Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[karlhenning]

Va benissima!

[Ugh]

Listened to your sonata in absentia II, Luke. My immediate association was actually Messiaen, Vingt regards to be specific (perhaps the hidden christ-mas carol did the trick  ) - a piece that I first heard ten or so years ago coming home late from the studio at four in the morning and listening to the radio while eating some bread or whatever, sitting silently listening intensely to the entire piece in awe.

Again what I like about your piece is that it communicates a certain state of mind, a concentration, a focus, perhaps in the spirit of what is discussed in the zen thread elsewhere on the forum. Entering into a sort of communitas with the composer, I found myself becoming aware of the interplay between your sonata and the other sounds emanating from my house: croaking wooden floors, cracking fireplace, and most wonderfully: a violin sonata in an unrelated key and tempo barely audible from a radio in another room. I wish I had recorded it for you! 

[Luke]

Thanks for listening, Eugene - I'm glad you liked the piece, and I'm absolutely sure you are right when you say that it 'communicates a certain state of mind, a concentration, a focus, perhaps in the spirit of what is discussed in the zen thread elsewhere on the forum'. In general that sort of thing is of great importance to me (I have held back from contributing on that thread because I'm no good at putting into words something that is very important to me, finding an everything-goes-right, delicately poised state-of-mind without which I find I composing impossible). In this piece, certainly, it was present; I managed to sustain or recreate that state sucessfully over the period of days during which I wrote the music. It's very hard for me to do that, which is why I have what is for me a depressingly low 'strike rate' compared to e.g. our Karl, who seems much better at summoning up that particular state of concentration which works for him!

Which is another way of saying, I guess, that I haven't written a huge amount recently, just a couple of pages of a new piece.  ...dreamslender is also making very slow progress. Daunted now, probably, by the magnificence of Henning's op 98, Lunar Glare, for whose forces it is destined!

[karlhenning]

Just keep hold onto that poise!  I have every confidence in you, Luke!  And many thanks for your warm words on Lunar Glare . . . I should remark more, but I must biff along to the office.

[karlhenning]

Ye Outpost has been quiet; what news, Luke?

[Luke]

Really not much, Karl, just the usual life-is-too-full stuff getting in the way. How I long for a few empty days, at my piano, a bit of spring sunshine outside and a stack of fresh ms paper on the music stand! I'm slowly, slowly, grinding out a few bars on this and that, but nothing to get excited by just yet. 

[karlhenning]

Spring will be along presently!

[Luke]

22000 posts, Karl...............!  Mr Prolific.....

(and to think that number 1 was on this thread....I feel honoured!)

[Luke]

btw, in the interim between those two last posts I managed to churn out a couple more bars. Will wonders never cease!

[karlhenning]

Splendid!

[karlhenning]

(* flips the lights on, dusts off the counter *)

[greg]

(*places a stack of Janacek CDs on that counter*)

[DavidW]

Accidentally spills tea on cds... looks around... whistles, and walks away (I'm sure Karl will clean it up before Luke gets back)

[greg]

(*makes Karl clean up everything and buy new Janacek CDs to put on the counter again. High fives David. *)

"Karl, what in the world are you doing? No, BAD, Karl! You DO NOT put mouse traps under Mr.Luke's new Janacek CDs." 

[Luke]

Janacek? Did someone say Janacek? Why, what are these tantalising CDs doing here........OW! Who put the mouse traps down? That's not funny.....

Yes, guys, I know the Outpost - purveyor of substandard semi-musical ramblings to the world - has been getting a little dusty of late. Closed for refitting, you could say. I look forward to reopening it soon, all bright and spangly.

Now I'll go and run my fingers under a cold tap...

[Sean]

Luke, is there a recording of the piano sonatas a few pages back you can direct me to, or was it just the scores?

[Luke]

Hi Sean! There's a link to a recording of the second sonata in this post: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,44.msg382291.html#msg382291

And the first sonata....let me see.... yes, a link from this post: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,44.msg298504.html#msg298504 (the piece was called Sonata II back then, confusingly!)

But it's a while since I thought about either - I hope they still work!

[Sean]

Luke, sorry pal but at present I'm on a university computer which blocks downloads. You can browse all the porn you like but not art music- it figures.

[karlhenning]

You can browse all the porn you like but not art music- it figures.

I'm not asking how you know that.

[Luke]

It's only for research, Karl.... 

That's fine, Sean - thanks for trying. Look forward to hearing what you think when you get a chance.