Source Inspirations

I listened to a great lecture last week by percussionst Jim Preiss. He's the principal percussionist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Westchester Philharmonic, and the Riverside Symphony and also performs regularly with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the American Symphony Orchestra. He's also been a member of the Steve Reich Ensemble since 1971, about the time Reich composed his famous piece Drumming.

Mr. Preiss talked about Reich's inspiration for Drumming. In his travels, Reich had come across West African drumming and Balinese gamelan, and was inpired to compose something in response. Like his inspiration sources, he wanted to compose music that didn't require performers to read the score; they would perform by rote memory.

I got to thinking about all the different kinds of source inspirations that we happen upon every day. Perhaps something you hear on the subway, or in traffic, or in conversation. Noise, books, a movie, a sculpture, or whatever -- source materials can be found in just about everything we come across, if you stretch out and think creatively.

A Beethoven Thought

For those of us concerned about form and architecture, here's a great quote about Beethoven, courtesy Bernard Holland in the 2/23/07 New York Times:

Beethoven was the Classical era’s psychological architect. He knew how his audience listened, and for how long. Hear how he manipulates attention spans in the finale of his “Pathétique” Piano Sonata (Op. 13). The opening theme runs 17 measures. By the time it returns, Beethoven knows listeners know it, and so begin the shortenings and compressions, the squeezing of longer material into smaller spaces.

Keeping Score

I'm a little young to have watched the famous Leonard Bernstein television shows from the 1950s. And yet, here for the internet age, is another gifted conductor educating audiences. Have a look at Keeping Score . And have yourself an hour or two before you visit; it's addictive!

Early Mornings

Thos who have listened to my audio podcast know that I advocate getting up pretty early to get started on composing. If you have to juggle a 9-5 day job, concerts, family, and social obligations, it's very hard to find any extra time in your day.

You might be interestsed to know that the really rich folk tend to be early morning risers. Here's some reading! (However, I don't advocate #2 for creative purposes.)
Success in the mornings

Paul Moravec quotes

I had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Paul Moravec last week on the topic of music and memory. He's the 2004 Puiltzer Prize winner, so I was honored to be able to listen to what he had to say, some of which was quite quotable!

For instance, he said "Time is the medium of music." How so? Well, because we can't make sense of music without being able to remember music from earlier in the composition. We were also encouraged to make sense of music that is in our own memory, from childhood, perhaps, and consider how it affects us as composers today.

When we see something with our eyes, we try to make sense of it. When we hear music. it goes more directly to the subconscious. Think about how that affects us over the years when we hear a great piece of music again and again.

We got into a conversation about how music should have a certain inevitability to it. Paul Moravec added: "But if it's inevitable and you can see it coming a mile away, what good is that?"

And finally: "A bridge will collapse if all the tension goes out of it. So will a composition."

Some things to think about!

Performances of Richard Russell's Music

For those of you in New York City, my piano trio, Spirals, will be performed this Sunday, Feburary 18, 20076 at 1:30pm. The venue is Mannes College of Music, 150 West 85th Street. The performers will be the Stella Trio: Jannina Barefield - violin; Laura Metcalf - cello; Monica Chung - Piano. Other composers on the bill include Ryan Tracy, David Ames, and Wayne Alpern. This is a free concert.

For more information about The Stella Trio, click here.

Also, on March 9, 2007, my Three Elegies for soprano and percussion will be performed at the Thalia at Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th Street. Concert time is 7:30pm. Tiffany DuMouchelle and Steven Solook are the performers. This is a concert being presented by the New York Composers Circle, so lots of other composers and players will be on board. Have a look at http://nycomposerscircle.org/Calendar/calendar.html

Tickets are $15.

Lee Hoiby Quote

Lee Hoiby was born in 1926. He is an American classical pianist and composer, probably most famous for his song "The Serpent." I found the following quote from him, courtesy his Wikipedia entry, and it's thought-provoking. He compares composing to archeology, stating:

"For me, composing music bears some likeness to archeology. It requires patient digging, searching for the treasure; the ability to distinguish between a treasure and the rock next to it and recognizing when you're digging in the wrong place. The archeologist takes a soft brush and brushes away a half-teaspoon at a time. Musically, that would be a few notes, or a chord. Sometimes the brushing reveals an especially lovely thing, buried there for so long."

I wonder, though. Isn't that being a little too careful? I understand his point of view, but it's okay to be messy when you are being creative. In the end, I think the composer does have to reign in his messiness and give shape and form to his ideas.

It reminds me a little of sculpture. With marble, you chip away until the form is revealed. With clay, you add and shape until the piece is finished.

Which kind of composer are you?