Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

Now, years since, when I showed a bit of White Nights to my friend (I'll call him Carl) One of the numbers I showed him is Scene 2, A Walk in the Meadows, which is scored for strings alone.  Cut to the present, and for whatever passel of reasons, he needs a 10-12 minute extract from the ballet which is for strings alone, or strings plus non-concertante piano. I am too gratified by the thought of a performance, to let the project founder on such a point, so . . . I realize that Scene 3a, Nastenka at the Bridge will adapt quite easily for strings plus non-concertante piano; so that's what I am working on, today.

Spoke with B on the phone today; he has passed the soundfiles on, and now we just wait for the choreographer to weigh in.

[aligreto]

As I happened to have Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33a in my kitchen CD player, the thought occurred to me to bundle the Four Intermezzi from White Nights as my Op. 75a.  I think I like the idea.

A very good idea indeed Karl.

Spoke with B on the phone today; he has passed the soundfiles on, and now we just wait for the choreographer to weigh in.

Best wishes on that Karl.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

My next steps (as it were) on the ballet entail two folders: My publisher requests soundfiles for the entire ballet, to shop it around.  And another conductor who is an old friend, I'll call him Jacques, who has actually known about White Nights even longer than Carl, has asked to review the entire score.

An old Wooster friend sent me the text of a camp song which is laced with many an amusing line/image.  I wanted to set it to music, but also figured that I should craft my own text to ensure unfettered copyright (though my friend feels sure it must be P.D.)

We of Triad, have been brainstorming ways to remain active in this time of isolation; one thought is a kind of improv-plus-serendipity strategy whereby I send the singers music (in parts, although not intended to be aligned in the sense of a traditional score;  each singer records oneself, and the parts are mixed creatively.  And I think an adaptation/adoption of this camp song is the perfect text for the project:


Best Get the Ax (Variation on a Doggerel

Peering at the beach through the knothole in Grampa's wooden leg,

Who parked the shore so hard against the ocean, the ocean?

Best get the ax, there's a hair on Baby's chest.

And my sweetheart's gone for I cannot say how long.

The cows made a sound, four feet upon the ground.

It isn't too late, honey, to wind your wristwatch.

Oh! Who will milk my cows when I'm gone, I'm gone?

Feed the baby garlic, to find him in the dark. Will Grandma's false teeth soon fit Lizzie, fit Lizzie?

While walking in the moonlight, the bright and sunny moonlight She kissed me in the eye with a kiwi, a kiwi.

A snake has no hips, so he wears no belt,

Nor shoulders, so no braces, neither,

No wonder, no wonder that he knots his cravat 'round his middle, his middle.

Leaning out a window, a second-story window, I slipped and sprained my eyebrow on the postman, the postman. Go get the mouthwash, sister's got a beau, and a kiwi, a kiwi.  That meddlesome boy's let the snake's wristwatch run down.

Best get the ax.

[Karl Henning]

My next steps (as it were) on the ballet entail two folders: My publisher requests soundfiles for the entire ballet, to shop it around.  And another conductor who is an old friend, I'll call him Jacques, who has actually known about White Nights even longer than Carl, has asked to review the entire score.

And my two folders are readied!

[aligreto]

Best of luck!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

Best Get the Ax (Variation on a doggerel), Op.167

About the music:

There is no full score
Taking my experience with various fixed media mixes as a point d'appui,
I composed a setting of the text; and then shook and shuffled things around to create 6 voice parts (SSATTB)
I attach the Soprano I part as representative.
Each singer selects a part to suit his or her voice. In preparing and recording the part,
The singer is welcome to any artistic liberty which to him or her feels true to the piece,
and then sends the sound file to me for assembly/treatment.  The piece is thus somewhere in the midst of improv, composition-mixage
and Renaissance partbooks
About the text:

An old friend of mine (in fact, the person who helped me figure out how to go to college, decades ago)
to help amuse his friends in these dour days, sent the text of a song he used to sing at camp as a boy.
I enjoyed the playful reckless imagery, and felt it would be a good text to set.
Although my friend is sure the song is P.D., I felt that I should create what is clearly my own variant.

[Karl Henning]

Best Get the Ax (Variation on a doggerel), Op.167

About the music:

There is no full score
Taking my experience with various fixed media mixes as a point d'appui,
I composed a setting of the text; and then shook and shuffled things around to create 6 voice parts (SSATTB)
I attach the Soprano I part as representative.
Each singer selects a part to suit his or her voice. In preparing and recording the part,
The singer is welcome to any artistic liberty which to him or her feels true to the piece,
and then sends the sound file to me for assembly/treatment.  The piece is thus somewhere in the midst of improv, composition-mixage
and Renaissance partbooks
About the text:

An old friend of mine (in fact, the person who helped me figure out how to go to college, decades ago)
to help amuse his friends in these dour days, sent the text of a song he used to sing at camp as a boy.
I enjoyed the playful reckless imagery, and felt it would be a good text to set.
Although my friend is sure the song is P.D., I felt that I should create what is clearly my own variant.

The Triad singers have started to send me soundfiles (well, all right: I've received the first soundfile) we're aiming to have the lot in a folder in two weeks, and then my mixing gets under way.

[Karl Henning]

I caught up with my publisher on the phone t'other day (the Lux Nova imprint of the Opus 28 organ pieces, including a mighty challenging Toccata, will be ready soon) pianist and Naxos recording artist Giorgio Koukl (whom I met some years ago in Milan, and who is also a composer in the Lux Nova stable, so to speak) and my publisher are beginning to plan a CD of American piano solo music.  He's going to suggest that Giorgio arrange my harp suite Lost Waters for piano, which would also give Giorgio an arrangement credit.  And, of course, I remembered that Erik Mazonson had played my "Barbara Allen" variations, Gaze Transfixt on 21 June 2010 ... although I had forgotten that Erik also played Lutosławski's Lullaby on that concert.  So there should quite a packet of Henningmusick be represented on the disc.

[JBS]

Hearty applause!

[North Star]

Great news indeed!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, friends!

[Uhor]

With so many works I ask: What's a piece of yours that I may love? Preferably chamber, impressionistic or twelve toney.

[Karl Henning]

Many thanks for your interest; I'll suggest my Viola Sonata, which one former member dubbed "The Worst Viola Sonata in the World."


And, actually, which a now-inactive member asked me to write for him.

[Uhor]

Listening now:

I'm liking the viola writing the most. Doesn't it occasionally sound like a bassoon in the first movement? The piano has some banged chords I'm not so fond of.

The second movement is exquisite. 10 points.

There are some contrasting segments throughout the whole work I wouldn't have put there but that is just me. I would have also played more with fast contrasts of tremolo-pizzicato-arco.The double stops in the last movement I found kind of tiresome.

Overall I give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 points.

Do you happen to have a bassoon or clarinet sonata? Or even better: A guitar, viola, clarinet, bassoon and horn quintet!

[Karl Henning]

A clarinet sonata which I have not yet played.

Love the idea of a guitar, viola, clarinet, bassoon and horn quintet.

[Iota]

Many thanks for your interest; I'll suggest my Viola Sonata, which one former member dubbed "The Worst Viola Sonata in the World."


And, actually, which a now-inactive member asked me to write for him.

I liked that! The opening movement really caught my attention, but I enjoyed them all. Some great piano figurations/filigree and quirky/captivating atmospheres. I'll be listening again.

[Karl Henning]

I liked that! The opening movement really caught my attention, but I enjoyed them all. Some great piano figurations/filigree and quirky/captivating atmospheres. I'll be listening again.

Thank you!

[Uhor]

My latest work tuned into a nonet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, chimes, guitar, viola and cello. I'm working on a quartet for flute, English horn, cello and double bass. What are some of your dreamed mix ensembles and the ones actually realised?