The Silver Swan

I just finished writing a setting of The Silver Swan, using the text from Orlando Gibbons.  George was really excited about it - he's decided that it should be on the student composition recital on April 19th and has set out to find me performers (2-3 for each part) and has volunteered to run the rehearsals since I have such a busy schedule with my science/music double major and the numerous projects I have for the last 5 weeks of the semester.

I'm quite excited about this!! I haven't really written for choir-like setting before.  If George can help me pull it together for the recital, I hope it turns out well so I get a decent recording out of it.

It has a kinda of renaissance-y sound aside from the modern-esqe harmonies and voice-leadings I've stuck in - slowly changing chords by moving one voice at a time, playing with major and minor resolutions.  Should be an interesting ear-training exercise for the performers. Haha :)

Artist Page

 

The silver swan, who living had no note,

When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat;

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,

Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.

Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;

More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise

Working on a Deadline

I've been working on a string quartet of dances - it will eventually have 4 movements. I finished the fandango, and now I'm working on the waltz in hopes of finishing it before the Alexander String Quartet (pictured on the right) comes to LC to do a residency at the beginning of March. They have been visiting LC for several years doing master classes with string players and reading student string compositions.

This will be the first year I've had something for a quartet - I had been waiting to finish other composition assignments, so I would have the time to devote to a multi-movement work.

Working with a deadline is somewhat new to me...I've always had my own goals as when to finish most of my compositions, but never an externally influenced one.


I've been studying composition with George Skipworth this semester. It is really fun (and sometimes amusing)! Last lesson he had me re-play 10 measures of a transition in the waltz because he liked it so much.

George also gives me exercises to do at the end of my lesson - usually a seed that I have to build from, I have 5ish min, and then we look at it. It is interesting how it pushes your creative juices! I regularly get an assignment for the next week: I have to compose 4ish measures of something. One week it was trumpet + accompaniment (he loved that one...I think I'm going to work on that more once I finish my quartet), one week was a rhythm cell, this week the second line of a poem for SATB (I did the first line during the lesson).

Better get to work! I have less than 2 weeks to finish the waltz! (and it's not the only thing I need to do!! other homework needs to be done too!)

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ASQ will have a performance at LC on March 4th.

Orchestra's Winter Concert - Last Thoughts

(I apologise if this isn't entirely coherent...)

Last night's orchestra concert (@ L&C) was probably the most difficult concert I've played.

A lot of the music was written in the stratosphere - i rarely played in 1st position...almost always in 3rd or higher

Dvořák  - first movement of the "From the New World" Symphony.

     i think with all the time we spent on this, we hit that plateau of goodness and some of us started falling off the other side.  we had already performed this in mid-october

 
Humperdinck - Hänsel und Gretel - Lied des Sandmännchens, Abendsegen und Traum-Pantomine

   it was really neat to have two student vocalists join us for this piece (Ameila Mulford & Courtney Williams)

   had the 1st violins' highest notes of the concert

Mascagni - Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana

         technique-wise, the easiest piece on the program.  it went amazing well, we had a student conductor who did a lovely job

Tchaikovsky - Overture-Fantasy from Romeo & Juliet

   we had SO MUCH energy in this - I don't know if it was from feeling or wanting to to be done, or knowing we were almost done...but it was amazing - we (being 1st violins) even found the REALLY high B out of nowhere at the end

~ Performers ~

Violin I: Helen Goldstein, Rachel Klabunde, Erica Liebert, Chrissy Misso^ ^{D, M},
Dan Rasay*, Lucy Roberts, Nicholas Wilkins, Julia Yeckes ^{H, T}

Violin II: Gabby Castro, Christian Dicker ^{D, H, M, T}, Alexandra Hubbard, Emily Katzman,
Cate Margeson, Jarrod Nixon, Devan Wardrop-Saxton

Viola: Greg Allen ^{D, H, M, T}, Angelika Furtwangler*, Dana Levin

  Cello: Daniel Caplen, Sage Coy, Joshua Dunham ^{D, M}, Genevieve Harding ^{H, T}, Dorien de León*, Kenzie Rowlett

Bass: Neva Hauser ^{D, H, M, T}, Elliot Kuhlman, Susan Su; Harp: Sophia Dagnello
Flute: Barra Brown; Clarinet: Alex Burfitt*, Catalina Schnitman; Oboe: Erin Ohashi, Caitlin Partridge
Bassoon: Mark Eubanks*, Erika Thorsen; French Horn: Joseph English, Justine Flynn*, Sarah Kelly*, William Stalnaker*

Trumpet: James O’Banion*, Branden Pursinger; Trombone: Spencer Suffling, Gabrielle Yelland; Tuba: David Salkowski

Percussion: James Patrick Lenon, Steven Skolnik

*L&C Community Members; ^{D, H, M, T} Chairs (Representative of Composer’s Name); ^ concertmaster