When I was in graduate school and just beginning my composing career, I became aware of the limited publishing opportunities for contemporary composers and on a whim, started my own publishing company called Manuscript Publications. The idea was to have print-on-demand publishing so that no stock was involved. After putting an announcement in several composer publications, we began to represent about a dozen composers. We did mass mailings to college and university professors and we were off and running. This benefited me as it gave legitimacy to my publishing company by representing several better-known composers than myself and it also benefited the composers I represented as they had an opportunity to get their music heard.
As a result of starting the publishing company and selling some of my music, I was approached by James Houlik, a well-known tenor saxophone soloist, about writing him a piece on a “performance commission”. The performance commission is where a composer writes a piece for a musician and instead of receiving money, the composer is guaranteed several performances. This is a win-win situation as the performer receives a composition written especially for him/her and has the premiere rights. The composer receives several fine performances of the composition in important venues as well as a fine recording.
I ran Manuscript Publications for over ten years and participated in several more performance commissions, all of which were very beneficial. Manuscript Publications became too big and too time consuming to run, but it served its purpose as a win-win opportunity for myself and other composers and performers.
In 1983, I started Co-op Press, my current publishing company, this time publishing only my music. The intent of Co-op Press is to offer my music to the public at reasonable prices and to use those profits to support more win-win opportunities. When we were fortunate to receive some funding from an anonymous donor, we started the Co-op Press Fund which offers grants to performers to enable them to commission me to write them a piece. The purpose of the grant is for the performer to experience the excitement of working directly with a composer. A residency is also a requirement of the grant so that both the composer and performer are trying to create audience interest and excitement about contemporary music. This competitive program whose applicants are evaluated by a committee of judges has been very successful, resulting in approximately 30 compositions composed, premiered and recorded over an eight-year period. The performer and audience feedback has been very positive as well.
In 2005, we expanded the grant program to include a recording grant. This competitive program is a collaboration between the performers and Emeritus Recordings, the CD arm of Co-op Press. The performers provide high quality digital recordings and Emeritus does the artwork, licensing, manufacturer, and promotion of the CD. Profits from sales are split between Emeritus and the performer. Ten grants have been awarded to date with our latest release of Cristina Ledford on piccolo and Michael McGhee on piano coming out by September 1. This win-win project enables the artists to produce a CD that includes many compositions not previously recorded including about 15 minutes of my music. Sharing the cost and profits makes this win-win as well.
In 2003, we began our annual recording competition for recordings of my music. This competition that is judged by a panel of musicians has resulted many fine recordings of my music. Cash prizes and a CD release of the winning recordings are awarded to the winners. In order to fill some of the CDs, we have often put a call out to composers to submit their fine recordings of their music. We have released two recordings that contain my music along with other composers. We do not charge the composer anything for being on the CD and pay the composer mechanical license fees based on the number of units sold. This win-win project provides prestige to competition winners, prestige to the composers included on the CDs, and is another vehicle for getting my music heard. Airplay over classical music stations, retail sales and music downloads has been very favorable.
Our August release of Collage that contains performances of my chamber music by Cincinnati’s premiere chamber music ensemble, Conundrum as well as the winners of the 2007 Co-op Press Recording Competition is an example of this win-win project. Details and samples from this CD and our other recording projects as well as our grant programs can be found at http://www.cooppress.net
I hope that this article will inspire both performers and composers to come up with win-win projects of their own. The internet and advances in technology makes all this possible in this ever-changing music industry.
Dr. B
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
My Recent Activities
When I first conceived this blog, I intended it to be a daily posting of my compositional activities. Recently, I have realized that daily posts are too time consuming and not all that interesting. There are also times where composing takes a back seat to other activities. Therefore my posts will be less frequent.
Lately,I have been transcribing a piece I wrote for flute, clarinet and piano for woodwind quintet at the request of John Rush, who was part of the group that originally commissioned the piece. John now holds the principal flute position in many of Tulsa's professional music organizations. The transcription of "Scenes from Tom Sawyer" is going well. I have been mainly able to put the piano part in the oboe, horn and bassoon, but there are times where I have needed to re-orchestrate the music to achieve the desired sound. It is challenging to give a piece new life in a different instrumentation because of the idiomatic writing one tries to incorporate while composing. Piano lines do not always transcribe easily for single line wind instruments without some tweaking. It also creates some balance and register issues that also need to be addressed. So while this is not as challenging as creating a new piece, it is still time consuming.
The other project I have been working on is the release of the CD "Collage" which contains two pieces of mine performed by Cincinnati's premiere chamber music ensemble, Conundrum along with the three winners of the 2007 Co-op Press Recording Competition. The Co-op Press Recording Competition is an annual event for recorded performances of my music. We have a fine panel of judges that select the winners from many worthy entries and we award cash prizes and a CD release to the winners. The 2007 winners were a trio from the New World Symphony, a duo from the Hartt School of Music, and a duo who freelances and teaches in the central Pennsylvania area. One of the pieces recorded by Conundrum is the "Scenes from Tom Sawyer" mentioned above in its original instrumentation.
For more information about the CD, you can go to http://www.cooppress.net/page18/page19/page19.html
Dr. B
Lately,I have been transcribing a piece I wrote for flute, clarinet and piano for woodwind quintet at the request of John Rush, who was part of the group that originally commissioned the piece. John now holds the principal flute position in many of Tulsa's professional music organizations. The transcription of "Scenes from Tom Sawyer" is going well. I have been mainly able to put the piano part in the oboe, horn and bassoon, but there are times where I have needed to re-orchestrate the music to achieve the desired sound. It is challenging to give a piece new life in a different instrumentation because of the idiomatic writing one tries to incorporate while composing. Piano lines do not always transcribe easily for single line wind instruments without some tweaking. It also creates some balance and register issues that also need to be addressed. So while this is not as challenging as creating a new piece, it is still time consuming.
The other project I have been working on is the release of the CD "Collage" which contains two pieces of mine performed by Cincinnati's premiere chamber music ensemble, Conundrum along with the three winners of the 2007 Co-op Press Recording Competition. The Co-op Press Recording Competition is an annual event for recorded performances of my music. We have a fine panel of judges that select the winners from many worthy entries and we award cash prizes and a CD release to the winners. The 2007 winners were a trio from the New World Symphony, a duo from the Hartt School of Music, and a duo who freelances and teaches in the central Pennsylvania area. One of the pieces recorded by Conundrum is the "Scenes from Tom Sawyer" mentioned above in its original instrumentation.
For more information about the CD, you can go to http://www.cooppress.net/page18/page19/page19.html
Dr. B
Inspiration and Developing Ideas
I received a very nice comment from a Carlton who asked about where does a composer get ideas and how does he/she develop them. Composers have many different ways of going about this and this is a very common question from developing composers as well as from audiences. My blog addresses these questions through my discussions of the pieces I am creating, but I have also written a book, "A Composer's Guide to Understanding Music" to help composers develop their technique. But this book also helps listeners learn how to listen to music and it also helps performers and conductors with interpreting music. To answer the part of Carlton's question dealing with getting ideas, I have reproduced below the chapter from this book on inspiration. The rest of the book would help Carlton learn how to develop his ideas.
The book is available from http://www.lulu.com/content/446374 as either a printed hard copy or as a download. There is also a free download of the musical examples that accompany the book and purchase of the book entitles the reader to join a free discussion group about the ideas presented in the text.
Here is the chapter on Inspiration:
One of the most frequently asked questions of composers is “where do you get your ideas?” Inspiration can come from many sources, both musical and extra-musical. The concept that a composition comes to a composer in a moment of divine inspiration is true only on rare occasions. Most of the time, composing is a laborious process where initial ideas come slowly and much time is spent developing and reworking the ideas until a finished product is achieved.
Any of the components of music that were discussed in previous chapters can be the source of an idea. For example, timbre was the source of inspiration in my composition “Echoes” for double euphonium choir. Faced with the challenge of creating timbral variety when writing for a group consisting of the same instruments, I thought of the possibility of dividing the group into two choirs and placing them on opposite sides of the stage. This would enable the timbres to have spatial variety with one choir imitating the other in the manner of double choir compositions from the Renaissance. I then expanded upon the imitation by having imitation occur within each choir as well as between choirs. This gave rise to the idea of echoes, which is imitation, that gradual gets softer through the course of several repetitions. The challenge of creating variety with homogeneous timbres enabled me to come up with a title as well as a blueprint for developing the musical material.
Literature, art, poetry, national causes, and environment can provide some of the extra-musical inspirations for composers. The challenge for composers working with extra-musical inspiration is to find a method of allowing the music to convey extra-musical ideas while at the same time, remaining cohesive from the purely musical perspective. Program notes, visuals, narration, and sung text can assist in conveying the extra-musical idea. Because music emphasizes repetition (unity) and drama emphasizes development (variety), the composer is faced with reconciling the different characteristics of the two art forms. Richard Wagner’s concept of leit motifs is an effective solution that composers still use today. The leit motif is a short musical idea that represents a person, event, place, or emotion. As these extra-musical elements develop, the leit motif also develops, therefore creating musical unity and variety without interfering with the plot development.
In my “Scenes from a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” for brass quintet, Mark Twain’s social satire was the source of inspiration. The piece contains detailed program notes to help the listener understand the relationship between the story and the music. The piece can also be performed with a narrator in order for the musical representations of the story to coincide. When working with large literary works as a source of inspiration, an additional challenge is deciding what to include and exclude. Much of the detail of literature does not translate well into music. Length is also an issue that must be addressed.
Inspiration does not always occur in the order that it appears in the finished product. A composer’s initial idea, while having potential, may not be best for the beginning of the piece. It is important for composers to save all ideas, as they may be used later in the piece or even in another composition. An example would be my inspiration for my “Celebration Overture”. This piece was composed as an entry in a composition competition sponsored by WITF-FM to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The competition gave rise to the title and general nature of the piece. The first section I composed was something I really liked, but I had difficulty moving on from that point. After stepping back for a short period of time, I realized that what I had written was too complex for the beginning of the piece, but was perfect for the end. I then created a simpler version of the material and the remainder of the piece developed more easily. “In my end is my beginning” said T.S. Eliot. That is exactly what happened when composing my “Celebration Overture”.
Dr. B
The book is available from http://www.lulu.com/content/446374 as either a printed hard copy or as a download. There is also a free download of the musical examples that accompany the book and purchase of the book entitles the reader to join a free discussion group about the ideas presented in the text.
Here is the chapter on Inspiration:
One of the most frequently asked questions of composers is “where do you get your ideas?” Inspiration can come from many sources, both musical and extra-musical. The concept that a composition comes to a composer in a moment of divine inspiration is true only on rare occasions. Most of the time, composing is a laborious process where initial ideas come slowly and much time is spent developing and reworking the ideas until a finished product is achieved.
Any of the components of music that were discussed in previous chapters can be the source of an idea. For example, timbre was the source of inspiration in my composition “Echoes” for double euphonium choir. Faced with the challenge of creating timbral variety when writing for a group consisting of the same instruments, I thought of the possibility of dividing the group into two choirs and placing them on opposite sides of the stage. This would enable the timbres to have spatial variety with one choir imitating the other in the manner of double choir compositions from the Renaissance. I then expanded upon the imitation by having imitation occur within each choir as well as between choirs. This gave rise to the idea of echoes, which is imitation, that gradual gets softer through the course of several repetitions. The challenge of creating variety with homogeneous timbres enabled me to come up with a title as well as a blueprint for developing the musical material.
Literature, art, poetry, national causes, and environment can provide some of the extra-musical inspirations for composers. The challenge for composers working with extra-musical inspiration is to find a method of allowing the music to convey extra-musical ideas while at the same time, remaining cohesive from the purely musical perspective. Program notes, visuals, narration, and sung text can assist in conveying the extra-musical idea. Because music emphasizes repetition (unity) and drama emphasizes development (variety), the composer is faced with reconciling the different characteristics of the two art forms. Richard Wagner’s concept of leit motifs is an effective solution that composers still use today. The leit motif is a short musical idea that represents a person, event, place, or emotion. As these extra-musical elements develop, the leit motif also develops, therefore creating musical unity and variety without interfering with the plot development.
In my “Scenes from a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” for brass quintet, Mark Twain’s social satire was the source of inspiration. The piece contains detailed program notes to help the listener understand the relationship between the story and the music. The piece can also be performed with a narrator in order for the musical representations of the story to coincide. When working with large literary works as a source of inspiration, an additional challenge is deciding what to include and exclude. Much of the detail of literature does not translate well into music. Length is also an issue that must be addressed.
Inspiration does not always occur in the order that it appears in the finished product. A composer’s initial idea, while having potential, may not be best for the beginning of the piece. It is important for composers to save all ideas, as they may be used later in the piece or even in another composition. An example would be my inspiration for my “Celebration Overture”. This piece was composed as an entry in a composition competition sponsored by WITF-FM to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The competition gave rise to the title and general nature of the piece. The first section I composed was something I really liked, but I had difficulty moving on from that point. After stepping back for a short period of time, I realized that what I had written was too complex for the beginning of the piece, but was perfect for the end. I then created a simpler version of the material and the remainder of the piece developed more easily. “In my end is my beginning” said T.S. Eliot. That is exactly what happened when composing my “Celebration Overture”.
Dr. B
Friday, July 18, 2008
Regal Variations Finished
I had finished Regal Variations about two weeks ago but have not had time to write because we have been busy with doing some house remodeling. I hope to get back to posting more regularly once things calm down.
Variation V is unique in that in begins by varying the melody of variation 4, which is in itself, a variation of the main theme. It is also unique in that the introduction idea plays a prominent role throughout. The flute plays this introduction idea in measures 1 & 2 which becomes expanded in measures 3 & 4 and the expanded even more in measures 5-8. The clarinet inserts fragments of the variation 4 melody in the silences between the flute phrases. The clarinet expands these fragments leading to its longest statement in measures 10-12. At measure 13, the flute uses a phrase of the introductory to link to a rhythmic accompaniment that is built off of the introduction ideas from measures 14 - 21. Going against this accompaniment, the clarinet plays a rhythmic variation of the variation 4 melody. After a return to the introductory section in a new tonality at measure 22, the flute and clarinet interchange what they played at 13-21 in measures 34-41. Measure 42 ushers in the transformation in the clarinet of the original theme now in a more "regal" setting while they flute continues the accompaniment ideas. At measure 52, the two parts change roles and there is a shift in tonality. A hemiola section during the last 4 measures feels like a written out ritard that brings the variation at the piece to its climatic end.
This was a fun and challenging piece to compose. For those of you who have played duets, you probably know that duets are more fun for you to play than for your audience who listens to it. It is very challenging to write interesting a varied music for only two instruments. It is hoped that my blog on the composing of Regal Variations will give my readers some new ideas on how to write for two instruments.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go tohttp://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
Variation V is unique in that in begins by varying the melody of variation 4, which is in itself, a variation of the main theme. It is also unique in that the introduction idea plays a prominent role throughout. The flute plays this introduction idea in measures 1 & 2 which becomes expanded in measures 3 & 4 and the expanded even more in measures 5-8. The clarinet inserts fragments of the variation 4 melody in the silences between the flute phrases. The clarinet expands these fragments leading to its longest statement in measures 10-12. At measure 13, the flute uses a phrase of the introductory to link to a rhythmic accompaniment that is built off of the introduction ideas from measures 14 - 21. Going against this accompaniment, the clarinet plays a rhythmic variation of the variation 4 melody. After a return to the introductory section in a new tonality at measure 22, the flute and clarinet interchange what they played at 13-21 in measures 34-41. Measure 42 ushers in the transformation in the clarinet of the original theme now in a more "regal" setting while they flute continues the accompaniment ideas. At measure 52, the two parts change roles and there is a shift in tonality. A hemiola section during the last 4 measures feels like a written out ritard that brings the variation at the piece to its climatic end.
This was a fun and challenging piece to compose. For those of you who have played duets, you probably know that duets are more fun for you to play than for your audience who listens to it. It is very challenging to write interesting a varied music for only two instruments. It is hoped that my blog on the composing of Regal Variations will give my readers some new ideas on how to write for two instruments.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go tohttp://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
Friday, July 4, 2008
Regal Variation 2nd-4th Variation
Hello again to my readers. I am now back home from vacation and even though I haven't posted in a while because of my travels, I have been working on Regal Variation fairly regularly. I have now completed four variations and have one to go. Instead to talking in detail about each variation, I thought I'd address some thoughts that I had while working on this piece. I will refer to each variation as illustrations of my thoughts.
I'd like to begin with a general observation regarding variation form. One of the interesting things about a set of variations is that the further one goes into the piece, the farther removed the variations are from the theme. This is what is happening in my Regal Variations. The first variation uses motives that are very clearly derived from the theme. The second variation begins with a 7/8 accompanying idea that is not theme related before using a transformation of m. 13-17 of the theme. Interestingly, the accompanying idea takes on a life of its own and almost seems like a theme itself. The third variation only uses the descending perfect fourth of the beginning of the theme and then it is off to develop as my ear sees fit. There are no other deliberate uses of the theme in this variation. Variation four uses the melodic intervals of the theme, but the rhythm and tempo are so dramatic changed from the theme that this relationship is difficult to perceive.
This discussion leads me into something I have discussed before; the importance of composers relying on their ear rather than emphasizing construction. Craftmanship is important in any composition, but the ear must always guide that craftmanship. I found myself getting into that trap a few times while composing some of these variations. For example, when I began variation three, I was trying consciously to use motives and intervals from the theme. But this was not working, so I switched to just letting my ear tell me where the music wanted to go. There may be some relationships to the theme that have subconsciously slipped in, as this usually happens when one is living and breathing the material, but I hope the music sounds freely composed rather than contrived.
I also like to discuss my use of key signatures and time signatures. I usually find an opening time signature that works for my initial idea. I change time signatures as needed to help with the placement of accents and cadences, but a lot of times that is misleading as my music is very contrapuntal and one part may line up while the other one does not. A good example is in variation 2. The 7/8 accompaniment idea from the beginning carries through in measures 6 & 7, but these measures are written in 9/8 to accommodate the flute melody while the clarinet part is a hemiola 7/8. It looks awkward in the 9/8, but it should have the same uneven beat feel as the beginning. This type of thing happens a lot in this variation and less often in the other variations. With key signatures, I usually start out with no key signature. After I have composed for awhile, I try to find a key signature that works best for ease of reading by eliminating a lot of accidentals. Sometimes, this lines up with the tonality and sometimes it does not. My music changes tonal center and modality often therefore making key signature something that is used for ease of reading more than an indication of tonality.
The other thing that I was giving much thought to while driving and while composing is the importance of "subtlety" in art and in life. I believe that all good art uses "subtlety". Subtlety is something that is implied rather than overtly stated. For example, in Regal Variations, variation 3, I recapitulate the opening measures at measure 21. The tonality is now G instead of F and the flute is now the lead voice and the clarinet the follower. Later on the theme contains some dotted eighths and sixteenths for variety. What may appear on first hearing as a repetition of the opening, is really a subtle variation within that repetition that adds interest while at the same time serves as a unifying factor. This is one of the beauties of art, because it enables the appreciator to always find something new to appreciate. Popular music emphasizes immediate appeal over subtlety. It is less complex and therefore more repetitive. Pop music serves its purpose, but I argue that the arts are an essential part of our humanity and an essential part of education. Without the arts and arts education, it is difficult to people to learn to perceive and appreciate subtlety and subtlety is an essential part of communication. Can you imagine how many less fights a couple would have if the partner was able to understand what is not said by observing differences in the tone of voice and facial expressions? Expand this to other forms of communication and you can understand why the arts are essential in our lives.
I once again invite my readers to comment on or question anything I say. I will not publish your response without first obtaining your permission. All replies are monitored by myself before the appear in this blog.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
I'd like to begin with a general observation regarding variation form. One of the interesting things about a set of variations is that the further one goes into the piece, the farther removed the variations are from the theme. This is what is happening in my Regal Variations. The first variation uses motives that are very clearly derived from the theme. The second variation begins with a 7/8 accompanying idea that is not theme related before using a transformation of m. 13-17 of the theme. Interestingly, the accompanying idea takes on a life of its own and almost seems like a theme itself. The third variation only uses the descending perfect fourth of the beginning of the theme and then it is off to develop as my ear sees fit. There are no other deliberate uses of the theme in this variation. Variation four uses the melodic intervals of the theme, but the rhythm and tempo are so dramatic changed from the theme that this relationship is difficult to perceive.
This discussion leads me into something I have discussed before; the importance of composers relying on their ear rather than emphasizing construction. Craftmanship is important in any composition, but the ear must always guide that craftmanship. I found myself getting into that trap a few times while composing some of these variations. For example, when I began variation three, I was trying consciously to use motives and intervals from the theme. But this was not working, so I switched to just letting my ear tell me where the music wanted to go. There may be some relationships to the theme that have subconsciously slipped in, as this usually happens when one is living and breathing the material, but I hope the music sounds freely composed rather than contrived.
I also like to discuss my use of key signatures and time signatures. I usually find an opening time signature that works for my initial idea. I change time signatures as needed to help with the placement of accents and cadences, but a lot of times that is misleading as my music is very contrapuntal and one part may line up while the other one does not. A good example is in variation 2. The 7/8 accompaniment idea from the beginning carries through in measures 6 & 7, but these measures are written in 9/8 to accommodate the flute melody while the clarinet part is a hemiola 7/8. It looks awkward in the 9/8, but it should have the same uneven beat feel as the beginning. This type of thing happens a lot in this variation and less often in the other variations. With key signatures, I usually start out with no key signature. After I have composed for awhile, I try to find a key signature that works best for ease of reading by eliminating a lot of accidentals. Sometimes, this lines up with the tonality and sometimes it does not. My music changes tonal center and modality often therefore making key signature something that is used for ease of reading more than an indication of tonality.
The other thing that I was giving much thought to while driving and while composing is the importance of "subtlety" in art and in life. I believe that all good art uses "subtlety". Subtlety is something that is implied rather than overtly stated. For example, in Regal Variations, variation 3, I recapitulate the opening measures at measure 21. The tonality is now G instead of F and the flute is now the lead voice and the clarinet the follower. Later on the theme contains some dotted eighths and sixteenths for variety. What may appear on first hearing as a repetition of the opening, is really a subtle variation within that repetition that adds interest while at the same time serves as a unifying factor. This is one of the beauties of art, because it enables the appreciator to always find something new to appreciate. Popular music emphasizes immediate appeal over subtlety. It is less complex and therefore more repetitive. Pop music serves its purpose, but I argue that the arts are an essential part of our humanity and an essential part of education. Without the arts and arts education, it is difficult to people to learn to perceive and appreciate subtlety and subtlety is an essential part of communication. Can you imagine how many less fights a couple would have if the partner was able to understand what is not said by observing differences in the tone of voice and facial expressions? Expand this to other forms of communication and you can understand why the arts are essential in our lives.
I once again invite my readers to comment on or question anything I say. I will not publish your response without first obtaining your permission. All replies are monitored by myself before the appear in this blog.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Regal Variation First Variation
I am now in southern Oregon and had a chance to work on the first variation and complete it today. The first variation is in a Presto tempo which creates a dramatic contrast to the lilting theme. The motives from the theme that play a dominant role in this variation are the flute idea from M. 9 of the theme and the 16th note descending pattern first seen in M. 6 of the flute in the theme. The rhythm of these ideas is translated into a 2/4 pattern.
After a two measure flourish in the flute, variation 1 begins with the descending idea in the clarinet in measure 3 followed by the two 16th and eighth motive in the flute in measure 4. At M. 7-9, the clarinet has a syncopated version of the two 16th and eighth idea that later turns into a hemiola (3/8 against the 2/4) ostinato accompanying the melody lines. The lines develop and subtly change as the movement progresses. About 2/3 through the variation, I felt things were getting tonally static. This suggested the idea of sequencing down a step that led to the material at 68-70 and 81-end. The variation ends quietly after being loud and energetic throughout.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
After a two measure flourish in the flute, variation 1 begins with the descending idea in the clarinet in measure 3 followed by the two 16th and eighth motive in the flute in measure 4. At M. 7-9, the clarinet has a syncopated version of the two 16th and eighth idea that later turns into a hemiola (3/8 against the 2/4) ostinato accompanying the melody lines. The lines develop and subtly change as the movement progresses. About 2/3 through the variation, I felt things were getting tonally static. This suggested the idea of sequencing down a step that led to the material at 68-70 and 81-end. The variation ends quietly after being loud and energetic throughout.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Regal Variations
I'm writing this blog from a lovely city RV Park in Eastern Oregon. Our vacation has been enjoyable and I have found a few times to compose my next commission, which is a piece for Flute and Clarinet for the Ballif Duo. I was listening to my satellite radio and heard Elgar's Enigma Variations which is one of my favorite pieces and thought I'd like to write a set of variations in the manner of Elgar. The "Enigma Variations" is truly a symphonic development of the musical material rather than a set of variations where the theme structure remains the same and the variations are built on that structure. My "Regal Variations" (Regal being and anagram of Elgar) will attempt to symphonic develop the theme as well.
I have composed my thematic material. It is about 45 seconds in length and is in a lilting 6/8 rhythm. The theme is in a rounded binary form ABA'. The A section goes from the beginning to measure 13 and the B section from 13 to the end. It is rounded because a small piece of A returns in the last two measures. In addition to the use of canon between the two parts, much of the melodic material is motivically derived, therefore giving the theme a symphonic quality even before the variations begin.
As I was composing this, I kept questioning whether this is my theme or will it turn out to be a variation. It was only when I began the first variation that I became convinced that this is my theme. I have just begun the first variation so I will discuss that after it is complete.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
I have composed my thematic material. It is about 45 seconds in length and is in a lilting 6/8 rhythm. The theme is in a rounded binary form ABA'. The A section goes from the beginning to measure 13 and the B section from 13 to the end. It is rounded because a small piece of A returns in the last two measures. In addition to the use of canon between the two parts, much of the melodic material is motivically derived, therefore giving the theme a symphonic quality even before the variations begin.
As I was composing this, I kept questioning whether this is my theme or will it turn out to be a variation. It was only when I began the first variation that I became convinced that this is my theme. I have just begun the first variation so I will discuss that after it is complete.
To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.net/regalvariationsblog.html
The score is in concert pitch.
Dr. B
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