March 17
Received an e-mail message from Mark:
The Piano Trio No.2 begins at last.
Strangely, I do not have a row this time, just a scale
G A B C C# D and its complement Bb Ab Gb F E Eb
The opening chord of the last movement is AC over C# bass....
Treble: upper C is C6:
C----DCB : C etc + Violin
A----BAG : A etc
Bass (8ves - C2 and C3)
C#------- : C# etc
C#------- : C# etc + Vcello
very straightforward, but like Stravinsky, and rhythmically like
Stravinsky too...
All sorts of interesting connections with this group of six notes:
D C# C
B A G
for example... This, connected with itself, descends at the opening of the Trio, Andante...
I am awaiting proper ideas for the slow movement, but already some chords come to mind.
The weather here is very mixed, cloudy, then wet, then the sun comes out for a bit, as if it's not sure what to do, then goes away again. At least the evenings are drawing out again, and it is light at 6pm now.
I have been looking at
www.xaphoon.com, the maui xaphoon - it's a sort of bamboo saxaphone/chalumeau. Range is about two octaves, but looks very interesting....
I am listening to Sorabji 'Opus Clavicembalisticum' tonight, John Ogdon's recording.... Amazing sonorities, truly amazing. Like a kaleidoscope of sound overlaid again and again until it overwhelms. One day I hope to achieve something like this in one of my own works,
sheer size and complexity are not enough - it is shot through with tonality, but at the same time reminds me of Messiaen 'Stained Glass' effects.
As for rows, let me furnish you with one of mine: G E-flat G-sharp
A Fsharp D B-flat C-sharp F C B E....
I do hope your publishing situation sorts itself out. I have Sibelius myself, but only use it for final copying up, and often make a few edits when complete...
all the best
Mark
