I want Rothko Chapel vibes

[Fred G. Unn]

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[aleos]

That’s a lovely example you made Fred, thank you. Are you using the Dorico defaults for staff spacing, margins, and all those little under the hood things?

[Fred G. Unn]

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[aleos]

Hello, and welcome! Would you post an excerpt from your piece so we can compare it with the Rothko Chapel vibes?

Here you go Magnus. It's not finished, but it's getting close. Digitally, when I look at it, I am ok with it. But it was when I printed it out, for an early run through with some singers, that I found it to look weak, thin and whispy. Like too "digital". But I don't even know what that means. That's why, as I mentioned a few times, I'm not so worried about fonts or hairpins or whatever, but maybe there is some thickness parameters I don't know about, or margins, how the staff fits on the page, staff size etc etc. Or what page size works better with this size ensemble. (although the instrumentation changes in the score over the 45' duration). I want to give it the weight and the feeling I get from Feldman.

[Magnus Johansson]

Hello, and welcome! Would you post an excerpt from your piece so we can compare it with the Rothko Chapel vibes?

Here you go Magnus. It's not finished, but it's getting close. Digitally, when I look at it, I am ok with it. But it was when I printed it out, for an early run through with some singers, that I found it to look weak, thin and whispy. Like too "digital". But I don't even know what that means. That's why, as I mentioned a few times, I'm not so worried about fonts or hairpins or whatever, but maybe there is some thickness parameters I don't know about, or margins, how the staff fits on the page, staff size etc etc. Or what page size works better with this size ensemble. (although the instrumentation changes in the score over the 45' duration). I want to give it the weight and the feeling I get from Feldman.

Thank you. Is it perhaps the vertical stave spacing, especially on the first page of your score, that you are not fully pleased with?

[aleos]

Yes that could be one cause of the ‘weak feeling’ I’m getting. I thought this as well. Feldman has similar single system per page passages in Rothko chapel, with a roughly equivalent ensemble, and it doesn’t feel as flimsy.

I haven’t found a good solution to the spacing yet. Obviously I would want it so that someone’s eyes, who is reading doesn’t have to travel so far from bottom to top staff, but I haven’t been able to get it to look good, and balanced when I shrink the spacing. I don’t know what the problem is is.

[OCTO]

The Feldman examples are ... fine ... […] There generally is too much white space, the system dividers are anemic,

Which reflects Feldmans music, no?

[OCTO]

Generally speaking, serif fonts are much easier to read than sans-serif fonts when using the same amount of ink (or "blackness") on the page.
It is generally believed sans-serif will make score look more modern and professional.  But it doesn't work like that.

Remember that musical symbols are essentially serif symbols, and we strive toward the compactness, not diversity.

[aleos]

The Feldman examples are ... fine ... […] There generally is too much white space, the system dividers are anemic,

Which reflects Feldmans music, no?

Thank you Octo, for stating the hilariously obvious. I can see that this clearly not the correct forum for me .

Thank you Magnus for sharing your interest and trying to help.

[aleos]

Generally speaking, serif fonts are much easier to read than sans-serif fonts when using the same amount of ink (or "blackness") on the page.
It is generally believed sans-serif will make score look more modern and professional.  But it doesn't work like that.

Remember that musical symbols are essentially serif symbols, and we strive toward the compactness, not diversity.

I’m outta here.

This place isn’t for me.