Thanks very much for that information David!It's very usefull as I'd like
to try the cascading string effect on Mellotron. I've often used the
Chambelin celli voiced in the register of violas to counter the sometimes
screechy 3 violins.
> Hi folks,
> yes, Ronnie Binge was the guy who 'invented' the Mantovani cascading
> strings, but he got the idea from hearing works by Claudio Monteverdi
> and the effect of voices as they sounded in churches and trying to
> reproduce the effect musically.
> The whole concept was one of staggering the entrances of the violin
> sections to give the delay effect. Now although its been suggested
> that the delayed sounds were reduced in level, according to 'Mantovani
> -a lifetime in music' by Colin Mackenzie, each section of the violins
> has to play the parts at exactly the same level to get the effect.
> Now it's very difficult when playing such a line to hold your own when
> the guy next to you is playing a fraction of a beat behind or ahead of
> you, so it needs intense concentration and very good tuning.
> In addition the violas were voiced very close to the cellos in the
> texture to add richness to the sound and not make the violins sound
> squeaky.
> The string section numbers on the classic recordings total 29: 18
> violins, 6 violas, 4 cellos and one bass.
> One other guy associated with the Mantovani sound was recording
> engineer Arthur Lilley who was one of Decca's foremost (but typically
> overworked and underpaid) recording engineers, a great perfectionist
> in sound and the only one who could get Mantovani's quest for
> perfection down on tape. Even so, there were problems in the studio
> with flutter effects on the reverb tails and the 'Hampstead hum' that
> used to occur at the Decca studios off West End Lane. The very venue
> that later became Threshold Studios for the Moodies.
>
> Now it's fashionable to knock Mantovani, dismissing his music as
> muzak, syrupy, not rock'n'roll, etc. But the simple point is that he
> was a master of easy listening and light classical genres that had a
> large audience. It's forgotten that prior to the advent of the fab
> four he was the best selling british recording artiste overseas, and
> his sales kept Decca out of the red (and ironically subsidised many of
> Decca's rock acts) for many years. 50 million album sales is not to be
> sniffed at.
> And looking at the list of musos who played in his band, that list
> includes some of the top session guys of the time, many of which
> stayed with him for decades. They wouldn't have stuck that if they
> didn't have respect for both Mantovani and the music.
> Amongst the list were BBC orchestra leaders Sydney Sax and David
> McCallum (father of the Man from Uncle sidekick), Max Jaffa (another
> MOR star), legendary jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs, pianist Stanley Black
> (BBC conductor and arranger), guitarist John Williams (yes, that one)
> and jazz drummers Kenny Clare and Barry Morgan, as well as string
> players who were teachers at the London music colleges.
> So Mike pinder is drawing on one of the greats as his influence for
> Melly technique.
> All we need now of course, is a Mantovani strings banks for the M4000!
>
> Dave.
>
>
>
>
>> --- On Sun, 9/28/08, Bruce Daily <pocotron@...> wrote:
>> From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@...>
>> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mantovani Anyone?
>> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
>> Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:24 PM
>
>>
>> Hi-
>> I now have to wonder who influenced Mantovani (other than the
> dollar sign)...
>> Maybe this story has a better beginning.
>>
>
>
>