VSE Switched-on comp - July 2014

[adamstan]

Hi, time for next friendly competition

"Reinterpret a classical music piece with all synths"

Choose some nice tune and record "Switched-on" version.
Proposition of rules:
1. Don't use sampled acoustic instruments or orchestral presets from ROMplers
2. Using midi files is OK, just make some interesting sounds
2a. It doesn't have to be note-for-note-perfect rendition. You can e.g. take just main theme along with harmony, and rearrange it - as long as it is somewhat recognizable

Let's set the deadline at 1st August, of course it isn't set in stone

[CS_TBL]

heh, can previously released stuff compete?

[Bitexion]

I'd assume you have to make something new for the competitions? If not ppl can just link other stuff they made years ago..wouldn't be fair for the ones who start from scratch.

[adamstan]

Yes, Bitexion is right. I suppose CS_TBL was joking

So - to be clear - please make something specially for this competition.

[Swayze]

I had a feeling CS would throw his hat in the ring. Looking forward to hearing some FM8!

What are the rules regarding drum sounds?

[CS_TBL]

I'm one big joke, you know..

[Bitexion]

I'm always too serious

[adamstan]

I had a feeling CS would throw his hat in the ring. Looking forward to hearing some FM8!

What are the rules regarding drum sounds?

Hmm... I think, that for drums anything goes

[mpa1104]

Excuse me whilst I exercise the type of pedantry usually inherent in other matters on this forum!
I'm going to assume that the use of a lowercase c in the spelling of "classical" encompasses any composer from Medieval through to the 20th (or even 21st) Century, and is not solely limited to the Classical Era of music (ie, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Salieri, etc)?

[CS_TBL]

That's quite a discussion, no? Here's what I think:

Orchestral music can be split into periods like Baroque, Classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism. modern film music etc. Also: artsy commissioned stuff for failboats with a government grant. When someone says 'classical music', I tend to related that to classicism, which wouldn't include people like Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Holst, Pope Gregory etc.

Then again, for most people it's all Chinese anyway. They would perceive classical music as being 'not pop, not jazz, not blues, not filmscore', no matter whether it's Mozart or Ravel, Wagner or Schoenberg. Perhaps this is what we should be accepting as 'realistic'.

[calaverasgrande]

oh come on how can you leave the 20th century guys out?
I'm not saying we should include Schonberg and Glass. But at least Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Bartok, as well as Orff.
Sacre Du Printemps has been one of my favorite pieces since I was a child!

[_dan]

Indeed, I am doing (pre-war) Bartok (delightful magyar folk music with the meticulous care of educated hands... it resonates with half of my favorite video game scores... and is part of a collection that first excited me about older music)
I think the scariest part of this comp is going to be not completely mutilating the work... lol or maybe that will be the fun part for some.

[calaverasgrande]

Indeed, I am doing (pre-war) Bartok (delightful magyar folk music with the meticulous care of educated hands... it resonates with half of my favorite video game scores... and is part of a collection that first excited me about older music)
I think the scariest part of this comp is going to be not completely mutilating the work... lol or maybe that will be the fun part for some.

I grew up with a classical musician for a parent (French Horn).
Him and his buddies talk about SF Symphonys Michael Tilson Thomas as
'that upstart kid' because he includes 20th century composers in the general program of the symphony and not just relegated to some 'noise night' with Alban Berg and some dissonant Pole whose name escapes me.
There are plenty of very melodic modern composers. They are almost baroque in comparison to the twelve tone guys, so I never understood the fuss. At least they are still using motifs and themes instead of tone rows. Though some of those themes are lifted straight from folk music as you point out. (not a bad thing!)

[CS_TBL]

Can't list 'm all ey, just picked some mainstream names. So yes, Arvo Part should be member of the same domain, just like Philip Glass, and oh well, Miklos Rozsa also did concert work apart from his film work.

[adamstan]

Excuse me whilst I exercise the type of pedantry usually inherent in other matters on this forum!
I'm going to assume that the use of a lowercase c in the spelling of "classical" encompasses any composer from Medieval through to the 20th (or even 21st) Century, and is not solely limited to the Classical Era of music (ie, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Salieri, etc)?

Yes, you're right. I was using the term "classical" in its broadest meaning, as I don't know proper English word for it I certainly didn't want to restrict this competition to classicism only.