Not sure if a similar thread already exists (I did have a look and couldn't find one!). Since there are more than a few composers on the forum, I thought it might be nice/useful to have a thread where we can discuss/inform others what we're composing, writing, concocting, however you want to call it, now. Some may not want to contribute (we can all be superstitious about giving away what we're doing etc...) but those who want to let off steam about the isolated/ing act of creation can maybe get it out here (hh?)...

Not that I have any time to create, I could get the ball rolling anyways...

Currently, I'm supposed to be creating a piece for Steve Altoft for micro-tonal (19 equal divisions to the scale) trumpet, percussion and live electronics. And a piece for tuba and string quartet. Hmm. And a collaborative work for motion-triggered sound, 4 instruments and electronics remotely connected to the work of Jack Keruac.

I have no idea what to do with any the above. I hope that doesn't make my own thread redundant. If I do have any ideas, post-beer, I'll put them here.

Night all.

Biroc, the time-sensitive.

Meant to ask...what's the title you have for the trp/prc/electronics thing CD?

What do y'all do 'in between' pieces? I'm waiting for some details of the next big project to fall into place (or not!), and whilst I'm certainly giving it a lot of thought I'm not going to begin work on it in earnest just yet. But I hate letting 'the muscles' relax, so I'm filling in the time with some piano pieces/sketches/whatever. That usually helps keep things ticking over, and sometimes results in stuff I'd want to put out there, or use as the basis for something else.

I had a friend who'd fill in time like this by forcing himself to write a song (voice and piano) every day. He didn't allow himself to go to bed until it was finished. Now that's just masochism, isn't it? Like taking your blood pressure pills.

I don't really have "in between" times, because for me there's sort of only one project, it's going on constantly, and the "pieces" that come out are provisional outcomes of the work in progress (which is one reason why they assemble themselves into much larger conglomerate works). However, in 2005, after four years of flat-out writing, it became clear to me that I had to put some distance between myself and this process, and what I ended up doing (apart from keeping the wolf from the door by doing some translating) was finishing two sompositions which had been left in an unfinished or unsatisfactory state eighteen years earlier, and evolving the idea for what became the fORCH ensemble at the end of that year.  After which I plunged myself back into what I'd been doing previously with, I was going to say renewed vigour but that seems a little strong.

For myself I am presently in the midst of flailing about trying to figure out how it is humanly possible to write a 45-minute piece of music, having been asked to do just that in the form of a concerto for bass/contrabass clarinet and 11/12-player one-to-a-part-type ensemble.  I have a pretty clear picture of what I want to do, and the first 5-10 minutes are pretty clear, but ... well... yeah.

This has been going on for about six weeks now.  Hopefully it will all become clear soon.

And when it all becomes too much I am writing out a new version of a score of a very old piece ("very old" in this case meaning 5 years) for a much belated and much appreciated upcoming premiere.  Can't say whether this contributed to the belatedness of the premiere, but the score as it exists is pretty much an embarrassment...

Jonathan, I hope you complete all those projects! Is there an extant transcription of the Dutchman overture by anyone?

You have my attention.

That's a good question Martle, I know Klindworth and Tausig arranged the whole opera for piano (includng the overture) but as for a stand alone transcription of just the overture, I'm not sure.  I'll have a look around!