Comments on: No Horn Helmets http://www.jonathannewman.com/notebook/commentary/no-horn-helmets.html essays & criticism on musical matters Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:41:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Newman http://www.jonathannewman.com/notebook/commentary/no-horn-helmets.html/comment-page-1#comment-27 Newman Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:14:19 +0000 http://www.jonathannewman.com/wordpress/commentary/no-horn-helmets/#comment-27 Ooh. Good title, Jason!<br/><br/>It's funny you mention that -- because I had been trying to remember who had said that. Because I think of it ALL the time (no lie), as I wonder why I'm doing this. It was Weisgall, huh? Yup. Totally remember that now.<br/><br/>You are a superstar (of course!) for that commission. And you are correct to assume that we don't have one. Our plan is to finish a vocal score for only a small amount of representative scenes, maybe 20-30 minutes, and then workshop them (we have a lead on this, but nothing definite), before continuing. There are a couple of other intriguing conversations we've had as well about productions, but that would be getting ahead of the ball...<br/><br/>At this point, then, it's for the love. ;-)<br/><br/>Congrats on the opera! Dude, can I come to your univ. so we can hang out again? Make it happen! ;-) -JN Ooh. Good title, Jason!

It’s funny you mention that — because I had been trying to remember who had said that. Because I think of it ALL the time (no lie), as I wonder why I’m doing this. It was Weisgall, huh? Yup. Totally remember that now.

You are a superstar (of course!) for that commission. And you are correct to assume that we don’t have one. Our plan is to finish a vocal score for only a small amount of representative scenes, maybe 20-30 minutes, and then workshop them (we have a lead on this, but nothing definite), before continuing. There are a couple of other intriguing conversations we’ve had as well about productions, but that would be getting ahead of the ball…

At this point, then, it’s for the love. ;-)

Congrats on the opera! Dude, can I come to your univ. so we can hang out again? Make it happen! ;-) -JN

]]> By: Jason Hoogerhyde http://www.jonathannewman.com/notebook/commentary/no-horn-helmets.html/comment-page-1#comment-26 Jason Hoogerhyde Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:16:56 +0000 http://www.jonathannewman.com/wordpress/commentary/no-horn-helmets/#comment-26 I remember Hugo Weisgall telling us in a Composer's Forum at BU that you should never write an opera unless you know there's a performance guaranteed at the end of the process. Is your collaboration part of a commission with a performance 'scheduled'? Or are you just writing it for the love of the medium?<br/><br/>I guess I followed Weisgall's advice and waited until getting the call last year. My university commissioned me to write an opera (a singspiel, actually), and I've just completed it. The Color of Dissonance is based on the correspondence between Schoenberg and Kandinsky, comparing their thoughts on revolutionizing their respective arts. The premiere is in April.<br/><br/>Like you, I'm terrified. I wasn't during the writing process (since it's such a solitary, isolated activity), but now that production meetings are underway, and rehearsals are a few months away from beginning, the nerves are really kicking in!<br/><br/>As for living up to some historical standard, at some point you just have to come to terms with the fact that you can only write your own music and that's good enough.<br/><br/>Enjoy the process!<br/><br/>Jason I remember Hugo Weisgall telling us in a Composer’s Forum at BU that you should never write an opera unless you know there’s a performance guaranteed at the end of the process. Is your collaboration part of a commission with a performance ‘scheduled’? Or are you just writing it for the love of the medium?

I guess I followed Weisgall’s advice and waited until getting the call last year. My university commissioned me to write an opera (a singspiel, actually), and I’ve just completed it. The Color of Dissonance is based on the correspondence between Schoenberg and Kandinsky, comparing their thoughts on revolutionizing their respective arts. The premiere is in April.

Like you, I’m terrified. I wasn’t during the writing process (since it’s such a solitary, isolated activity), but now that production meetings are underway, and rehearsals are a few months away from beginning, the nerves are really kicking in!

As for living up to some historical standard, at some point you just have to come to terms with the fact that you can only write your own music and that’s good enough.

Enjoy the process!

Jason

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