Listening Journal: October 27-November 2, 2008

This week I listened to a wide variety of music.  Some of it was orchestral, some was chamber.  Even the style of music had a wide range from avant-garde composers like Boulez to more conservative composers like Szymanowski.  I believe that keeping an open ear and listening to may different styles is important for composers.

The one rare thing I did this week was I listened to one of my pieces.  I listened to Images for flute, xylophone and piano which I composed in 2000.  I do not really go back and listen to my music much, unless it is a recent piece that I just had performed or a piece I was looking at revising.

Here is my listening journal for October 27-November 2:

Pascal Dusapin - Hop' (1984) for 4 x 3 players*

Brian Bice - Images (2000) for flute, xylophone and piano

Magnus Lindberg - Clarinet Concerto (2002) for clarinet and orchestra

Karol Szymanowski - String Quartet No. 1 (1917)

Einojuhani Rautavaara - Isle of Bliss (1995) for orchestra

Pierre Boulez - Eclat (1965) for 15 instruments

Witold Lutoslawski - Lacrimosa (1937) for soprano, choir and orchestra

* The instrumentation for Dusapin's Hop' is 4 groups of 3 instruments, each group consisting of 1 stringed instrument and 2 winds.