Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[karlhenning]

In touch with the conductor-to-be of Elegy and Ascent, I asked him if he had a copy of a review of my previous piece, The Chant of Carnus, which I only ever heard of verbally. He's just sent me it, so I reproduce it here for fun:

Thanks!  We knew we couldn't be your first fans! 

[lukeottevanger]

Delighted to have a look at these early pages, Luke.  And at even an early stage, you had no fear of leaving 'blank space' on the score!

No, indeed! To be honest, these are among the sparser pages of the score, although I actually think that the opening, scored for horns, trombone and timpani, would neverthless be pretty sonorous and quite effective (shades of The Gothic, Johan? - I hadn't even heard of it at this point!). But the whole score, even when everyone is playing, has a kind of 'substance-less' look to it....

I've been thinking of some of my other youthful idiocies tonight - I wish I knew where I'd put them, because I do remember some vaguely pearly bits among the dross. There's an SATB piece which I wrote as an exercise at school (aged 16 or 17, I suppose) and which I sent to Cambridge as part of my application. I totally forgot I'd sent it until after I'd successfully got my place there, when my one-time-interviewer and then-director-of-studies John Deathridge told me how impressive he'd thought it was.

There are all sorts of things I'd like to find, piano, orchestral, vocal, dating back to the age of maybe 13 or so. I've tried to find them recently without success, so I don't hold out much hope, but I'll try to look again, perhaps tonight.

[karlhenning]

I've been thinking of some of my other youthful idiocies tonight - I wish I knew where I'd put them, because I do remember some vaguely pearly bits among the dross. There's an SATB piece which I wrote as an exercise at school (aged 16 or 17, I suppose) and which I sent to Cambridge as part of my application. I totally forgot I'd sent it until after I'd successfully got my place there, when my one-time-interviewer and then-director-of-studies John Deathridge told me how impressive he'd thought it was.

I am not surprised!  And I am sure you are grossly overstating the "idiocies"!  Snap out of it! 

[lukeottevanger]

No, no, that SATB one was genuinely quite good, and the first piece I'd written in which I felt true compositional satisfaction - every note was necessary, every note contributed, form, text and content were in balance. I wish I could find it - though I can hear every note of it in my head right now, which is perhaps indication itself that I was doing something right.

But there are idiocies there too, certainly. I remember a piece which sat halfway between a Satie Gymnopedie and a Polovtsian Dance      ......no, now I think of it, maybe it was two pieces, one more Satie, one more Borodin - that wouldn't be so bad, actually. I quite wish it was the former, though, because then, if I rediscover it, I could rename it Gymnopedie Polovtsienne.    Worse than this are all the hideously notated pieces from my really early composing days [shudder]

The more I think, the more of these pieces I can recall, and the more eager I am to see them again, to relive my innocent youth more than anything. I can remember the 'story' behind all of them, and it's made me fondly reminiscent.... 

[karlhenning]

As I reflect on the reminiscence-value of finding the Petersburg Nocturne, I understand.

[karlhenning]

No, no, that SATB one was genuinely quite good, and the first piece I'd written in which I felt true compositional satisfaction - every note was necessary, every note contributed, form, text and content were in balance. I wish I could find it - though I can hear every note of it in my head right now, which is perhaps indication itself that I was doing something right.

Splendid!

[lukeottevanger]

As I reflect on the reminiscence-value of finding the Petersburg Nocturne, I understand.

The difference being that your piece is the work of an already-experienced composer, the pieces I'm thinking of are the works of a young boy who has just discovered this way of life! 

I'm worried that in a fit of embarrased self-hatred (in my 20s) I destroyed or binned these pieces. Now that I've learnt to love my younger self a little more more (in my 30s), or at least to see these early errors as steps on the way elsewhere, I desperately hope I wasn't so rash!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The difference being that your piece is the work of an already-experienced composer, the pieces I'm thinking of are the works of a young boy who has just discovered this way of life! 

I'm worried that in a fit of embarrased self-hatred (in my 20s) I destroyed or binned these pieces. Now that I've learnt to love my younger self a little more more (in my 30s), or at least to see these early errors as steps on the way elsewhere, I desperately hope I wasn't so rash!

I certainly hope so, too, as it is fascinating to see the curve of your own development.

(OT - I was a rather self-assured adolescent, and so I have most of the things I ever wrote from my 13th year onward. Things started to get interesting and already quite characteristic when I was 15/16. And I found my literary voice at 17. Still - it has taken me another 30 years to concentrate everything I know and can in one massive work (which I am still busy working on). Poetry has become a sideline lately (wrote two poems in the last three days).)

[lukeottevanger]

Poetry has become a sideline lately (wrote two poems in the last three days).)

You know what I'm thinking, don't you?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

You know what I'm thinking, don't you?

You sound like that Conservative Party slogan! (No, I don't...)

[karlhenning]

Right-click -> Text -> Metronome mark -> click where wanted -> whilst cursor is flashing, right-click to access noteheads for the metronome mark.

Yet another instance (I am both pleased and grateful to say) where it is actually easier than I was expecting.

[karlhenning]

Double-dotting?  (I'm working around my ignorance with ties . . . .)

Found it.

[Guido]

(No, I don't...)

He's suggesting that you start Jezetha's jubilant jamboree, or Johan's yurt of youth. Or some similarly alliterative thread dedicated to your works.

By the way I am amazed (and also vaguely scared) that you were both capable of producing work that you are still happy with at such a young age... mature voice at 17? That's scary.

The fact that virtually all of Janacek's most celebrated music was produced after he had been alive for haf a century really is food for thought. So many other composers didn't make it past middle age or somehow lost impetus at that age... makes me wish that so many composers had been able to compose for just a few years longer...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

He's suggesting that you start Jezetha's jubilant jamboree, or Johan's yurt of youth. Or some similarly alliterative thread dedicated to your works.

By the way I am amazed (and also vaguely scared) that you were both capable of producing work that you are still happy with at such a young age... mature voice at 17? That's scary.

I was rather scary when I was 17... Luke has his Mountain obsession, I broke through to my central myth when I was 17. It underpins everything I write. Alas, a special thread for my work is impossible - I write in Dutch. I have translated one story into (British) English, though. It was written in 1994 and published in 2003. I have attached it. Those interested can get an idea of what sort of a writer I can be.

[karlhenning]

I was rather scary when I was 17...

May not be quite in the way you meant . . . but I had a lot of rough edges at that age.  I wouldn't be 17 again, if they paid me 

[M forever]

I was rather scary when I was 17... Luke has his Mountain obsession, I broke through to my central myth when I was 17. It underpins everything I write. Alas, a special thread for my work is impossible - I write in Dutch. I have translated one story into (British) English, though. It was written in 1994 and published in 2003. I have attached it. Those interested can get an idea of what sort of a writer I can be.

There are no pictures...

Pictures would be good! 

[lukeottevanger]

I'm worried that in a fit of embarrased self-hatred (in my 20s) I destroyed or binned these pieces. Now that I've learnt to love my younger self a little more more (in my 30s), or at least to see these early errors as steps on the way elsewhere, I desperately hope I wasn't so rash!

As of two minutes ago....

[lukeottevanger]

(No mystery scores points for guessing that one)

I now have an enjoyable spell of going through these old pieces ahead of me. At least, I hope it's enjoyable. Maybe I'll even set the SATB piece into Sibelius tonight, if it scrubs up OK...

[Guido]

exciting

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

exciting

seconded