We prepare a crowdfunding campaign to complete the Poèmes de Nelligan cycle. Help us make it a success !
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May 24th, 2013
I never wrote about it on this site, but beside being a composer, an arranger, a copyist... I am also a long-distance runner! This Sunday, I will run the Ottawa Marathon. It will be my third marathon.
This year, you can follow the marathon live on the Ottawa Marathon website. Wake up early, it starts at 7:00am. If I am not mistaken, you can also follow my split times live on SportStats.
Afterward, I will return to my other marathon – this time for composition – to finish Urbania.
May 16th, 2013
I just finished the 3rd movement of Urbania. Its name is Petite pousse (“Small sprout”) and it starts with a lullaby.
Then I just noticed that I have composed something that is literally against all non-written rules of conventional contemporary music: a perfectly regular and perfectly tonal lullaby in 32 3/4 bars. Something which would be, according to the principles of Montreal new music society, is completely ”reactionary”, “uncreative”, “antimodern”, “not my language” and so on. I almost fear to have banned myself of Arts Councils grants and contemporary music organizations forever!
But still, I have not done it to create riots in these organizations' boards of directors. I started Petite pousse with a lullaby to answer a personal request of Pascale Beaudin, the excellent soprano premiering the work.
I could try to make a “contemporary” lullaby. I could write some sprechgesang (“speak-sing”), I would add an atonal counterpoint on flute and other instruments. All of them would play softly: it is a lullaby after all... Well, the result is exactly a Schönberg's Pierrot Lunaire movement, composed more than 100 years ago. Not exactly “contemporary”! Moreover, if you have a baby, will you really put him to sleep with Pierrot Lunaire?
Someone on YouTube think this could be possible!
Here are the comments.
Well! To frighten is not what I desire. I think I will stay with my 32 bar tonal lullaby...
April 22nd, 2013
Let's be honest: I am in a rush! While I was thinking launching officially the crowdsourcing campaign for the Poèmes de Nelligan, I find that I have no more spare time left.
Actually, in about one month of precampaign, we are approaching a donation amount of 1000$ already. This is promising!
But at the same time, I must finish Urbania, the work for Pascale Beaudin and the Orchestre de la Francophonie conducted by Jean-Philippe Tremblay for June 1st.
Through this, I have completed:
Let's say it does take a lot more time.
Now, I have to:
You may imagine that I do not have much free time!
