Bloom yesterday, Alchemy tonight

Verena and the UT Symphony Band gave a truly stellar performance of Bloom yesterday. In fact, the entire concert was superb - Damon Talley, the director of that group, has done a fantastic job with them this year.

Tonight, V and I head up to Baylor to hear Bob Reynolds guest conduct Alchemy in Silent Spaces: I the logic of all my dreams.. He's already done it with USC, and has it programmed for the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble concert in Carnegie on May 25th, and then again at Tanglewood this summer. I get the impression he's taken a liking to that movement of the work. :)

Also, John Adams is here in residence this week, with concerts of his music by the orchestra, new music ensemble, and the wind ensemble on three consecutive nights. I don't know exactly what I'll say to him besides the usual slobbering nerdy fan standby "I love your music!"

And lastly, the winds+electronics piece is slowing moving forward - the first movement is more than half finished. Perhaps considerably more - can't quite tell yet. The first minute or so is essentially a celesta and vibraphone duet. Very bright and shiny, as Newman would say.

Labels: Alchemy, Bloom, Bob Reynolds, John Adams, logic of all my dreams, Verena, WIndtronica

Alchemy @ UMich

The Symphony Band's performance last Wed. night was wonderful. Many thanks to Miller Asbill for programming the piece and the great job conducting, to Michael Haithcock for making this possible (and for dinner!), and of course, the band. As is often the case, the dress rehearsal was even better than the performance (it was, in fact perfect). The opening 4 minutes or so were the best I've ever heard (also helped by the fact that there were so few people in the audience, unlike during the actual concert, when someone slowly, painfully, tediously unwrapped a cough drop over the course of 5 or 6 bars - it was deafening). But whatever. It was a fantastic performance, and I'm deeply honored the group performed the piece.


Me, Miller Asbill, Michael Haithcock, after the performance


Last Thursday I had the wonderful opportunity to read through my just-finished 4th Parody Suite piece with the BGSU Wind Symphony (shout out to Bruce Moss for the generosity!). This is one of the amazing benefits of being 'in-residence' - it's the next best thing to having your own court orchestra.

The piece is a bit different than the other Parody Suite pieces in that it's not funny or tongue-in-cheek. It's more a fantasia on Holst's First Suite in Eb. Almost dreamlike. Lots of aleatory and such - I describe it as Holst meets early-80s Corigliano. The title, however, is every bit as corny as the other three...

Labels: Alchemy, Michigan, performance