Peace Requiem -- two movements from performance recently

[KE Peace]

Hi everyone,

i had been very scarce, my apologies.

All this year I have been focused on the performance on my Requiem.

Here is some raw footage from mv 3 (Dies Irae) and mv 4 (Tuba Mirum).

There are balance issues (the horn and percussion is way too loud relative to the other instruments and the brass -- well, who knows what they were doing! I suspect they were sight-reading. But the balance issues might be my fault for how I wrote the dynamics in the score (this is really the first time dealing with such a big work with a whole orchestra). The orchestra also only had a dress rehearsal and then the concert (but I assumes they had practiced by themselves?! - I think most of them did.).

I was very lucky to have Tom Wilson conducting, and the chorus with Deb Teske, director behind this project. The chorus had rehearsed and they were spot-in, near perfect.

There is a professionally produced video in the works, hopefully I'll have it soon -- I was in the front because I had to talk a bit, and so I didn't really hear the concert properly.

Thank you to GaryG, etLux, and sosmus for providing some kind words for the marketing effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXurD...yer_detailpage

Feedback welcome. (but note that some of the notes in the brass parts was NOT what I wrote! :-(

Best wishes,
Karen Peace

[KE Peace]

I should have added that GPO enabled me to give the chorus a "orchestra" to rehearse with ahead of time.

I have had discussions with people about "digital" vs live performances... this is one example where the two complement each other.

-K

[swinkler]

Very nice Karen! It's good to hear a live performance. Even as useful as samples are it's no substitute for the real thing in my opinion.

You must be very proud of how it turned out and deservedly so. Keep up the good work. Let this motivate you to more learning and more and more writing.

[qccowboy]

congratulations on the live performance.

[rwayland]

Well, congratulations on the live performance. That is always a good feeling, even when it does not go quite as you would wish. I well understand your comment about the brass not being what you wrote. Even one wrong note can destroy the character of a piece, as I discovered about 25 years ago.

Sometimes I wonder if there ever is a performance that totally satisfies the composer!

Richard

[rbowser-]

Breathtaking, Karen - Your music, the spectacular venue, and the thrill of seeing a fellow Garritan Forum member have her music performed live.

It's a beautifully constructed piece, your Requiem, full of the tremulous beauty and solemnity one wants from a Requiem. Rest assured that even through the faulty performance and recording, much of your creation comes through, brilliantly and clearly.

Two movements - I'm doing something dumb probably, but I can't find the second movement. I've heard Dies Irae - where is the other movement?

--side note -- I can never get over how orchestras/bands put so little time into preparing for performance. Musicians, in general, have always irked me with their attitude that as little effort as possible can somehow get the job done properly. Of course there are always practical reasons/excuses for pieces being massively under-rehearsed, but I have no patience for it. My background is theatre, where even the best, most experienced actors spend many long hours in giving a piece proper rehearsal - and when those actors are in a musical, the band shows up for a stumbling rehearsal or two right before opening, creating terror and confusion, and reducing the show's quality instantly--Musicians feel they're supposed to be able to sight read/fake their way through anything and make it work. Most are unable to pull that off though. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

I'll agree easily that the horns and percussion are totally out of balance in this recording. The choir and rest of the orchestra sound like they're a very long ways off from us, but somehow the percussionist and horn players got moved up onto our laps. I would Not assume that's due to problems inherent in your score - I chalk that up to--- lack of planning and rehearsal.

Back to the positive things, the most important thing-- I am so impressed with this accomplishment of yours. We're all the richer for hearing the live version of Requiem. Thank you.---Point me in the direction of the other movement?--

Randy

[trentpmcd]

Congratulations having this performed!

I think part of the balance "problem" is just the recording - I can hear everything fine. I think it is the nature of the instruments (brass can cut through everything, as can percussion) & the performing space. If you didn't mention it I wouldn't have noticed.

Over all I enjoyed the performance.

Randy - watch and listen - at about 3 minutes in they change to the next movement - it is not as nearly as dark.

[rbowser-]

...

Randy - watch and listen - at about 3 minutes in they change to the next movement - it is not as nearly as dark.

Ah! Thanks for that, Trent - I heard the change of mood, thought it was all one movement since it seemed labeled that way. Great! Then I didn't miss anything. Really wonderful stuff.

Randy