Hogan's Home

[madaboutmahler]

Wrote a solo cello piece today that I have had in my mind ever since my grandfather passed away around a month ago. I have named it 'Epitaph', being very inspired by a piece for solo cello of the same name by Henze. It felt very good to finally write it....
It's around 4 minutes, and I am currently wondering to have it as a single piece, or whether to write a suite of cello pieces to go with it....

In other news, hope to be starting my Violin Concerto this week - VERY excited to get started!

[Karl Henning]

Sorry to hear of your grand-dad's passing, Daniel.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you, Karl.
I need to go and get an update of Henningmusik!

[madaboutmahler]

Made a good start on the violin concerto this afternoon/evening!! Extremely pleased with how it is going and am very excited to continue. If work continues fluently then perhaps the first movement could be close to finished fairly soon! Going to try and work in a particularly lyrical theme to show off the poetry of Laure's playing now.
In other news, Keiko has uploaded her performance of my 3rd nocturne! The 3 were supposed to lead into eachother 'attaca', and I have messaged her about that and we'll hopefully have all the nocturnes together in one video at some point. But, it was lovely to hear her play the final nocturne, and she certainly plays it very beautifully!

If you want to hear it, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/v/W8Ruqi87sPM&feature=share

Will keep you updated about the performance of the complete set.

[Lisztianwagner]

Such a wonderful, beautiful performance, I liked it very very much, Keiko was great!! Excellent job, Daniel!! What a pity Keiko has played only the final nocturne; I'm looking forward to listening to the complete performance, the other two nocturnes are very enchanting as well.

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you for your kind words, Ilaria! I'm certainly very pleased with Keiko's performance, and also look forward to hearing her performance of the complete set!
Happy New Year!!

[Karl Henning]

Lovely, well done, Keiko & Daniel!

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you very much, Karl! Happy New Year!

[madaboutmahler]

More work on the violin concerto this evening, and I am very pleased with how it is going. And very very happy with a romantic, lyrical melody I have introduced on harmonic harp. Could actually be reaching the end of the first movement fairly soon!!

Hope everyone is well!

[madaboutmahler]

The first movement of the Violin Concerto is almost complete, at least in draft outline form, now after another evening of work. Very pleased with how it is going and am looking forward to showing it to Matthew on returning to the Academy after the holidays this Saturday. Will be great to be back!

[madaboutmahler]

Just finished the first movement of the violin concerto and am incredibly pleased. There may be some revisions, and there is one place in particular where I need to add a bit more to the texture, but overall, it is done! The movement takes a very slow, reflective, optimistic, romantic mood. You will probably hear the heavy influence the Sibelius and Berg concerti have had on me! The next movement I think will be an allegro, probably with a humoresque nature. Very excited to start it!

[Karl Henning]

Just finished the first movement of the violin concerto and am incredibly pleased.

Excellent, Daniel!

[madaboutmahler]

Thank you, Karl!

[madaboutmahler]

Great day at the Academy yesterday! Got to conduct first movement of Brahms 2 in conducting class (with our chamber orch) which felt great! I accidently threw the baton in the air to the other side of the room 3 times during this though, which is probably something I should learn not to do However, my teacher told me it was good to have such a loose grip on the baton, which is considered good technique

Also, Matthew played two of my nocturnes in a composition workshop which was held. It was wonderful to hear him play them live, and all my friends who attended the workshop told me that they loved them, which is always wonderful to hear!

[madaboutmahler]

Listening to my 'Seascapes', which I must have finished around this time last year. I must say that I am incerdibly proud of this work! My teacher really didn't like it, but I remain very pleased with it just how it is. Wish it can get performed some day, although the orchestration is pretty massive! I see this work as when my new style fully started to emerge, so it remains very special to me!

[Karl Henning]

Progress on the concerto, Daniel?

[madaboutmahler]

Progress on the concerto, Daniel?

Have made a few revisions to the first movement on Matthew's suggestion, and should hopefully have a properly updated score of that by the end of this week. Then, to work on the inner allegro movement, which I am very excited to get to work on! The idea of Laure playing what I write is so inspiring! Thank you for asking, Karl! Glad your organ sonata is going well, very excited to hear some!

[madaboutmahler]

Last week, Matthew made quite a few suggestions for revisions to the first movement, which I have been working on over the last week. Extremely happy with the result, and Matthew is also, so all ready to move onto the second movement now! Very excited!!

[Lisztianwagner]

That's great, Daniel, I'm very pleased to know your Violin Concerto is going well! Have you got any idea for the second movement yet?

[madaboutmahler]

That's great, Daniel, I'm very pleased to know your Violin Concerto is going well! Have you got any idea for the second movement yet?

Thank you, Ilaria! I have a few ideas, and most of the movement will be based on an idea stated at the start of the whole concerto, which is a rising 5ths idea which is the basis for the whole concerto. The second movement will be very contrasting however, and will be a virtuosic allegro I am thinking.