Henning's Headquarters

[Mirror Image]

Karl, I was checking out your website. Very nice, my friend! I especially like the way you've organized your opus list. To say you've written a few pieces would be a severe understatement. There really ought to be a record label interested in recording your music. I imagine you'd do well on the Bridge or Albany labels. Next time you're in Georgia, let me know.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!

[Mirror Image]

Thanks!

You're welcome, Karl!

[Karl Henning]

I've started the endgame by . . . composing the ending, itself a kind of recapitulation of the opening.

   
• I have in view where we are going (which does not absolutely preclude modification of the ending I just composed).
• I know now how much space the final section requires.
• Which in turn (since I am specifically asked for a seven-minute piece, one of the few "restraints" placed upon me for the project) clarifies how much space is to be apportioned to the three other sections yet to be composed.

All right, so the (now old) score up yonder runs up to [ P ]

As reported, I composed the ending: rehearsal letter [ S ]

Then, I brought in an "island" section, [ Q ] which is an adaption of [ E ] (e.g.)

This left two empty passages to be filled (hence my "island" reference, a composed bit surrounded for the nonce by non-composition).

I started to write [ P ] yesterday. (It is worth noting that the final score will have some more rehearsal letters, so these present letters are not fixed landmarks, but they serve us for today.)  That done, I realized that at this point, any more music I need to write, I can probably "discover" as variations upon material already in the piece – i.e., the heavy lifting is done.

I should without strain compose up the gap today, and bring the score up to [ Q ]

This morning I have a yet clearer idea of a specific variant of existing material for the 45-second "synthesis-coda" beginning at [ R ]

[Cato]

Quickly, the end of N leading into O (bars 302 ff.) with the open fifths in the harp sounds like a real treat!

[Karl Henning]

Well, either it is very nearly done, or it is completely done.  I'll probably sleep on the question.

[Karl Henning]

Well, the chorale [ S ] to [ U ] does pretty much exactly what I ask of it;  may add a little detailing here and there.  (And of course, I need to notate the pedal changes for the harpist.)

I am toying with adding one last punctuative chord at the end.

On the whole, perfectly well satisfied with it.

[Cato]

Well, the chorale [ S ] to [ U ] does pretty much exactly what I ask of it;  may add a little detailing here and there.  (And of course, I need to notate the pedal changes for the harpist.)

I am toying with adding one last punctuative chord at the end.

On the whole, perfectly well satisfied with it.

The conversation a trois in P and Q tosses around particularly sparkling ideas! 

A more than satisfactory gem! 0:)

[Karl Henning]

Another relatively trivial adjustment:  I am going to "move the barline" of m.365, so that the viola pizz. of m.364 is the new tempo;  much clearer than having those two beats be part of the accelerando.


As ever, there are also the minor layout tweaks to make.

[Karl Henning]

Okay, a fresh round of modifications, some necessary, some elective.  And so another "curing" period to see if the elective bits make the cut.  (Final proofing of the harp pedal changes waits on that question.)

[Karl Henning]

The modifications which I engraved this morning:

   
• Between [ S ] and [ U ], occasional brief flourishes in the flute and viola;  these I regard as essentially true.
• Between [ S ] and [ U ], occasional echoes in the treble clef of the harp;  these could be easily overdone.
• The last couple of measures.

So, the only "questions" still resisting final settlement have to do with 2. and 3.

In the case of 2. I am wondering "Is anything really needed, or should I simply leave be?"  And I will wait until this evening to make the final determination (which will then drive the need for / volume of harp pedal-change notations).

As to 3., once I composed through the prior gaps, and reached the ending, I felt that the last measure as it was, was too abrupt.  The danger (well, the potential for time wastage, rather than danger) is that it is too easy to over-engineer the change:  the artistic solution will be minimal alteration.  So this evening I shall double-check to see if the present revision does the job.

[Karl Henning]

So, with Emma Lee rooting for you, the odds must be in your favor!

So, does Verdant Vibes have a green marimba/vibraphone?   0:)

Not surprisingly, they report receiving 896 submitted scores.  I mean, that's daft, right?

Not surprisingly, they selected only 16 scores from that flood of notes.  How do 16 scores stand out from a herd of 896?

Not by being Henningmusick.

Not surprisingly, I was one to receive the "Sorry!" e-mail message.

So, onward.

[Karl Henning]

Truly done, and to my unconflicted satisfaction.

[Sergeant Rock]

Not surprisingly, I was one to receive the "Sorry!" e-mail message.

A pox on the selection committee.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

I thank thee! And THM (Thou Hast Mail)

[Karl Henning]

Truly done, and to my unconflicted satisfaction.

So, what's different?

   
• Corrected three pitches in the bass clef of the harp (m.29), which had been a third too high. (Mary Jane would have rightly upbraided me for those . . . .)
• Opened up the "seam" slightly at [ R ] (mm.364-365)
• Opened up and slightly enhanced the "seam" at [ S ] (mm.385-388)
• Improved the ending (mm.443-445);  the repeated figure in the flute and viola for m.444 felt musically right immediately, but my "placeholder" was a literal repetition, which was wrong there. (The modified figures are actually in m.443)

And, she is done.

The players (and their manager) wrote last night that they were thrilled to receive the piece (truly:  the word they wrote is thrilled);  they will start reading and playing today.

[Karl Henning]

(Of course, there is still some layout clean-up I must attend to . . . nothing to interfere with the players' reading it as is, but items which need to be cleaner for publication.)

[Mirror Image]

So when's the next concert of Henningmusick?

[Karl Henning]

In October, Frank Grimes and I will play The Mousetrap ... so we ought to start rehearsing, come to think on it.

[Karl Henning]

(Of course, there is still some layout clean-up I must attend to . . . nothing to interfere with the players' reading it as is, but items which need to be cleaner for publication.)

This morning I saw to the clean-up.

And then, prepared the piano adaptation (Op.138a).  No material changes, made the notation and note durations more idiomatic to the piano;  changed some pitch spellings where doing so might clarify the line for a pianist;  in one or two places, I added an octave doubling.

Then, as I was proofing layout of the piano adaptation, I found "wrong notes" . . . in scare-quotes, because they are not wrong, at all, to the ear;  but wrong insofar as in those two-three measures I had lost sight of the harp tuning.  I think it may be as easy as adding a couple of pertinent pedal-changes . . . but, well, I just sent a fresh score after the layout tweaks, above.

Best just do it, and make my rapid apologies . . . .