A Concert of Your Work

[Tyler Hughes]

So I am soon approaching my very own senior recital and it has got me
thinking about what I will have one it.
It has also got me thinking about this thread topic:

If you were given the chance to put on a recital of just your music,
what pieces of yours would be on it?

Keep in mind a practical concert repertoire and what is actually
possible. Include if you will have a video recording of any works
present or film cues.

[Fredrick zinos]

My concert would consist of the following:

Everyone who showed up would be given $100.00 on the condition that they always remember my name, because a concert of ones own music has that as its ultimate objective, after all. This would save me the trouble of writing anything and graciously spare the audience the unbearable agony having to listen to it and lose an evening of tv watching and lying to one's mate,in the process.

[H. Archibald]

Here is what I did. Or course you will obviously choose what you feel will work best for you.

When I did my senior recital at the conservatory I programed it in two parts with a very brief intermission.

The first half started with a work for solo piano, followed by a work for piano and bass clarinet. Both pieces were high energy pieces for the most part. That way I started off the concert with high energy.

I then had a brief intermission for some extra set up time and organization time for a piece I composed for Chorus and instrumental ensemble. The chorus included friends of mine who were voice majors and had about 3 singers per part (SATB with Mezzo and Baritone soloist and myself as conductor) and the instrumental/orchestra consisted of a small string section (violins 1&2, violas, cello, bass, 2 trumpets and timpani). The piece was about 20mins in length divided into 7 movements.

and I ended with an encore of a piece for piano and soprano solo.

My program was a bit ambitious but if you can find dedicated friends/performers to help it will be possible to do a real nice recital with works of any size and difficulty (my music is not at all easy). Keep in mind that working out an effective rehearsal schedule for the various components of your concert is important. You will be giving a lot of time and energy for the various individual rehearsals, and so will your performers. In my situation, I schedules choral and orchestral rehearsals one a week on separate days for chorus and orchestra. For the Chamber works I had rehearsals once a week or more or less depending on time and performers. I made the rehearsal schedule and made sure everyone had a copy of it with my contact info to reach me in the even that they could not show. And of course you will have to deal with frustrations of people forgetting or not being able to make it when you want. But if they are sincere in giving you their best and you trust them, you will see how well things will come together and how it will all pay off even if the final concert isn't "perfect" in every detail that you wanted.

[Tyler Hughes]

What were the pieces that were on your recital, and are they on your page?

H. A. said:

Here is what I did. Or course you will obviously choose what you feel will work best for you.

When I did my senior recital at the conservatory I programed it in two parts with a very brief intermission.

The first half started with a work for solo piano, followed by a work for piano and bass clarinet. Both pieces were high energy pieces for the most part. That way I started off the concert with high energy.

I then had a brief intermission for some extra set up time and organization time for a piece I composed for Chorus and instrumental ensemble. The chorus included friends of mine who were voice majors and had about 3 singers per part (SATB with Mezzo and Baritone soloist and myself as conductor) and the instrumental/orchestra consisted of a small string section (violins 1&2, violas, cello, bass, 2 trumpets and timpani). The piece was about 20mins in length divided into 7 movements.

and I ended with an encore of a piece for piano and soprano solo.

My program was a bit ambitious but if you can find dedicated friends/performers to help it will be possible to do a real nice recital with works of any size and difficulty (my music is not at all easy). Keep in mind that working out an effective rehearsal schedule for the various components of your concert is important. You will be giving a lot of time and energy for the various individual rehearsals, and so will your performers. In my situation, I schedules choral and orchestral rehearsals one a week on separate days for chorus and orchestra. For the Chamber works I had rehearsals once a week or more or less depending on time and performers. I made the rehearsal schedule and made sure everyone had a copy of it with my contact info to reach me in the even that they could not show. And of course you will have to deal with frustrations of people forgetting or not being able to make it when you want. But if they are sincere in giving you their best and you trust them, you will see how well things will come together and how it will all pay off even if the final concert isn't "perfect" in every detail that you wanted.

[Andrew Gleibman]

It is almost impossible for me to prefer some of my pieces against others. So I think it depends on the audience, the city where the concert should take place, the theme / event, conductor, performers etc.

[Tyler Hughes]

Well let me give you an audience situation that I have found very typical of new music concerts if held in a major city.

First, your friends and family will make up a large portion of the audience.

The other part of your audience would most likely be either fellow composers or musicians that you either invite or find out about the concert either through advertisements or word of mouth. Their taste and experiences of new music concerts will be varied from person to person, but overall they come in with little to no expectations of what the concert will sound like. This is mainly because they most likely have heard some of the strangest music so nothing surprises them.

The other part is going to be the music lovers that will go to any music concert that they find.

A very small portion that may or may not be there are music critics and "journalist" (AKA music bloggers). They are their because you either invited them or they found out about the concert and almost out of habit showed up.

The last portion is the smallest portion at a new music concert, the blue hairs. They are the least receptive to new music (and often are unaware that new music is being made). They are their mainly to be either seen or just because its something to do.


As far as performing forces and theme, that is up to you but typically it is mainly chamber and solo music. If you have large ensemble pieces to play, it is usually a recording that is played (video or audio).
And the theme is usually just new music, your music.

Andrew Gleibman said:

It is almost impossible for me to prefer some of my pieces against others. So I think it depends on the audience, the city where the concert should take place, the theme / event, conductor, performers etc.

[Andrew Gleibman]

In this situation I will probably

1) Forbid my family and friends to come
2) Not inform my fellow composers, musicians and music lovers about the event
3) Let the journalists / critics discuss the widespread mechanical loops with the blue hairs, as they generally do
4) Go to a worthy place where I could listen to good chamber or solo music in a good performance -:)

[Clark Nichols]

let's see

 

Coastal Morning

my Viola Concerto (which I am working on)

my First String Quartet

my Symphony No.1 in A minor (assuming it's finished)

the Loirpac Suite, which I am also working on.

[David Unger]

As I have mainly composed songs for choir, art songs and smaller piano pieces of course the program would include such pieces. I have only once had the pleasure of having a concert made up of only my own music. Then the program was made up of the following art songs/song cycles:

 

1. Ödesnatt, då stjärnan vilar (Night of destiny, when the star rests)

2. Tre sånger av folklig karaktär op. 4 (Three songs of folk-like caracter)

3. Slut dina ögon kära op. 11 no. 2 (Close your eyes, (my) beloved)

4. Ur Friederike Brions visor op. 5 (From the songs of Friederike Brion) 3 songs

 

At that point none of my other opus numbered music was written exept for opp. 1-3 (not even op.11 no. 1).

 

Now I would probably program it like this:

1. Tre sånger om kung Bores uppgång och fall op. 3 (Three songs of the rise and fall of King Boreas), for baritone and piano

These start with a massive F-minor chord in ff and would really make a stunning first impression on the audience.

 

2. Skånska vinterkvällar op. 9 (Winter evenings in Skåne) for mixed choir

These are two beautiful semi-contrapunctual songs that would continue the winter theme whilst bringing another perspective to it.

 

3. Hyllning till våren (Celebration of spring) for soprano and piano
This yet unnumbered song shares the majestic tone of the first cycle, declaring final victory for spring over winter.

 

4. Hjärtats längtan op. 23 (The longing of the heart) for soprano and piano

This, my largest song cycle (of eight songs) would be the main number of the concert. As in the first cycle it tells the story of a rise and fall, although in this case in a more personal sense.

 

5. Sex emotioner op. 25 (Six emotions) for solo piano

The pieces in this piano cycle was composed to the pre-set headlines Happiness, Pride, Infatuation, Anger, Sorrow and Thoughfullness. Here once again somebody loves and loses.

 

6. Två sånger op. 18 (Two songs) for mixed choir

These two songs talk of rememberence of those long lost and the feeling of being lost in this world.

 

This would be a rather short, but well held together program I think. And I would really like to hear it myself....!