Mark Simon's Madhouse

[karlhenning]

Fun piece!  Deserves a performance more to the composer's liking.

[Mark G. Simon]

New composition just completed today. Primitivo for clarinet ensemble (Eb, 2 Bbs and bass) and marimba.

http://snipurl.com/1ezrg

Click on the selection called "Primitivo (MIDI)". As far as MIDI renditions go, this doesn't suck too terribly. At least it gets all the notes right, though the interpretation is a bit, well, primitive.

The concept of the piece changed a little bit during the composition. I may decide to change the title eventually.

[karlhenning]

Terrifically fun piece, Mark, well done!  Bravissimo!

[karlhenning]

Well, I've used the word "fun" of two pieces of yours lately, and while I do not revoke the adjective, I don't like to think that I am implying any shallow frivolity.  This latest piece is a delightful tour-de-force, nervy and yet playful, wonderfully voiced chords, great shape.

Titles are necessarily a personal-ish thing, but since you mention you might think of another title, I'd second that impulse.  I'm not sure that Primitivo does its character justice.

[Mark G. Simon]

I think Brahms symphonies are fun.

[karlhenning]

Listening again to the MIDI this morning, Mark;  it is really sheer delight to listen to . . . especially in the knowledge that you must have made all that noodlization lie readily to the fingers!

Is there an occasion for the writing?

[Mark G. Simon]

I met a clarinetist here in DC named Ben Redwine. He has an ensemble consisting of this exact instrumentation, so I offered to write him something. My idea for the title was to name it after some variety of red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot didn't seem promising for a title, but there's an Italian varietal called Primitivo (same grape as Zinfandel) so I chose that title.

As I said on the other forum, as the composition progressed, the thematic material started to make me hear the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus", and I incorporated a chorale prelude on that hymn into the piece.

As in the Subatomic Particles, the harmonic material is strictly 5-29.

[karlhenning]

Excellent, and bravo!

[Mark G. Simon]

. . especially in the knowledge that you must have made all that noodlization lie readily to the fingers!

There's a passage involving a high A in the Eb clarinet that I'm worried about. I can play it readily on the Bb clarinet, and I'm assuming that players with a lot of experience on the Eb can do it. I'll probably make a 8va basso option. This is a difficult piece, no doubt about it. But I can filter anything that's egregiously clumsy.

[karlhenning]

. . . This is a difficult piece, no doubt about it.

But the profile of the piece makes for a great reward-to-effort ratio.

I was thinking, you know, that this piece makes Square Dance seem almost easy in comparison :-)

It's a remarkably fine piece, Mark; again, congratulations!

[Mark G. Simon]

I just want to share a really old piece of mine, that I've just brought into the digital realm.

http://snipurl.com/1ezrg

Download the file: Simon Clontarf (mp3)

The piece is called Clontarf for harpsichord, and it was written in 1974, and played by my brother, Stuart Simon, on a harpsichord in a practice room at Indiana Univeristy. The sound quality is poor, but it's a phenomenal performance.

At this point in my life everything I wrote was an attempt to copy whatever music I had most recently been impressed by. Here the model was clearly Elliott Carter, particularly his works involving harpsichord. I knew nothing about how Carter put his music together, but I knew how to cram a score full of "this in the time of that" rhythms. My brother could play such rhythms, and does so here to brilliant effect. There is no improvisation here. It is a precisely notated piece, and he is nailing every note of it.

[karlhenning]

Splendid! I'll download this tomorrer!

[karlhenning]

Just a note at what a great delight it has been today to revisit the piece formerly known as Primitivo! Again, bravissimo, Mark!

[karlhenning]

TTT

[owlice]

Gosh, this looks like .... home!

[karlhenning]

Tee-hee! An owlice sighting! Tu-whoot!

[owlice]

:: wonders if she should have warned her husband first ::

[karlhenning]

(* chortle *)

[Mark G. Simon]

Gosh, this looks like .... home!

You mean messy?

[owlice]

You mean messy?

I mean madhouse, my love, madhouse!!