Ottevanger's Omphaloskeptic Outpost

[Luke]

Are those still up? It's a long time since I used mediafire for anything.

Those two recordings, like most recordings of my stuff, are ropey in the extreme. But rather than expunge them, I might dilute their ropishness by uploading, or re-uploading, a few other old pieces of mine. Give me a while to do it, though, I need a few dedicated hours and those are in short supply.

Meanwhile, I'm tinkering with the idea of a mini-songcycle for a soprano friend of mine. Or just because... I've done a couple of bars, maybe three, but, you know, that's pretty good going for me atm!

[Karl Henning]

Hey, things start back up from two or three bars.

[Cato]

Are those still up? It's a long time since I used mediafire for anything.

In some cases, the Internet is like Eternity!

Meanwhile, I'm tinkering with the idea of a mini-songcycle for a soprano friend of mine. Or just because... I've done a couple of bars, maybe three, but, you know, that's pretty good going for me atm!

I assume you already have texts? 

Let me know if you want anything...unusual!  0:)

[Karl Henning]

I assume you already have texts? 

Let me know if you want anything...unusual!  0:)

My name is Karl Henning, and I approve this message.

[Luke]

unusual is good, and for future reference, put me down as a YES, but this time I have something in mind...something which, after years of deciding that though I loved it it wasn't quite right for song-setting, suddenly seems perfect for my brand of minimally-differentiated (in the Satie sense) short, lyrical 'moments.' 

[Karl Henning]

Carry on! 

[Karl Henning]

Luke, I know your schedule hasn't permitted you the time to write which you would like, but I shall ask on the odd chance of favorable planetary alignment:  would you be game to write a one-minute organ piece in time to submit it for a 1 June deadline?

[Luke]

Yes, absolutely! And thanks for asking! Any more information you can give me?

[Karl Henning]

Either PM here or email, as you wish!

[Karl Henning]

Actually, no reason not to post it right here!

Hi folks.

Next November I'll be performing a concert on the 1885 William Schuelke organ at St. Francis Catholic Church in Milwaukee. As a part of the concert, I have set out a call for organ works as part of the Vox Novus organization's "Fifteen Minutes of Fame" series.  I hope that some of you might contribute, or at least pass word of this around to your students and colleagues.


Opportunity Type: 15 Minutes of Fame
Entry Fee: None
Open To: All
Deadline: Jun 1, 2015
Receipt Type: Digital Submission: Must be completed online by deadline
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: David Bohn, organ
Deadline: June 1, 2015
Vox Novus is calling for one-minute pieces composed for Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: David Bohn, organ to be premiered 3:00PM, November 1, 2015 for the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1927 N. 4th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Guidelines:
-Works for solo organ only. See organ specs below
-Works should be composed specifically for this call and performers.
-All pieces must be premieres and not previously written or published.
-No works over a minute will be reviewed.
-Multiple submissions are not accepted. Send your best work!
-Works need to be submitted online at www.MusicAvatar.org
-You will need to register with Music Avatar for free to submit your work online.
-When registering make sure to upload a profile picture.
-After logging in to Music Avatar, select the opportunity named "Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: David Bohn, organ" and press the "submit" button to start the submission process.
-You will need to provide a maximum 50-word biography and 50-word program notes.
-You will be able to upload a score as a PDF file (You may also upload an audio file; however it is not required.)
-Score must include the dedication to David Bohn on the score.
-Performance notes should be included in the score.
-Composers who have been awarded to the Hall of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame are not eligible

Results will be announced via the Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame website and the New-music newsletter: NM421 www.NM421.com

More can be found be found at:
www.Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame.com

A native of Wisconsin, David Bohn received degrees in composition from the University of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Illinois. His primary composition teachers were Joel Naumann, Yehuda Yannay, and William Brooks. He has taught theory at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin - Parkside and the University of Illinois. In his career as an organist, he has given Wworld or American premieres of over fifty organ works. He currently resides in West Allis, Wisconsin, and is the organist and choir director St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in West Milwaukee. He is President of the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers, Vice President of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Organ Historical Society, and edits the newsletters of both organizations.

[Luke]

Very interesting, thanks Karl!

[Karl Henning]

Ottevanger in Milwaukee: Living the dream!

[Luke]

Just copying a post of mine from the 'Conceptual music' thread as it seems relevant on this one, too:

As anyone who has read my thread, and especially the last few pages of it (which chart months and years of failed hopes and dreams    ) I've got a whole catalogue of these uncomposed works. I hesitate to describe them because in many cases I still intend to compose them. Titles include White Modulations and Man In His Cosmic Loneliness (Brianites, prick up your ears!). I can safely mention one which was to be called Attis - it was to be a kind of virtual flute concerto, written as if for 'real' instruments but without regard for what is physically possible, and played back through the dubious magic of MIDI - because I have no wish to finish that one.

In case I never get to write it IRL I have 'used' one of them - called ...green hills, far away... - in the book I'm currently writing, whose main character is a composer called Edward Arundel. 'Arundel' has a whole back catalogue of compositions which I specifically invented for the book, though, among which are a couple I might try my hand at myself, too, including one which would be called A Catalogue of Bird's. The magnum opus he is writing when the book starts, though, is not one I have any plans to attempt myself, and is in a way the most conceptual of them all. He keeps the piano he was given by his ex-wife in the forest outside his house, and he improvises/composes on it every day as a kind of diary (the improvisations then worked up into symphonic form). The instrument gradually decomposes until it rots into nothingness, and therefore the music he composes becomes a kind of record of the death of the love which haunts him... (I'm aware of Ross Bolleter and WARPS, but I don't think the idea in my book comes directly from there - I've always loved the idea of a piano in decay...)

[Karl Henning]

[Karl Henning]

Forget about Stockhausen; you've got Ottevanger now.

[Cato]

Forget about Stockhausen; you've got Ottevanger now.

That's a big AMEN!  We need to hear more from your soul's pen!

[Karl Henning]

Luke!  Anything choral which a Boston group might consider programming?

[Karl Henning]

And, whenever you have the Canticle Sonata in the shape you want, Carolyn Ray (she who accompanied our Dana in my Viola Sonata) is game to work your piece up with yrs truly.

[Guido]

Long time since I checked this place out! Can't wait to read this book! Hope you are all very well, especially you Luke!

[Luke]

Oh my goodness, Guido, how lovely to see you here, what a nice surprise! How are you??

And Karl phoned me earlier, and we had a good chat, and Cato has sent me another of his wonderful emails which I am so bad at replying to.... I promised Karl I'd come over to GMG and post something here just to explain where I have been recently, because no sooner had I made a tentative return to GMG after months and years away then I was gone again: barring something re the Rach 3 I haven't posted here for weeks.
...

Ironically, I had intended to finish my ridiculously wordy novel this summer, and to start the piece which I'd been planning for a while. As it turns out, I've scarcely written a word of the book, and not a note of music has eked its way out of my pen for months, in fact years. In my darker hours I contemplate shutting the Outpost - but I won't, I'm sure. There is always hope!