Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, gents.

[mahler10th]

Ah Cato, there's something immensely humbling about this - and after all perhaps that's appropriate. While there are small fragments of your essay that I understand, most of it is several feet above my head. I really am a musical ignoramus. (I can guess Bob Dylan's chord changes well enough to play them - but that's the end of my road.)
However, all is not lost. I read your essay three times through, slowly, each time with the music playing. And despite my caveats noted above, some small fraction of what you're saying is getting through, and each time I found I was able to 'hear' the music differently, and (more to the point) more richly. Thank you. I shall come back to this, not once, but several times, to repeat the process.

I must do this excercise myself too.  Leo (Cato) is by far the most ferociously intelligent and knowledgeable person I have ever had the honour of communicating with, and I do not say that lightly, so it is always profoundly interesting to follow up or investigate his posits. 

I read your essay three times through, slowly, each time with the music playing.

I shall  pick up on this very idea Elgarian, to be more acquainted and...er...intimate with Karls music  will also help me appreciate music in different ways across the board.

[Karl Henning]

All right — there's more.

This is from a concert in Woburn, Mass., Volcanic Airborne Event. Soon the full program will be available for listening on Instant Encore . . . .

Mirage, Op79 (cl/vn/pf)

Night of the Weeping Crocodiles, Op16 (cl/vn/pf)

Lunar Glare, Op98 (cl & hpschd)

Lutosławski's Lullaby, Op25 (pf solo)

Gaze Transfixt, Op23 (pf solo)

[Elgarian]

I must do this excercise myself too.  Leo (Cato) is by far the most ferociously intelligent and knowledgeable person I have ever had the honour of communicating with, and I do not say that lightly, so it is always profoundly interesting to follow up or investigate his posits.  I shall  pick up on this very idea Elgarian, to be more acquainted and...er...intimate with Karls music  will also help me appreciate music in different ways across the board.

Good luck to you John. It's not that each listening/reading produced a major breakthrough; it was more like a few trickles through small cracks in the dam. I particularly recall a shift that occurred when I read/heard 'the ecstatic leap of a fifth on the word Gloria'. Somehow, reading that and hearing it simultaneously made me consciously aware of something that, till then, had just 'washed over me'. But the point is - small though they are, the trickles do seem to add up, and my anxiety about the work never seeming familiar no matter how many times I listened was gradually relieved to some degree. It's hard work though. I need strong doses of Scheherazade and Vivaldi concertos in between attempts!

[Karl Henning]

It hardly need be said that I heartily endorse interludes of Vivaldi and Sheherazade, lads. Not that you were hanging fire on the endorsement . . . .

[mahler10th]

The closest soundworld I can get to with Karls music is Lutoslawski...and Lutoslawski is a real brain zone stretcher and compressor which I will never understand.  But perhaps with the read through of Catos commentary whilst listening, I will be enlightened in all things Henning and Lutoslawski.    0:)

[Karl Henning]

Back in January, it seemed I had a ton of time to get a 7-minute quartet written for an April program.  This month, though, time is just what I hain't got; so a Plan B is indicated.

I think I am apt to take one or two of the clarinet duets and adjust them for fl & cl; Peter H. Bloom & yrs truly would have no trouble whipping them into shape in ample time.  Given the fact that Peter and Mary Jane are currently on tour, and I just don't see writing anything this week, I cannot believe that it is at all practical to have anything ready to be rehearsed in time enough.

[mahler10th]

Back in January, it seemed I had a ton of time to get a 7-minute quartet written for an April program.  This month, though, time is just what I hain't got; so a Plan B is indicated.

I think I am apt to take one or two of the clarinet duets and adjust them for fl & cl; Peter H. Bloom & yrs truly would have no trouble whipping them into shape in ample time.  Given the fact that Peter and Mary Jane are currently on tour, and I just don't see writing anything this week, I cannot believe that it is at all practical to have anything ready to be rehearsed in time enough.

Your commentaries of being a composer and your composition processes are always fascanating and honestly open Karl.  Its 'thinking out loud' indeed.  I must visit http://henningmusick.blogspot.com/ more often too. 

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, Johnnie!

OTOH . . . I just got some good sleep, and I find ideas are flowing . . . watch this space . . . .

[Lisztianwagner]

Finished listening to Lunar Glare, what a thrilling, beautiful piece! Is the score avaible as well?

[Karl Henning]

Thank you, Ilaria!  Yes, I can send you the score.

[Lisztianwagner]

Thank you, Ilaria!  Yes, I can send you the score.

Thanks for sending me the score, Karl I will try to play the harpsichord part this evening, it looks very interesting.

[Karl Henning]

Concert coming!

Long story reduced to the current fact:  The quartet (fl, cl, hp & frame drum) will wait for another occasion.  Instead, I took two of the clarinet duos (These Unlikely Events) and the middle piece from the cello quartet suite, Marginalia, and arranged these as a short suite for alto flute, clarinet & harp.

Peter (flutist) and Mary Jane (harpist) are now back from their Down-Under Tour, but are about to head to the DC area for a couple of concerts between now and the 17 April King's Chapel date . . . so we're getting together to read these three trio arrangements this evening.  I'm sure we'll be able to assemble them with relative ease.

The program, then, is now:

I.

stars & guitars, Op.95
Peter H. Bloom, bass flute
Mary Jane Rupert, harp

II.

These Unlikely Events № 3 (première)
Marginalia (première)
These Unlikely Events № 1 (première)
Peter H. Bloom, alto flute
Karl Henning, clarinet
Mary Jane Rupert, harp

[Ataraxia]

All right — there's more.

This is from a concert in Woburn, Mass., Volcanic Airborne Event. Soon the full program will be available for listening on Instant Encore . . . .

Mirage, Op79 (cl/vn/pf)

Night of the Weeping Crocodiles, Op16 (cl/vn/pf)

Lunar Glare, Op98 (cl & hpschd)

Lutosławski's Lullaby, Op25 (pf solo)

Gaze Transfixt, Op23 (pf solo)

I hope to be checking this out later.

[Karl Henning]

Splendid, thank you!

[Karl Henning]

Also playing on the 27^th.

[Karl Henning]

Working out the pedaling for Mary Jane . . . .

[Scion7]

I CHALLENGE YOU ... to compose a kammerwerk for carillon, tuba and ukelele!

If yaz man enuff!

[Karl Henning]

You provide players, venue and date, I'll write the piece. And you can pay me for it, if yez man enough.

[Scion7]

I'm manz enuff, but I'm also poor enuff.   

C'mon, where's your sense of innovation into unexplored musical territory?   

You could be the Hindemith of Boston.