I wrote this track for my girlfriend while she was on the other side of the country last month. She's a classical horn player, so there's a nice horn solo. She also happens to like oboes, so it's also got an oboe. =D
All the instruments are from Kontakt.
http://test.pbc.wa.edu.au/music/FarAway.wma
404???
Oops! It should be a ".wma", not ".mp3"... Should be fixed now. =)
Piano sounds far too mechanical and is no way near expressive enough... did you quantize it? BAD! Its timbre is also more like a rock piano than a classical piano. I'd change the samples to a sweeter piano and add a hall like reverb.
Theres a lot of blatant volume level problems. Towards the end, the French horns should have a lot more presence, and the oboe is FAR too loud. Piano is far too soft at times. I'll be honest the Mix needs a lot of work. The timbre of the instruments also don't feel right at the corresponding volume levels. It sounds like you're repeating the same thing, just louder. Just listen to the tambourine. When it is hit harder for loudness it should make far more of a "crack" noise. Seems like your instruments only have 1 velocity. Oboe sounds too dry; needs more reverb. What can I say... its tough composing classical :)
As for a few orchestration ideas:
You start out using legato strings which is great, but I think from around the 1:25 mark you could implement them in tremolo for greater effect.
I'd change the oboe to a trumpet ( especially from the 2:07 mark). The oboe is an exceptionally expressive instrument and your piece lends itself to a majestic feel, not a weeping one.
Why no Celli or Contrabasses during the finale'? Also feel more liberal on the pounding of the timpani. You only hit the Timpani at the begging of the Bar ie: BOOM-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-BOOM-2-3-4-etc... I would do it: BOOM-2-3-4-1-2-3-BOOM-BOOM-2-3-4-etc..
As for the composition itself, your harmonic structure is outstanding. All you need a is a feel for orchestration and orchestral mixing, then you're on your way to greatness :D
The background strings are playing too much the same note as the horn or oboe at the same time.
Instruments loose distinction then.
Well, the piano probably sounds "mechanical" because it's completely tracked... I didn't play anything at all. =) I did want to do more Baroque-style terraced dynamics, with a basic movement from p to ff to p again, but with the piano carrying on p and subito through the ff section, so that it feels as though it almost gets completely lost, only to come back at the end again... I think that the "tambourine" doesn't make a "crack" noise because it's a tenor drum... =D I do think that the strings get a bit overpowering at times: perhaps a change to tremolo would help to alleviate that a bit. Thanks for the feedback, KrazyKatz and Sam_Zen. =D
GREAT PIECE OF MUSIC MAN! Orchestral section is cool, piano melody is cool... Thank's for compose this song! :wink: