Paul Revere at Hora Cero

I had good fun re-building [much of] an old (2006) trunk of Tango in Boston in Sibelius tonight. As the piece is “only” for viola and piano, it should actually ‘import’ fairly easily, had I wanted to go that route.

In this case, I knew I should want to add little details (in some measures, entire passages of material) to the Ur-text. And in all events, I wanted to refamiliarize myself with the pitch-world of this old sketch . . . I’ve written hours of music in the time since I worked on it originally. Curiously (in fact, quite conveniently in the present circs) there are aspects of this old sketch which ally closely with Suspension Bridge.

One strange element has been . . . there’s been a kind of residual feeling that I ought to listen (afresh) to tango more, I suppose so that my score can contain more ‘authentic’ artifacts. But I am not at all sure that that is what ‘ought’ to happen in the course of the movement. At least, not in this opening antiquity . . . .

Had a splendid meeting with Dana Huyge, the violist who requested the sonata of me. He plays beautifully, has an instrument with a rich and engaging voice, and he is enthusiastic about the two movements I've already composed, Fair Warning & Suspension Bridge (In Dave’s Shed). He is nearly as enthusiastic about the piece as I am, myself; a feeling any composer must envy.

I’ve promised him the third movement next week. It will be five or six minutes, and the pre-existing “trunk” from four years ago already runs some two minutes. First, I folded into the Sibelius files of the first two movements all the emendations which Dana & I discussed this morning (lots of niggly detail, for getting which right, it was much easier that we met in person).

The recital is 18 September in Rochester. Money may be wrangled for my train fare; if so, I am there. I should probably revisit the Kinko’s where once I worked, the used CD shop at which I bought the Bobs Songs for Tomorrow Morning CD, and the refurbished-factory-cum-shopping-mall where once I bought Messiaen & Bartók discs . . . .