There are grounds for believing that the human brain is somewhat smaller than it was 25,000 years ago and I, personally, fear that the Gorilla brain is increasing in size and weight. But let’s not cross that bridge till we come to it. For the present we are certainly brainier than the Gorilla, and the Gorilla seems to know it. You never hear of a Gorilla attempting mental feats for which he is totally unfitted by physiological limitations, the way some other animals do. Thus the Gorilla seldom makes a complete and utter idiot of himself, as Marmosets do so frequently.
— Will Cuppy, How to Become Extinct
I made a start on the duet for bass clarinet and bassoon, Harmonious Insomnia on Monday the 17th. I planned on a five-minute piece, and on incorporating one of the Simple Preludes. The “adoption” of the first Simple Prelude into Insomnia was (could be) no mere copy-and-paste operation. For one thing, there are harmonic intervals in the piano original which defied simple copying onto two single-line instruments. Finding the musical solution was of course an artistic asset. The important thing is that the overall simplicity was incorporated most gratifyingly. And the alternation of the Common Time and quintuple meter provides (with corresponding simplicity) sufficient rhythmic variety. We also have the contrast between the “white-key” simplicity of the adapted Prelude and the mildly sinuous chromaticism of the new Insomnia material. All that was needed, then was the usual dynamics and rehearsal letters, and the piece was complete on Wednesday the 19th. And I arranged the piece for violin and viola with a friend in mind.
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