Henning's Headquarters

[North Star]

Another Facebook story:  just reconnected with an old Wooster classmate, who now sings in a 40-voice choir.  This morning, I sent her a passel of sample scores.

Can't be Bertram, then.

[Karl Henning]

No, although it was in that town that I learnt of Bertram Wilberforce . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Okay, Scene 3a now done in Sibelius.

[Karl Henning]

Well, sure, the score needs a bit more cleaning up, of course.

[Karl Henning]

Well, sure, the score needs a bit more cleaning up, of course.

Cleaned up, arpeggio marks added, some minor flourishes added to the vibes.

[Karl Henning]

It's not The Musical Masterpiece of my generation . . . but it does just what I wished it to do, and I like it.

[Karl Henning]

The string pastoral, making its way into Sibelius:

[Karl Henning]

Okay, this may be done (and in the doing, I learnt many of the tasks which I need for the larger scores in Sibelius, and now I can set to the Overture).

[Karl Henning]

Continuing my backwards path towards the Overture, by starting on Scene 1.

[Karl Henning]

Okay, this may be done (and in the doing, I learnt many of the tasks which I need for the larger scores in Sibelius, and now I can set to the Overture).

Well, again, Karl: rehearsal letters, rehearsal letters, rehearsal letters . . . .

[Florestan]

It's not The Musical Masterpiece of my generation . . . but it does just what I wished it to do, and I like it.

But it may be your musical masterpiece, and that suffices. Keep up the good work and keep thinking of Matisse. 

[Karl Henning]

But it may be your musical masterpiece, and that suffices. Keep up the good work and keep thinking of Matisse. 

Thank you for your kind encouragement, mon cher!

And, this week on Facebook, I've 'reconnected' with a Wooster classmate, who sings in a 40-voice choir in an Episcopal parish . . . sounds like a strong possibility, that my music will be a good fit.  Yea, even unto a possible gander at the Passion.

[Mirror Image]

Karl, good to hear you're working on White Nights yet again! I've been bugging you about this work for how many years now?

[Ken B]

Keep up the good work and keep thinking of Matisse. 

Matisse was a pinko? Why wasn't I told?

[Karl Henning]

Karl, good to hear your working on White Nights yet again! I've been bugging you about this work for how many years now?

It helps that my work-week has gotten lighter this year.

Separately . . . rehearsal begins tonight, for the June 6/7 concerts.  And so: first reading of Le tombeau de W.A.G. . . . we shall see if my peers tell me not to quit the day job . . . .

[Cato]

Concerning the White Nights excerpts:

I finally had a chance to read through the scores of Nastenka and The Walk and continue to be vastly impressed.  Specifically: the 16th-notes in Nastenka become a definite, expressive voice and not just a symbol of the river flowing or a harmonic backdrop.  The vibraphone's little comments subtly emphasize what is happening there: a nervousness, a pensive agitation, and yet at the same time the repetitive nature of the 16th-note voice brings a kind of calm.  See especially the sections where the violas come in with a counter- pattern in 16ths: a most brilliant idea!

Yet even more impressive is the chant-like, melismatic theme in The Walk which to me creates a miniature epic of the interior life.  The drone-like background creates an atmosphere of meditation, and the nature of the theme, almost like a mantra, complements this exploration of the soul.

If we lived in more enlightened times, Karl's "day job" would be full-time composer/musician!  But the days of aristocratic patrons are gone: Bruckner taught for his daily bread, Charles Ives sold insurance for many years, etc.

[Karl Henning]

Many thanks!  These two scenes are scores which were fairly easy to "dust off" (though I still need to add those rehearsal letters to the Walk!)  Scene 1 is (as I had laid it out in Finale) 42pp., and in getting just a little work in on it yester even, I think I'm now on p.6 . . . and I see opportunities to refine this or that passage. (Other passages, as in the case of Scenes 2 & 3a, I am gratified to consider quite finished.)  There is, in short, a good job of work ahead of me, but (a) I feel confident that some genuinely good work has already been locked down, and (b) I am energized to pursue the project, and (as Master Samwise might say) to see it through.

[Mirror Image]

It helps that my work-week has gotten lighter this year.

Separately . . . rehearsal begins tonight, for the June 6/7 concerts.  And so: first reading of Le tombeau de W.A.G. . . . we shall see if my peers tell me not to quit the day job . . . .

This is true. Don't worry about your peers telling you to quit your day job. I think you're an uber-talented composer/musician. You're certainly going places, Karl. Keep your chin up!

[Karl Henning]

Keep your chin up!

I shall comply!

Very good rehearsal last night.  I see people walking about like trees sounds as if we had been playing it the day before, rather than a month ago;  in fact, it was the best we have played it yet, so come June, it will be bristling.


We played through Le tombeau de W.A.G. twice, already sounding good . . . and again, we've started rehearsal early, so, ever upward.


How to Tell, which is a lot of living in 11 minutes, is still in a process of gradual refinement (and we are already at a substantially good stage).  We played it through, and it was mostly roughly-as-good-as-we've-ever-done;  and we went back to clarify a couple of passages.  The State of the Union is strong.


On arriving home, I didn't have any great store of energy, but I did putter with adding some highlighting to a ten measure stretch of Scene 1.  This is the way, I think, taking my time with the adjustments, so that at the last, the number will do me proud.

[Karl Henning]

I think Le tombeau too apt a piece, that it should suffer neglect beyond this year . . . so I am preparing arrangements for 2 vn & va, and 2 cl & alto cl.  (And probably for 2 fl & alto fl.)