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Started by madaboutmahler, December 22, 2011, 01:32:03 PM

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John Copeland

Quote from: madaboutmahler on June 24, 2013, 01:20:01 PM
...I set a love poem by our friend John Copeland to music, for soprano and piano. Very pleased with it, and hope I have managed to depict the sense of hopeful imagination, desire and beauty which John's lovely poem depicts. Hopefully a performance is to follow soon and I am pondering whether to write a set to surround it. :)

After listening to some god awful Scelsi, I was inspired to allegedly 'compose' something equally awful....but I forgot, I have credentials as a Librettist!!   I should do that instead...   :P ;D

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Scots John on September 30, 2013, 06:53:05 PM
After listening to some god awful Scelsi, I was inspired to allegedly 'compose' something equally awful....but I forgot, I have credentials as a Librettist!!   I should do that instead...   :P ;D

:D Oh yes, sorry for taking so long to get a copy over to you, John, life has been very busy! I shall try and send you the score and audio as soon as possible! It really is a lovely poem you wrote, was a pleasure to set to music, and I hope to write more music on your poetry and longer libretti in the future! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

madaboutmahler

Having a good week!

Monday - the afternoon workshop I conducted with my own orchestra I set up. Mendelssohn Hebrides/Schumann 4 plus two new pieces by two of my academy friends. Absolutely loved it. :)

And yesterday, made a start on my new String Quartet and am very very very very pleased and excited. Quite different to anything I've done before, more intense.... Very Schnittke/Shostakovich inspired.

Also, have secured a fantastic soprano to sing my 'In Sparkling Night', a setting of beautiful words from our very own John Copeland!

"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

North Star

Quote from: madaboutmahler on October 30, 2013, 07:13:00 AM
Having a good week!

Monday - the afternoon workshop I conducted with my own orchestra I set up. Mendelssohn Hebrides/Schumann 4 plus two new pieces by two of my academy friends. Absolutely loved it. :)

And yesterday, made a start on my new String Quartet and am very very very very pleased and excited. Quite different to anything I've done before, more intense.... Very Schnittke/Shostakovich inspired.

Also, have secured a fantastic soprano to sing my 'In Sparkling Night', a setting of beautiful words from our very own John Copeland!
Sounds great! You should listen to Weinberg next :)
(check FB when you have time...)
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

ibanezmonster

Quote from: madaboutmahler on October 30, 2013, 07:13:00 AM
And yesterday, made a start on my new String Quartet and am very very very very pleased and excited. Quite different to anything I've done before, more intense.... Very Schnittke/Shostakovich inspired.
Ha... now this sounds great.

North Star

How's it going, Daniel? Worked on the String Quartet?
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

madaboutmahler

Quote from: North Star on November 28, 2013, 09:19:24 AM
How's it going, Daniel? Worked on the String Quartet?

Happened to have done a bit of work on it today actually, revising the first movement a tiny bit, developing the motif a tiny bit more in some viola solos. :)
Need an idea for the scherzo now!! :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

madaboutmahler

Could I request some suggestions for rather short chamber orchestra pieces written in 1960/70s? Need to find one to conduct rather soon in our next school concert and that's the theme. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

North Star

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 07, 2014, 12:02:47 PM
Could I request some suggestions for rather short chamber orchestra pieces written in 1960/70s? Need to find one to conduct rather soon in our next school concert and that's the theme. :)
Holmboe's Chamber Symphony No. 3 is around 22 minutes, is that too long?
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

madaboutmahler

Quote from: North Star on January 07, 2014, 12:07:07 PM
Holmboe's Chamber Symphony No. 3 is around 22 minutes, is that too long?

Yes.. needs to be around 5-10 minutes. Thanks though. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Mirror Image

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 07, 2014, 12:02:47 PM
Could I request some suggestions for rather short chamber orchestra pieces written in 1960/70s? Need to find one to conduct rather soon in our next school concert and that's the theme. :)

Why does have to be between those years? Just out of curiosity.

Mirror Image

How about Sculthorpe's Irkanda IV, for violin, strings & percussion? It's about 10 and half minutes long. It was composed in 1961. Here's some information:

http://www.fabermusic.com/Repertoire-Details.aspx?ID=930

madaboutmahler

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 07, 2014, 02:22:30 PM
Why does have to be between those years? Just out of curiosity.

Just as that has been decided as the theme for the school concert by our head of music. There's going to be a lot of variety. Thank you for the Sculthorpe suggestion, shall certainly listen.

I think I have decided on Schnittke Polyphonic Tango, which will be difficult, but going to be great fun! Brilliant piece. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

madaboutmahler

Composition update..

Breaking out of a composer's block, having just written the first of my set of 'Miniatures' for Sinfonietta, which shall hopefully be conducted by my teacher, Matthew Taylor, and the Academy Contemporary Music ensemble this year! Wind quintet/String quintet. It's a very reflective work again, with a sense of subconscious to it if that makes any sense.. (I'm better with notes than words ;) )

Excited to continue. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Mirror Image

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 08, 2014, 12:23:54 PM
Just as that has been decided as the theme for the school concert by our head of music. There's going to be a lot of variety. Thank you for the Sculthorpe suggestion, shall certainly listen.

I think I have decided on Schnittke Polyphonic Tango, which will be difficult, but going to be great fun! Brilliant piece. :)

Ah yes, Schnittke's Polyphonic Tango would be a good one. 8)

Karl Henning

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 26, 2014, 09:29:48 AM
Composition update..

Breaking out of a composer's block, having just written the first of my set of 'Miniatures' for Sinfonietta, which shall hopefully be conducted by my teacher, Matthew Taylor, and the Academy Contemporary Music ensemble this year! Wind quintet/String quintet. It's a very reflective work again, with a sense of subconscious to it if that makes any sense.. (I'm better with notes than words ;) )

Excited to continue. :)

Excellent. Conquer!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

North Star

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 26, 2014, 09:29:48 AM
Composition update..

Breaking out of a composer's block, having just written the first of my set of 'Miniatures' for Sinfonietta, which shall hopefully be conducted by my teacher, Matthew Taylor, and the Academy Contemporary Music ensemble this year! Wind quintet/String quintet. It's a very reflective work again, with a sense of subconscious to it if that makes any sense.. (I'm better with notes than words ;) )

Excited to continue. :)
Splendid news!
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

Mirror Image

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 26, 2014, 09:29:48 AM
Composition update..

Breaking out of a composer's block, having just written the first of my set of 'Miniatures' for Sinfonietta, which shall hopefully be conducted by my teacher, Matthew Taylor, and the Academy Contemporary Music ensemble this year! Wind quintet/String quintet. It's a very reflective work again, with a sense of subconscious to it if that makes any sense.. (I'm better with notes than words ;) )

Excited to continue. :)

Yes, this is good news. I was worried about you for awhile wondering whether you would continue to compose, but thankfully this was just a 'writer's block.'

Lisztianwagner

Quote from: madaboutmahler on January 26, 2014, 09:29:48 AM
Composition update..

Breaking out of a composer's block, having just written the first of my set of 'Miniatures' for Sinfonietta, which shall hopefully be conducted by my teacher, Matthew Taylor, and the Academy Contemporary Music ensemble this year! Wind quintet/String quintet. It's a very reflective work again, with a sense of subconscious to it if that makes any sense.. (I'm better with notes than words ;) )

Excited to continue. :)

That's wonderful, Daniel! :)
"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." - Gustav Mahler

madaboutmahler

Thank you all for your kind words! I do often worry about how often I suffer from writer's block, but you can't force ideas if you want the music to sound natural and of a high enough standard.. but it just does feel great when finally you write something you can feel proud of. :)

My plans are to write these 'Miniatures for Sinfonietta', and then I have to write an orchestral piece for school coursework, but after that, I'll finish my string quartet and maybe start my next big orchestral piece, which will be highly philosophical. :)
"Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy"
— Ludwig van Beethoven