Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

It is a piece which has waited a few years for completion, so I cannot at all begrudge Allan his mirth.

But this is the compositional plan for 2008:

a.)  Finish the St John's Passion for St Paul's
b.)  A little wedding music for July
c.)  Complete White Nights

I will not even look at anything else compositionally.

Hey, two out of three.

[Karl Henning]

Meerenai still has not had a look at Airy Distillates. She assures me that it will happen.

Of course, I am not expecting her to take any particular interest in the piece.  Enthusiasm for this project is now DOA.

Meerenai & I have exchanged a few e-mail messages re: Airy Distillates. She tells me that she will look at it by 22 Jan.

Watch This Space

[Karl Henning]

Hadn't thought about this in quite some time, but the recollection is warmly pleasant.

While in Charlottesville, and inspired by Webern's example, I assembled a mixed sextet for which I arranged, first, the Bach Ricercar a 6, and then a Gibbons Fantasia a 6. There was, alas! certainly no recording.  May not even have made it to the performance stage, though I definitely remember a rehearsal, maybe two.

[Karl Henning]

Yo

[madaboutmahler]

Fantastic, Karl! As a composer, seeing your name on a concert programme is certainly an uplifting moment!!

[Lisztianwagner]

That's wonderful, Karl; congratulations!

[Karl Henning]

Thank you both!

[Cato]

I noted that the size of the print for Henning and for Palestrina was the same, which might mean that you are in better company than to be "sized" with those large-type upstarts and poseurs!   

[Karl Henning]

Hah!

(Oh, don't get me started . . . .) ; )

[Karl Henning]

Okay . . . one can split hairs, argue whether it was falling off the wagon or a break for the New Year's holiday . . . but while my head lay on the pillow yesternight, several distinct musical ideas came, mostly for the Organ Sonata, but even a rogue notion for a new, four-part setting of Nuhro (the 'old' setting is in seven parts, and I still own it entirely, but I cannot help feeling that it is a beautiful prayer which ought to be made available for smaller choirs).

So: the three-a-day mininum is back in force!

[Karl Henning]

Gosh, the concert is a scant two weeks from to-day! We have two serious Saturday morning rehearsals beforehand, so I have every confidence.

Got some more work done on the Organ Sonata this morning, I'm puttering with mensural canons (again).

[Karl Henning]

For the postlude of to-day's service, I turned pages for my buddy Paul Cienniwa while he played the Frescobaldi Toccata quinta (from Book II, 1637). Cool piece, and great fun to take part, even as a mere page-turner.

[Mirror Image]

Hey, Karl what's that work of yours that is for chorus and percussion? I can't remember the name of it. You posted it here many months ago. Thanks.

By the way, have you considered releasing some of your music via a record label? That seems like a completely viable way to get your music heard by a larger audience. A composer friend of mine pursued Naxos with the possibility of recording some of his music and, while they were welcoming, he would have had to fund the recording himself. Naxos would handle all the distribution.

[Karl Henning]

Hey, Karl what's that work of yours that is for chorus and percussion? I can't remember the name of it. You posted it here many months ago. Thanks.

Timbrel and Dance.

[Mirror Image]

Timbrel and Dance.

Kudos, my friend. I really like this work, Karl and I'm not just saying it for the hell of it. I like the usage of percussion and it has a sort of Stravinskian feel to it.

[Karl Henning]

There will be video.

[Karl Henning]

Had we given up hope? Meerenai writes that she looks forward to learning Airy Distillates, will advise when it is programmed, and will share any recording.

And:  got some work done in Sibelius on the Organ Sonata.

[Cato]

And:  got some work done in Sibelius on the Organ Sonata.

I especially like the atomization idea at the end of page 4 into 5.   0:)

[Karl Henning]

Thanks! It was the curiously fortuitous discovery that the material I had been working with so far in the movement intersected nicely with that jazz tune I had mentioned to you.

Now, I wonder if John B. will feel that I varied the texture to his liking : )

[Karl Henning]

Did some more scribbling on the train this morning.