Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

Well, I've done some scribbling, both a sort of general road map to the conclusion of the Op.130, and the oboe duet by which I make good by those players.

Maybe it's all arbitrary to some degree!  But, I do find it helpful.

[Karl Henning]

Will probably continue work this afternoon.  You know (and Carol may convince the m.d. of Kammerwerke to commission the piece, still) I may just possibly go ahead and finish the piece, regardless of what KW choose.  (I mean, I was planning to, but I may finish it now while this is at the forefront of my musical attention. Makes something like sense, right?  )

[Karl Henning]

May tweak things a bit, but . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Some modification, the most "significant" addition being some clarinet intrusions between [K] and [L].

[Karl Henning]

Today's observations on this rum pursuit we call Music . . . so (as suggested) I sat down and "taped out" a bit, thought about what sections I want yet to write, some of which may be revisitation of earlier material, some of it simply a matter of I want to use these instruments in the fore.  The result was a list of nine Items . . . I then considered about how long each section might be, and then what the order of appearance might be.  In writing any of the individual items, I may or may not have a specific musical notion attached to it.

On one hand, I have this half page of text, and I look at it and wonder, Is this all just arbitrary?  I don't even necessarily know what will go on musically (I may, as happens shortly, feel that I want to alter the plan, on the wing).  And yet, somewhere in my musical mind, there is a response, and music emerges.

The first of the nine reads: oboe duo (w/ hns) --> [ J ];  for this, I wrote out two measures (well, in the wrong meter, so in effect four measures) of the oboes, and pretty much spun the rest at whim.

The second:   ob/cl/bn arioso --> [ K ];  for this, I drew up six measures which, subsequently modified, became mm. 209-217 of the oboe 1 line.  Also, it really becomes ob/hn/bn arioso, with clarinet impertinence, to start.

The third (not as I wrote them down, but in the order I decided they should play out):  hn solo.  But we've just had a bunch of solo-ish stuff, including the horn as one of the soloists.  So I felt that, in fact, I wanted a fanfare for the two horns --> [ M ].

[Karl Henning]

Well, this is quite exciting: I've found a sketch for The Young Lady, material related thereto but as yet unused.

[Karl Henning]

At first, I rather "over-engineered" [ N ] (which is a variation-upon-[ C ] plus) — that passage began as a full tutti, but here was a case where it seems to me that less is more, and I've dropped the flutes and oboes, until at [ O ] we reach a literal transposition of [ C ].

[Karl Henning]

At first, I rather "over-engineered" [ N ] (which is a variation-upon-[ C ] plus) — that passage began as a full tutti, but here was a case where it seems to me that less is more, and I've dropped the flutes and oboes, until at [ O ] we reach a literal transposition of [ C ].

(What was dropped between  [ N ] & [ O ] was basically octave doublings.)

[Karl Henning]

Okay, I think the chorale is just as I should wish it.  (This almost looks like an ending, but I do not think it is the ending.)

[Karl Henning]

I think I like that I seem to have written a 'false ending';  I'm planning to have a current mp3 of the Op.130 ready shortly.


. . . And at 10 we have a rehearsal of the Op.129!

[Karl Henning]

Changes to only the last two pages (I decided I wanted some overlaps between some of the phrases of the chorale).

And the updated MIDI:

http://www.youtube.com/v/Bu3ma12BESg

[Karl Henning]

. . . And at 10 we have a rehearsal of the Op.129!

. . . which went very well.  The piece is coming along splendidly.  I ran my MicroTrack, mostly to confirm that it is operating normally . . . there may be a patch of sound I may be able to share.

But first:  a nap!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Oh dear, your computer does injustice to your music! It really needs to be heard with actual instruments. But I can hear awesomeness in it.....it sounds American—but good American mind you.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, Jessop! Aye, the MIDI is only a shadow of what ought musically to be   The group who are considering commissioning the piece will read the first six minutes (the state of the piece this past Wednesday) at their rehearsal a week from yesterday.  Carol, who is playing in this coming Tuesday concert, is one of the group's flutists, and she will advocate strongly on its behalf.  We shall see!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Sounds exciting! I love the piece, but I think it needs a bit of guitar.....:p

I had a listen to some of your things on Soundcloud and I believe you've written for guitar before? Any solo works?

[Karl Henning]

None, though it is probably time    The nearest I've yet come, was the thought of adapting some short harp pieces for guitar.  Which is to say, not very near 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Can you write me a 2 minute piece for free?

[Karl Henning]

Can you write me a 2 minute piece for free?

At your service

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

As payment, expect to see a Clarinet Caprice for Karl wandering around in your messages inbox!

[Karl Henning]

Fair trade