Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[lukeottevanger]

Thirded!

about 1/3 of the way through now, (rediscovered some cello pieces, Guido, which may appeal to your tastes  !). Some of it isn't not too bad, in all of it is a kernel of something good. Very interesting to me to see how the dissatisfactions I felt at the time with these pieces, but was unable to put a finger on, are now understood with an embarrassed clarity. It's also as clear as day what I had been listening to as these pieces were composed - Respighi, jazz and others rear there heads but ever-presents are Ravel (unsurprisingly), Satie and Vaughan-Williams (surprinsing to me now, but maybe I was more deeply steeped in him than I knew at the time!). Scriabin also, in the later pieces (from about age 17/18).

These years, then, were obviously a time when I was absorbing, absorbing, absorbing - then, once at university, came a few years of trying to do my own thing, before the intensive stripping down of the last three or so years, as documented in the various Outposts.... fascinating for me to see.

Still haven't found the SATB piece, but I assume it's in there somewhere. All sorts of orchestral stuff coming out of the bag now, too! 

[Guido]

This is all very interesting to hear! I'm sure I would be interested in the cello pieces. Had you had any teaching in counterpoint/harmony/composition before you reached university?

I cam accross accross a glut of little fragments that I had notated between the ages of 13 and 16 - never turned into pieces as I was never as organised/driven as you appear to have been, but there are some nice ideas there too. Unfortunately I have moved no furthur with my abilities!

[karlhenning]

(No mystery scores points for guessing that one)

Oh, I have my suspicions, to be sure . . . .

I now have an enjoyable spell of going through these old pieces ahead of me. At least, I hope it's enjoyable. Maybe I'll even set the SATB piece into Sibelius tonight, if it scrubs up OK...

Excellent!

[lukeottevanger]

There are som many goodies here it's going to take a while to go through them all. I think the next step will be to make a chronological list, with descriptions, so that you can see what there is and what it's like....bear with me, though!

[karlhenning]

Terrific!

[Guido]

Once you've made the list I'm going to have to check the watermarks and undertake a thorough hand writing analysis, because I suspect that you are predating your youthful scores to make you look more brilliant, revolutionary and innovatory (despite the fact that you have never made any such claims to this effect.) It's also pretty obvious that you are going to 'jack up' the level of dissonance in these youthful scores as you type them into Sibelius, and also add cross rhythms and aleatoric effects. You're a pretty cunning character, but I've got your number - there's really no proof that you wrote any of these scores much before 2007. Addionally I have other composer's testimonies to this fact, and I am going to resolutely refuse to question their own motives.

 

[lukeottevanger]

It's a fair cop. 

[karlhenning]

Guido finds fresh application for his Ives Pocket Fraud Decoder

[lukeottevanger]

Here we are then, warts and all - a quickly knocked-up Sibelius-ified PDF of Before Sleep, an SATB work composed as a homework for school, when I was 17 or so. With a rough MIDI, entirely unvarnished!




EDIT - attachments removed (there are better ones on the next page)

[lukeottevanger]

Only just listened to it myself - among other hideousnesses a strange cut-out of the lower voices for some of the last page. Best to follow with the score, I think, for this reason and, of course, to follow the text.

[karlhenning]

That is lovely, Luke!  If you wouldn't mind just a little layout clean-up (really de minimus), I know a fellow in Boston who (a) would like this, (b) would have use for it in the church where he serves, and (c) would (I believe) have his choir sing it.

[karlhenning]

Luke, I've Bcc'd you.

Timing is excellent, because I've just had this fellow's ear a bit today.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Here we are then, warts and all - a quickly knocked-up Sibelius-ified PDF of Before Sleep, an SATB work composed as a homework for school, when I was 17 or so. With a rough MIDI, entirely unvarnished!

Fascinating, Luke. I'm going to look and listen.

[karlhenning]

Only just listened to it myself - among other hideousnesses a strange cut-out of the lower voices for some of the last page. . . .

Yes, noticed that right off, of course (and I should go back and listen a second time).

And, that e-mail msg I copied you on?  We've got the green light.

All I'd suggest is clearing the bass text on p.1 from the copyright info, and the first systems of pp. 2 & 3 have the alto text and tenor directions a little in conflict.

Other than that, it's good for reading!

[karlhenning]

Fascinating, Luke. I'm going to look and listen.

Oh, I think you're going to like this, Johan!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Oh, I think you're going to like this, Johan!

Yes, I already do - a really lovely piece. That chord in bar 27 is exquisite (incomplete ninth chord?)

[Guido]

Nice setting. My favourite bars are 1-2 and 29-30. I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff!

[karlhenning]

Paul's going to look at it when he's at the church tomorrow, Luke, so there's breathing room.

[lukeottevanger]

That is lovely, Luke!  If you wouldn't mind just a little layout clean-up (really de minimus), I know a fellow in Boston who (a) would like this, (b) would have use for it in the church where he serves, and (c) would (I believe) have his choir sing it.

[and the following posts]

I would be delighted, Karl - totally unexpected, this, as I only had this sudden yearning to dig out old pieces yesterday! I'm very glad you all like it - I must admit I have a soft spot for it too.

As the resident expert on this sort of thing, do you think it would work? The long-held notes in the middle not too tedious; the high B not too high? (I could take it down a semitone...if the low E flat isn't too low for the basses!).

Anyway, I'll sort out those little layout issues soon, and get a better copy to you (still, it looks pretty good for half an hour on Sibelius, doesn't it!  )

Still haven't got to the bottom of these pieces. I've discovered various unfinished orchestral pieces which ring deep bells in my mind, but I can't remember what prompted them. And there are also some more recent pieces - various try-outs at quartets which look not-too-bad.

Also, most recent of all, (but still nearly 12 years old) another SATB piece which I wrote at university as part of my composition portfolio, to go alongside the Four Paz Songs (one of my best pieces, I think) and Ophruoeis (which must have been put in there to dazzle them with a multitude of notes rather than for its quality!). I never cared for this SATB one at all - it had to be written to fulfil the criteria, but my heart wasn't fully in it. But I haven't looked over it properly yet - maybe it's better than I remember. Though it was the Four Paz Songs, not this chorus, that got me my First, I'm pretty sure (Robin Holloway pretty much told me as much)

[karlhenning]

. . . do you think it would work? The long-held notes in the middle not too tedious; the high B not too high? (I could take it down a semitone...if the low E flat isn't too low for the basses!).

I wonder who Paul's other bass is (I know one of his basses, who's more a baritone, and I don't think he can get a low E to speak);  as long as that note is covered by the other guy, though, they should be all right.

The high B, as long as he has a singer or two who have that note in a comfortable spot (and this is not at all uncommon), it's entirely manageable.  I certainly wouldn't alter the score.  Anyway, choir directors are apt to do a piece a semitone or a whole tone up or down to suit their group (generally with the composer's awareness, I like to think, if the composer yet walks the earth).

It's a good piece, written well as is;  no, I shouldn't alter it.

Anyway, I'll sort out those little layout issues soon, and get a better copy to you (still, it looks pretty good for half an hour on Sibelius, doesn't it!  )

Very well done!  You set me a fine Sibelius example