After listening to the suggested pieces, in Ravel’s piece, it will seem that the dynamics, occasionally, are used with sudden changes to create a sense of depth and distance, as if the music comes from far away and approaches gradually. Percussion also appears to impact the creation of space as it fills the physical space. When the orchestra is used in full, this space feels complete or full, and employing different instrumentation creates gaps or silent space. The antiphonal application in the piece also makes a sense of direction or movement in the orchestral space. While listening to Mahler, I found that the melody played by the cellos, pizzicato in the violin and the piano double bass performance produce a sense of close or intimate space, changing to wider space when most instruments are played. The depth is evident when the music is performed by the trumpets. In the piece Negative Love, what stands out the most is the choir’s size, the dynamic contrast, and the rhythm layering in a minimalistic style. The use of the choir will seem to be to add a spatial element to the piece. The imitative counterpoint applied to the choir singing back and forth across the stage creates a sense of depth and movement. Similarly to Mahler and Ravel’s alternation of instruments in the orchestra, Adam uses single instrumentation and layering to evoke space, distance and weight in his work. Chin produces the space and physical volume by using similar techniques as the precedent composers listened to. However, he also expresses the movement by applying extended techniques. Overall I feel that applying all these techniques or devices all composers try to evoke physical volumes and space of the natural world.
Orchestration and Arrangement 