Miscellany I

Pablo Villegas, guitar

from Sketchpad for guitar, op. 4

The Deutsche is of course counted in three.  But my accompanying line is counted rather in two, making for some rather piquant rhythmic clashes.

A friend who heard this recording once told me, to my dismay, that the number sounded Spanish!  I wondered, would quite anything played by Spanish guitarists sound that way to her?  Then I remembered the hemiola (two against three)effect I had employed; yes, a widely recognized hallmark of Hispanic music! 

Recoded in New York City
2006

German Dance; op. 4, no. 3

Scott Roche, baritone
Sweet Plantain String Quartet

from Eight Poems of Amy Clampitt for baritone and string quartet, op. 62

This poem, one of Clampitt's few involving a significant personal dimension, concerns the breakup of an amatory relationship.

A link to the poem. (If it becomes inactive, please do let me know and I will try to find another.)

http://books.google.com/books?id=plPqF3hbcXkC&pg=PT80&dq=clampitt+%22hairline+fracture%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qGAgVJ-UGpD4yQSk_YGQCQ&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=clampitt%20%22hairline%20fracture%22&f=false

Recorded in New York City
2007

A Hairline Fracture, from op. 62 (live)

One thing I like about SoundCloud is that it doesn't provide a medium just for professional level recordings, but also for others (with something to recommend them of course) in between.  If a given listener doesn't want to experience the industry's seamy underbelly, she can just skip that particular track!  Elsewhere on this site, I have my complete Salon Music for piano trio, recorded in Bulgaria in August of 2014.  So if anyone wants to hear a polished and perfectly recorded and rendered version of this number, please just go there.  But I am so fond of this demo that I wonder if others will enjoy hearing it too.

It is common practice when a composer can't be physically present at a recording session to send her a preliminary demo, to make sure there weren't any misread notes, or to invite commentary.  Musicians the world over will attest that I always have something to say, in good English and French, and pretty good Italian and German, or poor Spanish.  But in this case I was brought up short.  I couldn't get over how these European musicians (British violinist, Bulgarian 'cellist, Romanian pianist) had such a feel for its popular American idiom.

The recording has too high a gain, but that just makes it sound like a hoary radio broadcast; the rehearsal piano is subpar, but that just makes it sound more honky-tonk.  Everyone seems to be enjoying their roles:  'cellist as superannuated vaudeville hoofer; violin, his trusty sidekick; pianist, stolid manager and emcee.  Everyone's having as much fun playing here as I did writing it!     

Soft Shoe (raw demo)

Peter Fletcher, guitar
CBC Radio Orchestra
Mario Bernardi, cond.

In a single, sectionalized movement (Intrada, Bolero, Cadenza, Rondo).

Recorded 1997
Point Grey, British Columbia

Concertino for guitar and chamber orchestra, op. 17 (live)

Scores are available for study or performance for the asking, in pdf form or as hard copy.

VFrost2468@gmail.com

A Hairline Fracture, from op. 62 (live)

Victor Frost — composer