Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[Maciek]

I suddenly realized we may be going against Guido here. Why not make the clarinet and viola parts ad libitum, Luke?

(Boy, we'll soon have the whole piece planned out before Luke even knows he's being asked for it. )

[karlhenning]

Guido, come to Boston!  Then, you'll know a clarinetist! 

[lukeottevanger]

...not in the Biblical sense, I assume.

How about a compromise - clarinet, cello, piano? Never been done before  [cough]op114[/cough]

[karlhenning]

...not in the Biblical sense, I assume.

Well, if so, I will not be that clarinetist . . . .

How about a compromise - clarinet, cello, piano? Never been done before  [cough]op114[/cough]

Here, at least, the difficulty is that I have yet to meet a musically dependable pianist.

But at some point, I will.

So, write what you feel musically motivated to write!

[lukeottevanger]

Here, at least, the difficulty is that I have yet to meet a musically dependable pianist.

Really? You surprise me.

The idea of clarinet and cello is rather appealing, I must say....

[karlhenning]

Really? You surprise me.

The former music director here at St Paul's was an organist rather than pianist, though still game to try some piano music.  But now that he's "gone Salem," I am practically piano-less.  I'm trying out the new fellow this June with Mirage, which has very low-stress piano writing . . . .

[Guido]

This arguing about exactly what Luke should be concerning himself with next could easily turn into a flame war! I get the feeling that Luke generally writes what he is compelled to write...

On the general subject of cello/clarinet works: Phyllis Tate wrote a rather brilliant piece for clarinet and cello if I recall correctly (though it has been a long time since I have heard it.) A cursory glance at Amazon produces no recording results - Does anyone own a recording? I'm quite fond of Leighton's Variations on an American Hymn tune for clarinet, cello and piano (though not my favourite of his opus...).

[karlhenning]

This arguing about exactly what Luke should be concerning himself with next could easily turn into a flame war!

And what are we waiting for!?  

[Guido]

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6672878&cart=543450533&style=classical

Here are sound clips of the Tate work.

Well Karl, I was just waiting for you to say something stupid so that we could get started. Something like: "the clarinet is a serious instrument worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the cello."

[karlhenning]

Heaven preserve us from clarinettocelli! 

[lukeottevanger]

That's a kind of pasta, isn't it?

[karlhenning]

No, the vermicello is decidedly a stringy instrument 

[lukeottevanger]

Vermicello: n Instrument of the chordophone family, its strings differing from the cello's in being made out of rat gut.

[Maciek]

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Er... Wanted to post something inflammatory but couldn't come up with anything. I'm such a gentle soul, you know... 0:)

[lukeottevanger]

OK, I'm going to take my life in my hands. Be gentle with me:

Here's a link to the very low bitrate mp3 of the piece (2 mb for an 18 minute+ piece  ).

And here's the link to the score of the piece. Part of the deal is: download the mp3, you must download the score too I'll be checking....

Neither are quite finished, but I think I've kept up this silly charade of making you wait long enough and am conscious that the longer I make you wait, the more disappointed in the end product you will be.

The mp3 will have to do until the piece is played by a living, breathing clarinetist. Its flaws, of course, are obvious to anyone who reads the score alongside, which is exactly why I'd encourage you to do so. Just bear in mind how it was made, and that I only had time for one take of each part! There was quite a lot of cutting, pasting and amplifying to be done after the recordings were made, and clearly it hasn't always worked.

The score is not quite the final article. Above all I want to go through and re-input metronome marks; those in the score at present just made it sound OK on Sibelius; also dynamic markings etc. need to be fleshed out. You might notice that a couple of bars on page 6 are different in the clarinet part. The score needs to be updated with this alteration too. When the thing is finally done, I'll put it up and take this one down, but this gives a fair idea for now.


On with the flaming.

[Maciek]

Let's see if I can rough it up a bit...

Part of the deal is: download the mp3, you must download the score too I'll be checking....

Well, smarty-pants, for the time being I'm only downloading the score. And what are you going to do about that, eh?

[lukeottevanger]

You haven't downloaded the score. I see all. Don't mess with me, big boy.

[lukeottevanger]

Although, more seriously, I don't care at all if you do it that way round (i.e. download score only) - the score is a representative document, apart from the minor details I mentioned. I can't say it's not what I meant. It's the other way round (download mp3 only) which leaves me feeling unsure. I must learn to relax, I think.....

[Maciek]

Oh, yes, I have. It's 26 pages long, starts with the clarinet playing a G and ends with it playing a D. Or is that sort of stuff in the notes (I'm not sure, I haven't read them yet)?

[Maciek]

Anyway, shoot - ask me anything you want! I'm ready to prove to you that I have downloaded the score, smarty!