BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 51. DAVID NEDWEK David's sense of adventure and invention can feel overwhelming at times - were it not for his wonderful good humour and cleverness tying together the many episodes and onslaughts. youtu.be/NvBCMN_EIQE

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 50. SIGBJØRN FORLAND Sigbjørn approaches Beethoven's source material with delicacy, restraint, and an ear for the period that doesn't always show through the limitations of the audio mockup. youtu.be/sgzxELdQ3PQ

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 49. LUVIK CHAI Luvik's clarity of purpose and organisation of materials is very much on the right track in this lively but all-too-brief entry. youtu.be/1H8H7a3eVvU

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 48. ANDREW USHER Andrew's entry is light on period perfection (intentionally so), but heavy on personality, innovation, and an unescapable sense of charm. youtu.be/vqvAA01cowQ

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 47. ELI BRAUNER Eli's entry is another one that rings with powerful authenticity of style and execution. youtu.be/uNBXyXcdEoo

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 46. CRAIG HUNTER Craig's entry dazzles with its huge, overarching orchestral architecture, its vast scope of drama, and its occasionally fierce thematic action. youtu.be/5UEOoevC0og

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 45. ANNA DIECKHOFF Anna's interpretation rings with a kind of casual authenticity that makes this amongst the most evocative of Beethoven's original style - in proportions, drama, nuance, and colour. youtu.be/3OwH6GPRy5I

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 44. ANDREW QUIROZ The soul and empathy which Andrew brings to the material is undeniable - and it serves him well in shaping his proportions, balancing his contrasts, and making the sense of drama feel powerful and inevitable. youtu.be/QCI7lB_0u8E

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 43. SCOTT JANSSENS Scott magnifies the natural symphonism within Beethoven's piano score to a level appropriate to its character - with Romantic-era orchestral numbers and instrument choices (like English horn and bass clarinet). youtu.be/x-U1Rvx86DU

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 42. ERIC ST PIERRE Eric's entry, the first orchestral score in the Dotted Breve category, shows that a strong personality can be applied to the now-familiar material and find many new things to say. youtu.be/9AfCn2PqE_o

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 41. ALICIA DALBEY Alicia's entry kicks off the Dotted Breve Level's full-length movements from a refreshing, unexpected direction - large-scale concert band. youtu.be/EXZfTMTUfME

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 40. HÖR∂UR MAR TÓMASSON Horns, horns, horns! With the brazen confidence and nobility of Schumann's Konzertstück for four horns, Hörður's entry rises serenely over the intro with an underlying restless energy and anticipation... youtu.be/QiKEhi1YRu0

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 39. SHANE DULEMBA Shane is back, and as wildly imaginative as ever. Though many of his passages need work on connections, proportions, and texture, they do not lack daring in the face of what's understood to be workable. youtu.be/56qtC-MPpcQ

BASS CLARINET: CONCERT PITCH SCORING When creating a full score in concert pitch, always use bass clef on bass clarinet staves for the conductor’s convenience (while issuing a transposed part in treble clef). Never use 8vb treble clef or tenor clef. orchestrationonline.com/orchestratio...

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 38. THOMAS GYLLIN Thomas' sprightly, elegant, and all-too-brief entry epitomises what I imagined receiving from participants when I first conceived of inviting orchestrators to try their hand at Beethoven's 24th piano sonata. youtu.be/vsTsYzVAPgc

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 37. ALESSANDRO ZERILLI Alessandro's lively, passionate entry not only ticks off nearly every box in my list of cautions & recommendations, but also delivers a nearly period-perfect interpretation in a convincing homage to Beethoven's original style. youtu.be/rDdz9ApSVqQ

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 36. EDUARDO DIEZ Eduardo jumps in with a powerful imagination and a keen ear for style, delivering an absolute banger of a score. youtu.be/x9sFrI4hmE0

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 35. DOMINIQUE MONESTIÉ I've so far analysed no score which surpasses Dominique's for distilling the heroism within Beethoven's piano score and amplifying it orchestrally. youtu.be/JAVS1iYk9CU

• Daily 2023 Orchestration Challenge Releases Planned. • Orchestration Tips on Patreon & the main website. • All other YouTube Channel content (video tips, Carmina Burana, shorts, etc.) on hold thru November. • All social media platforms (like the FB group) continue as usual.

BEETHOVEN CHALLENGE 2023: GERRIT MAAS Gerrit sticks to a period approach - with nicely-scored natural horns, interplay between sections, and a style that rarely gets too heavy-handed. youtu.be/jcJwPDBBZn4

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 33. KENNETH H. MOORE Kenneth's interpretation reveals a more casual, easygoing spirit within Beethoven's sonata, one which takes advantage of the music's cantabile character throughout. There are nice proportions of scope and dramatic contrast. youtu.be/QzJ_67036sA

BEETHOVEN PATREON EVALUATION 32. HERVÉ ORUS Herve's essay throws caution to the winds, and after a wonderfully placid intro, races full-speed into the exposition and development with no holds barred. www.youtube.com/watch?v=umua...

BACK TO BEETHOVEN! 2023 CHALLENGE ENTRIES M Scores by David T. Mortensen, Johnny Garantiva, Jon Martin Vinje, Ivy Rose, LG Braskamp, and Kaelin Mistry. A very refreshing compilation of website subscriber scores with orchestrations and reinterpretations from classical to modern. youtu.be/6BGxJ1z5VhI

C CLARINET - TO USE OR NOT TO USE Despite claims of its obsolescence, C clarinet is still employed in a limited way by section players and soloists. However, it is by no means an escape valve for anti-transposing composers. orchestrationonline.com/orchestratio...

CLARINET EVEN-NUMBERED PARTIALS Despite the emphasis by orchestration manuals on the clarinet’s odd-numbered overtones, both in character of tone and in overblowing, even-numbered overtones also play a key role in the shaping of the clarinet’s unique timbre. orchestrationonline.com/orchestratio...

My 3rd book, "100 LAST Orchestration Tips," looks more likely to be completed by the end of next year than originally expected. • 100 chapter topics now sketched out. • 25 of which have already been shared as videos or posts. • Open Patreon article w/more deets: www.patreon.com/posts/137665...

Wilful ignorance excepted, of course.

2-OCTAVE UNISON WOODWIND DUOS, PART 2: DOUBLE REED COMBINATIONS The opposing qualities of individuality and unity become a greater concern as our study of 2-octave unison woodwind lines turns to combinations of double-reed instruments – especially oboe over bassoon... youtu.be/fyy-5e5fTCI

2-OCTAVE UNISON WOODWIND DUOS, PART 1: FLUTE FAMILY OVER DOUBLE-REEDS Scoring exposed woodwind duos playing unison melodic lines 2 octaves apart entails more than just stacking 2 instruments. Enhancing certain timbral qualities creates new powerful colours & emotional effects. youtu.be/INii_Gl9jV8

THE MOST INCREDIBLE GESTURE AN AUDIENCE CAN EVER SHOW TO AN ORCHESTRATOR... after 2+ hours of listening to Signature Choir sing with my orchestrations with Sydney Symphony, the audience sings a karakia of thanks to the performers.

Preview of coming attractions: spectrum analysis of separate and combined bassoon and flute played two octaves apart. Tip covering several 2+ octave woodwind combinations dropping in a week or so.

CARMINA BURANA IXC: CHUME, CHUM GESELLE MIN The 3rd of a 3-video release covering the Song 9 Medley. In this incredibly intimate, simply-orchestrated song, we see the beating heart of the entire Uf dem anger set of songs and dances... youtu.be/FLL3iUfMUzc

CARMINA BURANA IXB: SWAZ HIE GAT UMBE The 2nd of a 3-video release covering the Song 9 Medley. Orff's riotous depiction of a maypole dance seethes with jangling pizzicato, mock-heroic gestures, taunting by mischievous maidens, and a whirling coda with dizzying patterns... youtu.be/gMVg6UHgij8

CARMINA BURANA IXA: REIE The 1st of a 3-video release covering the Song 9 Medley. Reie is an obvious callback to ancient dance forms; with lords and ladies moving in stately columns, pairing up and trading off with dignified, courtly paces. youtu.be/M3JeBLJI3aM

CARMINA BURANA VIII: Chramer, gip die varwe mir. The teasing and flirtation continues with coro piccolo sopranos buying rouge from the makeup seller, to make themselves so beautiful that the young men will fall for them whether they want to or not... youtu.be/PyYCDq7FExI

A place I've always wanted to visit - and now my first time here will be watching 2+ hours of my own orchestrations. Thank you Jadrah, Helen, and everyone at Signature Choir and Sydney Symphony Orchestra! ♥️

Not in New Zealand at present…

MASSIVE 3-HR ORCHESTRAL PERCUSSION LECTURE TOMORROW 11:00am PDT! (link in reply below) • Scoring Polynesian instruments Pa'u Malu/Vili and log drum • Orchestral Drum Set, going beyond pop drumming • Staging Large Percussion Ensembles (with minimal space) • Changeover Logistics and Percussion Scores

Good morning, Wellington! ♥️

CARMINA BURANA VII: FLORET SILVA NOBILIS "Pink, pink, pink, pink pink paper towels, paper towels, paper towels..." We begin my study of this appropriately silliest chapter of Orff's Carmina Burana with a nod to the many mondegreens (misheard lyrics)... youtu.be/5WE2MyTVkFA

Back in New Zealand again. The dawn is there to greet me after my 13-hour flight; along with Venus and a new moon.

A few lovely instruments I recorded on my brief visit to California - as played by the masterful Daniel Norris. Yes, this is for another orchestration course down the road a ways...

The concert went awesomely well. Like Beatlemania, the screaming and applause toward the end. But also respect, love, and listening during the softer moments. I love my Pasifiki audience, they are the best! ♥️ Shout-out to NZSO, APO, Signature Choir, Helen Tupai, Jadrah Tupai, and Brent Stewart.

CARMINA BURANA VI: TANZ A very deep dive into one of the most lively, invigorating, and joyous movements of Carmina Burana - the instrumental "Tanz" ("Dance" in German) with its catchy shifting rhythms, directness of theme, and powerful momentum. youtu.be/CWIHJVrVfLA

The first batch from my triple-graft dwarf apple tree: Royal Gala, wonderfully crisp and sweet (1/3rd of that variety produced, I munched the rest off the tree as they ripened over the past 2 weeks). I'll give the Golden Delicious another week, and then finally the Braeburn at the end of the month.

Because when you think about it, here's a player sitting behind a set of toms, 3-4 different cymbal options, snare drum, woodblocks and/or cowbell, triangle, etc. each of which could be used separately or in combinations - and that doesn't even rule out the kick if used judiciously.

So relieved and grateful! I love you, New Zealand! ♥️🇳🇿

NEW TUTTI CHORD ANALYSIS PLAYLIST for community members looking to improve their tutti scoring chops. Major & minor chords, and all those from of Rimsky-Korsakov's Principles of Orchestration, w/live reference audio (and a few mockups to illustrate different points). www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...