly. Anyone who cares to deeply learn your music will change the dynamics as they feel appropriate.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    Mr. Copper, when you edit my opera omnia, I'll give you carte blanche to insert "editor's suggested dynamics."

    : )
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    I too do not see the need for dynamcis in composing.

    The Rule of Musical Dynamics (Did Bach and many others follow this rule?)

    1. The music itself should dictate what it artistically allows (and the more profound (embodying genius) the composition, the more it will artistically allow).

    2. If a single person in the orchestra doesn't 'get it', it will become obvious by the artistic sense of the body of performers.

    3. If the body of performers doesn't 'get it', the director will make a decision based on artistic judgement.

    4. If the director CAN'T 'get it', the composer is not a very good artist. Change the repertoire.

    On the other hand, If the orchestra and its director are not artistic, nothing will help.

    5. The director and his orchestra should take up another line of work and the composer should perhaps continue his craft.

    6. If no other orchestra wishes to perform the composer's work, the composer should take up another line of work.

    7. If the composer IS indeed artistic and of genius, he should keep composing and starve to death. If he was right, his work may be immortalized some time in future, but this is not a sure thing. The human race overall is not very smart and is quite gullible.

    8. After the composer has died, go back to step number 1 and try again.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    I worked at a college for a long time, and the Director of Facilities had a rule which I thought was great: when new buildings were put up on the campus, he would never put in sidewalks until after he saw where the students were walking. Assuming, as we see everywhere, that they will walk where they wish, regardless of where pathways exists for them, he decided that it was better for them to mark out the pathways for him, and then he would 'cement' them in, so to speak.
    Thanked by 2francis Heath
  • mrcoppermrcopper
    Posts: 653
    That's a lovely story. It also explains why Bach is generally dynamics-free: the music was used, for the most part, immediately and repeatedly and locally, and the dynamics could evolve. Today is not quite the same: you have rehearsal pressures and scattered performances that do not provide feedback to one another. For those who write for their own choir or organ, with no intention to provide music to strangers, it may be ok.
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