Minor Changes

As I have been composing Time in Memoriam I have realized that one of my goals for this piece is unreasonable.  My intent was for the majority of the melodic and thematic material to be derived from the Dies Irae sequence.  While the sequence is distinct and familiar to most, it is not varied enough for me to draw out a wide variety of "interesting" melodic material.

In addition the musical material I am taking from Fate of the Future was not derived from the Dies Irae sequence.  The primary similarity between the music and the sequence is the mode.  Both are composed in the minor mode.

I am not abandoning the idea of using the Dies Irae sequence to derive primary and supporting music.  I still think that the sequence will lend itself well to the concept of the piece.  Based on the sketches that I have been working on, the sequence yields limited material.  This is why I have changed my plan and will not be basing all of the music in Time and Memoriam on the Dies Irae.

Is it stealing?

I have noticed a trend recently in the music I have been composing.  I have been taking themes or in some cases whole movements from one piece of mine and using them in a completely different piece (i.e. Trackings No. 2 taken from Birches).  I am not recomposing the same piece when I do this.  In fact the pieces that I take themes or movements from are "dead" pieces.  This means that I have no intention on continuing these pieces.  Of ten there are some interesting melodic or thematic ideas that I was either unable to develop to develop at the time or never got the chance to because of other projects.

To answer the question posed in the title, no it is not stealing.  Can someone really steal from themselves?  I think there are instances in which someone can.  However, what I am doing is taking from pieces that will otherwise go unfinished.

This is the case with Fate of the Future.  This is a wind ensemble piece I began sketching in 2001.  There are a couple of melodies and themes that I have always liked in the piece.  However I was unable to develop those ideas at the time and complete the piece.  I have decided to adapt those melodies and themes into Time in Memoriam since I feel that they would work well for this piece.

One day I do plan on composing a piece titled Fate of the Future.  I like this title and I am going to keep it in mind.  Right now I am just not sure what this piece will be.  All I know is that I will not be using the music from the original sketch.  It will be an all-new piece.

Composing Session: September 9, 2010

On Thursday I began the sketch score for Time in Memoriam.  Earlier in the week I completed the diagrammatic sketch which I am using as a guide for the music.  I started with composing the first sound wall which comprises the first eight measures.  Before I continued I revisited another wind ensemble sketch, Fate of the Future, which I began in 2001.  I have already decided to take the opening melody from this sketch and use it as a primary theme in the second half of the A section.  As I flipped through the score I came across a brass theme that was to start another, faster section of Fate of the Future.  I played through it, as best as I can, on my keyboard.  I think will be a great fit for the beginning of the B section for Time in Memoriam.


I began to work on the B section.  Currently it is slated to be a seven-part rondo form.  However, that could easily change as I continue to work on this section.  I stopped after sketching the first twenty-four measures of the B section.  In part because it was time to stop and do other things.  Also, I wanted to think about how I want this section to develop.  It is likely that the seven-part rondo form is not the right choice for this section.  Making this change will not really affect the music I have sketched, but it will affect the music I will sketch.

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Diagrammatic Sketch Done

Yesterday I finished the sketch portion of the diagrammatic sketch for Time in Memoriam.  This sketch consists of colors and shapes that represent the contours and groupings for the music in this piece.  The spatial relationships of the shapes represent the approximate placement and duration that will occur in the piece.

Today I was able to finish the other portion of the sketch: the labeling.  To facilitate this I placed overhead transparencies over the color sketch and used wet-erase markers to label and describe the various shapes.  I use the transparencies because I may decide to change my mind about what I label.  I can easily erase the markings and rewrite them.  Also, this allows me to not ruin the full-color sketch with these markings.

The advantage of a sketch like this is that I now have a good idea of the scope and shape of Time in Memoriam.  The sketch is to be used as a reference.  If I feel that sections need to be cut or added then I can choose to do so.  It is not necessary to revise the diagrammatic sketch if I make changes.  The point of this sketch is to be used as a pre-compositional device.  It does not need to reflect the final version of the piece.

Listening Journal: August 30-September 5, 2010

Claude Debussy - Sonata for Cello and Piano (1915)
Krzysztof Penderecki - De Natura Sonoris II (1971) for orchestra

György Ligeti - György Ligeti Edition, Volume 5: Mechanical Works - CD
   Adaptations for Barrel Organ
    Continuum (1970)
    Hungarian Rock (1978)
    Capriccio No. 1 (1947)
    Invention (1948)
    Capriccio No. 2 (1947)
   Poème Symphonique (1962) for 100 metronomes
   Adaptation for Barrel Organ
    Musica Ricercata (1951-53)
   Adaptations for Player Piano
    Études pour Piano
     X. Der Zauberlehring (1994)
     IX. Vertige (1990)
     XI. En Suspens (1994)
     XIII. L'escalre du diable (1993)
     VII. Galamb borong (1988)
    Continuum (1970)

Michael Daugherty - Metropolis Symphony - CD
   Metropolis Symphony (1993) for orchestra
   Bizarro (1993) for symphonic winds and percussion

Here's to a better September

August 2010 was, for all intents and purposes, a horrible month.  My wife and I had probably the worst couple of weeks financially we have seen.  My wife's car was repossessed and this was probably the least dramatic of our struggles.  The car was going to breakdown anyways and was not worth the repair bill.  My wife is still unemployed.  The saddest and most depressing thing that happened was that our cat, Fozzie, passed away.  This is by far the worst thing that has happened to us in a long time.  Usually when I am stressed out or depressed, I could go find Fozzie and pet him or play with him and I would feel better.  However, that part of my support system is gone.  At the same time Fozzie was suffering from FIP and while he lost that battle, he is no longer suffering.  Fozzie was only two years old, but he made my and Melissa's life a thousand times better just for being apart of it.

It is my hope that the new month brings a change in luck for me and my wife.  We have struggled long enough.  I know that it will take more than luck to turn things around for us.