What Are You Practising / Composing Now?

[peterthekeys]

A few weeks ago, started working on the piano part of Frank Bridge's "Phantasm".

Still working on this. It's coming on (somewhat to my surprise) - I can now get through the whole thing without too many problems. I'm starting to see why it doesn't get many performances: apart from the fact that it's too short for a normal concerto slot, it's got some of the most awkward piano writing which I've ever come across. Not particularly difficult - just never does quite what might be expected (there's one ascending three-octave scale which has D flat in the first octave, D natural in the second one, and both D flat and D natural in the top one.) Still think it's one of Bridge's best pieces.

[MrGongGong]

Electronics for Shakuhachi and live electronics gig in Aberystwyth this evening

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Electronics for Shakuhachi and live electronics gig in Aberystwyth this evening

[jean]

Last movement of Beethoven's 9th. Horrible thing, virtually unsingable. Why did I ever agree to do it?

[Serial_Apologist]

Last movement of Beethoven's 9th. Horrible thing, virtually unsingable. Why did I ever agree to do it?

Because it's no nice when it's over???

[jean]

It could have been over before it started!

[BBMmk2]

I’ll be back from holiday today, and back to writing music! A transcription of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Overture for wind band.

[Richard Barrett]

One of the things I'm currently working on is for solo trombone with electronic sounds, which (as in the cello piece life-form that some members will know) function a little like an orchestra relative to the soloist. Last night I finished one of its five movements, which can also be played as a separate piece without its electronic part. When I say this is one of the things I'm working on, actually there are several related pieces in progress which will eventually assemble into something larger (as usual).

I don't often remark on this kind of thing but for some months beginning last December I was dealing with quite a serious crisis of confidence. That might seem a strange thing to say in view of the fact that, as those in the know will be aware, there hasn't been any dropping off in productivity during that time, to which I guess the answer is that the only way eventually to break out of such a situation is to keep working, even if the question "what's the bloody point?" has to be addressed and provisionally answered in the affirmative on a more than daily basis. All I can say is I'm glad I don't have to rely on UK institutions for encouragement in that regard.

[Jonathan]

Finished the first movement of my piano sonata last week. As I'm not the happiest person on the planet at the moment (no job), the original (cheerful) ending I had in my head was abandoned and replaced with something much more tragic and miserable - which leads nicely into the second movement which is a funeral march for my friend who died a few years ago (I compose ridiculously slowly). Can't get the third and fourth movements to "flow" properly before I commit them to paper though; especially the Scherzo - it's very annoying!

Playing wise, not felt like practising much so the Alkan Op.37 no.1 Marche has stalled for now. I'm now looking for a good solo piano version of Schubert's Fantasy in F minor, D940, the one I played from IMSLP yesterday (transcribed by Dietrich) wasn't terribly good.

[MrGongGong]

One of the things I'm currently working on is for solo trombone with electronic sounds, which (as in the cello piece life-form that some members will know) function a little like an orchestra relative to the soloist. Last night I finished one of its five movements, which can also be played as a separate piece without its electronic part. When I say this is one of the things I'm working on, actually there are several related pieces in progress which will eventually assemble into something larger (as usual).

I don't often remark on this kind of thing but for some months beginning last December I was dealing with quite a serious crisis of confidence. That might seem a strange thing to say in view of the fact that, as those in the know will be aware, there hasn't been any dropping off in productivity during that time, to which I guess the answer is that the only way eventually to break out of such a situation is to keep working, even if the question "what's the bloody point?" has to be addressed and provisionally answered in the affirmative on a more than daily basis. All I can say is I'm glad I don't have to rely on UK institutions for encouragement in that regard.

I love the score of this you posted in "another place" (Some don't go there though )

[Richard Barrett]

I love the score of this you posted in "another place" (Some don't go there though )

Thanks! I would post those things here too but there seems to be some "issue" with me uploading images, I always get a message that it's impossible.

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks! I would post those things here too but there seems to be some "issue" with me uploading images, I always get a message that it's impossible.

What sort of images, Richard? If it can be rendered into a jPeg and uploaded via Imgur or similar...?

[BBMmk2]

I love the score of this you posted in "another place" (Some don't go there though )

I'm there.

[Richard Barrett]

What sort of images, Richard? If it can be rendered into a jPeg and uploaded via Imgur or similar...?

JPEGs. Hang on a minute.

I click on the icon for inserting images, get a dialogue box inviting me to choose and upload an image, I do so, after a few seconds I get a message box saying "Invalid File".

[Joseph K]

Started playing jazz again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjUdYayZpf0