January 26

As my work this week was pre-compositional, both the instructor and my classmates' suggestions were based on my explanation of my planned orchestral work. They recommended that, in order to get a better sense of how all the parts are working together, I should compose the piece for one or two pianos (short score) and then orchestrate it. This was a technique used by Ravel, and I was therefore advised to look at his works. It was suggested that I examine Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe in particular, in order to help me find a way for the strings to imitate seabirds; George Crumb's Vox Balaenae was also recommended for this, as the cello's quite successfully imitate seagulls in the piece. One suggestion of a technique to achieve this goal was to have the violins doing a wide vibrato on the upper two strings with their fingers placed as though they were doing harmonics, but not on a node.