So .. I'm getting a picture of where this is going now. I spoke to the Arts Council Head of Music Helen Sprott and she suggested by applying for less money I would be more likely to get something rather than nothing. IE my chances of being successful increase the smaller my budget is... It's a question of presenting not only a strong piece for their consideration (which I have to presume Inanna is at this point) but also presenting an overall context for the work within the remit of the festival and the theatre hosting the festival. It has to have a wide reach as well as being a strong piece.
There are other intricacies to do with the Arcola and its current phase of development as a venue and its plans for the future. These are somewhat up in the air at the moment. They are currently recreating their business plan - so it appears that next year there may be a more consolidated and refeshed vision for the theatre and the role of the Grimeborn festival within that.
The plan that is emerging is to do a scaled down version of the piece this year - with a guaranteed opportunity to do a full scale version at next years Festival. This would make sense not only from the timing point of view this year but also that next year Arcola have finalized its plans and can move ahead with the festival fully integrated into their programming and marketing.
The trouble with doing a concert at such short notice is that the people I really want to be in it are not exactly available for the summer rehearsals all the time. It will be quite a juggling act to bring a team together.
I am wondering about just doing Act 2 this year. That would be half the show. So half the time needed to rehearse, half the budget, etc!
The more I think about it the more I like the idea.
4.07.2009
4.05.2009
Inanna/Grimeborn/Arcola and LIFEM/Kings Place
Finally, The Descent of Inanna (the opera I originally wrote in 1991 and revised in 2006/07) has been noticed by a promoter and will be staged (or semi staged) this summer. Horray!
The Grimeborn Festival of opera and music theatre opens at the Arcola Theatre in London E8 on August 24th 2009 and runs for 2 weeks. Inanna has been selected to open the festival on 24th August. Put it in your diary now.
It's lucky I decided to go to that Boxing Day party at Brian Davis's flat. There I met Roberto Tripinni - who came up to me and said
'we've met before...at the Vivien Ellis course on musical theatre - about ten years ago?'
'oh... yes...' I said searching my inner data base and getting bizarre references to that strange time..
We spoke for about half and hour and we agreed that the John Adams piece "I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the Sky" was a good example of what we were, it turned out, both interested in, as a genre, aesthetic etc.
Roberto stayed in touch with me by email over the next few weeks and looked at the film extracts from Inanna on You Tube. He liked my stuff. Wanted even to collaborate on a possible musical and sent me interesting general info about events. He sent me the call for submissions from the Mercury Musicals Development network for the Grimeborn Festival.
I joined the network and this is what led to this current opportunity!
We are in discussion with the Arts Council this week about getting a grant for this project. It is possible that we may spread the project out for two years. This year it may be more practical to do a scaled down version of the piece and next year do the whole thing.
Here is what Alex Sutton, the curator of the Grimeborn Festival has said about the piece:
"The festival will open this year with Jenni Roditi's stunning dance opera
'The Decent of Inanna'. This is a truly unique work that straddles the
boundaries of opera, musical theatre, western art music and influences from the
Middle East and India.
From its opening bars the score dazzles with an immediacy that is so rare
within contemporary music today that it displays a perfect
understanding of its need to be a staged performance work.
Inanna really exemplifies everything that Grimeborn is about from its interest in
diverse cultures, theatre and drama to the vitality of the cast and their passion to
be part of the performance."
I will be posting regular blogs as the next few months unfold leading up to August!
I have further good news!
I now have an agent: www.redorange.org.uk.
I have been asked to open a Festival organized by this agency called LIFEM - London International Festival of Exploratory Music on November 4th this year. I will be performing in the beautiful Hall One at the amazing new Arts Centre Kings Place. I will be performing some of my recent music. Another date for you diary!
The Grimeborn Festival of opera and music theatre opens at the Arcola Theatre in London E8 on August 24th 2009 and runs for 2 weeks. Inanna has been selected to open the festival on 24th August. Put it in your diary now.
It's lucky I decided to go to that Boxing Day party at Brian Davis's flat. There I met Roberto Tripinni - who came up to me and said
'we've met before...at the Vivien Ellis course on musical theatre - about ten years ago?'
'oh... yes...' I said searching my inner data base and getting bizarre references to that strange time..
We spoke for about half and hour and we agreed that the John Adams piece "I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the Sky" was a good example of what we were, it turned out, both interested in, as a genre, aesthetic etc.
Roberto stayed in touch with me by email over the next few weeks and looked at the film extracts from Inanna on You Tube. He liked my stuff. Wanted even to collaborate on a possible musical and sent me interesting general info about events. He sent me the call for submissions from the Mercury Musicals Development network for the Grimeborn Festival.
I joined the network and this is what led to this current opportunity!
We are in discussion with the Arts Council this week about getting a grant for this project. It is possible that we may spread the project out for two years. This year it may be more practical to do a scaled down version of the piece and next year do the whole thing.
Here is what Alex Sutton, the curator of the Grimeborn Festival has said about the piece:
"The festival will open this year with Jenni Roditi's stunning dance opera
'The Decent of Inanna'. This is a truly unique work that straddles the
boundaries of opera, musical theatre, western art music and influences from the
Middle East and India.
From its opening bars the score dazzles with an immediacy that is so rare
within contemporary music today that it displays a perfect
understanding of its need to be a staged performance work.
Inanna really exemplifies everything that Grimeborn is about from its interest in
diverse cultures, theatre and drama to the vitality of the cast and their passion to
be part of the performance."
I will be posting regular blogs as the next few months unfold leading up to August!
I have further good news!
I now have an agent: www.redorange.org.uk.
I have been asked to open a Festival organized by this agency called LIFEM - London International Festival of Exploratory Music on November 4th this year. I will be performing in the beautiful Hall One at the amazing new Arts Centre Kings Place. I will be performing some of my recent music. Another date for you diary!
9.29.2007
10 Track Mind
It's been a while since I blogged on - and I was hoping that my next entry would announce the completion of the Inanna project phase 1. But alas, still more time needed before that is a reality. Mixing is complex and there is a lot of material to work through. The film making side is very time consuming and Steve the editor is a busy man. But maybe tomorrow I'll go down to his studio and see how things are getting along. I have filmed myself singing the overdubs and this is another thing that will take time to import and superimpose on the main film. We also need to choose images from the Sumerian history books to get some relevant images. So - patience is needed.
Meanwhile I am working well with my collegue Bernadette O'Brien on conceiving a pilot course for Integral Voice Therapy - launching into a new approach with voice work that we feel ready to begin now.
I am seeing a handful of private voice clients during the week and running a few recording sessions for solos and duos here at the Loft. This means learning Logic more and more on the trot, which is good.
I have also just completed an essay on the psychological meaning of Inanna as portrayed in the opera. I will be presenting the essay next week at the Voice Movement Therapy Conference in Kent. I will also be able to show the first three songs on film - as these are ready - in basic form, for presentation.
The Loft continues to host various artists and in fact tomorrow afternoon a tea party for ME sufferers.
I have begun again to play the piano after months chained to the computer. It's great and I feel I have something to say again musically - not sure what yet - but things are beginning to move. New vocal and pianistic shapes emerging. It's all a bit 'this and that' at the moment. Tried my hand at designing a web site for integral voice therapy and got into that. Then - editing and filming myself singing the overdubs for Inanna - another learning curve a couple of weeks ago. It's all very different from before the summer - when it was one track mind on the score. Now it's about 10 track mind.
I really want to get down to some new work - in depth - creative stuff - as the last couple of months has been finishing old projects or preparing new ones - not actually getting down to the substance of new work. I begin to hanker for that. This afternoon was finally again at the piano exploring structure in a new 'long song'. That's where I feel I belong! But all these other diversions do add richness and fallow time for the creative mind to regenerate itself.
Meanwhile I am working well with my collegue Bernadette O'Brien on conceiving a pilot course for Integral Voice Therapy - launching into a new approach with voice work that we feel ready to begin now.
I am seeing a handful of private voice clients during the week and running a few recording sessions for solos and duos here at the Loft. This means learning Logic more and more on the trot, which is good.
I have also just completed an essay on the psychological meaning of Inanna as portrayed in the opera. I will be presenting the essay next week at the Voice Movement Therapy Conference in Kent. I will also be able to show the first three songs on film - as these are ready - in basic form, for presentation.
The Loft continues to host various artists and in fact tomorrow afternoon a tea party for ME sufferers.
I have begun again to play the piano after months chained to the computer. It's great and I feel I have something to say again musically - not sure what yet - but things are beginning to move. New vocal and pianistic shapes emerging. It's all a bit 'this and that' at the moment. Tried my hand at designing a web site for integral voice therapy and got into that. Then - editing and filming myself singing the overdubs for Inanna - another learning curve a couple of weeks ago. It's all very different from before the summer - when it was one track mind on the score. Now it's about 10 track mind.
I really want to get down to some new work - in depth - creative stuff - as the last couple of months has been finishing old projects or preparing new ones - not actually getting down to the substance of new work. I begin to hanker for that. This afternoon was finally again at the piano exploring structure in a new 'long song'. That's where I feel I belong! But all these other diversions do add richness and fallow time for the creative mind to regenerate itself.
6.21.2007
Fine tuning of the mix, other projects, walks in the park
Alex came round tuesday and we spent a few hours going through the mp3's of the recording. He made excellent comments on how to improve the mixes. 15 years listening in ENO to the balance between the orchestra and the singers give him a surgical precision to his listening. Everything he said I just thought 'oh yes, why didn't I think of that?'. But I couldn't have thought of everything in the 3 days we had. A lot of the time was focussed on just making sure we ironed out any major problems in tuning and ensemble and got a faif general balance between things. With Alexs extra adjustments the balance will be really good.
I'm trying to concentrate on resting - but do feel restless. It's hard to go from a full on project for so long and then - boom - it stops... I am a bit disorientated and run down. I can feel this tiredness in my bones and yet my mind is still very active. Already having thoughts about a new opera!! Perish the thought!! I do have a subject up my sleeve... and if someone came up to me tomorrow and asked me to write another one I would - damn it! My plan was to stop writing big pieces - to concentrate on writing for myself. To develop my performance. To keep it much more connected to the present moment - rather than plotting out a project that can take years and years to realize. Part of me feels I've been there, done that, and I want to keep things more local and short term.
But my imagination is firing away about a new large scale work - all I need is the commission! As things stand right now - that is not likely to come my way. I am out of touch with commissions and connections at the moment. So - my pragmatic side is in fact more in tune with reality - which in many ways is a relief!
I had my association with Lontano for 12 years and wrote two full length chamber operas for that company. It took me the best part of 8 years. Inanna took me 2 years and Siddhartha Spirit Child took me 6 years. To bring Inanna up to speed with this recording took me another 2 years to prepare - so imagine if I wanted to bring Siddhartha Spirit Child up to speed with a recording...! Another 6 years?? Please no, surely not!
Though I haven't gone anywhere near the SSC score for many years my memory is that it is in a better state of repair than Inanna was. Inanna was written with fire and brimstone - in a flash, relatively speaking. SSC - was a more considered piece - I think...which would mean any revisions would be relatively minor. Inanna has had a complete overhaul. SSC may not need that. I think more than anything - SSC needs cutting - which is quicker than writing new stuff.
Once I am fully rested and had a summer break and we have the two DVD's in hand and a CD version of everything too - I will take stock of how to proceed from here.
In the meantime I'm in well-earned limbo land. Walks in the park, gentle exercise, healthy eating, once I have got over this deep tiredness. I will let that take it's own course. The body must catch up with me... I have been racing ahead with my muscial mind (I thrive there!) and my body is demanding I look after her now. She has been very patient! God bless her.
I'm trying to concentrate on resting - but do feel restless. It's hard to go from a full on project for so long and then - boom - it stops... I am a bit disorientated and run down. I can feel this tiredness in my bones and yet my mind is still very active. Already having thoughts about a new opera!! Perish the thought!! I do have a subject up my sleeve... and if someone came up to me tomorrow and asked me to write another one I would - damn it! My plan was to stop writing big pieces - to concentrate on writing for myself. To develop my performance. To keep it much more connected to the present moment - rather than plotting out a project that can take years and years to realize. Part of me feels I've been there, done that, and I want to keep things more local and short term.
But my imagination is firing away about a new large scale work - all I need is the commission! As things stand right now - that is not likely to come my way. I am out of touch with commissions and connections at the moment. So - my pragmatic side is in fact more in tune with reality - which in many ways is a relief!
I had my association with Lontano for 12 years and wrote two full length chamber operas for that company. It took me the best part of 8 years. Inanna took me 2 years and Siddhartha Spirit Child took me 6 years. To bring Inanna up to speed with this recording took me another 2 years to prepare - so imagine if I wanted to bring Siddhartha Spirit Child up to speed with a recording...! Another 6 years?? Please no, surely not!
Though I haven't gone anywhere near the SSC score for many years my memory is that it is in a better state of repair than Inanna was. Inanna was written with fire and brimstone - in a flash, relatively speaking. SSC - was a more considered piece - I think...which would mean any revisions would be relatively minor. Inanna has had a complete overhaul. SSC may not need that. I think more than anything - SSC needs cutting - which is quicker than writing new stuff.
Once I am fully rested and had a summer break and we have the two DVD's in hand and a CD version of everything too - I will take stock of how to proceed from here.
In the meantime I'm in well-earned limbo land. Walks in the park, gentle exercise, healthy eating, once I have got over this deep tiredness. I will let that take it's own course. The body must catch up with me... I have been racing ahead with my muscial mind (I thrive there!) and my body is demanding I look after her now. She has been very patient! God bless her.
6.16.2007
The Mix, The Singers, The Film, The Gym!!!
The mixing is done. 3 days on 17 tracks!
It was fast work and having just listened again after 24 hours ear rest I know we have it moving in the right direction. Martin Gordon did a fantastic job - 'keeping it real' and yet enhancing in a subtle way. Adrian Lee came up with some very perceptive thoughts about the overal sound image - and some neat ideas about the orchestration to help it along. Alex and I will listen again next week and take notes. Then a tweaking session later in the week with Adrian.
Having enjoyed her part in the piece, Marie Angel, who sang Geshtinanna, is hoping to set up a meeting with the Drill Hall. I think the Drill Hall would be the right venue in London to perform the piece, should we be lucky enough to attract their interest. It's a place where a lot of new work is premiered, a place with a track record for innovation, in central London (Goodge St tube), and a great acoustic. It's an odd shape - having a long and thin stage space - but I have seen that work to advantage in the past.
The standard of the soloists singing is just superb. Maria Jardardottir is really our Bjork. What a star she is! Without Maria's voice the piece would be infinitely less exciting. But there she is - holding the central character and that voice of hers - just shining - just so present, just sweet, just raw, just honest, just so sexy!
Marie Angel - touches me with her voice to the very core of my being. Her artistry and interpretation of my melodies, especially in White Bull Dying, where she sings to her dying brother Dumuzi, is just shiver inducing.
Nigel Robson is excellent as Enki, God of Wisdom - delivering just the right amount of gravitas and playfullness together.
Adey Grummet turns on the icy voice for Ereshkigal and is chilling to the bone to hear - a fair interpretation of the character who is so pained in the Netherworld. Kerry Andrew was 100% on the spot with all her chorus lines - often leading the ladies chorus rhythms and pitches with precision and drama. Steve Douse, whose voice balances between muscial theatre and opera, achieved the right level of vulnerability for Dumuzi in his singing - as well as finding the drama and dignity of the character. Michael Solomon Williams as Utu in the Nomad Song has a superb sound - so musical, so refined. And Jeremy Birchall found his way round the chorus bass lines with good humour and ressonace.
The Smith Quartet stunned, as usual, with the power and brilliance of their playing - and the rest of the ensemble - woodwind, percussion, piano, double bass and bandoneon, supported the quartet throughout with faint-worthy sight reading and musicianship.
If the lift hadn't got stuck we would easily have recorded all 19 tracks on the schedule!!! But I'm happy with 17 for now.
The whole piece has 50 tracks altogether - so you can see - it is a fair chunk of music - about one third - of the whole piece.
Ample to give a good example of the score and the differing moods the piece moves through.
It takes time to let the mixes grow on one. I don't want to rush that.
The film involved four cameras. We will be looking at the material and working on that in the second half of July when Steve Teers has his next available time to work.
I myself am shattered. Walking round in a stupour this morning. Joined the gym - again. Because if I don't have a steam and a sauna soon my body will either wilt or freeze up. So, after a year of working on the score and ignoring my physical needs in the all consuming vision and dedication to the piece - the time has now come to rebalance my lifestyle and again pay some attention to my body.
Exercise to start on monday. This weekend - steams, saunas and more steams and more saunas!!!
It was fast work and having just listened again after 24 hours ear rest I know we have it moving in the right direction. Martin Gordon did a fantastic job - 'keeping it real' and yet enhancing in a subtle way. Adrian Lee came up with some very perceptive thoughts about the overal sound image - and some neat ideas about the orchestration to help it along. Alex and I will listen again next week and take notes. Then a tweaking session later in the week with Adrian.
Having enjoyed her part in the piece, Marie Angel, who sang Geshtinanna, is hoping to set up a meeting with the Drill Hall. I think the Drill Hall would be the right venue in London to perform the piece, should we be lucky enough to attract their interest. It's a place where a lot of new work is premiered, a place with a track record for innovation, in central London (Goodge St tube), and a great acoustic. It's an odd shape - having a long and thin stage space - but I have seen that work to advantage in the past.
The standard of the soloists singing is just superb. Maria Jardardottir is really our Bjork. What a star she is! Without Maria's voice the piece would be infinitely less exciting. But there she is - holding the central character and that voice of hers - just shining - just so present, just sweet, just raw, just honest, just so sexy!
Marie Angel - touches me with her voice to the very core of my being. Her artistry and interpretation of my melodies, especially in White Bull Dying, where she sings to her dying brother Dumuzi, is just shiver inducing.
Nigel Robson is excellent as Enki, God of Wisdom - delivering just the right amount of gravitas and playfullness together.
Adey Grummet turns on the icy voice for Ereshkigal and is chilling to the bone to hear - a fair interpretation of the character who is so pained in the Netherworld. Kerry Andrew was 100% on the spot with all her chorus lines - often leading the ladies chorus rhythms and pitches with precision and drama. Steve Douse, whose voice balances between muscial theatre and opera, achieved the right level of vulnerability for Dumuzi in his singing - as well as finding the drama and dignity of the character. Michael Solomon Williams as Utu in the Nomad Song has a superb sound - so musical, so refined. And Jeremy Birchall found his way round the chorus bass lines with good humour and ressonace.
The Smith Quartet stunned, as usual, with the power and brilliance of their playing - and the rest of the ensemble - woodwind, percussion, piano, double bass and bandoneon, supported the quartet throughout with faint-worthy sight reading and musicianship.
If the lift hadn't got stuck we would easily have recorded all 19 tracks on the schedule!!! But I'm happy with 17 for now.
The whole piece has 50 tracks altogether - so you can see - it is a fair chunk of music - about one third - of the whole piece.
Ample to give a good example of the score and the differing moods the piece moves through.
It takes time to let the mixes grow on one. I don't want to rush that.
The film involved four cameras. We will be looking at the material and working on that in the second half of July when Steve Teers has his next available time to work.
I myself am shattered. Walking round in a stupour this morning. Joined the gym - again. Because if I don't have a steam and a sauna soon my body will either wilt or freeze up. So, after a year of working on the score and ignoring my physical needs in the all consuming vision and dedication to the piece - the time has now come to rebalance my lifestyle and again pay some attention to my body.
Exercise to start on monday. This weekend - steams, saunas and more steams and more saunas!!!
6.12.2007
We did it!!!
It's the second morning after the night before! And the previous three days....phew!!!!!!
The recording of Inanna (extracts from the whole piece) is in the can!!! We planned to do 19 numbers and we got through 17 in six hours. The previous day was a rehearsal and a couple of weeks ago we had a workshop with the singers. That was the input to prepare the playing and, with that, the standard we achieved is without doubt top class. I could not have got a better bunch of people together! I listened yesterday afternoon to some of the playback and our worries about spillage between the instruments is not as bad as we ( I! ) thought it might be. The sound buffers did their job and the close micing gave a brilliant picture of each player.
But the dramas that ensued during the precious six hour recording session will go down in history for me.... You would not believe the amount of things that went wrong - or nearly went wrong - or threatened to go wrong - or just plain didn't happen.
I don't know where to start. Is it important to blog about the things that went wrong? Does it matter now - now I know that what went right is the music - and that is what counts - looking back on it now I can laugh and smile at the cliff hanger of a day that was June 10th 2007.
If the problems had wrecked the recording it would be a very different story - but we triumphed - despite them. And I am aware how I want to blog about the singer with a potential bleeding mouth, the no-show of another singer who had been singing on a speed boat for the South Bank opening on the Thames the day before, the 'I'm too famous for you' act of another singer who was expected to participate and pulled out last minute, the faulty equipment that was on hire, the fact that SIX musicians got stuck in the lift for 45 minutes and we had to call the fire brigade, the firemen who couldn't find the release switch and had to force open the lift doors with a crow bar, me bursting into tears in the hall as the fireman told me they couldn't get access to the roof as the door was locked, the group hug from supportive family and friends as the firemen wrenched open the lift doors, the hugs and tears and laughter as I flung myself into the arms of six men I harldy knew - as if they might be running from a burning house and had been saved, the extraordinary poise and professionalism of the musicians, who within 5 minutes were back at their microphones and performing perfectly again...
It's all to much to recount here...
WHAT CAN I SAY?
As for the experience of listening, FINALLY, to my score with acutal musicians, rather than samples on a computer - it was deeply satisfying. And it went beyond my expecatations too. It was as if my bones felt, at last, like they had finally grown some flesh. I had no idea how beautiful and powerful flesh on the bone could feel. But it did, and it was, and it is! Yipeee!
It is taking me so long to really know my music is good. And this weekend I took another step towards that. It was clearly focussed for me when the morning after the recording I had to go through the score and find the points at which I want to overdub the 'free voice'. An improviser who was due to sing for us today (the one who decided he was too famous and expensive for us). Anyway - as I was looking at the score yesterday I found myself wondering - 'what was it that the composer wanted?', as if it wasn't me! - but I was taking great interest in someone else's work that I respected. I'm welling up as I write this... I thought - gosh that's me I'm thinking about. Take yourself seriously Jenni - other people are!
That's it - I'm blubbing now... oh dear me ...
Anyway - having read this back - I think that will do for now - better eat - have to go and blag a trolley from the supermaket as I have a plethora of leads, looms and 2 stage boxes to deliver before 10 am to Tottenham..
The recording of Inanna (extracts from the whole piece) is in the can!!! We planned to do 19 numbers and we got through 17 in six hours. The previous day was a rehearsal and a couple of weeks ago we had a workshop with the singers. That was the input to prepare the playing and, with that, the standard we achieved is without doubt top class. I could not have got a better bunch of people together! I listened yesterday afternoon to some of the playback and our worries about spillage between the instruments is not as bad as we ( I! ) thought it might be. The sound buffers did their job and the close micing gave a brilliant picture of each player.
But the dramas that ensued during the precious six hour recording session will go down in history for me.... You would not believe the amount of things that went wrong - or nearly went wrong - or threatened to go wrong - or just plain didn't happen.
I don't know where to start. Is it important to blog about the things that went wrong? Does it matter now - now I know that what went right is the music - and that is what counts - looking back on it now I can laugh and smile at the cliff hanger of a day that was June 10th 2007.
If the problems had wrecked the recording it would be a very different story - but we triumphed - despite them. And I am aware how I want to blog about the singer with a potential bleeding mouth, the no-show of another singer who had been singing on a speed boat for the South Bank opening on the Thames the day before, the 'I'm too famous for you' act of another singer who was expected to participate and pulled out last minute, the faulty equipment that was on hire, the fact that SIX musicians got stuck in the lift for 45 minutes and we had to call the fire brigade, the firemen who couldn't find the release switch and had to force open the lift doors with a crow bar, me bursting into tears in the hall as the fireman told me they couldn't get access to the roof as the door was locked, the group hug from supportive family and friends as the firemen wrenched open the lift doors, the hugs and tears and laughter as I flung myself into the arms of six men I harldy knew - as if they might be running from a burning house and had been saved, the extraordinary poise and professionalism of the musicians, who within 5 minutes were back at their microphones and performing perfectly again...
It's all to much to recount here...
WHAT CAN I SAY?
As for the experience of listening, FINALLY, to my score with acutal musicians, rather than samples on a computer - it was deeply satisfying. And it went beyond my expecatations too. It was as if my bones felt, at last, like they had finally grown some flesh. I had no idea how beautiful and powerful flesh on the bone could feel. But it did, and it was, and it is! Yipeee!
It is taking me so long to really know my music is good. And this weekend I took another step towards that. It was clearly focussed for me when the morning after the recording I had to go through the score and find the points at which I want to overdub the 'free voice'. An improviser who was due to sing for us today (the one who decided he was too famous and expensive for us). Anyway - as I was looking at the score yesterday I found myself wondering - 'what was it that the composer wanted?', as if it wasn't me! - but I was taking great interest in someone else's work that I respected. I'm welling up as I write this... I thought - gosh that's me I'm thinking about. Take yourself seriously Jenni - other people are!
That's it - I'm blubbing now... oh dear me ...
Anyway - having read this back - I think that will do for now - better eat - have to go and blag a trolley from the supermaket as I have a plethora of leads, looms and 2 stage boxes to deliver before 10 am to Tottenham..
5.18.2007
Lost a tenor - gained the lead role!
- Late night - but here's the latest. Maria Jardadottir is now cast in the lead role of Inanna. Feels really good decision. She's a non classical singer - an improviser with special interest in live performances, composition and Indian music. Her voice is beautifully natural, and free. Just right for the role. She is not the fastest reader in the world - but she learns something in her body and soul and then flies with it - though it takes her a little longer to get there than a trained classical singer. So what? We have put some time aside to work with her and she will get it - I know.
Felt really excited and even inspired when I made that decision. She's a wild woman with a nose ring and a tongue piercing and a bald head - great presence - the camera will love her and her voice is really easy to enjoy. She naturally decorates phrases with inflections and that I love.
It's an exciting risk to cast her along side fantastic classical voices like Marie Angel and Adey Grummet - but both these lovely ladies are so artistic and flexible as musicians I forsee no problem in integrating these different vocal stlyes. And we will use the amazing Carol Grimes - of Soul Britannia fame - on 3 Ereshkigal numbers - bringing in that hard hitting jazz vocal that she does so inimitably well. And Kerry Andrew will be a great supporting chorus as Spinner - with a real grounded alto voice, very body, and close to speech sound in her singing. Completely unaffected.
We lost out lead tenor today. So we are slightly panicing that we need to find another strong tenor asap!! But the 4 men we do have are richly endowed as singers. Nigel Robson - melt worthy, Jeremy Birchall - like dark chocolate in the bass Baritone, and young Michael Solomon Williams who will make an endearing Utu and fine young Laughing Demon. The extraordinary Nawroz Oramar will add Kurdish inspired vocal improvisations as after dubs where he can relax into his own style and add an authentic voice from the very regions the story originated from - Iraq.
Must lie horizontal.
Felt really excited and even inspired when I made that decision. She's a wild woman with a nose ring and a tongue piercing and a bald head - great presence - the camera will love her and her voice is really easy to enjoy. She naturally decorates phrases with inflections and that I love.
It's an exciting risk to cast her along side fantastic classical voices like Marie Angel and Adey Grummet - but both these lovely ladies are so artistic and flexible as musicians I forsee no problem in integrating these different vocal stlyes. And we will use the amazing Carol Grimes - of Soul Britannia fame - on 3 Ereshkigal numbers - bringing in that hard hitting jazz vocal that she does so inimitably well. And Kerry Andrew will be a great supporting chorus as Spinner - with a real grounded alto voice, very body, and close to speech sound in her singing. Completely unaffected.
We lost out lead tenor today. So we are slightly panicing that we need to find another strong tenor asap!! But the 4 men we do have are richly endowed as singers. Nigel Robson - melt worthy, Jeremy Birchall - like dark chocolate in the bass Baritone, and young Michael Solomon Williams who will make an endearing Utu and fine young Laughing Demon. The extraordinary Nawroz Oramar will add Kurdish inspired vocal improvisations as after dubs where he can relax into his own style and add an authentic voice from the very regions the story originated from - Iraq.
Must lie horizontal.
5.09.2007
Inanna: the facts so far about the recording.
Just come back from a story telling evening with Diane Wolkstein - the woman who helped manifest the story of Inanna in the world and who, last year, came and did an evening here at the Loft. She's on again at the weekend at the BM and the Theosophical Society. We had a brief chat after show tonight and she suggested I get some flyers together for the weekend so I can alert people about the Inanna opera project. Speaking of which, it is getting ever closer to the recording on June 10 and, so long as I keep plugging away at the score, I should have everything ready in time.
We have cast most of the roles. We haven't confirmed yet who will sing Inanna and Dumuzi but we are getting closer - and all the other roles are cast. Here are the singers we have on board so far:
Marie Angel - Geshtinanna
Adey Grummet and Carol Grimes- sharing the role of Ereshkigal
Maria Jardadottir - Spinner solos (tbc)
Kerry Andrew - Spinner - chorus only
Eyjolfur Eyjolfsson - Dumuzi (tbc)
Nigel Robson - Enki
Michael Solomon Williams - Utu
Jeremy Birchall - Gilgamesh
Nawroz Oramar - Free vocal improviser (Kurdish Iraqi artist)
The players are:
The Smith String Quartet :
Ian Humphries violin 1
Darragh Morgan violin 2
Nic Pendelbury viola
Deidre Cooper, violoncello
Corrado Canonici - double bass
Nancy Ruffer - flute
Dai Pritchard - clarinet
Julian Jacobson - piano
Walter Fabeck - keyboard
Joby Burgess - percussion
Martin Allen - percussion
We have Alex Ingram conducting. Adrian Lee is producer and Michael Gordon is sound engineer. Steve Teers of Diva Pix is filming (with a crew of 4 and 6 cameras). We have two helpers - my cousin Sue and friend Phil. There will be 27 microphones and 3 DI's. We will work with two computers, one slaved to the other, four sound cards, each with 8 inputs. We are going to do the recording at the Loft.
We hope to record 40 minutes from the 100 minute piece. We will make a 10 minute DVD promotional film and a 60 minute (or so) archive of the whole days recording including all the music performed, interviews, relevant imagery from the story, etc.
I think that's all the for this post. Just needed to get the facts down for now.
We have cast most of the roles. We haven't confirmed yet who will sing Inanna and Dumuzi but we are getting closer - and all the other roles are cast. Here are the singers we have on board so far:
Marie Angel - Geshtinanna
Adey Grummet and Carol Grimes- sharing the role of Ereshkigal
Maria Jardadottir - Spinner solos (tbc)
Kerry Andrew - Spinner - chorus only
Eyjolfur Eyjolfsson - Dumuzi (tbc)
Nigel Robson - Enki
Michael Solomon Williams - Utu
Jeremy Birchall - Gilgamesh
Nawroz Oramar - Free vocal improviser (Kurdish Iraqi artist)
The players are:
The Smith String Quartet :
Ian Humphries violin 1
Darragh Morgan violin 2
Nic Pendelbury viola
Deidre Cooper, violoncello
Corrado Canonici - double bass
Nancy Ruffer - flute
Dai Pritchard - clarinet
Julian Jacobson - piano
Walter Fabeck - keyboard
Joby Burgess - percussion
Martin Allen - percussion
We have Alex Ingram conducting. Adrian Lee is producer and Michael Gordon is sound engineer. Steve Teers of Diva Pix is filming (with a crew of 4 and 6 cameras). We have two helpers - my cousin Sue and friend Phil. There will be 27 microphones and 3 DI's. We will work with two computers, one slaved to the other, four sound cards, each with 8 inputs. We are going to do the recording at the Loft.
We hope to record 40 minutes from the 100 minute piece. We will make a 10 minute DVD promotional film and a 60 minute (or so) archive of the whole days recording including all the music performed, interviews, relevant imagery from the story, etc.
I think that's all the for this post. Just needed to get the facts down for now.
4.05.2007
Report on first round of auditions and - what has become of 'Being'?
Well... just done 2 days of auditions for the recording of Inanna - and found a few people we'd like to work with - but not a rock solid cast. We are going to have to look further afield - and do more reseach. It was fun doing the auditions and it was most interesting when people brought to the session their own special style of singing - Irish folk songs, free improvising, meditational toning, serphardic, soul, as well as Bel Canto, Mozart, Rossini, Handel et al.
It is hard to find really strong voices that can be relied upon to be faithful to the score and explore their voices in a non classical way. To find people who have the technique to work quickly and easily on a score and are vocally able to shift from chest to head in the space of two notes, for example - or yodel, grunt, tremour and wail in one phase, count to 11 and reach a beautiful high note in the next - it is not an easy ask! But still - I know there are people out there who could do all that.
It's a task a minute at the moment for me - every time I finish one set of jobs another jumps out at me. I was about to cook dinner tonight - thought of one email I had send, asap - and ended up spending an hour writing at least five emails which occured to me from that one.
The best bit of the day today was cooking the lentils and chopping the vegetables. It was a revelation to me how wonderfully grounding that was. I didn't realise how much I was longing to get grounded until I did that! And it took a lot of effort to decide I was going to cook. I could so easily have bought a ready meal. But no, tonight I thought - do yourself a favour and cook. It was really a healing experience! I'm so wound up about keeping things on the go with this project - I find it so hard to come away from it and just be. Ans yet my whole 'be'ing is desperate to just be. Yet, I have set myself up with an ambitious, goal orientated, massive, almost mad project to try and complete. OK we will get a demo of the opera - but so what? Then we are just at the beginning - this could go on for 5 years - searching for sponsors, festivals etc.... what have i taken on?
And yet - I would rather be 'do'ing nothing else. It's just that I need to find the 'be'ing bit within the 'do'ing of it all!!! And yes, cooking works for me in that way. Reading contemplative texts before sleeping does it for me - looking at the sky does it for me - but these precious moments are few and far between - as there is a little devil inside me - that drives me on and on to make this project happen - and yes, it's a highly motivated devil - with good intentions - but boy I wish she would learn to love the moment more. And yet -when I am in a less active time work wise - I get restless and want to beworking on some grand plan... Humm.. very interesting to write it down... blogging shows me something about my own contradicitons.
The other high point of the day was a call from a very interesting singer who has expressed interest. We are meeting tomorrow and I have high hopes that she could move things on to the next stage - both in terms of her contribution and who else she might be able to suggest to sing - as she is very well connected.
We have decided to put in an extra instrumental rehearsal for the recording - this will really secure the string section - get all their bowings sorted before the big day. The date for the recording is set - it's June 10th! After that three days mixing - and working on the film side too! We have a professional film maker interested in filming the whole project -so we will end up with a DVD promotional demo - which is much more exciting. I've started a video diary as of this week as the DVD will include some interviews as well as the music. It's all good stuff!!
It is hard to find really strong voices that can be relied upon to be faithful to the score and explore their voices in a non classical way. To find people who have the technique to work quickly and easily on a score and are vocally able to shift from chest to head in the space of two notes, for example - or yodel, grunt, tremour and wail in one phase, count to 11 and reach a beautiful high note in the next - it is not an easy ask! But still - I know there are people out there who could do all that.
It's a task a minute at the moment for me - every time I finish one set of jobs another jumps out at me. I was about to cook dinner tonight - thought of one email I had send, asap - and ended up spending an hour writing at least five emails which occured to me from that one.
The best bit of the day today was cooking the lentils and chopping the vegetables. It was a revelation to me how wonderfully grounding that was. I didn't realise how much I was longing to get grounded until I did that! And it took a lot of effort to decide I was going to cook. I could so easily have bought a ready meal. But no, tonight I thought - do yourself a favour and cook. It was really a healing experience! I'm so wound up about keeping things on the go with this project - I find it so hard to come away from it and just be. Ans yet my whole 'be'ing is desperate to just be. Yet, I have set myself up with an ambitious, goal orientated, massive, almost mad project to try and complete. OK we will get a demo of the opera - but so what? Then we are just at the beginning - this could go on for 5 years - searching for sponsors, festivals etc.... what have i taken on?
And yet - I would rather be 'do'ing nothing else. It's just that I need to find the 'be'ing bit within the 'do'ing of it all!!! And yes, cooking works for me in that way. Reading contemplative texts before sleeping does it for me - looking at the sky does it for me - but these precious moments are few and far between - as there is a little devil inside me - that drives me on and on to make this project happen - and yes, it's a highly motivated devil - with good intentions - but boy I wish she would learn to love the moment more. And yet -when I am in a less active time work wise - I get restless and want to beworking on some grand plan... Humm.. very interesting to write it down... blogging shows me something about my own contradicitons.
The other high point of the day was a call from a very interesting singer who has expressed interest. We are meeting tomorrow and I have high hopes that she could move things on to the next stage - both in terms of her contribution and who else she might be able to suggest to sing - as she is very well connected.
We have decided to put in an extra instrumental rehearsal for the recording - this will really secure the string section - get all their bowings sorted before the big day. The date for the recording is set - it's June 10th! After that three days mixing - and working on the film side too! We have a professional film maker interested in filming the whole project -so we will end up with a DVD promotional demo - which is much more exciting. I've started a video diary as of this week as the DVD will include some interviews as well as the music. It's all good stuff!!
3.12.2007
Addresses gone. Full score. Spitz gig. Bopping and Praying.
Last week I had a crash on my computer and lost a number of my Loft mailing list addresses. Silly me - didn't back up regularly enough. If you have been added to the list in the last six months or so, the chances are you may no longer be on my data base for Loft events. If you happen to read this and it applies to you just drop me a line and I'll get you put back on!
So - that's that out the way - I had to set up a new user account to get round the corruption that had occurred on my old user account. Quite a time waster and it's all my fault for not backing up enough!
Apart from that I handed Alex the first draft of the full score on friday lunchtime! I went over to have lunch with him at the Guildhall where he is conducting at the moment. I was at a loss as to what to say - my conversation suddenly all dried up... it was like I wasn't just handing him my music I was handing him my thoughts too - all of them wrapped up in that pile of paper - my mind went completely blank. I apologised for my lack of social skills saying I had a completely one track mind at the moment, and I was the most boring person on the planet to have lunch with! He was terribly civil and wondered how Wagner felt when he first saw the score of Tristan... a thrilling moment he pondered. And yes it is in some ways. At the moment the full score still remains in A4 format as we are proof reading but I printed one page of A3 as a test and it looks amazing in A3 - so big and real and solid!!
This week I am performing at the Spitz (friday night) and while my head and heart are still with the opera - to get it finished - I had to drag myself away from that work to finalise and prepare for my set of solo singing. It was quite a wrench not to be working on the score - even though I often resent the hours I am having to spend on it. Moving into the world of performance again is confronting for me in some ways - especially as I am thinking of doing some quite radical material. It feels quite high risk - and maybe people won't get me at all! Then what? I videoed my self doing my really left field piece Wild Geese this afternoon. Boy, was that informative. And now I've got 4 days to get it feeling right. At the moment it feels too turbulent. It's like I need to stay much stiller in order for the inner turbulence and drama of the music to speak. At the moment I am too carried away by the drama and my relationship with the music is getting in the way of the music itself.
This is quite a thing to admit and demands a radical rethink of my relationship with the piece.
Ventured to a Hoxton night club last thursday with a friend, and we were both chuffed we decided to go. It was surprisingly mild in terms of the vibe - even though the music was quite heavy rap, drum and bass, the people were light hearted, easy going and unthreatening. I thoroughly enjoyed dancing in my 80's kind of way. Punting on the river Cam this weekend was also a first for me! Later to Even Song and totally transported by the countrapuntal four part writing. Fresh harmonies and unexpected textures and ryhthms sent me straight to a depth contemplation on music and the heart and how it reveals and refreshes the inner being. Even though I have concerns about the Christian doctrine - what was evident here was the authenticity of the musical vibrations and how that was completely free from dogma - and as a purely musical consideration held it's own spirituality beyond notions such as sin and salvation that trouble me. I wish I had found out who the composer was!
So - that's that out the way - I had to set up a new user account to get round the corruption that had occurred on my old user account. Quite a time waster and it's all my fault for not backing up enough!
Apart from that I handed Alex the first draft of the full score on friday lunchtime! I went over to have lunch with him at the Guildhall where he is conducting at the moment. I was at a loss as to what to say - my conversation suddenly all dried up... it was like I wasn't just handing him my music I was handing him my thoughts too - all of them wrapped up in that pile of paper - my mind went completely blank. I apologised for my lack of social skills saying I had a completely one track mind at the moment, and I was the most boring person on the planet to have lunch with! He was terribly civil and wondered how Wagner felt when he first saw the score of Tristan... a thrilling moment he pondered. And yes it is in some ways. At the moment the full score still remains in A4 format as we are proof reading but I printed one page of A3 as a test and it looks amazing in A3 - so big and real and solid!!
This week I am performing at the Spitz (friday night) and while my head and heart are still with the opera - to get it finished - I had to drag myself away from that work to finalise and prepare for my set of solo singing. It was quite a wrench not to be working on the score - even though I often resent the hours I am having to spend on it. Moving into the world of performance again is confronting for me in some ways - especially as I am thinking of doing some quite radical material. It feels quite high risk - and maybe people won't get me at all! Then what? I videoed my self doing my really left field piece Wild Geese this afternoon. Boy, was that informative. And now I've got 4 days to get it feeling right. At the moment it feels too turbulent. It's like I need to stay much stiller in order for the inner turbulence and drama of the music to speak. At the moment I am too carried away by the drama and my relationship with the music is getting in the way of the music itself.
This is quite a thing to admit and demands a radical rethink of my relationship with the piece.
Ventured to a Hoxton night club last thursday with a friend, and we were both chuffed we decided to go. It was surprisingly mild in terms of the vibe - even though the music was quite heavy rap, drum and bass, the people were light hearted, easy going and unthreatening. I thoroughly enjoyed dancing in my 80's kind of way. Punting on the river Cam this weekend was also a first for me! Later to Even Song and totally transported by the countrapuntal four part writing. Fresh harmonies and unexpected textures and ryhthms sent me straight to a depth contemplation on music and the heart and how it reveals and refreshes the inner being. Even though I have concerns about the Christian doctrine - what was evident here was the authenticity of the musical vibrations and how that was completely free from dogma - and as a purely musical consideration held it's own spirituality beyond notions such as sin and salvation that trouble me. I wish I had found out who the composer was!
3.06.2007
It's all lost in space - mega meh to that!
What a turn out for the books...! Finished the first draft of the full score and converted it to PDF - intending to send it to my local printers - it buggered my system and I lost my whole mailing list in the furore!!! Miserables!! Luckily I had an old version of the list backed up so I have restored about 75% of the addresses - though my classification system (A-B, C-D etc) is all wiped! Feels like a kind of cold wind blowing through my heart - an empty barren desert - where once there was life - a nicely organized mailing list - poof! gone is puff of PDF smoke - meanwhile the full score never arrived at the printers! - so my music is all lost in space as well! Of course I have it all backed up - but the thought of sending all that music and it not arriving at it's destination is extremely disconcerting!
I will face these latest technical challenges in the morning - it's not human to be thinking about these problems past 5.30pm...
Meanwhile on a happier note - singers are coming forward for the audition. Strangely I am rather low on alto voices... hello out there you lovely altos - please get in touch... especially if you can sing high F!
Had a very interesting chat with my old friend and colleague Adrian Lee last night. He is going to take on the role of producer for the recording. He has so many wise and practical things to say about the whole process. As well as which he is really up for taking care of me - as I go through the inevitable ups and downs of organizing 22 musicians, a sound engineer, all the gubbins you need to set up a recording session as well as a full score and parts perfectly prepared. It's a huge task. He said he's there for me at the end of the phone if I need to think something through - or get a second opinion. He's up for making lists keeping the details on the surface - so nothing gets forgotten. Really good plan. I can't tell you how reassuring that feels ..(- whoever it is 'you' are, dear reader...).
Brilliant news is I've booked the Smith Quartet to play as part of the ensemble. They have the right kind of sound that I'm looking for in the string playing. We've also earmarked June 10 and 11 for the recording. 10 will be a rehearsal for the singers and 11 will be with everyone - rehearse/record.
One of Adrians good ideas - he should know with over 15 RSC productions as composer/MD/performer behind him - is to invite the key singers to a days workshop to introduce them to the vocal style I am looking for. Rather than expect them to get that in the rehearsal as well as bash the notes etc. I hope people are prepared to come along for an extra day - that would be well worth it I think.
I wasn't elated as I got the the end of the full score layout - I've gone beyond elation - it's pure drudgery now - damn those PDF files... I should have put them on a CD and walked over to the printers then none of this would have happened! It's demoralising somehow.
I can't quite get my head around the fact I'm doing a Spitz gig in under two weeks. I better had as I need to keep my voice in shape and right now all I can think of is - yes you guessed it - my lost addresses and PDF files - isn't life exciting?!
Weird thing happend this evening - I went on a date with a guy who used to work for my father at Saga Records! First thing he said without even knowing Marcel Rodd was my father was "the man was a genius - he revolutionised the music industry single handed" I kid you not that is what he said! And he himself is still in the arts and was quite qualified to say so. I was simultaneously chuffed and somewhat freaked out! He was 'just a kid' when he worked for my Dad - but he remembered all sorts of things about the factory in Kensal Road and the heat and noise of the printing presses and that he was the one that had to go and get the wages for everyone from the local bank in Harrow Road every friday afternoon. It was quite surreal. And we were a stones throw from this Serphardic Synagogue in Maida Vale that he was convinced would have records of my Roditi family history dating right back. It was like being is a time warp or something.
I drove home just now and got completly lost on the way back.... and I know those streets like the back of my hand...
I loved the Kombat Opera's second offering on Sunday 'Spouse Swap'. Really funny, really excellent comic vocal writing. I really know where he's coming from (Richard Thomas) and feel as if I could do a good job working in that style myself... I bet a lot of composers are thinking that right now... or just dissing it as a clever trick.. I think it's brilliant.
Meh - is the word of the moment - it means so so, and I intend to add it to my vocalulary.
I'm feeling mega meh tonight....
meh
meh
meh....
I will face these latest technical challenges in the morning - it's not human to be thinking about these problems past 5.30pm...
Meanwhile on a happier note - singers are coming forward for the audition. Strangely I am rather low on alto voices... hello out there you lovely altos - please get in touch... especially if you can sing high F!
Had a very interesting chat with my old friend and colleague Adrian Lee last night. He is going to take on the role of producer for the recording. He has so many wise and practical things to say about the whole process. As well as which he is really up for taking care of me - as I go through the inevitable ups and downs of organizing 22 musicians, a sound engineer, all the gubbins you need to set up a recording session as well as a full score and parts perfectly prepared. It's a huge task. He said he's there for me at the end of the phone if I need to think something through - or get a second opinion. He's up for making lists keeping the details on the surface - so nothing gets forgotten. Really good plan. I can't tell you how reassuring that feels ..(- whoever it is 'you' are, dear reader...).
Brilliant news is I've booked the Smith Quartet to play as part of the ensemble. They have the right kind of sound that I'm looking for in the string playing. We've also earmarked June 10 and 11 for the recording. 10 will be a rehearsal for the singers and 11 will be with everyone - rehearse/record.
One of Adrians good ideas - he should know with over 15 RSC productions as composer/MD/performer behind him - is to invite the key singers to a days workshop to introduce them to the vocal style I am looking for. Rather than expect them to get that in the rehearsal as well as bash the notes etc. I hope people are prepared to come along for an extra day - that would be well worth it I think.
I wasn't elated as I got the the end of the full score layout - I've gone beyond elation - it's pure drudgery now - damn those PDF files... I should have put them on a CD and walked over to the printers then none of this would have happened! It's demoralising somehow.
I can't quite get my head around the fact I'm doing a Spitz gig in under two weeks. I better had as I need to keep my voice in shape and right now all I can think of is - yes you guessed it - my lost addresses and PDF files - isn't life exciting?!
Weird thing happend this evening - I went on a date with a guy who used to work for my father at Saga Records! First thing he said without even knowing Marcel Rodd was my father was "the man was a genius - he revolutionised the music industry single handed" I kid you not that is what he said! And he himself is still in the arts and was quite qualified to say so. I was simultaneously chuffed and somewhat freaked out! He was 'just a kid' when he worked for my Dad - but he remembered all sorts of things about the factory in Kensal Road and the heat and noise of the printing presses and that he was the one that had to go and get the wages for everyone from the local bank in Harrow Road every friday afternoon. It was quite surreal. And we were a stones throw from this Serphardic Synagogue in Maida Vale that he was convinced would have records of my Roditi family history dating right back. It was like being is a time warp or something.
I drove home just now and got completly lost on the way back.... and I know those streets like the back of my hand...
I loved the Kombat Opera's second offering on Sunday 'Spouse Swap'. Really funny, really excellent comic vocal writing. I really know where he's coming from (Richard Thomas) and feel as if I could do a good job working in that style myself... I bet a lot of composers are thinking that right now... or just dissing it as a clever trick.. I think it's brilliant.
Meh - is the word of the moment - it means so so, and I intend to add it to my vocalulary.
I'm feeling mega meh tonight....
meh
meh
meh....
2.22.2007
Singers - where art thou? Dance, tinitis - Adrian and mashed potatoe
Well, it's about a week since I put out the call for singers...initially I had a good response with 9 singers contacting me and I thought things were beginning to roll... but it's all gone very quiet! I am beginning to wonder if my email address isn't working!
Today I put out some ads. for people to put up in public places singers frequent - colleges, theatres, music venues etc - and Lyn my librettist - who lives in the West End - took ads to all West End theatres showing musicals... plus the opera houses and the South Bank Centre etc.
Luckily I have a good long lead time of 6 weeks on this audition. So I'm not panicing yet! But I am a bit down hearted today.
Also - having printed the piano reduction on tuesday and had 16 copies made I think it was a huge moment of letting go and exhaustion has crept up on me. It took me seven months to get the vocal score looking right. So many things to sort out and proof read. Had a couple of days away from looking at music on the screen - while I psych up for the final furlong with the full score. So much proof reading to do there.
But it is worth writing this blog - I thought no one was reading it and I was just writing into the void - but a lovely lady contacted me having read my last entry saying she had a direct contact for the Australian Dance Theatre if I wanted an introduction! It made my day. Still waiting to hear back on that... (say no more).
I thought the Australian Dance Company gig at Sadlers Wells was a little too crazy heavy - punk electronic music for 75% of the hours show - and then this stray piece of Chopinesque piano music out of nowhere.... they do have a lyrical side but concentrated a lot on the wildly acrobatic and group herd instinct type energies. It was sensational and only occasionally touching. Still the power of beauty of their work is flagrant. And the photography on large screens of the dancers and the slow mo film - frame by frame of their dance - was exceptionally effective.
I guess I should just ride this low out and recognise I have just achieved a huge amount in printing the vocal score. It's there forever now and that feels good.
I might try contacting some casting departments tomorrow. Adrian Lee, my good friend and advisor suggested that. He is helping me project manage this process now. He has really good ideas - being a composer/producer - notably with the RSC.
i am getting tinitis at the moment - intermittently - but like when I lie down on my pillow my ear starts to whistle! It's quite invasive. I am going to get my ears candelled. It's an American Indian technique.
I'm flat as a pancake tonight. Tired after having had the vocal score printed on tuesday. A big relief. Just wanted to eat mashed potatoe like my mum used to make it this evening. So I did. And felt like I was ten years old again. Sitting watching TV, having dinner - zonking out. Now to bed to read - Embraced by the Light - about a near death experience.
Today I put out some ads. for people to put up in public places singers frequent - colleges, theatres, music venues etc - and Lyn my librettist - who lives in the West End - took ads to all West End theatres showing musicals... plus the opera houses and the South Bank Centre etc.
Luckily I have a good long lead time of 6 weeks on this audition. So I'm not panicing yet! But I am a bit down hearted today.
Also - having printed the piano reduction on tuesday and had 16 copies made I think it was a huge moment of letting go and exhaustion has crept up on me. It took me seven months to get the vocal score looking right. So many things to sort out and proof read. Had a couple of days away from looking at music on the screen - while I psych up for the final furlong with the full score. So much proof reading to do there.
But it is worth writing this blog - I thought no one was reading it and I was just writing into the void - but a lovely lady contacted me having read my last entry saying she had a direct contact for the Australian Dance Theatre if I wanted an introduction! It made my day. Still waiting to hear back on that... (say no more).
I thought the Australian Dance Company gig at Sadlers Wells was a little too crazy heavy - punk electronic music for 75% of the hours show - and then this stray piece of Chopinesque piano music out of nowhere.... they do have a lyrical side but concentrated a lot on the wildly acrobatic and group herd instinct type energies. It was sensational and only occasionally touching. Still the power of beauty of their work is flagrant. And the photography on large screens of the dancers and the slow mo film - frame by frame of their dance - was exceptionally effective.
I guess I should just ride this low out and recognise I have just achieved a huge amount in printing the vocal score. It's there forever now and that feels good.
I might try contacting some casting departments tomorrow. Adrian Lee, my good friend and advisor suggested that. He is helping me project manage this process now. He has really good ideas - being a composer/producer - notably with the RSC.
i am getting tinitis at the moment - intermittently - but like when I lie down on my pillow my ear starts to whistle! It's quite invasive. I am going to get my ears candelled. It's an American Indian technique.
I'm flat as a pancake tonight. Tired after having had the vocal score printed on tuesday. A big relief. Just wanted to eat mashed potatoe like my mum used to make it this evening. So I did. And felt like I was ten years old again. Sitting watching TV, having dinner - zonking out. Now to bed to read - Embraced by the Light - about a near death experience.
2.16.2007
Call for singers, dance company and carrot soup.
I have put out a Call for Singers for auditions for the recording of the opera (well, 20 mins thereof only). Big step for me! Have spent whole of last year in a bubble of computers and music preparing the scores and the audio - and to now be opening up my focus to real musicians is a bit of a shock to the system. I had become very inverted and, to say the least, sedantry in the last year! Who would have thought so much work would have had to go on... but on it has gone.
I am opening up the call for singers to West End shows, left field experimental singers, world music singers (need to be able to read though), light operatic singers, and ideally that cross bread of singer who can both 'rock and roll' an audience as well as enchant, terrify, invoke and inspire. Come forward my friends - the time is now! ... I have a dreammm... and it's called a Dance Opera.
I'm looking forward to seeing the Australian Dance Theatre on tuesday next at Sadlers Wells... they're billed as "innocent, arrogant, rude, poetic, elegant, punk - and sexy as hell" - and that's just the kind of dance company I'd like to have choreograph to my piece. I mean - shooting for the stars... that sounds like the kind of group that would set this piece on fire... it's already alight I have to say, as music any way, - but imagine how hot it could be with dance in the mix as well!!
Shame they are from Australia - it's a bit of a way a way... but - hey - dream on I say!
The audio files are now all up on the internet - and if you're a singer with Sibelius software - I could send you the whole vocal score to look at by email. There are samples of the vocal score also on my website - and these will form the basis of the audition. I hope we get lots of singers interested in auditioning - so far, after two days, eight people have got in touch - so that's not a bad start!
I have now finished proof reading the piano vocal score - and will, early next week, print it out, do the photocopies and binding. That will then form the basis for all corrections in the full score still to work on.
If ever there was a time in my life when I felt like I was going for it - this is it. What will happen once we have the demo recording?? I can't think that far ahead! I just know that this music needs to be given a chance to come back to life - and this is the only way I can think to do it.
We have to make a really good impression with the demo and hope that some exciting influencial entrepeneurial innovative people and organizations get to hear it and want to get involved in making the piece come to life in it's fullest from - as a Dance Opera!
I can't think of much else these days - I would be boring company at a dinner party - rabbitting on about my own project endlessly no doubt!
The best bits of the day for me are the gaps between the work - they are short but they are my meditation at the moment.
Making the carrot soup at lunchtime was like spending time in a Zen monastery. Silence in the room - except for the chopping of vegetables. Bliss.
I am opening up the call for singers to West End shows, left field experimental singers, world music singers (need to be able to read though), light operatic singers, and ideally that cross bread of singer who can both 'rock and roll' an audience as well as enchant, terrify, invoke and inspire. Come forward my friends - the time is now! ... I have a dreammm... and it's called a Dance Opera.
I'm looking forward to seeing the Australian Dance Theatre on tuesday next at Sadlers Wells... they're billed as "innocent, arrogant, rude, poetic, elegant, punk - and sexy as hell" - and that's just the kind of dance company I'd like to have choreograph to my piece. I mean - shooting for the stars... that sounds like the kind of group that would set this piece on fire... it's already alight I have to say, as music any way, - but imagine how hot it could be with dance in the mix as well!!
Shame they are from Australia - it's a bit of a way a way... but - hey - dream on I say!
The audio files are now all up on the internet - and if you're a singer with Sibelius software - I could send you the whole vocal score to look at by email. There are samples of the vocal score also on my website - and these will form the basis of the audition. I hope we get lots of singers interested in auditioning - so far, after two days, eight people have got in touch - so that's not a bad start!
I have now finished proof reading the piano vocal score - and will, early next week, print it out, do the photocopies and binding. That will then form the basis for all corrections in the full score still to work on.
If ever there was a time in my life when I felt like I was going for it - this is it. What will happen once we have the demo recording?? I can't think that far ahead! I just know that this music needs to be given a chance to come back to life - and this is the only way I can think to do it.
We have to make a really good impression with the demo and hope that some exciting influencial entrepeneurial innovative people and organizations get to hear it and want to get involved in making the piece come to life in it's fullest from - as a Dance Opera!
I can't think of much else these days - I would be boring company at a dinner party - rabbitting on about my own project endlessly no doubt!
The best bits of the day for me are the gaps between the work - they are short but they are my meditation at the moment.
Making the carrot soup at lunchtime was like spending time in a Zen monastery. Silence in the room - except for the chopping of vegetables. Bliss.
1.23.2007
Publishing Inanna on my website
I can publish the score and upload the Sibelius music files on my website... this has just occurred to me today! 50 tracks of music and God knows how many pages of music - full score and piano reduction - all up there for people to check out.
Especially useful as I am about to advertise for singers. Thy can go print off the music - listen to the files - research the history of the piece... it all makes sense!
I finished the layout of Act 2 yesterday - and now just the parts of Act 2 left. Phew! Will be going through the piano reduction again with Alex tomorrow evening. We're getting to the stage soon where we'll be ready for printing. Another odyssey in itself no doubt! Each stage has had it's epic trials to over come I can tell you! I got a feeling today that the worst is behind me. That the fun can really start now. I've put in the work and now the path is clear for some collaborative creativity, music making and project development research - yes - another odyssey awaits.. !
Especially useful as I am about to advertise for singers. Thy can go print off the music - listen to the files - research the history of the piece... it all makes sense!
I finished the layout of Act 2 yesterday - and now just the parts of Act 2 left. Phew! Will be going through the piano reduction again with Alex tomorrow evening. We're getting to the stage soon where we'll be ready for printing. Another odyssey in itself no doubt! Each stage has had it's epic trials to over come I can tell you! I got a feeling today that the worst is behind me. That the fun can really start now. I've put in the work and now the path is clear for some collaborative creativity, music making and project development research - yes - another odyssey awaits.. !
1.17.2007
The Descent of Inanna - My journey to make this Opera happen again.
I'd like to use this blog to record the progress of my work on relaunching a production of my first opera Inanna. Now retitled The Descent of Inanna (Inanna for short!). This piece was first performed in 1992 at the ICA in London and you can see it's history, since then, on my website. However what you can't see - is it's future. Since May 2005 I have been quietly thinking about, and working, on this piece. It has been a slow, joyful, yet labourious journey to get to where I am today, one and a half years later. I decided, with the encouragement and belief of conductor Alex Ingram, that the piece needed reworking. It also needed rescoring. It also needed a new piano reduction, and - it also needed a good audio demo for prospective supporters.
All these stages have been achieved - almost. I am in the final throes of finishing the score and piano reduction and then proof reading both of these will take place. Meanwhile I have also created an audio version of the piece using Sibelius software. The audio demo is pretty good - I used Garritan Personal Ochestra and Kontakt Gold together to get the best results I could. I won't go on about the whole Sibelius side as that has been quite a steep learning curve in it's own right - and I'd prefer to keep this to things of general interest and not get too geeky.
Tonight Alex is coming round again - as he has been tirelessly over the last year - working at various stages on the orchestration, the layout, the piano reduction, the audio etc with me. Without his help I wouldn't have been able to get this far. It was a massive task - what I thought might take three months - has taken - in terms of labour - a solid year. This evening we are going through the piano reduction and with his brilliant piano playing skills he is helping me tidy up the piano part. No small task - it's 350 pages of A4. He has gone through my piano writing with a fine tooth comb and spotted many corners that could be rewritten more effectively. We are now also adding a lot more phrasing and sluring to the vocal lines - which we will then transfer over to the full score. The overal pharasing of the piano writing too will form a reference for any parts of the full score which I missed on the three trawls through it bar by bar that i have already done.
We managed 26 pages (from the 350) in two and a half hours last night - so it will be slow work. Hopefully we'll speed up!
Then another visit back to the full score to transfer all updated phrasing from the piano reduction. Meanwhile - I still have to finish the layout the full score - Act 2, Act 1 is done - and also the parts layout for Act 2, again Act 1 is done.
On top of this I have decided that, despite the pretty good result I got from Sibelius, I will be making a live recording of 20 minute of the piece as a better representation of the music than any computer could ever muster. That's the plan! And the recording dates are set for April 2 and 3.
Watch this space to find out how I get on - week by week as the final stages of this initial first stage in making this piece come alive again - actually happens!
jenni-roditi.com
Jenni Roditi.com
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