KVR Audio

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 9:14 pm

Well, I finally got the midi files off of my old pc. I am finding stuff that I had forgotten I'd written! Good fun, like going through books or albums that have been in storage.

This is the first one I have realized: a little minuet from when I was really getting into Scarlatti.

I can not, of course, play the harpsichord like this. The original midi file was written using a notation editor, with the midi data being tweaked one number at a time in the midi list view.

For this version I used Tracktion and sfz with the German 8 harpsichord soundfont. It is not really hifi, but it does capture the Wanda Landowska feel that I was looking for.

I love technology

minuet

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:39 pm

Oh c'mon!!

A little baroque-ishness never hurt anyone.

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:46 am

This is easily the best minuet I've ever heard posted on KVR!

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:03 am

McLilith wrote:This is easily the best minuet I've ever heard posted on KVR!

Why thank you!

It wouldn't be the only minuet you have ever heard posted at kvr, would it?

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 5:10 am

Yes, unfortunately it is.

...but I still liked it.

take care,
McLilith

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:38 am

McLilith wrote:Yes, unfortunately it is.

...but I still liked it.

take care,
McLilith

Well Wopelka entered a really cool one in this months contest.

So there is one other at least.

Thanks again for listening.

Wopelka · Post by **Wopelka** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 8:28 am

i'm a baroque fan, so i'll listen to it as soon as i can (e.g. tonight, at home) and

oh! and thanks for mentioning mine (although i'm not sure if it qualifies as a true menuet).

cheers

isdjan · Post by **isdjan** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 8:57 am

i happen to really like it, great work.

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:46 pm

Wopelka wrote:i'm a baroque fan, so i'll listen to it as soon as i can (e.g. tonight, at home) and

oh! and thanks for mentioning mine (although i'm not sure if it qualifies as a true menuet).

cheers

Wait, I thought the monthly contest was 2 minuets.

Sorry, had to do that. Downloading this song now.

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:53 pm

Okay, just heard it. The composition is really nice. But I do have to agree with frederik over a the auditorium: the trills sound a bit too precise and the harpsichord voice itsel could be improved. Did you listen to the campbells harpsichord sample songs frederik put there? That one really sounds good. The one you're using is a bit mushy in the bass register.

But still, cool song! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one investigating his back catalog. I've got a virtual Subotnik piece I've been thinking of posting. I'm only hesitating because it was an experiment in sound design more than composition.

Anyway, cheers! Great tune!

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:06 pm

emdot_ambient wrote:Okay, just heard it. The composition is really nice. But I do have to agree with frederik over a the auditorium: the trills sound a bit too precise and the harpsichord voice itsel could be improved. Did you listen to the campbells harpsichord sample songs frederik put there? That one really sounds good. The one you're using is a bit mushy in the bass register.

Actually, to be frank, the pieces posted by Frederik, although very professional sounding, especially as to dynamics, seemed a bit too rubato for a little baroque minuet. Sort of like Van Cliburn playing Brahms playing Scarlatti if you know what I mean.

And I have a set of Bachs partitas for harpsichord by the Smithsonian where the trills and mordents are in fact that inhumanly precise. How anyone can do that with their fingers is beyond me.

But yeah, that other soundfont is nice, I will have to seek it out.

Thanks for listening!

And I look forward to hearing your subotnikesque revivals!

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:15 pm

herodotus wrote:...Sort of like Van Cliburn playing Brahms playing Scarlatti if you know what I mean.

'Fraid you lost me there . . . I'm really shite on pre-20th Century music! Oh well, a man's got to know his limits!

Wopelka · Post by **Wopelka** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:25 pm

herodotus wrote:very professional sounding, especially as to dynamics

dynamics? do you mean velocity variations? it shouldn't be too much of a case, as far as harpsichord is concerned.

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:55 pm

herodotus wrote:...And I look forward to hearing your subotnikesque revivals!

You had to go and egg me on didn't you? Just posted it here (KVR thread) and here (auditorium thread)

Wopelka · Post by **Wopelka** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 5:14 pm

okay, i've heard your piece herodotus.

music-wise, it's a beautiful composition.

more of "shuffle" would certainly give a more human feel to the execution.

i've compared the sound of yours with frederik's tango. i must say i prefer his instrument. warmer and wider. but yours has that slight sourness i like so much with the harpsichord.

great work, thanks for sharing.

(and now, i'm going to download the soundfont.

)

Genuine imitation baroque harpsichord minuet.