A Work by CATO, Who Is NOT A Composer! (?)

Started by Cato, December 31, 2016, 04:43:11 AM

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Cato

I think enough time has passed for anyone interested to listen to the work, so as of Feb, 8, 2017 I am closing it down and deleting the score and access to the MIDI realization.

Send me a message, if you intended to peruse the score and listen to the MIDI, but did not yet have a chance to do so.

Thank you to those who took the time to examine the score and comment.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Karl Henning

The generous praise is making me blush.  I am glad to have helped, the piece is highly engaging, so that work on the project (the typographical and proofing work on my part, that is) never became tedious, because I found the music ever rewarding, its crystalline austerity setting off the Psalm text with a rich poignancy.  The score has a ritualistic monumentality which I find powerfully impressive;  and I believe it no exaggeration to call it a major new contribution to the unaccompanied choral literature.
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

Cato

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on December 31, 2016, 05:06:36 AM
I am glad to have helped, the piece is highly engaging, so that work on the project (the typographical and proofing work on my part, that is) never became tedious, because I found the music ever rewarding, its crystalline austerity setting off the Psalm text with a rich poignancy.  The score has a ritualistic monumentality which I find powerfully impressive;  and I believe it no exaggeration to call it a major new contribution to the unaccompanied choral literature.

Many thanks for the compliment!

I should mention that the work is shorter than the original sketch indicated, with two sections cut, one an 81-bar extravaganza of nonuple polyphony toward the end, before the bell-like conclusion.  Given that the work already lasts 25 minutes or so, cutting those parts was not imprudent!  :D
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

ComposerOfAvantGarde

Wow!!! I'm very excited about this! I look forward to hearing it live! It seems a very ambitious work to compose, and very ambitious for a choir to sing as well considering its length and complexity :o :)

Cato

Quote from: jessop on January 01, 2017, 12:43:07 PM
Wow!!! I'm very excited about this! I look forward to hearing it live! It seems a very ambitious work to compose, and very ambitious for a choir to sing as well considering its length and complexity :o :)

Karl Henning is gently pushing the work, as I mentioned above.   8)

Thank you for the nice comments: as far as being "very ambitious," all I can say is that the original work would have been nearly an hour long, i.e. I simply had a certain conception for the structure in my head 45 years ago, and certain melodies of course, and did not really think about the length, and did not consider the work to be ambitious at all!   8)  When bringing it to fruition a year ago, I began to have second-thoughts about the length, and so cut it short by c. 100 bars.

And of course my mental choir has lungs like hot-air balloons, and can sing like Pavarotti and Callas;)  However, in "orchestrating" the piece, I did stay conscious that singers need to breathe now and then!  In my earlier days, I may not have been so cognizant of that necessity!
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

kishnevi

But an 81 bar extravaganza of polyphony does have appeal...

Sergeant Rock

A gorgeous piece, Cato. Sounds even better now in Karl's realization. I listened to it twice yesterday and will listen again today.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Karl Henning

It's really an addictive listen, I think, Sarge.
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

Cato

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on January 03, 2017, 04:50:51 AM
A gorgeous piece, Cato. Sounds even better now in Karl's realization. I listened to it twice yesterday and will listen again today.

Sarge

Yes, Karl was able to tinker with the voices more than I could with my online program.

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on January 03, 2017, 05:01:15 AM
It's really an addictive listen, I think, Sarge.

Many thanks for the nice responses!

I must admit that the work at times sounds very dark and even foreboding, and the impetus (c. 45 years ago) was originally the opening, which appeared in my head one day.  But as the sketch proceeded back then, and as my fulfillment of the sketch proceeded, I discovered that a kind of persistent hopefulness is present.

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on January 01, 2017, 03:51:15 PM
But an 81 bar extravaganza of polyphony does have appeal...

Yes, it does!  :D   But I suspect that the section will remain in sketch form.

"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

Quote from: jessop on January 01, 2017, 12:43:07 PM
Wow!!! I'm very excited about this! I look forward to hearing it live! It seems a very ambitious work to compose, and very ambitious for a choir to sing as well considering its length and complexity :o :)

As I mentioned above, Karl has recommended the work to two choirs, one in Philadelphia.

We shall see what happens!

"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

In a private message, a member has inquired about the Solo Soprano part being perhaps too much for a singer, even a skilled opera singer.

The work lasts about 25 minutes, depending on the conductor's interpretation of Adagio and Largo in (mostly) 9/8 time.  I thought that there were enough periods of silence in the work for the Solo Soprano to rest, but...I do not really know if the work is too taxing for a good singer.

I told Karl Henning that the piece ultimately is centered around one bar, bar 163 (q.v.), and the Solo Soprano does need to have a High C ready for that, and the choir's intonation of their notes is also of course crucial.

If a performance is ever arranged, I suppose I will then discover whether two sopranos might be needed to divide the music.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

(poco) Sforzando

I have yet to listen, but will do so sometime soon. I always think it unfortunate that any creative person would destroy their work (this motif is also one subject of a new play I am thinking of - see my own playwriting thread). Even if many of us may not produce work that "survives" (whatever that means), it's a shame to deliberately accelerate the process. As appears from this thread, it is always possible that work we chose to give up has a future after all, and others may discover it and delight.
"I don't know what sforzando means, though it clearly means something."

Cato

Quote from: (poco) Sforzando on January 20, 2017, 08:07:53 AM
I have yet to listen, but will do so sometime soon. I always think it unfortunate that any creative person would destroy their work (this motif is also one subject of a new play I am thinking of - see my own playwriting thread). Even if many of us may not produce work that "survives" (whatever that means), it's a shame to deliberately accelerate the process. As appears from this thread, it is always possible that work we chose to give up has a future after all, and others may discover it and delight.

Thank you for the response!  I have been thinking of deleting access to the work, since the initial bit of interest seemed to have dissipated.

The manuscripts - especially the quarter-tone works - had become something of a catalyst for depression to me.  I had no time or hope for decades that anything would ever come of them, so why torture myself with their presence?  The few musicians who played a handful of them - or promised that they would - faded away.  Family life in the 1970's through the 1990's also prevented me from composing anything much at all, or in finding musicians who would give me a chance.   My children had no interest in them - and there is no sign that they would ever find interest in them.

I have also been writing stories since childhood, and decided that my creativity had a better chance of finding an audience in that direction.  As it has turned out, failure in that direction has been palpable, except in the eyes of my small coterie or readers, for whom I am most appreciative that they have invested their time in reading my efforts! 0:)

It is interesting that this musical effort (Exaudi me) has garnered a similar response, modest but enthusiastic.  I am of the opinion that this will suffice for both outlets of my creativity.  0:)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

For new and newer members who have not had a chance to criticize the work:

Here is a link to the MIDI performance and an attachment with the score

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i9mlhnvdn88z7gv/Schulte%20Exaudi%20Me%20voix%20-%202nd%20mix%20-%2030%20Dec%2016.mp3?dl=0
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Thatfabulousalien


Cato

Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on May 21, 2017, 03:53:11 PM
I'm listening  :)

Many thanks!   0:)

Please keep in mind that a real performance for the opening bars with nonuple polyphony would be able to bring out the lines better.  The finale would sound better as well.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

Quote from: Thatfabulousalien on May 21, 2017, 04:19:48 PM
It's a very engaging work, very compelling. I'm quite stunned at it to be honest. The harmonic/melodic writing is so ethereal, elusive. I loved the dissonance and contrapuntal stuff, it was excellent, need I say more?   8)


I congratulate you on this achievement Leo! I can't wait to hear it performed now  ;)


Many thanks for taking the time to read the score and listen to the MIDI version!

A performance would be nice!  8)

"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Karl Henning

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

Robert101

Quote from: Cato on May 22, 2017, 03:53:18 AM

Many thanks for taking the time to read the score and listen to the MIDI version!

A performance would be nice!  8)

It's very expressive. I like the way the harmonies flow-- shifting in intensity. Good work!

Cato

Quote from: Robert101 on June 20, 2017, 08:01:59 AM
It's very expressive. I like the way the harmonies flow-- shifting in intensity. Good work!

Many thanks for taking the time to listen!

As a general rule, the harmonic function comes from the contrapuntal possibilities in the melodies: this is limited in the sections using only three notes (C#, E, G), but even there - I believe - a certain expressive power comes through.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)