New Release: Dmirti Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11

On December 28, 2010 Harmonia Mundi released a new recording of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 2 and 11.  Valery Gergiev leads the Mariinsky Orchestra on this recording.  This is the sixth CD in Gergiev's Shostakovich cycle.  However, this is only the second recording with the Mariinsky Orchestra.  The other recording with this orchestra presents Symphonies Nos. 1 and 15.

This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for December 2010.



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Influential Pieces: Kaija Saariaho - Cendres - Part 2

Prior to hearing Kaija Saariaho's Cendres for the first time I was only familiar with about three of her orchestral works and some of her electro-acoustic compositions.  Cendres was the first piece for acoustic chamber music of Saariaho's that I heard.  This piece really captivated me.  The instrumentation was, at the time, to me different: alto flute, cello and piano.

While the instrumentation seemed different, it is the way in which Saariaho uses the instruments that opened my eyes to the world of color and timbre.  The piece opens with a harmonic trill in the cello.  This technique creates a thin and airy sound that initiates the sound world that is to come.  Another technique for string instruments that Saariaho uses in many of her compositions is the application and changing of bow pressure.  Increasing the bow pressure creates a sound that is more noise than tone.  Bow pressure can be applied to the point where all sense of pitch is lost.  The inverse, less bow pressure, thins out the sound creating an eerie and airy tone.

The alto flute is also used in uncommon ways.  Saariaho composes certain passages using breath tones.  Breath tones are created by the flautist using the fingering needed to create the notated pitch, but air is blown through the instruments not producing the normal tone.  In certain passages Saariaho will alternate between breath tones and normal tones.  This creates an effect similar to that of the alternation of the harmonic and normal tone in the cello.

Another of Saariaho's favorite flute effects is the use of phonemes.  Phonemes are an elementary part of speech that distinguishes one utterance from another.  In the preface of the score Saariaho gives a list of the phonemes used in Cendres and the correct pronunciation.  Saariaho explored this technique in some detail in Laconisme de L'aile (1982) for solo flute and electronics.  In Cendres Saariaho used the phonemes as coloration which acts as another form of progression.

Another technique Saariaho used in this piece is quarter-tones.  There are most easily heard in the alto flute and cello as glissandi.  This pitch will be bent up or down a half-step in certain passages.  It is with these glissandi that the quarter-tones will be most transparent.  Saariaho will rarely use the quarter-tones as exact pitches in this piece as they can be difficult to play with accuracy.

Listening Journal: December 20-26, 2010

Olivier Messiaen - Couleurs de la Cite Celeste (1963) for solo piano, 3 clarinets, 3 xylophones and a brass orchestra with metal percussion instruments
Einojuhani Rautavaara - Isle of Bliss (1995) for orchestra

Frederic Chopin - Nocturnes: Live - July 21, 2010 - CD
  Maria Joao Pires, piano
   Nocturne, op. 9 nos. 1-3 (1832)
   Nocturne, op. 15 nos. 1-3 (1833)
   Nocturne, op. 27 nos. 1-2 (1835)
   Nocturne, op. 62 nos. 1-2 (1846)
   Nocturne, op. 71: Lento con gran espresione (1820)
   Nocturne, op. 72 nos. 1-2 (1829)

Luciano Berio - Points on the Curve to Find... (1974) for piano and 22 instrumentalists



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 Berio: Chemins II & Chemins IV; Points on the Curve to Find

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  This is a special time for many of us as we are able to spend time with our family and friends.  This is a time of year that I always cherish.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Review: Fantasia on Blu-ray

Rating: 10/10

I recently purchased the Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 combo pack on Blu-ray.  I already own the Fantasia Anthology three-disc DVD set which contains Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Fantasia Legacy, which has all of the special features for both movies.  Of course with these being a pair of my favorite movies I had to pick up the high-def version on Blu-ray.

Overall, the Blu-ray presentation of Fantasia is amazing.  From the menus to the film you can tell that great care was taken in the re-mastering of this movie.  The menu is full sound and and motion.  When you move the cursor there is a different musical tone that is played in a scale like a toy piano.  The picture is vivid and sharp.  The colors pop and are more pristine than the DVD version.  The sound on the Blu-ray is crisp and clear.  It is great to hear Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in such clarity.

For the most part Fantasia is in the original, uncut version.  The film even includes the intermission segment complete with the curtains closing and the title card projected.  This was something that was cut out of some of the previous versions.  However, it is still a "censored" movie , but I believe that it does not detract from the film at all.  For those unaware, the segment featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" contains the censored scenes.  This segment features the symphony set against a world of centaurs.  The editors censored the scenes depicting a black centaur.  Apparently the way in which it was drawn and acts is considered racist.  I have seen the original clip and I understand how it can be considered racist.  The Disney editors did a great job in censoring these scenes.  The editors panned over and zoomed in on other aspects of the scene, cutting out the black centaur and its actions.  These edits are flawlessly done.  It is so seamless that you do not notice that something was cut out.

My favorite segment of Fantasia is Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.  I find the concept of the evolution of species to be fitting.  The way in which the "story" progresses with the music is spot on.  This for me is one of the reasons why Fantasia is so successful.

The only drawback to this Blu-ray set is the lack of special features.  The Disney Studios have included some new special features, but left off the unfinished segments like Debussy's Claire de Lune or Sibelius's Swan of Tuonela.  These pieces were sketched or storyboarded, but never finished.  These were included as special feautres on the three-disc DVD set Fantasia Anthology that I have had for years, so I will not be getting rid of these anytime soon.

In spite of the lack of these special features, the Blu-ray version of Fantasia is well worth owning.  The picture is crisp, the colors are vivid and the sound is clear.  This is the way in which Walt Disney meant for this film to be experienced.


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Listening Journal: December 13-19, 2010

Kaija Saariaho - Preludi-Tunnustus-Postludi (1980) for soprano and piano
Arnold Schoenberg - Piano Piece, op. 33A (1928)
Arnold Schoenberg - Piano Piece, op. 33B (1931)
Harrison Birtwistle - The Triumph of Time (1972) for orchestra
Iannis Xenakis - Akrata (1965) for eight winds and eight brass
Iannis Xenakis - À la Mémoire de Witold Lutoslawski (1994) for two trumpets and two horns
Kaija Saariaho - Oi Kuu (1990) for flute and cello

Arditti String Quartet - From Scandinavia - CD
   Magnus Lindberg - Clarinet Quintet (1992) with Kari Kriikku, clarinet
   Bent Sorensen - Angels' Music (1988)
   Kaija Saariaho - Nymphea (1987)
   Jukka Tiensuu - Arsenic and Old Lace (1990) with Jukka Tiensuu, harpsichord

Witold Lutoslawski - Orchestral Works Volume 1 - CD
   Funeral Music for strings (1958)
   Chain II: Dialogue for Violin and Orchestra (1985)
   Interlude (1989) for strings
   Partita for Violin and Orchestra (1988)
   Symphony No. 4 (1992)

   
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Happy Birthday to my wife

Today is my wife's birthday.  I want to wish her a happy birthday.  Everyday and every year we spend together is a good one.  I love you Melissa.

Influential Pieces: Kaija Saariaho - Cendres - Part 1

Kaija Saariaho's Cendres for alto flute, cello and piano is for me one of the most influential pieces of chamber music.  Composed in 1998 Cendres was commissioned for the Wolpe Trio.  The word cendres is French for ashes.  The basis of the musical material was derived from Saariaho's double concerto ...a la fumée (1990) for alto flute, cello and orchestra.  The title Cendres is appropriate as the English translation of "a la fumée" is "into smoke."  ...a la fumée is part of the music diptych paired with Du Cristal (1990) for orchestra.  The whole translation of the title of the diptych is "From crystal into smoke."

Saariaho has noted that in composing Cendres special attention was paid to the balance of two extremes of musical performance.  Tension was created and controlled throughout by the instruments coming close in terms of range, rhythm, dynamics, articulation and tone color and by allowing each instrument to express the musical ideas in their own idiomatic way.  Saariaho believes that it is in these extremes where one can find infinite possibilities to create more or less homogenic musical structures.

The instrumentation of Cendres allows Saariaho the ability to explore the area between the two extremes.  Each instrument in the ensemble produces tones in different ways.  In addition these instruments have a couple of different ways in which it can produce notes.  This gives Saariaho a larger palette from which she can compose.  At the same time these instruments can blend together to make more homogenic combinations.  In the liner notes for this piece Saariaho stated, "awareness of this variety was the rope on which I was balancing when working on the piece."  Saariaho was able to brilliantly navigate this rope.

Listening Journal: December 6-12, 2010

Iannis Xenakis - Échange (1989) for bass clarinet and ensemble
Salvatore Sciarrino - La Bocca, I Piedi, Il Suono (1997) for saxophone quartet
Pascal Dusapin - Go (1992) for orchestra
Pascal Dusapin - Time Zones (1993) for string quartet
Dmitri Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, op. 107 (1959)
Dmitri Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No. 2 in G major, op. 126 (1966)



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Influential Pieces

Every now and then I think about what composers influence my music.  There are pieces by these composers that I turn to time and time again.  Some of these pieces directly impact my compositional style. Others are just great pieces to which I enjoy listening.  I thought that it would be a good idea to share these pieces and write about why they are influential pieces.

I believe that doing this will give me a better understanding of this music.  Also this could not only help me to better develop my compositional voice, but to better understand my musical output.  In addition these write ups will help me in my research of color music.

This week I will make the first posting in this series.  The first piece to be presented will be Kaija Saariaho's Cendres for alto flute, cello and piano.

"A" section sketch done

This weekend I completed the sketch of the A section for Time in Memoriam.  I started off by working on the sections that needed to be filled out.  Then I spent some time focusing on adding dynamics and some expressions to the parts.

There was one section that needs quite a bit of work.  I had composed a flute melody that leads into an oboe and alto sax melody.  This section was designed to act as a transition into the B section.  As I continued to work on this section I realized that this music calls for more development.  Rather than cutting this section short to retain the transitional nature or allowing the music to be developed at this time, I decided to move these sixteen measures to after the B section.  This will give me the opportunity to develop these melodies and motives as I want.  Also, after thinking about it more I feel as if this melody will work well coming out of the fast section.

There are still a couple of minor things I need to revise before the A section is finalized.  Right now my plan of action is to continue on into the B section.  I can make most of these minor revisions later.  I have some clear ideas for the B section that I am excited to work on.  More details about this will follow.

Addendum to Listening Journal: November 29-December 6, 2010

I started to sit down to write a review of the Blu-ray version of Fantasia and I realized that I did not include the pieces from this movie in my Listening Journal.  Normally I would not include movie music, but Fantasia is no ordinary movie.  Where as most movie music contains snippets and themes, Fantasia includes entire movements or pieces.

Aside from Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 I think another exception I would make for including movie music in the Listening Journal would be for a movie like Psycho.  In Psycho the music plays as much a dramatic role as the actors.

Fantasia - Blu-ray movie
  The Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, conductor
   Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 (1707) arranged for orchestra
   Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker Suite, op. 71a (1892) for orchestra
   Paul Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1897) for orchestra
   Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (1913) for orchestra
   Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 in F major, op. 68 "Pastorale" (1808)
   Amilcare Ponchielli - La Gioconda: Dance of the Hours (1880) for orchestra
   Modest Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain (1886) for orchestra
   Franz Schubert - Ave Maria (1825) for chorus and orchestra

   

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Listening Journal: November 29-December 5, 2010

Einojuhani Rautavaara - Symphony No. 5 (1985)
Pascal Dusapin - Exeo (2002) for orchestra
Pascal Dusapin - Laps (1987) for flute and contrabass
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, op. 27 no. 2 "Moonlight" (1801)

PDQ Bach - Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head - CD
   "Howdy" Symphony in D major
   Perückenstück (Hair Piece)
   Suite from "The Civilian Barber"



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New Blog: Color Music

Last week I started a new blog.  This blog will focus on a certain area of interest of mine: color music.  I began doing research on this topic about five years ago when I was working towards a Ph. D in Music Composition at the University of Oregon.

I have found that there are two primary areas of color music.  The first is synaesthesia, the ability to see color in relation to sound and/or music.  The second is timbre.  Using various combinations of instruments and effects to add color to the music.

The purpose of the Color Music blog is to present my findings from my research and to help organize my thoughts on the subject.  A secondary purpose is to possibly stimulate discussion that will help further my research.  In this blog I will clearly define color music.  I will also discuss the history of color music, present musical examples and their composers.

The concept of color music is not an original one.  I do not take credit for creating the term or genre.  My purpose is to create a definition of the term and identify the components that go into creating color music.  I am also going to develop a listening list that will help to further define the genre.

I invite you over to check out the blog and feel free to contribute comments, questions or suggestions for composers and pieces to consider.  The website is colormusicandsound.blogspot.com or you can just click the Color Music Blog link on the left.

The new face of the CD store

It used to be that you could walk into any Borders, Barnes and Noble or any store that sells music CDs and be able to choose from a decent selection of classical music.  Of course it would be hard to find many of the contemporary composers, but the important ones would have some representation.  Currently, my local Borders only has a smattering of CDs in general and most are the newest releases by rock, pop or country artists.  Those stores that still have a music section will have a small selection of classical music.  Most are either popular recordings that everyone has like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or Bach's Well Tempered Clavier.  If there are contemporary CDs you are likely to only find Stravinsky's Rite of Spring or Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time.  Do not get me wrong these are great pieces, but I have these recordings.  I am looking for something new.

It seems that the only way in which I can get the CDs I want is to order them online.  The internet is a great and powerful tool.  I love it because I can usually find recordings I want.  At the same time this is exactly the problem.  I can get what I want.  It is a lot harder to randomly find new things to listen to at an online store.  Sure most sites will give additional recommendations or will have a section that lists "other items purchased by customers who bought this CD," but these recommendations only go so far.  I love going into a "brick and mortar" store and just browsing through the racks.  It is a lot like treasure hunting.  I would often pick up a CD I was not looking for because it interests me.  I do not do this as often when ordering online because I can not see the entire selection.

So why am I going off on this tangent?  Well for the past two months I have been trying to locate, at a store, a particular recording that I figured would have been easy to find.  The CD is Hilary Hahn's latest recording featuring the Jennifer Higdon and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos.  Hilary is a popular violinist and I can find most of her other recordings in town, but apparently not this one.  I will end up ordering this recording in the next day or two, but I would have liked to have gone somewhere to pick it up.

Concerning the Audience: Part 2

I have been thinking about the article I wrote about Górecki's quote about the audience.  One phrase has come to mind a few times that has some bearing on this subject.  That is: not wanting to choose is a choice. Quite simply, telling someone else to choose or refusing to make a decision is a choice.  The difference is that you are not concerned with the outcome of the decision making process.

When Górecki says, "I never write for my listeners" what he is really saying is that he is not writing what he thinks they would like.  He is composing what he wants.  Górecki further comments that, "I think about my audience, but I am not writing for them."  This statement is the key.  As composers we do think about the audience.  Our hope is that people will listen to the music we have composed.  The music should say what the composer wants and not what the composer thinks the audience wants to hear.

The point I am making here is that all composers are concerned about their audience.  We want the audience to listen.  Without them, there would be no reason to compose music.  The integrity of the music begins to be compromised when the composer concerns his or herself with what the audience may or may not want to hear.  My hope is that the audience will enjoy something new and take what they want away from the experience when they listen to my music.

New Release: Jukka Tiensuu - Orchestral Works

On Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Ondine released a new CD of compositions by Finnish-born composer Jukka Tiensuu.  There are three orchestral works featured on this CD.  Vie for orchestra and Missa for clarinet and orchestra were both composed in 2007 and False Memories I-III for orchestra was written in 2008.  These works are performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with John Storgårds conducting.  Clarinetist Kari Kriikku for whom Missa was composed is the soloist on this recording.  All three pieces presented here are world premiere recordings.

This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for November 2010.


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Filling and Shifting

Over the past week I have had little time to devote to composing.  However, the time I have spent has been highly productive.  On Wednesday, November 24th I spent time filling out some harmonies and adding counterpoint in measures 51-74 of Time in Memoriam.  There are still some moments in which I need to add in a couple of voices for the harmonies.  However, the majority of the A section is sketched.

The biggest change comes at measure 75.  I initially composed an "introductory" motif that led into the flute melody.  After looking closely at this section I began to feel that it does not work.  So I cut it out.  I try to live by the advice once given to me: if it does not add anything to the piece, then why keep it?  This cut moves the flute melody up three measures and the transition seems smoother.

To complete the A section I need to add harmonies and counterpoint to the last part, measures 75-96.  After those voices are added, then the sketch of this section will be complete.  From there it is on to the B section.  My hope is to get a draft of the B section done by December 9th.  This draft only needs to consist of one to two voices containing the melodies and thematic material to be used in this section.

Listening Journal: November 22-28, 2010

Bela Bartok - Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (1937) Sir Georg Solti and Murray Perahia, pianos and David Corkhill and Evelyn Glennie, percussion
Toru Takemitsu - Quatrain (1975) for clarinet, violin, cello, piano and orchestra
Elliott Carter - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1965)
Einojuhani Rautavaara - Symphony No. 4 "Arabescata" (1962)
Frank La Rocca - The Pure Fury (1988) for tenor and large chamber ensemble
Magnus Lindberg - Corrente II (1992) for orchestra


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Concerning the Audience

As I was doing some research on Henryk Górecki, I came across a statement made by the composer.  In a 1994 interview Górecki discussed the audience and the potential influence on his music.  He said,

I do not choose my listeners. What I mean is, I never write for my listeners. I think about my audience, but I am not writing for them. I have something to tell them, but the audience must also put a certain effort into it. But I never wrote for an audience and never will write for because you have to give the listener something and he has to make an effort in order to understand certain things. If I were thinking of my audience and one likes this, one likes that, one likes another thing, I would never know what to write. Let every listener choose that which interests him. I have nothing against one person liking Mozart or Shostakovich or Leonard Bernstein, but doesn't like Górecki. That's fine with me. I, too, like certain things.

This quotation really resonates with me.  Often colleagues of mine would comment about how they would tailor their music to the audience's supposed likes and dislikes.  They would intentionally avoid composing certain things because they want the audience to like their music.

I believe that composing for the audience could compromise the integrity of the music.  As a composer I agree with Górecki.  I know and understand that there will be people who do not like my music.  That is fine.  I do not want to get caught up in composing "music for the masses."  I want to compose music that says what I have to say.

As an audience member, I truly appreciate Górecki's comments.  I enjoy listening to music that challenges me and expands my musical horizons.  I do not want to hear music by a composer who is concerned about his or her audience.  I have heard pieces like this and you can tell that the composer is trying too hard to please the audience.  These piece tend to be predictable, because there is nothing new that the composer is saying.

I believe that Górecki is on to something when he says "the audience must also put a certain effort into it."  An exciting aspect of music is interpretation.  Interpretation comes not only from the performer, but the listener as well.  Each member of the audience can take different things away from the performance.  Even multiple performances by different performers can elicit different responses from the same audience.  This is why it would be difficult to compose for the audience.  It is also what makes music enjoyable.

New Release: Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 on Blu-ray and DVD

On Tuesday November 30, 2010 Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will be re-released on DVD and released on Blu-ray for the first time ever.  Now you will be able to experience the intertwining of music and animation as only the Disney animators, Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra and James Levine with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra can bring together.  With the new transfer to Blu-ray this timeless classic can now be experienced as Walt Disney in the brilliance of color and sound as he had originally envisioned.

As a bonus, included in the pack is Destino the 2003 Academy-Award nominated short.  Destino is an extraordinary collaboration between Walt Disney and artist Salvador Dali.  The four disc Blu-ray combo pack includes the Blu-ray and DVD versions of both movies.



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Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  The holidays are a special time for many of us as we travel to see our family and friends.  I hope everyone has a safe holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!


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Listening Journal: November 15-21, 2010

Kaija Saariaho - Terrestre (2002) for flute, percussion, harp, violin and cello
Kaija Saariaho - Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hand (1991) for piano
Tristan Murail - Territoires de l'oubli (1977) for piano
Alexander Scriabin - Piano Sonata No. 4, op. 30 (1903) Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Pascal Dusapin - Aks (1987) for mezzo-soprano and seven players
Charles Ives - Symphony No. 4 (1916) Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58 (1806) Emanuel Ax, piano, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn, conductor
Iannis Xenakis - Jalons (1986) for 15 instrumentalists
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, op. 13 "Pathetique" (1799)

Kaija Saariaho - A Portrait: CD #1 - CD
   Du cristal (1990) for orchestra
   ...a la fumée (1990) for orchestra
   Nymphea Reflection (2001) for orchestra
   Unidentified* for large ensemble

Charles Ives - Symphony No. 1 (1898) Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Henryk Górecki - Piano Sonata No. 1, op. 6 (1956)
Henryk Górecki - Four Preludes, op. 1 (1955) for piano
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major "Emperor," op. 73 (1809) Emanuel Ax, piano, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, André Previn, conductor

*The recording of this piece is from a radio broadcast.  It was labeled as Solar by Saariaho, but it is not that piece.


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Listening Journal: November 8-14, 2010

Kaija Saariaho - Laterna Magica (2008) for orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat major, op. 81a "Les Aideux" (1810)
Olivier Messiaen - Rondeau (1943) for piano
Olivier Messiaen - Prelude (1964) for piano
Igor Stravinsky - Double Canon (1959) for string quartet
Kaija Saariaho - New Gates (1996) for flute, viola and harp
Pierre Boulez - Notations I-IV (1945) for orchestra

György Ligeti - Le Grand Macabre CD #2 - CD
an opera (1977)
Act II - Erste Arie des Chefs der Geheimen Politischen Polizei through Finale

Henryk Górecki - Symphony No. 3, op. 36 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" (1976) Dawn Upshaw, soprano, London Sinfonietta, David Zinman, conductor
Henryk Górecki - Symphony No. 1, op. 14 "1959" (1959)
Henryk Górecki - Three Pieces in the Old Style (1963) for orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, op. 31 no. 2 "Tempest" (1802)
Kaija Saariaho - Serenatas (2008) for piano, cello and percussion
Henryk Górecki - Choros I, op. 20 (1964) for orchestra

Between now and the end of the year

Over the past few weeks I have come to the realization that I have a lot to do between now and the end of the year.  I want to finish Time in Memoriam.  At this stage I figure that this piece is about forty percent complete.  Now that I have connected the A and B sections and have a couple of clear ideas for the last part of the piece it should not be too difficult to finish the sketch soon.

I need to make a couple of final edits for Night Sky.  This includes making sure all of the markings and dynamics are consistent and present.  I also need to transpose the score.  The most time consuming thing for this piece will be to extract and edit the parts.  This alone will take a couple of hours.

Ideally I would like to finish Trackings No. 2.   However, with three movements left to compose, I do not see this happening.  I do think that I can finish as least one more movement.  With my deadlines approaching I need to spend the majority of my composing time finishing Time in Memoriam and Night Sky.  So if Trackings No. 2 continues into the new year then that is not a problem.

I have also been thinking about what to compose next.  I have been enjoying composing music for younger ensembles.  I am excited to hear how these pieces will turn out.  I am debating if I want to compose another high school or junior high piece right away.  Or if I want to try to compose for a professional or college ensemble.  I need to continue to think about this and send out some "feeler" emails to people I know to see if there is any interest for me to write a piece for them.  There is still plenty of time to figure this out.

Connecting A to B

Yesterday I sketched the ending of the A section for Time in Memoriam.  Currently it is only a sketch as most of the twenty-seven measures are only one or two voices.  Over the next week I intend to fill out the section and finish the sketch score for the piece leading up to the B section.

It took me some time to figure out how to approach this part of the piece.  I tried a few different ideas including a gradual increase in the tempo or adding a rhythmic pulse in an attempt to increase the intensity. In the end what seems to work is a slight change in tempo and a couple of themes that are motivically and harmonically derived from the preceding material.

There is still quite a bit of work to be done, but at least progress is being made.

Henryk Górecki dies at the age of 76

Polish-born composer Henryk Górecki passed away on November 12, 2010 at the age of 76.  Górecki died in the cardiology ward of a hospital in his home city of Katowice in southern Poland.  He died from complications due to a lung infection.

Best known for his Symphony No. 3, op. 36 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" (1976) Górecki composed over 80 pieces.  Most recently he was composing his Symphony No. 4.  This piece was scheduled to be premiered on April 17, 2010, but was postponed due to health issues.

Górecki's music can be categorized into two periods.  The first is his avant garde period: 1950s to late-1960s.  His music was inspired by composers like Stockhausen and Varèse and took on a Boulez-like quality.  Górecki's Symphony No. 1, op. 14 "1959" (1959) is a good example from this period.  In the late 1960s Górecki began to compose his music in a more traditional and romantic mode.  This is typified in his Symphony No. 3, op. 36.  By the mid-1970s he was regarded by some as a composer who no longer mattered.

In 1992 Elektra Nonesuch Records released a recording of Górecki's Third Symphony performed by Dawn Upshaw, soprano and the London Sinfonietta, David Zinman, conductor.  This recording was released to commemorate the memory of those lost during the holocaust.  This recording brought Górecki international fame as it has sold over one million copies worldwide.

At the center of the second movement is the text of a prayer that was inscribed on wall 3 of cell number 3 in the basement of "Palace," the Gestapo's headquarters in Zakopane.
   No, Mother, do not weep
   Most chaste Queen of Heaven
   Support me always.
   "Zdrowas Mario." (Ave Maria)
Below these words was the signature of Helena Wanda Blazusiak and the words "18 years old, imprisoned since 26 September 1944."  Helena would eventually be freed and died in 1999.

In 1998 Górecki received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in Quebec, Canada.  Ten years later in 2008 he received another honorary doctorate.  This time from the Music Academie in Krakow (Poland).  In October 2010 about one month before he died, Górecki was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor.  Not bad for someone who was regarded as a composer who no longer mattered.

   
  

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Lutoslawski's Last Concert

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Naxos released a recording of the last concert Witold Lutoslawski conducted.  The event took place on October 24, 1993 as a part of Toronto's New Music Concerts.  This concert features the trilogy Partita, Interlude and Chain No. 2 for violin and orchestra.  Fujiko Imajishi is the soloist on these tracks.  Chantefleurs et Chantefables as song cycle for soprano and orchestra is next on the recording sung by Valdine Anderson.  Chain No. 1 for fourteen performers finishes this concert.

This would be the last concert Lutoslawski would conduct as he would pass away almost four months later on February 7, 1994 at the age of 81.  This recording was released almost seventeen years after the date of the event.  This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for October 2010.


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Listening Journal: November 1-7, 2010

Witold Lutoslawski - Trois Poemes di Henri Michaux (1964) for choir and orchestra
Johann Sebastian Bach - Sonata for Violin No. 2 in A major BWV 1003 (1720) Julia Fischer, violin
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, op. 53 "Waldstein" (1804)

György Ligeti - Le Grand Macabre CD #1 - CD
   Le Grand Macabre (1977) an opera
     Act I through Act II. Unterhalting der zwei Minister


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Composing Session: November 6-7, 2010

I did not get a lot accomplished this weekend; however, I was able to make some decisions and create a few sketches for Time in Memoriam.  I decided to move the eight measures in question to after the solo clarinet and woodwind section.  After listening to this passage a couple more times I realized that it is begging to be developed.  So I made the switch and will just open this section with the solo clarinet.

I spent some time yesterday sketching ideas to continue this section.  I was working on trying to give the tenor saxophone the melody.  While I have not come up with the right idea yet, I think that I like the shift in the timbre to a lower instrument.

I realized this weekend that in order to reach my durational goal for the A section (as a whole) I only need to compose 24-32 more measures.  While this is not necessarily a strict rule, this does change my approach a little.  The development towards the B section will not need to be drawn out as much as I had initially thought.  This does not cause any problems, it was just a good thing I realized this as it does alter my thought process on this section.  I am closer to finishing this section that I had thought.

Opera & Song - An Autumn Concert: November 13, 2010

On Saturday, November 13, 2010 the San Francisco Cabaret Opera and Goat Hall Productions will present Opera and Song – An Autumn concert.  The concert will take place at 8:00 p.m. at the San Francisco Community Music Center and will feature new chamber operas and song cycles by Mark Alburger, John Bilotta, Edward Knight and Sylvia Rickard.

The Community Music Center is located at 544 Capp Street, San Francisco 94111.  Tickets are $15 general and $10 students.  There is a $2 discount when ordering tickets online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/129847

Program:
Song Cycles:
John Bilotta – YEATS SONGS
Andrew R. White, baritone; Hadley McCarroll, piano.

Edward Knight – LIFE IS FINE on poems by Langston Hughes
Raina Simons, soprano; Hadley McCarroll, piano.

Sylvia Rickard – THREE CABARET SONGS on poems by Dorothy Parker
Elizabeth Henry, soprano; Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano.

Chamber Operas:
Mark Alburger – JOB: A MASQUE
Featuring Kate Bautch, Heather Klein,
Harriet March-Page, Maria Mikheyenko, Suzanna Mizell,
Marilyn Pratt.

John Bilotta – TRIFLES
Featuring Michael Desnoyers, Alexandra Jerinic,
Nathan Kondrat, Nathan Marken, Maria Mikheyenko.

CHAMBER ENSEMBLE for operas:
Susanne Rublein, flute
Nora Adachi, clarinet
David Ryther, violin
Stephen Moore, viola
Joan Hadeishi, cello
Keisuke Nakagoshi, piano
Martha Stoddard, conductor

Progress and shifting

Yesterday, I was able to develop and fill out the eight measure introduction for the former "Fate" melody in Time in Memoriam.  However as I began adding layers and filling out the harmonies I started to question the placement of these measures.  The way it is setup the music builds in density and tension.  I am now thinking this build up is too much for a lead in to the solo clarinet entrance.

To me this transition is a little disappointing.  My ear wants more unfolding and development of the material.  It is for this reason that I question the placement of these eight measures.  I am now thinking that these measures would be better served after the solo clarinet and woodwind section.  Too me the whole section could be seen as a gradual unfolding and build up.  I would then be allowed to continue to develop the music.  In a way this would reinforce my concept of the section that leads into the B section.  I had planned on increasing the tempo and intensity of the before the aggressive B section.

I still need to decide what I want to do with these eight measures.  It is likely that I will move them.  If that is the case, then I will start this section with the solo clarinet.  I do not think it would be necessary to try to compose another opening.

Listening Journal: October 25-31, 2010

Olivier Messiaen - Catalogue d'Oiseaux: Book 7: XIII. Le Courlis cendré (1958) for piano
John Cage & Lou Harrison - Double Music (1941) for percussion quartet
Henri Dutilleux - Symphony No. 2 (1959)
Gyorgy Kurtág - Songs to Poems by Anna Akhmatova, op. 41 (1997)

Anton Webern - Orchestral Music - CD
   Passacaglia, op. 1 (1908)
   Five Movements for Strings, op. 5 (1929)
   Six Pieces, op. 6 (1909, rev. 1928)
   Five Pieces, op. 10 (1911-13)
   Symphony, op. 21 (1928)
   Variations, op. 30 (1940)

Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 (1707) for organ


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Composing Session: November 2, 2010

At first I was not really sure if I was going to have the time or ambition to compose.  Since it was election day nothing I usually watch was going to be on TV so I planned on doing some composing.  However, there are times in which those plans can easily change.  Yesterday was almost a case in point.  I was indifferent about composing.  For fun I was messing around on my keyboard and I started to develop some melodic material.  I went ahead and notated it.  As it turned out this material ended up becoming what I had in mind for the opening of the second section of Time in Memoriam.  I orchestrated it using upper woodwinds and glockenspiel.  I still need to fill out some of the voices and add some counterpoint to the fifth through eighth measures of this section.

I also spent some time last night inputting the original harmonies and counterpoint to the melody I have taken from Fate of the Future.  Right now I have approximately four minutes and forty-five seconds of music composed for Time in Memoriam.  I am getting excited as this piece is starting to take shape.  I still need to compose probably around two more minutes of music before I can connect the beginning to the B section I have already started to sketch.

Happy Halloween!

Happy halloween to all the ghouls and goblins out there!  In honor of the day I listened to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor which is a seemingly appropriate piece.

I hope the Great Pumpkin came to your sincere pumpkin patch.  The holiday season is now upon us and soon Thanksgiving and then Christmas will be here.

Reworking the 3rd movement

I had initially skipped over the 3rd movement of Trackings No. 2 in favor of the 4th movement.  Now I am going back and working on the 3rd.  This is a tricky movement as the cello and bass play harmonics in the first twenty-two measures and again from measure thirty-six to forty-six (the end of the movement).  Even in the section from measure twenty-three to thirty-five is not played "normally."  These thirteen measures are more focused on the bowing shifting between sul ponticello and sul tasto.

How do I approach adding piano to this movement?  This is the question that led me to skipping over this movement in favor of the fourth.  On the original sketch score I have made a couple of notes to myself about this.  One is to compose a part where the piano does not go below middle C.  This makes sense as the cello and bass perform harmonics, so their actual pitch will be in the upper register.  Also this movement title is "Crystal" so it does lend itself well to the playing in the upper registers.

Another note says to "create slow moving oscillations" and to "think shimmering."  Again these suggestions lend themselves well to the idea of crystals.  With the cello and bass performing long tones some sort of motion in the piano part does seem necessary.  In order to create a fitting piano part I will need to look at the harmonies created in the strings.

Another consideration I will need to make in this movement is the duration.  As it is this movement is just over three minutes.  The goal for this piece is to limit the movements to no more than two minutes each.  These movements should be "scenes" or "vignettes" and not too long.  The approach I will take with the accompaniment may be dependent on what I decide to cut from the movement.  If the material is interesting enough I may try to adapt the cut section(s) into the piano part.

This movement does provide an interesting set of challenges.  I will need to take my time to carefully craft a logical piano part.  It will be interesting to see and hear the end result.

Through the soundwalls

Today I finished the first section of Time in Memoriam.  This is the section containing the soundwalls I have described in previous posts.  This section consists of approximately the first three minutes of music.  My goal for this section is to set up the sound world and some of the thematic material in the piece.

Following this section I am going to include what was the opening section of Fate of the Future.  This was a wind ensemble piece I started back in 2001, but never spent much time on.  This section features a solo line in the oboe, which I am going to move to the clarinet.  To me the counter point in this section is very interesting and I hope to continue in that was as I work on Time in Memoriam.

I am still trying to figure out if I need to create an "intro" to this next section or if I should start in with the solo line.  I keep going back and forth on this issue.  At times I think that I could just go into the solo line.  Other time I think it would be better to compose a bridge or intro so that this section will have a different start to it than the opening of the piece.  However, I do not know in what way I should approach the bridge.

Listening Journal: October 18-24, 2010

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Insomnia (2002) for orchestra

György Ligeti - The Ligeti Project V - CD
   Aventures (1962) for three singers and seven instrumentalists
   Nouvelles Aventures (1965) for three singers and seven instrumentalists
   Artikulation (1958) for tape
   Eight Pieces from "Musica Ricercata" (1953) arranged for accordion
   Sonata for Cello Solo (1948/53)
   Big Turtle Fanfare from the South China Sea (1985) for trumpet
   Balada si Joc (1950) for orchestra
   Régi magyar társastáncok (1949) for flute, clarinet and strings

Tristan Murail - Le Lac (2001) for mixed ensemble
Alban Berg - Violin Concerto (1935)


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Feeling Nostalgic

I do not know if it is because I am composing wind ensemble music for a high school or just reflecting, but I have been feeling a little nostalgic for my high school days.  In particular I have been going back and listening to the music I liked in those days.  I have realized that my taste in classical music has changed dramatically.  Much of the music I would listen to was by composers like Brahms, Richard Strauss or Bach.  While I still appreciate and listen to those composers I tend to listen to more modern composers like Ligeti, Messiaen and Saariaho.

My taste in popular music has changed however I still listen to some of the same artists as I did back then.  The difference is that I have allowed (more like required) myself to expand my horizons and try new things.  So while I do not listen to a lot of the music that I did in high school, I do still like it and bring it out from time to time.

I do find this sense of nostalgia amusing.  At the same time I can appreciate it.  It has, in a sense, brought me back to where I began.  It also allows me to revisit some music I have not heard in year.  All this has given me some interesting ideas for Time in Memoriam.

In spirt of the simpler times of high school, I have no desire to relive my high school days.  While my life is a struggle at times, I would not trade it for anything.

Addendum to Listening Journal: October 10-17, 2010

A couple of pieces were accidentally omitted from the listening journal.

Krzystof Penderecki - Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano (1956)
Bela Bartok - String Quartet No. 3 (1927)

Listening Journal: October 11-17, 2010

Kaija Saariaho - Lichtbogen (1986) for chamber orchestra

György Ligeti - The Ligeti Edition III - CD
   Cello Concerto (1966)
   Clocks and Clouds (1973) for 12 female voices
   Violin Concerto (1992)
   Sippal, Dobbal, Nádihegedüvel (2000) for mezzo-soprano and four percussionists

Kaija Saariaho - Solar (1993) for 13 instrumentalists

György Ligeti - The Ligeti Project IV - CD
   Hamburg Concerto (2003) for horn and chamber orchestra with four obligato natural horns
   Double Concerto (1972) for flute, oboe and orchestra
   Ramifications (1963) for 12 solo strings
   Requiem (1963/65) for soprano and mezzo soprano solo, mixed chorus and orchestra

Krzystof Penderecki - Divertimento (1994) for cello
Johannes Brahms - Six Piano Pieces, op. 118 (1893) Emanuel Ax, piano




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