Entries by Paul Smith
“Victory (at last)” – by Ronald Bacardi
A rousing, cinematic romp à la Star Wars, Star Trek and Back to the Future.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8, op. 93, in F – II. Allegretto Scherzando
Turn up your speakers and sit back. Way back. This delicate ditty has some surprising outbursts in store. And this recording takes full advantage of digital music’s ability to encompass a very wide range of loudness. Beethoven wanted only soft or loud in this piece, with nothing in-between. WARNING: This High Dynamic Range (HDR) […]
Movie music magic — Out with the old, in with the old?
We worked on a film now with an interesting challenge: An old opera recording from the 1930s is playing. As the scene transitions, the music transforms from the old recording into a lush, new one. How will we do it? First, we took a recording from the 1950s (“Un bel di vedremo” from Madame Butterfly, sung […]
Hänsel und Gretel – Orchestral music for Kölner Opernkiste
Artwork by Sybille Schenker. Used with permission. We’re producing the orchestral backing tracks for the Köln Opernkiste (Cologne Opera Box) production of Humperdink’s “Hansel and Gretel” this summer. The company will sing with these instrumental accompaniments as they bring their production to various schools in Germany next year. The Fauxharmonic Orchestra has also produced the […]
Fantasia Concertante, by Brian Fennelly
In 2009 The Fauxharmonic Orchestra held a worldwide contest to find the best new concerto. Brian Fennelly’s “Fantasia Concertante” for violin, cello and orchestra won the top prize. We’ve completed our recording of this evocative work, along with Duo Parnas, for whom the work was written. To make this hybrid recording we first prepared the […]
New Beethoven arrangement for string orchestra
Lento Assai, by Ludwig van Beethoven (arr. by P.H. Smith) From the string quartet no. 16, op. 135.
First Light – Music of Ground and Sky
First Light, by Chris Sainsbury In Australian composer Chris Sainsbury’s “First Flight” you can hear a new approach to connecting orchestral music to the natural world: Sainsbury thinks in terms of “ground sounds” and “sky sounds” and explores the spaces these ideas evoke for him. The resulting music is colorful and expressive. As Chris explains […]
Imperial March from Star Wars
Imperial March, by John Williams We made this new recording (March, 2012) to test a set of new brass instruments from Sample Modeling: trumpet, french horn, trombone, bass trombone and tuba.
Pavane pour une infante défunte
PLAY Pavane for a dead princess, by Maurice Ravel Ravel intended this piece to be played extremely slowly – more slowly than almost any modern interpretation, according to his biographer Benjamin Ivry. The critic Emile Vuillermoz complained that Ravel’s playing of the work was “unutterably slow.” However, the composer was not impressed by interpretations that […]
Skiball, by Gordon Wallin
Gordon Wallin’s “Skiball” (edited by John Ryther) evokes a cheery ski run down a mountainside. Listen for the sharp turns kicking up snow (depicted by cymbals) and the swirling descent to the bottom with a final stop, perhaps at the doorstep of a warm chalet. Suitable for holiday concert programming, “Skiball” is available for performance […]
Pompeii – Ballet in four acts
We’re proud to announce the completion of the world premiere recording of Michael Staley’s evocative new ballet Pompeii (2011). Sign up to be notified when the full recording is available. Excerpts
Better blending through dynamic tuning
We can now tune the instruments of our digital orchestra dynamically, in real time, just like orchestral musicians do. The computer can tell what intervals are playing and then tune them to fit the harmony more precisely than any fixed tuning. This is a huge advance over equal temperament … an advance that beautifully exploits […]
Kauffman Center Garage Music
Composer David Moulton has been commissioned to create music and sound design for Kansas City’s new Kauffmann Center for the Performing Arts opening in September. Moulton uses customized musical building blocks created by the Fauxharmonic Orchestra to create music that appears to move through space, either “bouncing” or “sweeping” from one loudspeaker to another. In […]
Fauxharmonic film score wins top IVCA award
The Fauxharmonic Orchestra’s original film score won the gold award for “best use of music” at the 2011 International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Awards ceremony in London, England. Composed by Paul Henry Smith, the orchestral score brings a magical, cinematic grandeur to “The Spirit Within,” an effects-heavy corporate film produced for Laing O’Rourke by London-based […]
New Recording: Moon River
Moon River, for strings arranged by Donald McDonnell
Danny Boy (for strings)
Danny Boy (arr. for strings) We just finished recording a lush string orchestra accompaniment for Danny Boy, arranged by Romeo Cascarino. We’re reminded again just how important smart arranger-chops are to getting a great performance.
Orchestral accompaniment for Kölner Opernkiste
The Little Magic Flute, Mozart (clips) Stefan Moseman of Kölner Opernkiste, a small opera troupe presenting musical theater for kids in and around Köln, Germany, asked us to create a short version of Mozart’s Magic Flute for their singers to perform with.
Ballet Waltz, for orchestra
Ronald Bacardi’s “Ballet Waltz” is reminiscent of Ravel’s La Valse with it’s lush color palette and whirling momentum. Composer Ronald Bacardi says: The Fauxharmonic produced amazing results. Far better than the one ‘analogue’ performance of the piece a couple of years ago. The musical sophistication of Paul Henry Smith and his staff allowed them to […]
Decade, for concert band
Decade, by Tony Cheseaux Decade, for concert band, was written in 1996 for the “Angelo Bearpark Brass Ensemble” on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. The music is based on the theme of the number “10,” which you can hear, for example, in the two quintuplets in the low brass at the end. Score and […]
Abenzoares for trumpet and piano
Abenzoares, by Tony Cheseaux
Road to Tallinn
Stately and subtly shifting sonorities in “The Road to Tallinn” dominate Jonathan M. Block’s work of impressionistic sound-coloring. If you like Schönberg’s “Summer Morning by a Lake,” listen to this focused gem for small orchestra: [audio:road_to_tallinn.mp3] Performed and recorded by Paul Henry Smith & The Fauxharmonic Orchestra, September, 2010
Chris Sainsbury
After we recorded the first two movements of Chris Sainsbury’s wonderfully evocative “Symphony of the Birds” he entered it into the New England Philharmonic’s call for scores – and won! The New England Philharmonic will perform the first movement on October 30, 2010, in Boston. (Concert details) As Sainsbury says, “I’m sure the fantastic recording […]
Beethoven's Ninth – Scherzo
We tried a new approach here: instead of merely mapping one instrument to a plastic controller, we mapped the main themes to one controller. So you’re sometimes playing “violin” or “flute” or “oboe,” giving you a very different perspective.
Flight of the Bumblebee
One of the toughest pieces to play on Rock Band. Of course, it’s not so hard if you play it in “easy” or “practice” mode.
Brian Fennelly wins 2009 composition contest
Brian Fennelly wins the 2009 concerto composition contest. His work for violin, cello and orchestra will be performed in the coming year.
20th Century Fox Fanfare – Orchestral Shoot-out!
Compare the Moscow Symphony, the original soundtrack recording from “The Empire Strikes Back” and the Fauxharmonic Orchestra’s rendition of the famous movie fanfare.
Music from Star Wars
We’ll be performing these in an upcoming concert. Listen to the preview recordings.
Record your music
Find out how you can get your music performed and recorded with expressiveness, musicality and technical shine by the Fauxharmonic Orchestra. For concert music, film and game scores.
Jeremy Spindler
Hear Spindler’s “Animated Watercolor” performed by the Fauxharmonic Orchestra …
Beethoven – Symphony No. 2, in D, III – Scherzo
Hear the third movement, Scherzo, from Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony.
James Ricci
Hear the second movement of Ricci’s “Chamber Symphony”
Varèse – Ionisation – Live, in concert
Hear “Ionisation” by Edgard Varèse …
Beethoven Digital Symphonies Concert – Oct. 4, 2009
BEETHOVEN – VARESE – FAURE – WEBERN – GENTRY – SPINDLER – UEMATSU — October 4, 2009
Beethoven – Symphony No. 1 in C, op. 21 – II Andante cantabile con moto
Conducted by Paul Henry Smith. Recorded live, in concert, May 20, 2009.
Beethoven – Symphony No. 1 in C, op. 21 – I. Adagio molto—Allegro con brio
[audio:concerts/090520/090520_beethoven_1_1.mp3] Recorded live, in concert, on May 20, 2009.
Beethoven – Symphony No. 1 in C, op. 21 – III Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
[audio:concerts/090520/090520_beethoven_1_3.mp3] Third movement, menuetto: allegro molto e vivace, from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 Conducted by Paul Henry Smith. Recorded live, in concert, May 20, 2009.
Castlerigg Stone Circle, by Larry Shackley
Customer Recording: Castlerigg Stone Circle, for concert band, by Larry Shackley
Boom Boom Pow – Orchestral
Our orchestral version of BOOM BOOM POW is perfectly synched to the original. Get it for $1.
Free Recording Download: May 20, 2009
Amazing mezzo Tynan Davis and the first live performance of a Beethoven symphony by a digital orchestra.
Beethoven Digital Symphonies Series – Concert 1
Complete Beethoven Symphonies Concert Series – 2009-2010.
Symphony No. 7, op. 92 – IV Allegro con brio (complete movement)
Recorded December 11, 2008, Paul Henry Smith, conducting [display_podcast]
Beethoven – Symphony No. 1 in C, op. 21 – IV Adagio, Allegro molto e vivace
[audio:Symphony_no_1_IV_PHS.mp3] Finale from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 Conducted by Paul Henry Smith. Recorded September 12, 2008.
"Voorbij Twee Windstreken" – by Emiel Stöpler
“VTW was written in 1995, while I was studying at the conservatory in Ghent, Belgium. Unfortunately, there is no good English translation for the Dutch title, but it refers to the fact that I was living in my third country at that point (I am from the Netherlands, and had also lived in the US […]
"Summer Nights Passing" by Frederic Glesser
We’ve just finished recording our performance of Frederic Glesser’s “Summer Nights Passing” for flute, harp and strings. Summer Nights Passing flute, harp, string orchestra [audio:SNP_FINAL_2.mp3] About Frederic Glesser