World Premiere, 21 Years Later

Good for you, Kyle. I've found it of interest to "rediscover" some of my old compositions as well, a few of which I had actually forgot I ever wrote. Some I have no interest in ever having the music performed; others I'm very interested in, even though my music bears little relation to what I once wrote. I was listening to a 12-tone work I wrote in the early 80's tonight, my last 12-tone work, actually. I still like it, and would love to have it played by a real pianist (although the MIDI realization isn't half bad). But I'm glad my musical style has evolved---I'd hate to be writing the same stuff now.

Kyle,
I'm not entirely clear on copyright law, but I believe the Gutenberg Project only deals with stuff that are pretty clearly in the public domain. They have "Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service" is in a collection of poems (originally published in 1920). You can find that collection here: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext98/tsepm11.txt, and you can find a selection of his other public-domain works here: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/e#a599.

Cornell's copyright site claims that any works published before 1923 are public domain, which would include everything before Wasteland.

Perhaps you should consider finishing the cycle someday?

KG replies: Ah! You're right about the 1923 cutoff. I didn't realize the poem was that early. Thanks for the good news! I had also set "The Hippopotamus" to music, which is also included. Maybe I'll finish that cycle after all.

but I read that his [T.S. Eliot's] estate disallows musical settings of his poems,... and then of course, there is CATS!

KG replies: Yeah, well, I figure with enough money you can get the musical rights to Paris Hilton's private diary.