Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

A few words about the Opus 109

This piece is the latest in what has evolved into a series of works for unaccompanied wind instrument, successively re-opening the question of what is both manageable, and musically tenable.  The music itself is (I think) profoundly allied to the historical event which inspires it.  Setting aside for the moment its practically iconic status in American cultural history, Thoreau's imprisonment was an accident (we might almost say) of the thoughtful application of his moral principles – though woe (and red tape galore) betide any of our contemporaries who might try to withhold taxation based on any moral quarrel with government policies.  The man consented, as it were, to yield up his freedom of body, if in doing so he might retain his freedom of thought; and the composer imagines Thoreau enduring his confinement philosophically.  The music, then, is not at all dramatic – this is no Shawshank Redemption prison-break soundtrack.  In keeping with Thoreau's practical near-asceticism, the piece is pointedly economical of musical material, and even of expression.

Karl Henning holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and clarinet performance from the College of Wooster (Ohio); a M.A. in composition from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville); and a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Buffalo, where he studied with Charles Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen.  His music has been played and sung on three continents (North America, Europe and Australia), and an itinerant eggplant-picker is believed to have seen sheets purportedly from the Henning organ Toccata.  Karl recently completed a Cello Sonatina, and a set of clarinet duos, These unlikely events.  Current projects include a vocal quartet setting of Poe's Annabel Lee;  Misapprehensions for clarinet choir in 15 parts;  and an Organ Sonata.

[Karl Henning]

Random social mediadom:

A couple of weeks ago, Howard Kaylan (he of The Turtles, and later of Flo and Eddie from the 70's edition of The Mothers) tweeted: "Thanks to Rolling Stone, I'm somehow relevant again. Goes to show ya: Live clean and take your chances."

Yours truly tweeted back: "Times have changed: living clean never used to count at RS."

And the esteemed Mr Kaylan both favorited and retweeted this.  Do I dream? . . .

[Karl Henning]

Just as needed, a good practice drill to-night; ran Thoreau straight through twice. (And if I can play the piece twice to-night, I can play it once to-morrow.)

[kishnevi]

Interesting confluence:
I just remembered now that the other composer I know from online friendship (he's not on GMG), Jeffrey Quick,  has also composed a setting of Annabel Lee, for baritone and Dilling harp).  (He's from Cleveland, and at the moment is now focusing almost entirely on writing Catholic liturgical music, or music inspired by Catholic liturgy).

If interested, it can be found here (scroll down most of the way)
http://blog.case.edu/jeffrey.quick/podcasts/index

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, will check that out with keen interest, après-concert. Thoreau in Concord Jail beckons . . . hope some folks will come help spring him . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Thoreau in Concord Jail went well.  Hope the recording bears me out on that!  But indeed, five people came up to the composer afterwards and spoke very warmly (I mean, enthusiastically) about the piece. Curious to say (chalk it up to The first performance is never perfect), I 'rushed' a bit . . . to-day's performance probably clocks at 23 minutes plus.

[Karl Henning]

Cato, I decided that I liked your suggestion of E^b! I made a couple of other tweaks, including adding one passage to the pedal.

[Cato]

Cato, I decided that I liked your suggestion of E^b! I made a couple of other tweaks, including adding one passage to the pedal.

To those who can do it, take a "listen" (or a look    ) at the "atomization" in bars 59-75 and how it relates to the opening and what is to come!

Great ideas here: the structural ones are especially impressive, plus... this movement will strike the soul's ear as well as the head's.

[Karl Henning]

Feeling strongly that the Annabel Lee work can move quickly . . . just need time!  Where to find it . . . .

[Cato]

Feeling strongly that the Annabel Lee work can move quickly . . . just need time!  Where to find it . . . .

Time to quit that day job!   

[Karl Henning]

Well, in the meantime, there is the train!  Tinkered a bit while riding in to Boston.

[Karl Henning]

This is how the beginning of Annabel Lee is looking . . . .

[TheGSMoeller]

This is how the beginning of Annabel Lee is looking . . . .

I just added some helicopters to this piece, I hope you don't mind 

Looks great, Karl. Anxious to hear this performed, and thank you for sharing your score with us.

[Karl Henning]

Thank you, Greg!

[Karl Henning]

My publisher still needs to catch his breath, and take stock of sales; but he notifies me to my surprise and pleasure that "multiple copies" of both the flute and alto flute versions of The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword have been sold over time.

[Karl Henning]

And the clarinetist who played at Catison's wedding has permitted me to send her Thoreau . . . .

[Karl Henning]

More work on Annabel Lee last night . . . though this still does not incorporate all the MS. . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Annabel Lee is done, and I think she's a beauty.

[Cato]

Annabel Lee is done, and I think she's a beauty.

I have seen the score, and the word I used is exquisite!

Karl is on fire!

[Karl Henning]

(* blush *)

Many thanks!

Here is the score . . . many a tale I might tell of the process.  Wednesday night on the train home, I scribbled a bit, the tune starting at the pick-up to m.59.  I've kept the tune as I wrote it that night, through m.68 . . . but what I wrote that night for "chilling and killing my Annabel Lee," I was almost instantly unhappy with . . . which I guess was the sign that I was tired, and should leave it be.  Working on it to-day, I discovered quite readily the present 'solution'.

The octaves for "can ever dissever my soul from the soul," was a happy thought which occurred to me last night, when I was not actually "at work" on the piece, but thinking about a thing or two at seeming random, anticipating a full day's undivided attention upon the piece to-day.