Artistic collaboration is finally getting the respect it deserves. No longer looked down on as Art by Committee Meeting, interdisciplinary work is being celebrated for its ability to bring multiple voices into a single event, to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. We see this in arts reporting; we see it in arts funding. In arts reporting, there is an added benefit: it’s much … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2016
Second and Fourth
Young composers are frequently pointed to late Beethoven as an example of the highest achievement of their art, and late Beethoven indeed rewards repeated study. But there are lessons in late Beethoven that have little bearing on composers who are still finding their way through the compositional process. Late Beethoven is impossible without early Beethoven: it is innovation built on a … [Read more...]
Solitude
A few months ago, a friend informed me that he was including my Mister Blister on an upcoming program of unaccompanied violin music called Solitude. I have a happy relationship with Mister Blister, which I wrote maybe ten years ago, but the notion of solitude stuck in my head, and I asked if I could write him a new piece with that title. He said by all means, and now the piece is done. It … [Read more...]
Die Kunst der Gadgets
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my Ten Wind Gadgets, a set of trios for every possible combination of flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, all based on a single motif. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the question of why I would embark on such a project, which is unlike anything else I’ve done. On the one hand, it is exceptionally practical: wind players never have enough good … [Read more...]