It's been a while since I last posted. The reason? I'm busy. Since my return from the UK ... really since just before I left for the UK, I've been buried under typesetting work. My new company that is forming as we speak (hopefully) and finally has a name, which I will announce as soon as it is finalized by my attorney. Many of you may have voted for it on my Facebook page, so it won't be a mystery to you.
I've sorted out a few of my computer problems, but not completely. I've replaced my clean, but limited, Creative X-Fi with a Xonar DG, which is a nice inexpensive ASIO sound card. Unfortunately, it isn't well shielded, so my hard disk activity bleeds into the output. That isn't as bad as it was on my onboard chip, but it is annoying anyway. If I decide to do any recording, I may have to build another PC that will tolerate my X-Fi card and more than 4 GB of RAM.
My latest problem is that my Score computer has died. While I was away, there was a power surge, and while my main PC was protected, it seems my Score one was not. Now I have everything plugged in through my UPS, so there shouldn't be any further problems. I'll receive a new power supply on Friday, which should fix the problem.
Hence, there has been no work on my Piano Concerto, nor the parts for my sax concerto.
It appears that I'll be conducting/directing the SU Contemporary Music Ensemble this year, so I'm thinking about reviving my work on Night Vision, which is a directed improvisation. I like the idea of having one improvisation on each concert, so I would like to start with something that is a little more codified than what they used to do at York, which was supposedly completely free, but unfortunately didn't really satisfy musically.
Please do attend my Cazenovia Counterpoint concert on 20 July if you can.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Cazenovia Counterpoint concert
Family Arts Day: Bells & Bees
Saturday, July 20, 5:00 PM
Stone Quarry Art Park,
Stone Quarry Rd.,
Cazenovia
Tickets: $15 regular, $12 seniors/students, free for ages 18 and under (available at the door or email tickets@societyfornewmusic.org to reserve) Concert of music by regional composers and Syracuse natives Edward Ruchalski Bell Song, Douglas Quin A Lotta Night Music, Sean O'Loughlin Origins, Stephen Ferre Stimmen, Diane Jones Iago (2nd performance) and Open Space (premiere this version).
www.societyfornewmusic.org
Saturday, July 20, 5:00 PM
Stone Quarry Art Park,
Stone Quarry Rd.,
Cazenovia
Tickets: $15 regular, $12 seniors/students, free for ages 18 and under (available at the door or email tickets@societyfornewmusic.org to reserve) Concert of music by regional composers and Syracuse natives Edward Ruchalski Bell Song, Douglas Quin A Lotta Night Music, Sean O'Loughlin Origins, Stephen Ferre Stimmen, Diane Jones Iago (2nd performance) and Open Space (premiere this version).
www.societyfornewmusic.org
Saturday, June 8, 2013
On the radio tomorrow...
Tomorrow afternoon on WCNY (2pm) is the last of my series of broadcasts on Fresh Ink.They will play the version with piano of From Here Husband's Hand. The playlist says "eve", but I don't know what that means. It's possibly that they didn't have time for the whole thing, so they are excerpting a movement. Which movement is "eve"? Got me, possibly the first.
This is the saxophone concerto that will have its full premiere in February.
This is the saxophone concerto that will have its full premiere in February.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Today is F-day
Today was supposed to be completion day for my concerto. Unfortunately, I haven't written a single note since the last time I posted. I've been very busy here with teaching and work, plus I am thinking about something new, possibly a string quartet. (I had dinner with the Kronos Quartet last week, if you haven't already heard.) I've also been considering a sinfonietta piece. I have a couple started already, which I may continue, but maybe I'll start from scratch.
A string quartet? Yes, I have three already, and none have been properly performed. No. 1 was played in a workshop-concert in Aspen back in 1987. It has some good things about it, and a lot of it I really like, but it needs a rewrite in the middle. I was working on the second quartet at the same time, and it's more complex. It's a little longer, and I've had the quartet that I was writing for read it, but again, there are some things I'm not happy with. It probably needs a complete rewrite. The third quartet was originally meant as a joke, a piece "in C" for a competition. Again, it has some things I really like, but there are some parts in the middle that just seem a little square. It was performed on a workshop-concert in Dartington in 1990.
Do I fix one of them, or do I start afresh? That's my dilemma for this summer.
Meanwhile, the second movement of my Symphony No 2 is on WCNY's Fresh Ink at 2 pm ET TODAY. If you aren't near Syracuse, you can listen on wcny.org, live only as I don't believe the station has listen-again facilities.
A string quartet? Yes, I have three already, and none have been properly performed. No. 1 was played in a workshop-concert in Aspen back in 1987. It has some good things about it, and a lot of it I really like, but it needs a rewrite in the middle. I was working on the second quartet at the same time, and it's more complex. It's a little longer, and I've had the quartet that I was writing for read it, but again, there are some things I'm not happy with. It probably needs a complete rewrite. The third quartet was originally meant as a joke, a piece "in C" for a competition. Again, it has some things I really like, but there are some parts in the middle that just seem a little square. It was performed on a workshop-concert in Dartington in 1990.
Do I fix one of them, or do I start afresh? That's my dilemma for this summer.
Meanwhile, the second movement of my Symphony No 2 is on WCNY's Fresh Ink at 2 pm ET TODAY. If you aren't near Syracuse, you can listen on wcny.org, live only as I don't believe the station has listen-again facilities.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Another performance
I've just had some clarification on my Cazenovia concert this summer. It's a little sketchy, but I've had the performer (Kelly Covert) tell me she is slated to perform Stimmen on July 20. That will be the premiere of the revised version, as far as I am aware. Over the years, I've sent it out to several performers, but none of them has told me that they've performed it. Of course, there have been at least 2 performances of the original version, and maybe 2 others by the dedicatee. They were scheduled, but I don't know if they ever happened. I've since lost touch with him.
The pencil has been silent on the concerto this week. I've been busy preparing for final exams and grading papers. Hopefully, I'll get things together this week. Needless to say, I'm unlikely to meet my self-imposed deadline which is next Saturday. It's possible, but not likely.
The pencil has been silent on the concerto this week. I've been busy preparing for final exams and grading papers. Hopefully, I'll get things together this week. Needless to say, I'm unlikely to meet my self-imposed deadline which is next Saturday. It's possible, but not likely.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
From Her Husband's Hand to be premiered in February
I just got word today that we are on for February. As it stands, Ron Caravan will premiere From Her Husband's Hand with the SU Symphony Orchestra 24 years after I wrote the original version. I'm looking forward to hearing what I've always thought was one of my best pieces. I'll have the exact date soon.
Also on the cards is another Norgard arrangement. (Sorry for the lack of diacriticals, but every time I try inputting the ASCII codes on my laptop, it bumps me out of Blogger. Maybe I need a Danish keyboard.) I can't say what it is yet, but it will be another piece arranged and reduced for cello and orchestra. I'll start on it as soon as they send me the revised solo part. I think the performance is in November.
That hasn't quite kicked my piano concerto into touch, but I'll need to ration some time to get it done by my self-imposed deadline. Any pianists looking for a concerto to premiere? It should be about 20 minutes long by the time I finish it.
My performance diary:
Radio broadcasts (all WCNY between 2 and 3 pm on Sundays, Fresh Ink):
14 April 2013 - Oyre's Garden
21 April 2013 - Inner Sanctum
28 April 2013 - Inferno
5 May 2013 - Purgatorio, from Symphony No 2
9 June 2013 - From Her Husband's Hand (sax and piano version)
Live performances of my music
July 2013, TBA, Cazenovia, NY
Winter 2013, TBA, Syracuse, NY
February 2014, From Her Husband's Hand, Setnor Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
Also on the cards is another Norgard arrangement. (Sorry for the lack of diacriticals, but every time I try inputting the ASCII codes on my laptop, it bumps me out of Blogger. Maybe I need a Danish keyboard.) I can't say what it is yet, but it will be another piece arranged and reduced for cello and orchestra. I'll start on it as soon as they send me the revised solo part. I think the performance is in November.
That hasn't quite kicked my piano concerto into touch, but I'll need to ration some time to get it done by my self-imposed deadline. Any pianists looking for a concerto to premiere? It should be about 20 minutes long by the time I finish it.
My performance diary:
Radio broadcasts (all WCNY between 2 and 3 pm on Sundays, Fresh Ink):
14 April 2013 - Oyre's Garden
21 April 2013 - Inner Sanctum
28 April 2013 - Inferno
5 May 2013 - Purgatorio, from Symphony No 2
9 June 2013 - From Her Husband's Hand (sax and piano version)
Live performances of my music
July 2013, TBA, Cazenovia, NY
Winter 2013, TBA, Syracuse, NY
February 2014, From Her Husband's Hand, Setnor Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
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