Welcome to my blog

I have created this site in order to provide performers, listeners and composers with a description of a composer's experiences with the creative process. The posts will provide discussions of the inspirations, challenges, and successes of a composer from the inception of the piece to the culmination in performance. I will provide a link to where you can see and hear the works in progress. Comments and questions are always welcomed. They will not posted unless you grant me permission.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Divertissement - VI. Galop for woodwind doubler and piano

I created two versions of the final movement, one for woodwind doubler and piano and the other for piccolo and piano. The basis of the work was Divertissement for oboe, piano and percussion and the last movement, Galop had a lot of interplay between xylophone and piano. The xylophone part ended up in both the piano and solo part.

Let me discuss the woodwind doubler version first. The first thing I did was to listen through the movement and make some decisions regarding the order and places for instrument changes. I tried to pick sections that were characteristic for each instrument, but since this movement is a rondo form and had several repeated A sections, the order of the instruments took precedent. I knew that I wanted to start with bassoon because setting up a seat strap was easier at the beginning of a movement. I also heard the more lyrical section from M. 47-84 as being a saxophone line. I knew that I wanted to end with flute with a change to piccolo for the last two measures. That just left me where to put the clarinet and oboe and I decided to have the clarinet after the bassoon and the oboe after the saxophone.

My next consideration was making sure there was enough time to make the changes. The spots I chose for the switching all had long enough piano interludes except at measure 20. Originally there were only 2 measures here and I expanded it to 8. The other spot that has me concerned is measure 80. There only four measures of fast 2/4 to change from saxophone to oboe. If this is not enough time, I could insert 2 measures of silence after measure 82 that I think would be effective.

I wanted to do a piccolo version of the last movement for marketing purposes. Each movement of this piece could stand alone as a short piece for flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, and now piccolo. I will also publish the work as a woodwind doubler's dream (or nightmare, depending upon how one views it). While working on the piccolo version, I realized that the last measure works better up an octave. I changed it on my woodwind doubler version, but did post the changes here so you need to imagine the last measure up an octave.

Both versions are posted for your perusal.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/divertissement_mixed_woodwinds_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.


As always, your comments are appreciated.

Dr. B

Monday, December 6, 2010

Divertissement - V. Romanza for oboe and piano

Before discussing the Romanza, I would like to respond to Bret's comments about the Marche. As a composer, I have no problems with a performer adding their individual interpretation to my music. There is always a fine line that a composer needs to walk between marking every nuance in the music a la Mahler, and not having enough markings in the music to aid the interpreter. I mark my music with what I feel are the essentials. If Bret hears a pause on beat three of the first measure and wants to add an accent in measure 11, I have no problem with that. The same is true with slight crescendos and diminuendos to enhance the phrasing. I would be disappointed if the musician didn't do that.

On the other hand, the performer also walks a fine line with deciding when to change a composer's music. Most performers want to be true to what the composer has written, but acoustics of a hall, individual interpretation, balance issues, etc. all combine to make each performance unique. However, I feel that radically altering a composer's tempo and style indications goes beyond the freedom of interpretation. That happened to me on a recording of my "I Am Music" through ERM Media that had tempos almost 40 MM slower than indicated and what was discussed with the conductor. It totally changed the spirit of the piece.

All this leads me back to Bret's other suggestion of substituting a glissando instead of the chromatic sixteenth notes in the Marche. This I feel is approaching a radical change and I am glad he expressed his thoughts rather than just doing it. I am hearing 16th notes and these chromatic passages help unify the last section. If a glissando was inserted at measures 71-72, it would create a different meaning for the later chromatics. On the other hand, if a glissando was used in place of the chromatic 16th notes at measures 117-118, it could create a nice variety. I would like to hear those measures both ways before deciding, but I am open to that possibility as the chromatic scales have already unified the last third of the movement.

The Romanza was the easiest movement to adapt as I was not changing the solo instrument from the original version. All I needed to do was to eliminate the wind chime percussion part. Since the wind chime entrances were used to continue the motion, I inserted some notes in the piano part to compensate. I also added a run to the oboe part at measure 53 to aid with keeping the motion going.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/divertissement_mixed_woodwinds_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.


As always, your comments are appreciated.

Dr. B

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Divertissement - IV. Marche for clarinet and piano

This movement included some snare and cymbal parts that needed to be replaced. The piece actually began with a snare drum figure for one measure and I just eliminated that. Most of the movement was fine without the percussion except when the percussion played alone. Measure 38 was one of those places. I used a sustained note in the left hand of the piano, added three extra notes to the piano right hand and turn the 6/8 measure into a 9/8 measure. Measure 51 just uses the sustained in the right hand to fill in for the missing percussion.

Measures 65 to 73 was entirely percussion and piano left hand. The clarinet part and piano right hand was added to replace the percussion. Upon review of the movement, I added the chromatic 16th note run at measures 71 and 72 and I like the improvement. It also suggested other places to add the 16th notes like measures 80, 117, 118 and 120.

Measures 89 to 96 took a snare drum figure and made it into a piano left hand line. One can definitely hear the snare drum in one's imagination.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/divertissement_mixed_woodwinds_blog.html. You will be viewing a transposed score.


As always, your comments are appreciated.

Dr. B