I've just published my new clarinet Sonata, a work that I finished last September but have been polishing since. The work is in one continuous segment with three interconnected movements. I dedicated this work to Guy Dangain, who was my sight-reading professor at the Paris Conservatory...many year ago! He also gave me another very good idea, which I'm going to take care of soon, which was to make an arrangement of the Debussy Clarinet Rhapsodie for the Saxophone. If a clarinetist thinks that it's a good idea, then it probably is!
The work is loosely tied into a situation related to an "online" correspondent who I knew as several "individuals" who turned out all to be the same person! In the same way, the themes in the first two movements are brought together in counterpoint and weaved into something which, if not exactly the same, becomes something "unified".
The work is available at Musik Fabrik's clarinet music catalog.
mercredi 10 décembre 2008
lundi 17 novembre 2008
My Orchestration of Tailleferre's Choral et Fugue to be presented in Rome Concert
My orchestration of Germaine Tailleferre's Choral et Fugue will be presented in Rome in a concert by the Italian National Police band under the direction of Ten Col. Massimo Martinelli. The concert, on 30 november, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the Via Aurelia, is part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Adkins-Chiti Donne In Musica foundation.
The work, which has also been performed by James Ripley and the Carthage Wind Ensemble in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will be presented in its European Première. The work is available from the Musik Fabrik Concert Band Catalog.
From my notes for the published version :
The work, which has also been performed by James Ripley and the Carthage Wind Ensemble in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will be presented in its European Première. The work is available from the Musik Fabrik Concert Band Catalog.
From my notes for the published version :
The two pieces which make up “Choral et Fugue” were used by Tailleferre in several ways throughout her long career as a composer. The “Choral” was probably first written as a work for organ, with optional trumpet and trombone which dates from around 1934. It is possible that the “Fugue” was perhaps part of this initial setting, but the manuscrit title page lists only “Choral”. The Fugue was used in Tailleferre’s 1954 film score “L’Aigle des Rues” which exists in a version for piano (which was most likely orchestrated for the film) and a version with two of five pieces arranged into a “Prelude et Fugue” for Organ.
In 2003, I came across a manuscript with a title page of “Choral et Fugue” with the dedication “à L’Harmonie Municipale de Lyon” which consisted of the first version of the Choral for organ with optional brass followed by the orchestral score of the Fugue (probably from the film music). I asked Mrs. Elvire de Rudder, Tailleferre’s granddaughter and heir, whether or not she had any recollection of this work and she only remembered her grandmother talking about it. I called up the City of Lyons and discovered that the Town Band had been disbanded several years before. My letters to the Lyons City archives went unanswered. Questions to Désiré Dondeyne, a French band conductor who worked with Tailleferre during the last ten years of her life, did not lead to anything of significance.
So, it appeared that either Tailleferre orchestrated this work for wind band and it is lost somewhere in Lyons or that she intended to orchestrate it for wind band and never finished the project. When this hypothetical score is finally discovered, I shall gladly withdraw this arrangement to make way for the composer‘s original work, but until such time, this version will allow the work to be performed. The “Choral” is entirely my own orchestration, retaining the scoring for the trumpet and the trombone in the original version of the Choral, but the “Fugue”, being for orchestra, retains the scoring for winds and percussion largely as Tailleferre conceived it.
I would like to add that this orchestration was completed with the approval and the participation of Mrs. Elvire de Rudder, Tailleferre’s heir and herself a musician and musicologist.
(a note for Anglophones: The term “Choral” in French is spelled correctly without the “e” at the end. The word “Chorale” in French refers to a Chorus or a Choral Society.)
lundi 18 août 2008
Desenclos "Prélude, Cadence et Final"
I've been digging out some of my old Paris Conservatory repertoire this Summer, simply to give me a change of pace from all the Bach and new music that I usually play, and it's been rather like putting on a familiar pair of jeans that have been well-worn. I got out the Martin Ballade (more about that a bit later), the Tomasi Concerto and this Desenclos piece, which was a Paris Conservatory exam piece. As all of these exam pieces are, it's fairly short (about seven minutes long) and does pretty much what you'd expect it to do. Of course, if you've ever tried to tackle this piece, it's sort of a strange experience the first time around, since the harmonic vocabulary uses lots of octatonic materials (it's a very good idea to first have a go at the Guy Lacour modeal études, as this seems to make other pieces that use these constructions easier to play).
The first major problem is always getting the first low "b" to sound. If this note doesn't sound, there's no point in even going any further. Since the introduction to this work is clearly inspired by Bach keyboard writing, you have to make that note equalize with the other notes in the phrase. If you get that note to speak, don't move because the next problem is to exactly the same thing with the phrase in the next measure. It's very much of a "less is more" kind of experience, in that no interpretation is either required or wished for. You play the notes and follow the phrases.
I've always enjoyed the main theme which follows, which seems to be sort of a juxtaposition of the principals of Gregorian chant with a short of "blue-note"-type harmonization. That part basically plays itself...but then you come to the next problem which is: what to do with the cadenza??
The cadenza is where it is because of the purpose of the piece, which is provide an examination piece that shows off both technical and musical aspects of playing and you have to use it as a transition from the slower introduction to the maelstrom of notes which follows (oh yes, you also need a very solid pianist to pull this one off!)...More later, because I'm...off to practice!
The first major problem is always getting the first low "b" to sound. If this note doesn't sound, there's no point in even going any further. Since the introduction to this work is clearly inspired by Bach keyboard writing, you have to make that note equalize with the other notes in the phrase. If you get that note to speak, don't move because the next problem is to exactly the same thing with the phrase in the next measure. It's very much of a "less is more" kind of experience, in that no interpretation is either required or wished for. You play the notes and follow the phrases.
I've always enjoyed the main theme which follows, which seems to be sort of a juxtaposition of the principals of Gregorian chant with a short of "blue-note"-type harmonization. That part basically plays itself...but then you come to the next problem which is: what to do with the cadenza??
The cadenza is where it is because of the purpose of the piece, which is provide an examination piece that shows off both technical and musical aspects of playing and you have to use it as a transition from the slower introduction to the maelstrom of notes which follows (oh yes, you also need a very solid pianist to pull this one off!)...More later, because I'm...off to practice!
The American Première of Françaix's Historiettes
My good friend Mary Dibbern is in Cincinnati for the 2008 edition of the Grandin Festival, which is a program of vocal chamber music. Mary is doing the American première (on Tuesday, August 26th at the Robert J Werner Recital Hall at the CCM of the University of Cincinnati) of Jean Françaix's "Neuf Historiettes de Tallemant des Réaux", which he wrote for me...and by pure hazard ended up being his last completed work.
I worked with Françaix on several works, including the version for Saxophone of "L'Horloge de Flore", which we performed in Reims (there is a wonderful recording of this concert which will be released: it's the only time that Françaix himself conducted this work for a recording), the chamber opera "L'Apostrophe" and several other works. I had initially asked Françaix for a set of humorous "Cabaret"-style songs (the saxophone being very well suited for this type of exercise), but he wasn't that interested in this idea. So I asked him to search for something which he wanted to set. He himself chose the instrumentation of Baritone voice, Tenor Saxophone and Piano.
The texts by Tallémant des Réaux had a special appeal for him: when he was a child, this collection of earthy, gossipy stories about people at the Courts of Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV was a book that his parents had forbidden him to read. Of course, he told me that he would sneak into his parent's library when they were away and read the book in secret. So, in many respects, this work is a sort of return to his childhood in Le Mans and memories of that time, as well as an homage to French writing of the XVIII century.
This is evident by some of the musical quotations that Françaix uses to illustrate these salacious stories: the French cantique "Au ciel, Au ciel, Au ciel, je vais allez un jour" at the end of "Une antique pucelle...de Carnaval", the quotation from the Overture to "Die Fledermaus", the citation from "Le Sacre" which marks the fortissimo interjection of the saxophone to illustrate the firecracker during "Monsieur de Caze" are all examples of Françaix's own musical universe. Other musical illustrations include the braying of the Donkey during "Le Bon Roi Henri IVème...", the obvious "breaking of wind" during the passage about the deaf marquis and some obvious fumbling of clothes during "Monsieur de la Fontaine et La Jeune Abbese".
It is quite clear to me that Françaix enjoyed writing this work and thought highly of it. One of my last memories of him before he fell ill and died was a rehearsal with the performers at the première: Philippe de Gaetz, Baritone, Moyuru Maeda piano and myself (Paul Wehage), saxophone. Françaix sat with a score in his favorite armchair, occasionally giving corrections or indications, but obviously amused by the wit of his work. It turned out to be his last pirouette (and in spite of the texts about dying, according to Muriel Bellier, it was she who selected the texts, not Françaix himelf, so this was purely coincidental...), but one that he clearly enjoyed!
Good luck to my colleagues in Cincinnati in the American première of this work. Above all, enjoy yourselves! That's what Françaix would have wanted!
I worked with Françaix on several works, including the version for Saxophone of "L'Horloge de Flore", which we performed in Reims (there is a wonderful recording of this concert which will be released: it's the only time that Françaix himself conducted this work for a recording), the chamber opera "L'Apostrophe" and several other works. I had initially asked Françaix for a set of humorous "Cabaret"-style songs (the saxophone being very well suited for this type of exercise), but he wasn't that interested in this idea. So I asked him to search for something which he wanted to set. He himself chose the instrumentation of Baritone voice, Tenor Saxophone and Piano.
The texts by Tallémant des Réaux had a special appeal for him: when he was a child, this collection of earthy, gossipy stories about people at the Courts of Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV was a book that his parents had forbidden him to read. Of course, he told me that he would sneak into his parent's library when they were away and read the book in secret. So, in many respects, this work is a sort of return to his childhood in Le Mans and memories of that time, as well as an homage to French writing of the XVIII century.
This is evident by some of the musical quotations that Françaix uses to illustrate these salacious stories: the French cantique "Au ciel, Au ciel, Au ciel, je vais allez un jour" at the end of "Une antique pucelle...de Carnaval", the quotation from the Overture to "Die Fledermaus", the citation from "Le Sacre" which marks the fortissimo interjection of the saxophone to illustrate the firecracker during "Monsieur de Caze" are all examples of Françaix's own musical universe. Other musical illustrations include the braying of the Donkey during "Le Bon Roi Henri IVème...", the obvious "breaking of wind" during the passage about the deaf marquis and some obvious fumbling of clothes during "Monsieur de la Fontaine et La Jeune Abbese".
It is quite clear to me that Françaix enjoyed writing this work and thought highly of it. One of my last memories of him before he fell ill and died was a rehearsal with the performers at the première: Philippe de Gaetz, Baritone, Moyuru Maeda piano and myself (Paul Wehage), saxophone. Françaix sat with a score in his favorite armchair, occasionally giving corrections or indications, but obviously amused by the wit of his work. It turned out to be his last pirouette (and in spite of the texts about dying, according to Muriel Bellier, it was she who selected the texts, not Françaix himelf, so this was purely coincidental...), but one that he clearly enjoyed!
Good luck to my colleagues in Cincinnati in the American première of this work. Above all, enjoy yourselves! That's what Françaix would have wanted!
samedi 12 avril 2008
Trying to finish the symphony...
My first symphony has been done for several months now, meaning that the music has been written but I haven't had the time nor the courage to actually go back and finalize the marking and the editing. Really, writing the music is no big deal. One you get started, it's just a matter of putting the pieces together. But then you have to go back and put in the harp pedaling, to try to figure out if the second clarinet has the time to grab the bass clarinet, what drum the middle stave Bb needs to go on in the tymp. part and all the other "practical" things that make a piece playable.
I'm actually pleasantly surprised going back over this. I've made a few cuts here and then, but for a long work (25 minutes or so) it's pretty tight. It's also kind of fun to remember the circumstances which lead to me writing this piece, which has taken up about five years or (in spurts, between lots of smaller works). This came out of working with the Tailleferre 2 guitar concerto that had been found in the Radio France Library (where everybody knew it was , having been lost there years earlier...) and being fascinated by the shadowing of the two guitars by a harp and celesta group. This work is extremely dark, in Tailleferre's full mature style and has some pretty dissonant bi-tonality. I started playing around with an ostinato figure for harp and celesta, added some strings....and off I went.
Of course, I always think of my music as being inherently abstract...and the editing process is very mechanical. Luckily, I get to work with live musicians today too, which will bring me back to heart of this issue.
What's nice about working on a big orchestral piece is when you get back to smaller chamber works, it seems so much easier to work with. I might have a look at the Clarinet and Piano piece that I was trying to make into a short three minute number, but which seems to be trying to turn itself in to a three movement sonata...
Back to work.
I'm actually pleasantly surprised going back over this. I've made a few cuts here and then, but for a long work (25 minutes or so) it's pretty tight. It's also kind of fun to remember the circumstances which lead to me writing this piece, which has taken up about five years or (in spurts, between lots of smaller works). This came out of working with the Tailleferre 2 guitar concerto that had been found in the Radio France Library (where everybody knew it was , having been lost there years earlier...) and being fascinated by the shadowing of the two guitars by a harp and celesta group. This work is extremely dark, in Tailleferre's full mature style and has some pretty dissonant bi-tonality. I started playing around with an ostinato figure for harp and celesta, added some strings....and off I went.
Of course, I always think of my music as being inherently abstract...and the editing process is very mechanical. Luckily, I get to work with live musicians today too, which will bring me back to heart of this issue.
What's nice about working on a big orchestral piece is when you get back to smaller chamber works, it seems so much easier to work with. I might have a look at the Clarinet and Piano piece that I was trying to make into a short three minute number, but which seems to be trying to turn itself in to a three movement sonata...
Back to work.
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