Ravel: Prelude from "Le Tombeau de Couperin"

[reinholdbehringer]

Dear friends,

now something different from Mahler for a change:

from Maurice Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin" the first movement, "Prelude".

(use this following link on Indaba Music: )
http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1682518


(DO NOT USE the following original MySpace URL - there appears to be a Trojan! I am just leaving it here for reference)
http://www.myspace.com/virtualphilharmonic/music/songs/ravel-le-tombeau-de-couperin-prelude-84393387


I started working on this piece in 1995, and it was among my first MIDI renditions. In 1998 I had created an MP3 recording, using the MU-80 synthesizer and a few soundfonts on the Soundblaster AWE. Did not touch this recording since 1999.

Now, this new version has been completely ported to GPO4 samples. This meant of course re-recording all expression modulations. Also some slight changes in the tempo map.

In my opinion, it sounds best when listened to through headphones - when using speakers, the reverb may be a bit too strong.


The three other movements are already in the queue, but I wanted to share this first one with you, before I get to work on the other movements.

[fabiolcati]

Today it started with a load of good news from Reinhold Behringer:
A wonderful rendition of Ravel (one of the best alternatives to Mahler), with magic strings (how do you achieve this sounds?).
A fine conducting showcase.
A MySpace player that works.
What else?

I listened it though headphones and the reverb sounds ok, maybe a little wet, but impressionistacally (?) adequate.
Your statement about reverb ratio through speakers and headphone works seems to work in a reverse way to me: I need to add more of when I go through the latter. But, well, I'm not good as Reinhold Behringer is.
May I ask what is the reverb of your choice?

Thank you for everything. Including the three missing movements.

Best regards

[reinholdbehringer]

Glad you like it, Fabio!

strings: achieved with selective layering. The basis are mostly the KS section strings, but I add a bit of "lush" to them. Careful control of the velocity of each note, as this decides on the "bow speed" and the resulting attack of the note. Setting the legato by controlling the overlap between notes (I am not using the built-in legato with CC64, because that seems to create some abrupt transitions between the notes). Expression #1 in live input through the MOD wheel, track by track (individually for each string layer). And overall: tempo variations, even within each measure.

reverb: I am using Concert Hall 1, set with reverb controller CC91 to something between 90 and 120 for each track. I prefer "wet" vs. dry, because this allows more smooth transitions and enhances the character of the instruments. But on my tinny laptop speakers, the reverb sounds a bit metallic - that is why I commented that using headphones it seems to sound better.

Thank you for your comments!

And now off to doing the other three movements...(unfortunately this may take 2 weeks, because of other unrelated work commitments).

[rbowser-]

Reinhold! You and your magnificent rendering of this Ravel piece have just been volunteered to participate in The Listening Room Summer Festival!

It just popped in my head this morning that I was Sure there was at least one post of yours that was languishing in the archives. It didn't take me long to find this. I have no idea why this didn't attract more attention when you posted it last year. There are plenty of Forum members who are interested in exploring classical scores with GPO and their recording programs, and I think any of us would be hard pressed to find a more successful example of the kind of results that are possible.

This is stupendous - And your reply to Fab is a good insight into how you work. I especially appreciate how you explain that the volume control for each track was recorded in real time via Mod Wheel so you were actually Playing the music, not just entering notes and relying on scattered dynamic markings or sparsely inserted CC events.

I hope you get email notification that your thread is back at the top where it belongs. You deserve to hear a long and sustained round of applause for this. Here - I'll start the ovation:



Randy

[fabiolcati]

I move on the ovation

[Frank D]

WOW!!

Reinhold, you never cease to amaze with your recordings ... just beautiful. That crecsendo around 3:00 is magnificent. Of course, a few cheers for Mssr Ravel ... what a piece of music.

Thanks Randy for 'volunteering' this selection!

Regards,

Frank

[snorlax]

Reinhold,

This is one of my favorite pieces of music, in both its original piano version and in its orchestral form.

Congratulations on a fine job! I'll have to remember how the orchestral version ends--I know the piano version ends with "bouncing hands."

Unfortunately, I think the site hosting your file tried to drop a trojan on my computer--or NS did. Not your fault, though.

Bravo--I await the other movements!!


Jim

[Frank D]

Unfortunately, I think the site hosting your file tried to drop a trojan on my computer--or NS did. Not your fault, though.

Jim

Snor: Sorry about that ... I had the same experience but didn't say anything. Since I saw so many other comments here without mentioning the trojan, I just chalked it up to some over-zealous anti-virus s/w on my PC.

Hopefully, our a-v s/w did their jobs!!!!

Frank

[reinholdbehringer]

Dear friends,

thank you all for your positive comments about my recording!


I am very sorry about the trojan you mentioned - that must then be on Myspace. In any case, I am not very happy with MySpace, and I am not using it anymore. Instead I have moved my whole archive to Indaba.

Here is the Prelude on Indaba - please use that link to forward this music:
http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1682518


Here are the other remaining 3 movements of this suite:
http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1682519
http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1682520
http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/1682521

The orchestral version only has 4 movements, while the piano version has 6 movements. There are a few orchestrations of the original 6 movements for orchestra, and if I have some time, then I may create my own one.


thank you, Randy, for ressurrecting this thread, which had created very little attention!

(and now I am will prepare to post another music in this forum, this time a composition by myself).


Cheers,
Reinhold