Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[karlhenning]

...nevertheless, work continues  ....

Excellent!

[lukeottevanger]

Yes, it feels unexpectedly comfortable to be working with an orchestral piece again, after so long. Like turning a corner and finding oneself in a familiar place. It helps, perhaps, that the initial work is 'only' orchestration. Perhaps that's another reason that whatever-it-was told me to revisit this old piece in this way.

Fairly soon this bit will be done, and then the harder work begins.

BTW, Karl, does the new clarinet part look better?

[karlhenning]

Only just downloaded it, Luke, thanks for the reminder.  Will have a look later today.

By the way (and not that you need at all attend to this now, but I say this now to get it placed in your Composing Queue), even while I am at odds trying to find an accompanist for the Sonata . . . if you feel inclined to write a piece for unaccompanied clarinet (anywhere in the 3- to 10-minute range), that I could arrange to put together without seeking a second musician . . . just keep it in mind, if you please!  Or even, if you will allow me, I request!

[lukeottevanger]

I'm more than pleased to do so!

I think the first expression marking will be 'with aristocratic sensuousness'....

BTW I gave a copy of the Canticle Sonata to the clarinet teacher at my school at the end of the summer term. We'll see what she makes of it in September, perhaps.

[karlhenning]

I think the first expression marking will be 'with aristocratic sensuousness'....

Well, I shouldn't have the least notion of how to interpret the marking, then 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Yes, it feels unexpectedly comfortable to be working with an orchestral piece again, after so long. Like turning a corner and finding oneself in a familiar place. It helps, perhaps, that the initial work is 'only' orchestration. Perhaps that's another reason that whatever-it-was told me to revisit this old piece in this way.

Revisiting an old piece can be inspiring, I know this from experience. When you have, ideally, made progress since then - and not only artistically -, you recognize what is still 'unfinished business' in the earlier work, which gives you both a sharper sense of where you have been/where you are now and what else could be done - fueling the new enterprise and adding to your confidence.

[lukeottevanger]

Having finished this section of the piece - or so I thought - I felt unsatisfied, and realised it needed something more in the centre, so I am working on another part of Memorial which ought to function well in this position. We'll see soon enough...

[lukeottevanger]

Sorry to use this as an hour-by-hour diary! Having experimented with inserting this extra section into the middle of what I'd already done, I've decided that it doesn't quite work after all. Memorial itself is a dreamlike sequence, basically a piece in stasis from which 'things' emerge and subside. That works paradoxically well in a long piece such as Memorial is - the very length of the piece builds up a force of its own. But in a shorter work such as this orchestral version will be, I feel there needs to be a kind of catalytic central point from which my last section emerges 'logically' as it were. And it doesn't with the experiment I just made, even though the music itself was good, and the orchestration I was making was rewarding. I shall have to think again....

[lukeottevanger]

I'm tentatively dipping my toes into the second section of the piece. And lordy, it's good fun. There must be something wrong here, I'm not supposed to be enjoying it like this...

[karlhenning]

And why not?

[lukeottevanger]

I'm suspicious of anything that comes so easy! I worry that this means my mind isn't working properly, that I'm satisifed with something that is actually no good at all. But I'll worry about that later.

[lukeottevanger]

There's a stylistic gulf between part one and part two that I was planning, but which is more striking than I'd imagined. I'll either have to bring the two somewhat closer together or scrap part one - which maybe would be fine. I'd keep it as  stand-alone piece in that case. But we'll see how things pan out.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I'm suspicious of anything that comes so easy! I worry that this means my mind isn't working properly, that I'm satisifed with something that is actually no good at all. But I'll worry about that later.

When you feel a work resists being written, you know it's actually there. Still - some things really 'write themselves', fortunately!

[greg]

I'm suspicious of anything that comes so easy! I worry that this means my mind isn't working properly, that I'm satisifed with something that is actually no good at all. But I'll worry about that later.

There's a stylistic gulf between part one and part two that I was planning, but which is more striking than I'd imagined. I'll either have to bring the two somewhat closer together or scrap part one - which maybe would be fine. I'd keep it as  stand-alone piece in that case. But we'll see how things pan out.

Maybe you could post something when you finish so we can tell whether or not you're losing your mind- and if it's good enough, go with it, if not, just rework it.

[Joe_Campbell]

Still - some things really 'write themselves', fortunately!

Exactly! Scriabin wrote his 5th sonata in a few days!

[greg]

Exactly! Scriabin wrote his 5th sonata in a few days!

There ya go, there's a good example!
another good one is (i heard Ben Zander saying this on the recording) the 2nd movement of Mahler's 3rd- he "wrote it in a day" (although i seriously doubt that, he probably just made sketches or a general outline).

[lukeottevanger]

Whilst away on holiday I did a great deal of tinkering with my orchestral piece, which is taking some sort of shape now, though still has a very long way to go indeed. And for light relief, as well as to keep my hand in, as the holiday came to an end, I mucked about writing some fugues on rather well-known subjects. Enough said on those, I think....

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Whilst away on holiday I did a great deal of tinkering with my orchestral piece, which is taking some sort of shape now, though still has a very long way to go indeed. And for light relief, as well as to keep my hand in, as the holiday came to an end, I mucked about writing some fugues on rather well-known subjects. Enough said on those, I think....

I don't think so. Which 'rather well-known subjects', pray? 

[lukeottevanger]

I prefer not to reveal my sources until the whole magnificent magnum opus is completed. Or not, as the case may be.  Suffice it to say, the set operates under the working title The Wart of Fugue. And, if it's not obvious, it doesn't 'count' as anything more than a bit of silliness, not a proper 'opus' at all.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I prefer not to reveal my sources until the whole magnificent magnum opus is completed. Or not, as the case may be.  Suffice it to say, the set operates under the working title The Wart of Fugue. And, if it's not obvious, it doesn't 'count' as anything more than a bit of silliness, not a proper 'opus' at all.