October by Eric Whitacre (string arrangement)

[defleppardlover]

i do prefer the wind ensemble arrangement. but this is a lovely sounding orchestra!!!! i want to hear a symphony arrangment of this piece!

[spikesonthebrain]

5:51 my alarm clock starts going off!

[venskus2009]

everyone know the "cello"(couch euphonium) solo shoulda gone to a bass

[jasonfu6699]

.... the piece is played wrong. At 3:10, the music says, "in 2," which means in this recording it's played at half speed.

[BadgerTrumpet]

Intonation and phrasing, please. I couldn't even get past the 2:00 mark. Yuck.

[mckrules]

yea the wind version is much much better

it sounds too abrasive and edgy...

and not to mention, the baritone solo in the string version sounds awkward and not pretty.,

[nhdelgado]

Wow, I played this song with my band in college and it was beautiful in wind, but this is the first time i hear it in orchestra. It's beautiful as well. It would be cool if they could join a band-orchestra version, we did that for a song in all-state band for america the beautiful and it was amazing.

[ChibiMar]

Wow, this is a very interesting variation of the piece. Very well played, I love the precision of the violins. Amazing =]

[stephhxc]

i don't really like it as much in strings than in concert band. i feel like there's more depth to it in concert band, with all the different types of wind instruments and whatnot, you know? but this is still really good.

[wicked7171]

when i play song with my orchestra i can image maple trees slowly changing colors from green to brown and yellow. leaves falling fragily to the ground while the wind blows softly and the sunsetting over a mountain but then again thats me

[wellnow25]

I am biased, and pefer the sound of string instruments over band instruments. Even so, it is harder to make the sound smoother since we have bow changes and string crossing.

[ennansannen]

I prefer the Band version... it just sounds way too chopy in the "flowing" parts

[PointOfNoReturnPwns]

it is difficult... but its a very fun piece as well im a cellist and i played it once... amazing piece really!

[steelvenom2003]

I think as a whole, this piece works better for band, BUT the second solo is so much more beautiful with cello than euphonium (even though this cellist isn't great), and I think strings have a way better capacity to be musical and communicate emotion than band instruments.

It's also important to remember that it's a HECK of a lot harder to play strings in tune than it is band instruments.

[wjsado]

it is, somehowe is doubt that (to ur last comment)

[TwilightLuver82]

We're playing this song in my orchestra this year, it's one of my favorites. I play viola and I absolutely love the viola part.

[tboneking5]

Great job! The band version is just more sonorious and beautiful to me, though. You guys did awesome, too.

[edwardcullenismybf]

I was in this concert!!! I love this piece ^^

[saro585]

kelly you're so technological! good job!

[WoodrowClock]

I'd like to hear a professional recording of the string arrangement before decided which I like better, but so far I like the band version; it sounds more triumphant.

[purplemassacre207]

i agree the orchestra version sounds more like autumn

[Ellex0Nick]

It seems like everyone likes the wind version better, but i love the orchestra version. It was the first one I ever heard and I've always thought that orchestras were so much more beautiful that bands.

[Alexandria1812]

I agree with you about Orchestra's being more Beautiful than Bands XD

I LOVE string instruments!!!!

It is sad though i can play any woodwind... yet i'm having issues learning the cello :(

[HerrAshmoo]

Cello's tough. I'm a violinist, and I still have trouble with the cello. XD

[steelvenom2003]

I'm just starting to learn cello, but I played violin for several years. I cannot even tell you how valuable that experience is. It transfers so much better than I expected. I do have some problems with the bowing and the fingering is a little different, but for the most part, it's been a fairly smooth transition for me.

That said, cello is all kinds of easier than violin. Just the fact that it's in such a natural position makes the whole thing more manageable (shifting, vibrato, fingering, etc)

[dimsimlord]

@Ellex0Nick

It's exactly that kind of bigotry that inspired him to write for bands in the first place.

Orchestras are better for some things but they are not *better* or *worse* than bands. A good band piece is beautiful BECAUSE it is written for band, because it uses the tone colours of a wind ensemble effectively.

[Ellex0Nick]

@dimsimlord calm down i wasn't asking a philosophical question. I was just giving my opinion. It wasn't bigotry. If somebody asked me which was better, I would say I couldn't possibly answer that question. But if I was asked which I'd rather listen to, I would say orchestra. They are two different questions.

[bredatehfish]

@Ellex0Nick I prefer the string arrangement too! 

[Ellex0Nick]

@bredatehfish yeah it reminded me of the first time I ever heard my sister play in an orchestra. I guess I'm emotionally attached to this song. That's somehing that disimlord will never understand.

[kittystolemycookie94]

@Ellex0Nick I agree 100%

[bandfreakxx]

i really like how this turned out, despite the few intonation problems that have already been pointed out. but hey, it's harder for string instruments. i really like the tone you guys gave it. good job!

[Alexandersphilosophy]

Our high school orchestra is about to play this piece for a concert...I wanted to hear what it is supposed to sound like and to figure out how bad our orchestra is failing...I think you did a great job! I hope we do as well.

[astrononerd]

cyfalls high school is actually playing this peice for honor orchestra auditions and we only played it once so far and we sound better. :) im also the solo viola and i dont think its very hard to play it in tune. just go to 4th position.

[schlockading]

Hehe, I like how there are a few seconds of Vivaldi Spring at the end.

[20kat06tha]

we played this song i love it

[runspeech09]

I agree with the "Copland sound" comment. And for a High school orcastra this honestly' isnt too bad. It is hard for high school orcastras to get a good tuning, quality of instumants and quality of players, time for practice, lots of things come into play.

[TheRat2233]

The string version gives it a different color that I believe represents the original interpretation of the piece better.

[jaymusic143]

There ARE some intonation problems as some have noted, and some cello bits that ARE really out of tune.  But remember, it is a high school ensemble, and for that, not so bad. But the violas are strong.

The strings give it more of a Copland texture, as I am more familiar with the wind ensemble arangement

[KojiNokemono]

I only wish I could find this version to add to my music library.... I do love the concert version but I adore the strings as well.

[Bobofwestoregonusa]

The chords are VERY out of tune.

[Bobofwestoregonusa]

Still a good try. Always encourageing to see someone arrange a peice.

[KojiNokemono]

You sure? This IS an arrangement by Eric Whitacre X3 If you don't know his chord progressions then you might want to think twice about whether or not they're in tune.

[madman987654]

@KojiNokemono yeah i can tell too some of the violins are sharp.....

[JPSaxMan]

@KojiNokemono There are two kinds of dissonance - in tune and out of tune. This ensemble has some moments where the dissonance (even the consonance, and yes I am familiar enough with these chords to know the difference) is out of tune. For a high school group I expected worse intonation, but I wouldn't go as far to say that they are dead on in tune either.

[Igneous01]

@JPSaxMan well if they were dead on in tune it would take away the human feel from the performance altogether

[felipemoralestorres]

@KojiNokemono Yes, you're right that Whitacre uses expanded harmonies that are often subtly–or glaringly–dissonant. That being said, even if you didn't know that, you could tell that this ensemble has some problems with pitch. The orchestra sounds like a solid group, but they could use more more tone on their edge. Tuning issues are more often than not a balance problem or a tone problem, rather than students playing blatantly out of tune. It just takes a teacher with who will show them that.

[ArcaneApril]

the solo was verrry out of tune.....

we play the band arrangement, and when the euphonium plays the solo, its very moving. this just made my ears twitch...

sorry if i offend anyone.

[musicrocks9]

Thanks for a string version, it has really hard to find another. Good Job!

[JohnnyRay0311]

I played this at the Arizona Music Educators Association conference and that is where all music educators meet to improve their skills and also hear outstanding groups play. And I am not trying to be conceited but i know what it si to sound like and so there are a few things. PLEASE have your instruments tuned! You can't play correctly is they aren't. And also there needs to be HUGE dynamic contrasts! Eric wrote this to have an extensive array of dynamics so do them.

[LlamaMonkeyTurtle]

Oh wow... the violas REALLY need to tune.