The Op.124 is presently about 7 minutes, and the composer has (in a manner of speaking) disposed of 4 out of the 7 pages (double-spaced) of text. Work continues, but this is the state of the piece which goes into rehearsal, day after tomorrow.
The marimbist Sylvie sent me an email message saying that she liked the piece, but that there was a passage or two where she was having trouble, and would I talk with her and consider perhaps some changes? We had a nice talk (she and Carola have both emphasized that they think it a beautiful piece, which is of course the highest praise a composer could ask), and the problem was essentially through the Tranquillo section (mm. 63-97), mostly a matter of the great distance between the tremolos in the bass clef (which it is too hard to ask the player to do that all that passage just one-handed) and the treble clef "accents" (too difficult, with concentrating on maintaining the tremolos, to reach up to the two-mallet right-hand octaves). She was very respectful; fact is, though, that her suggestion does not mar the passage at all. the idea is that she will play the tremolos with both hands (which makes the whole passage more manageable), and we strike the top note of the treble clef octaves (which are not essential), making it feasible to dart the right hand up briefly from its part in the tremolos, and strike the treble clef note accurately (which is important for the singer, expecting certain pitches).
The fate (jumping rails here) of the Organ Sonata remains in the air, but word from a colleague is It is not forgotten.
No comments:
Post a Comment