Officially, this blog is still under construction but with unexpected eagerness, either for sad reasons, either because of substantiated hope, I already started writing some of my dedication. And all in all I do not see why start differently. I always put the good of others opposite of my and in previous articles I talk about people to whom I wanted or I love. So I think I found the right way to start these pages.
This blog was born for three main reasons:
1- Dedications to friends / colleagues who have changed the way I live or have worked with me.
2- Articles, but especially critical dissemination of contemporary music on a different scale through analytical comparisons and analysis of scores of all time.
3- Talking about me and my work
As the site is in the works, it does not yet show a lot of my work but today I want to speak of my commitments for 2016 and at what point they are.
Essentially I have 7 works in project, one to a person who I would like to convince to let me a performance, one of which still have not defined anything, but I have the performers concerned, a job for a short film that will have a life of its own, however, depending on the agreements they will define, two commissioned and two required. The difference between the two works commissioned and requested it seems clear. In one a company places a trust in your craftsmanship and pays you, in other someone tries to ask you to write a work for free. As if I went from carpenter to ask him if he builds me a closet, but communicating that do not pay because they still show you how he did it well to all the people I will be at home. Beyond what seems a controversy, I decided to write this work for one reason in particular and very simple. These people are people who I respect very much. You do not need for anything other than to decide what will be the time for delivery. The other reason for which you accept these requests is that you know you will have a huge impact on your profession, but this view is really a gentle terrain. Which is the company that can give me much to involve me in a project where I put on the scales, my professionalism on the one hand and the impact this will have on the other? In practice up to what they are willing to svendermi? Even La Scala would be worth it, but fortunately the Teatro alla Scala always pays and you do not get with the above conditions. And I hope you intend to, I’m not talking about ego or humility, but sunny and banal economic issues related to living as a composer today.
Beyond what seems a controversy, I decided to write this works for one reason in particular and very simple. These people are people who I respect very much. The other reason for which you accept these requests is that you know you will have a huge impact on your profession, but this view is really a gentle terrain. Which is the company that can give me much to involve me in a project where I put on the scales, my professionalism on the one hand and the impact this will have on the other? In practice up to what I am willing to sales? Not even the theater Alla Scala would be worth it, but fortunately the Teatro alla Scala always pays and you do not gets the above conditions. And I hope you intend to, I’m not talking about ego or humility, but sunny and banal economic issues related to living as a composer today.
In any case, I know many composers who have written for free for important companies and justify them widely. Everyone has to find their own way as he prefers. And in this there is nothing wrong.
I fear only that this our trade will end in misery because you always look for the easiest solution. This I do not share, but above all I’m worried about.
Well, I am now to tell you about my three works, which ended today.
Today in particular it was a review of my second job in 2016. I had left a little aside to reread it after a while time. It’s a technique that works very well with me since I’m really a big bungler distracted when writing (and copy!).
Let us begin from this. Soon I will catalog all the necessary data. And I will insert in the catalog also records but I need a bit of time.
The piece is titled “Brise marine” and is a very special work for the choices that I have undertaken. It is a work in style! Yes, by a strange coincidence linked to “technical problems” (I do not go into) of a piece that will have to play around in June, is coming off a very questionable idea of writing a chanson in nineteenth-century style. It came out in short “an Verdi’s air singing in French” … what a mess! … Or rather, there is a half Frenchified disreputable followed by Verdi’s temperament on texts by Mallarmé. If I quote Mallarmé you already know who the composer’s inspiration, so much so that I have drawn all from a fragment of one of his Chanson. From there I developed my way to undertake the reading of that thematic cell and development has led to this bizarre piece. This is not a job for which I am proud, but needless to say, I have already received many appreciations and even the demand to write more! Not only that, it would seem at the time that there will be three performances of this work, after just one week of its “disclosure” and perhaps, if a person to whom I asked him willing, I will transform for a small orchestra for yet another performance.
And now … here is my idea of “interlude” between the work to be delivered in this 2016. Write a series of lieder style, different composers, in my free choice. I like to write ten pieces in (in no particular order style):
– Debussy
– Ravel
– Wagner
– Brahms
– Schubert
– Schumann
– Verdi
– Stravinsky
– Schoenberg (pre-twelve-tone)
– Webern
– Solbiati
Know enough about each of these composers can describe what are the characteristics that set them up to a good detail, so I really think it is feasible, if I work with the right amount of preparation and notes.
The other two works are finished a piece for piano 4 hands and a “suite” for a short film for flute, violin, cello and piano.
No, I’m not senile, if any you asked. The chance would have it I’ve ever even write music in the service of images … basically depends more on how you write.
About work for piano 4 hands can tell you that I imagined a fairly recent kind of super-instrument, a relativaly recent theme of music, in which you could evaluate, not only some of the possibilities that a pianist can not only perform, but the figures were relevant only one set of gestures. From the point of view of composition I tried a very broad agreement (widespread) that could only be played by four hands that is mounted through the use of the damper pedal, while running, speaking of a certain mode of construction that would leave resonate the notes of this agreement (in order, it being heard during the execution). When the path declares the agreement, I start a process of analysis that allows to see the same in a different way, a little ‘how to notice how it is made the back of a vase, just as long as you go around.
The piece originally developed on the keyboard, then mobilize one of the two performers to look prepared sounds in the tailpiece.
I had started the “L’impronta di una foglia” with notes, relative to middle and end, totally different from the path that I followed. The fact is that while writing the piece has disappeared Boulez. At this point I have taken from the register of safe areas (not to play) and installed in the tailpiece of the nails such as to create a situation of bells. The ringing of these bells, the first you listen to when I was writing the piece on January 5, will become part of the conflict with the main idea and will give birth to a path that I never expected before that sad date. For this I think is really interesting. Because are the countless plots that allow us to create new roads.
Finally, the first three works of this 2016 have just concluded, and I’m creating special expectations for this year. “L’imrponta di una foglia” is intended for an academic audience or otherwise interested, “Brise Marine”, chanson in the late nineteenth century style with Mallarmé’s texts, is pleasant but there still remains an exercise, while “#act 1”, the work for the short film, will find its space on a film, provided that the agreements arrive. About this i will only say that it’s a job where I tried only effect. “Composers of the structure”, do not get angry! We must work, and I have remained bravely in Italy…
