Piano quintet (or "My, how I love that Guarneri!")

[Skysaw]

Here's a short pretty piece for piano and string quartet. There are actually a few soft vibraphone notes late in the piece, as well as a delay effect on the piano. I can't believe how easy it was to get the Guarneri to sing! I barely had to use any expression adjustments at all to make it sound exactly how I wanted it.

Unwelcomed Delivery - 1.29 MB

Criticism (harsh or otherwise) is welcome

[FredProgGH]

This is a really nice piece!! I think you should try to devolop the idea further... there's a great mood there.

BTW it's my first post- Hi everybody!! (Hi, Dr. Nick!!)

[Styxx]

Wow, yeah I concur. This has a nice feel to it. I would love to hear you take it further. Nice!

[gardibolt]

Can I ask what expression adjustments you made to the Guarneri? Why when I use it does it always sound like a harmonica? And on all those sustained notes, too...nicely done.

[trentpmcd]

Very nice. And yes, you sure figured out how to make that violin sing. My first impression is that this reminds me a little of Satie. Can't put my finger on why I feel that way.

Hi Fred. Welcome.

[Skysaw]

Thank you for the kind words, all.

Gardibolt, believe it or not, there isn't much expression on the violin line! It sounded pretty good "right out of the box." Basically, I'm using the lower dynamic range of the sample (mostly around CC1=26), with fairly high velocity, and a few points of legato. The first change in the modwheel doesn't come until the very last note of the first phrase, where it tapers downward. There's a little bit more going on in the second phrase.

trentpmcd, I wasn't thinking of Satie, but there is a little of him in there, I suppose.

[Skysaw]

Further work with the Guarneri has not been as easy... I guess I got lucky with that one. It must have to do with the register, dynamics, and articulation needed for that piece, that everything just fell into place easily.

It's still my favorite of the three violins, though. I always try the others just to make sure, but end up using the Guarneri. The exception would be if I needed two solists, as in a string quartet. Then the second violinist is usually playing the Strad.