29 August 2024

An "Ain't" Addendum

No one teases the bejeezus out of "Bringing in the Sheaves," like Chas Ives
Every night, Barry fights to keep it in.
From the Bureau of Sentimental Claptrap: “We don’t have tomorrow, but we had yesterday.”
Il n’y a personne ici, sauf nous les poulets.
Porridger’s Almanack (Breakfast of Ganglions)

Schoenberg remains; those who cannot understand him come and go.

— Chas Wuorinen

Something I meant to say as a reflection upon our first rehearsal for the November concert at King’s Chapel: Even as I know that I should not make the reading of this blog at all tedious for you, the Reader, and must not therefore keep sounding a sour note, I
’ve struggled to remain optimistic as a composer trying to make a name for himself. The paucity of performances in whose organization I am not directly involved. The considerable body of music which (although eminently likeable) sits unperformed. All the scores I submit to calls which result only in the latest rejection. If I had perhaps begun to feel that I was something of a failure, I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues for Monday’s session made me feel again that I really am a composer. To this quixotic end I decided to write another chamber orchestra piece, 15 minutes in duration. I’ll reserve my provisional title as I suspect it’s really off-puttingly sentimental and I strongly suspect a change even before I get to notes. I set up the file in Sibelius (Opus 192) but—as just suggested—there are as yet no notes. I felt like shaking up my process a bit, just for a change-up. It’s a long time since I’ve done this, but I’m graphing the piece out and shall work in from the abstract. This work, I have begun.

The picture is Michelangelo’s David bricked up for protection during the throes of the Second World War.


1 comment:

Cato said...

Excellent news! In reference to Michelangelo, one can say that the notes are there, they simply need to be released. 😇