Tuesday, December 23, 2014

How recent is recent?

I've made it clear that I have not composed a huge amount in the past 20 years or so. I should qualify that - I haven't finished a lot of music in the past 20 years. (I have started a lot of pieces, however.) Hence, my recent performances are of older works, in general.

I need to apply for some grants over the next 3-6 months, and one in particular asks for recordings of three recent works. My problem is that most of what I have done for the last 10 years is arrange works by Per Nørgård, and I suspect that won't count. The other new work is for improvisation groups, and I'm not sure that is a good enough standard.

One is easy. 

Paradiso. Although an arrangement of an older work, the new orchestration (2013) is unusual enough that I can justify its inclusion. (I would however preferred to change the ending, but I'll probably have to send the recording I have.)

Two is questionable.

No Free Lunch is from 2005, but I have an adequate recording. Is it too old?

Three is really questionable.

Remembering the Night Sky is from 2001. The recording I have isn't great sound quality, and asking someone to learn and record it on short notice night be asking the impossible. Besides, it is probably too old.

Other possibilities:

A Point of Amber Light. The full version is from 1996, so it is probably too old, but the violin and piano reduction is new, from 2013. Again, it is probably too difficult to work up and record quickly.

Stimmen. The original is from 1989, but it was revised in 1992. Kelly Covert performed it last year, but I didn't get a recording. I would consider reinstating the original ending, and recording it, but that isn't really adequate for calling it a new work.

Symphony No 3. Although I should have a score soon, and I could extract parts pretty quickly, I don't think I can get an orchestra together to record it in a short period of time.

Chaos. Same situation. I probably have about a week of work to do on it, so I could have it ready, but it is difficult and I don't know if I can get enough players together.

However, Chaos began it's life as a wind ensemble piece. I could re-arrange it for the original orchestration, not as a piano concerto, condensing it to 10-12 minutes. That might be the best option, but I would still have to record it.

There is also the possibility of arranging Remembering the Night Sky for a band/wind/string group, again condensing it, so it isn't a virtuoso sax piece.

There is also my 2nd string quartet. It is probably unplayable as a quartet - it was never performed - but I could arrange it for 10-15 instruments.

I have a sax quartet, but I'm not sure I like it enough to record it or come up with definitive materials.

Finally, I have unfinished hulks of two piano concertos (chamber orch.) and a couple of hulks of chamber orchestra pieces. I could cobble them together into something. (Not a piano concerto.)

Any suggestions?

1 comment:

  1. Oh My!
    I'm pretty sure what you have is well crafted, thoughtful and precise.
    How much time will be spent in the review of your packet. The quick answer is, "Not enough."
    I'm suspicious that you care a great deal about your integrity as a composer and in the content of the work.
    I wouldn't pretend to give advice but if i were to say one thing it might be to work from most "recent" bending the universe if need be and getting the packet in. (I'm noting that you are thinking of some of your pieces in versions- are they doable in alternate versions which can be re-versed so to speak?) Just speaking from complete ignorance and buffoonery.

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