[Fmpro] FMPRO Digest, Vol 33, Issue 40

[Alcheh Daniel]

Just wanted to pop my head in for a second to say hello, as I am  
pretty new on the list. It felt a bit voyeuristic to just eavesdrop  
all the time.

Dave, Ades is definitely one of the wunderkinds we will hear of in  
the 21st century.
Tan Dun is very interesting as well. He has some very subtle,  
delicately crafted pieces. I attended a festival/conference in Korea  
a few years back with a piece of mine and one of the concerts had a  
Dun chamber piece in which the audience took part (we were left a  
piece of paper with some text on our seats that we were supposed to  
whisper, the conductor  practiced with us before beginning the actual  
performance. I remember it was very special. And of course, he does  
films too, so thus closes the cycle.

This list always has some fascinating stuff to start the morning with  
my cup of coffee but I must say, it is a bit a addictive and if one  
wants to actually follow some leads, listen to people's music, check  
out websites, etc. Very time consuming, very dangerous for work (in a  
good way)...
I sent my wife one interesting long quote from the list and said that  
I don't know how we all have time for all this every day. It's just  
too much fun. She answered "You've entered the world of what artists  
do when they are procrastinating.". Hahaha!

I always said that one of the things I miss and fear the most is the  
lack of community amongst us composers.
This also links to all the PRO discussions, us not "unionizing"  and  
standing up together for our rights, etc. This list is at least  
somewhat of a consolation. We work so hard to make a living, locking  
ourselves in our studios around the clock, days on end, that we do  
not have time to meet up, hang out, come over for coffee or dinner,  
and just listen to each other's work, talk about art and music. Poets  
can sit with their notebook at a coffee shop. For some of us to do  
the same would mean bringing 2 computers, 4 screens, harddrives, a  
midi keyboard, etc. There we go - that a new business venture for  
someone in Hollywood - a composer's coffee shop. 2nd branch in NYC.

I am rereading Stephan Nachmanovich's "Free Play" and so much of it  
resonates with some of what was said here about art and culture. If  
you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

Daniel Alcheh
Composer | Orchestrator

www.danielalcheh.com

On Jan 29, 2008, at 10:42 PM, fmpro-request at nxport.com wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:13:38 -0500
> From: David Kane <dave at ilad.net>
> Subject: [Fmpro] Random Thoughts
> To: fmpro at nxport.com
> Message-ID: <B650C013-137A-49E3-8B10-3777EE9D4D37 at ilad.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> Interesting discussion here lately. I read the list regularly but
> don't comment too often. It's nice to discuss actual music on the
> list. It's not that I don't appreciate the PRO discussion which after
> all, is the raison d'etre for the list in the first place but I
> particularly enjoy the insights from the other composers here on
> musical topics. I guess I feel more like a musician first and a
> businessman second- a mindset that is probably too widespread and
> perhaps one reason why we continue to be shafted. This list has been
> helpful in filling in the gaps in my education on the business side
> of the equation and I approach the business end with a new awareness-
> thank you for that.
>
> A few random thoughts: I'm not surprised over the Shore debacle.
> Frankly, I was shocked when he won the Oscar for LOTR. I have never
> been impressed with his music- some unkind adjectives come to mind-
> let's just say that there are a large number of composers that I
> would place before Mr. Shore in the Pantheon of the Greats.
> Similarly, I have long suspected that Carmine Coppola would not have
> as much of a career were it not for the success of his son. I can't
> claim to have heard every score he has written, but the few I have
> heard left me highly unimpressed. OTOH, they probably woudn't be too
> impressed by my work either :-)
>
> One final thought; ever wonder who the genius composers of this
> generation will be? Well, I think one of them is sure to be Thomas
> Ades. I first heard his music a few years ago and it utterly blew me
> away. I have all his published scores and recordings now and every
> time I re-hear one of his pieces I find more to like and appreciate.
> I confidently predict that he will be seen as large a figure in 21st
> century music as Stravinsky and Schoenberg were in the 20th. It's
> interesting that in an interview a few years ago he mentioned that
> when people talk about tonality or atonality he honestly has no idea
> what they're talking about. To him it's all one seamless continuum.
> He described his compositional process as effortless- "it's like
> turning on the radio- I just write down what's playing". Indeed, much
> of his music is so startlingly original that it could only have
> sprung forth from pure imagination.
>
> I would be curious to hear nominations from the list for their pick
> of other genius composers of today.
>
> Thanks for the list and indulging my long post.
>
> Dave
>
>