Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

. . . It's all in your head (not that that's a bad place for everything to be).

This was originally a piece for four cellos, which translated quite readily to quartet.

In a separate development, EmmaLee Holmes Hicks (who played the première of Plotting (y is the new x) together with Paul Cienniwa) has asked for music for four violins.  Well, transpose a piece for four cellos up a twelfth . . . .

[kishnevi]

19 August, and I am planning to be there in Delray Beach for the concert.

Ever the impertinent composer, I found the violinist on Facebook, logged a Friend request, and sent a brief introductory message.  Shortly after she accepted, and replied with her phone number, making me welcome to call to talk about my piece.

For a dozen small reasons, but thankfully no great horrible reason, 1Q18 has been no friend to my musical activity/work.  I had not meant for so long an interval before trying Mei Mei, but I did at last call this morning.  (A little bird told me to have my music under my gaze during the call.)  She had some layout/page-turn requests – and only reasonable.  (Offhand, I am not sure how EmmaLee worked around the part . . . probably printed it all out at a reduction.)  The call went swimmingly.  Paul had told me that Mei Mei heads a string quartet, so I naturally went on to ask if I might send some music for the SQ, specifically (of course – pretty much the only quartet music I have Game Ready at present) the suite of short pieces, It's all in your head (not that that's a bad place for everything to be).  She warmly accepted, and as the quartet have a September concert, and my pieces are short, she is already considering using one as an encore to their program.

Hopefully I'll be audiencing.
BTW, since you will be in Delray, make sure to visit the Morikami. Just make sure of the weather, as the primary thing there is walking  the gardens.

[Sergeant Rock]

Act I of this quiet anti-drama has come to a pleasant conclusion...

....and my pieces are short, she is already considering using one as an encore to their program.

Positive news on two fronts. Good to hear 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Hopefully I'll be audiencing.
BTW, since you will be in Delray, make sure to visit the Morikami. Just make sure of the weather, as the primary thing there is walking  the gardens.

Happily, I took that in my first trip.  Certainly worth a repeat visit!

[Karl Henning]

Positive news on two fronts. Good to hear 

Sarge

Thank you, good sir!

[Karl Henning]

I think I may be done with the new quartet — C flute, bass flute (ossia alto flute), clarinet in A, horn in F — for the 17 April King's Chapel concert:  Down Along the Canal to Minerva Road.

[Karl Henning]

Ah, yes, the score as of today:

[Cato]

A kaleidoscopic diamond!   

Smooooth sound with that instrumentation, especially e.g. bars 63-74 (D) and 91-105 (F).

[Karl Henning]

Thanks! The flow of the whole program will be good, I believe.

And now, to bed....

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[Karl Henning]

Thanks! The flow of the whole program will be good, I believe.

Ah, I have not posted the entire program:

Avrohom Leichtling | Bárðarbunga dreymir undir ísnum (Fantasy Piece 10, Op. 137) — alto flute & clarinet
Mark Gresham | Three Miniatures — flute & clarinet
Karl Henning | Down Along the Canal to Minerva Road, Op. 149 — flute, bass or alto flute, clarinet & horn
Pamela Marshall | Birds on the Harmonic Plain — 2 flutes, clarinet & horn (?) plus fixed media.

Peter writes that the Leichtling piece is very effective, well written and beautiful.  And demanding, and very rewarding.  And all this is true.  I have some practicing to do, and will continue tonight.

Peter also loved the three Gresham pieces on our first playing through them together.  Charming, winsome, well written.

My piece, I have thought of (in its easy gait, for instance) as something relatively easy for the four of us to put together.  I hope this is true, and not just a matter of all the notes lying well for the clarinet, and the fact that, since I am the composer, all the notes are well known to me.  Peter and Pam have now seen the parts I sent them, and no complaint has yet been lodged.  Carol is to return from California tomorrow, ahead of the next snowstorm, I shall hope.

Pam is hard at work on her piece, which will be ready for our rehearsal on Saturday.  It will be nice if we have the parts to look over ahead of time 

[Cato]

I think I may be done with the new quartet — C flute, bass flute (ossia alto flute), clarinet in A, horn in F — for the 17 April King's Chapel concert:  Down Along the Canal to Minerva Road.

This morning I was following the score while listening to the MIDI version in my classroom.  Two fellow teachers heard the music from around the halfway point, and came in to listen and find out what it was.

"That sounds really jazzy!" said one.

[Karl Henning]

Already making the rounds!

[Karl Henning]

Made a start on movement 4 at lunchtime.



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I remember writing this out . . . .

[Cato]

Made a start on movement 4 at lunchtime.

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I remember writing this out . . . .

Is this for the Symphony?

[Karl Henning]

Clarinet Sonata!

[Cato]

Clarinet Sonata!

Aha!  That makes more sense!  Go Team!

[Karl Henning]

And thanks for the vote of grand confidence in Nuhro!  I do like that piece.  I still remember the summer day when I finished composing it.

[Cato]

And thanks for the vote of grand confidence in Nuhro!  I do like that piece. I still remember the summer day when I finished composing it.

I found this recently in an essay about creation as a Divine Artwork:

(ignore the split infinitive    )

"To fully unveil the wonder of art (regardless of the medium) requires a heart and mind quiet and attentive enough to listen to and receive the messages they contain."

[Karl Henning]

Nice!

[Cato]

I found this recently in an essay about creation as a Divine Artwork:

(ignore the split infinitive    )

"To fully unveil the wonder of art (regardless of the medium) requires a heart and mind quiet and attentive enough to listen to and receive the messages they contain."

Nice!

And these days, to create "the wonder of art," one needs a greater amount of concentration than ever before....to shut out all the nonsense around us!  Mahler had the luxury of his "Haeuschen" in the mountains.  I think of Karl on the mass transit with his sketchbook, and how much background noise his ears must eliminate, and how phenomenal his concentration is!