I haven’t been in for a while, initially having to do a revision/update course for work (a boring month if ever). Now VSL has broken down for no apparent reason and I’m still getting help. Lucky my income isn’t relying on it.
“Peggy’s Garden” is one of a suite of pieces based on a book. This number was thankfully finished just before the VSL breakdown.
A very basic synopsis: A young man, 25, is offered a beach home in a small town so he can complete some work in peace and quiet. He happens upon a woman, 34, to whom he’s hugely attracted. The story is about their growing fondness for each other, apprehension, gradual admission until final surrender. Her home (based roughtly on Thomas Glover's timber house in Nagasaki) has a large garden of intertwoven paths curving this way and that between raised flower beds, shrubs, a small fountain. Early evening. This piece tries to catch its mood..(The story also goes into low-level botanical science fiction but that’s an aside here.)
Other pieces have been competed but I’m now stymied to work on anything new except in a piano track until VSL is sorted out.
Please feel free to criticise as you will. It’s modern, sometimes concordant. Any criticism would be gratefully received.
Thank you,
.Ivor
Replies
I won't make any attempt to criticise as generally I'd need to properly understand the structure first -- or perhaps the music is more trying to capture a particular mood of strangeness, mystery some skittishness and it is rather effective in all that.
Incidentally what is it about VSL which isn't working. Is it a license problem? I every now and then find I suddenly have no instruments for instance -- particularly after an update as it can depend on which order you install updates--- but usually these things can be sorted out. Probably by now it has been but if not....
Many thanks for your comments, David. Yes, it was meant as a mood piece shifting between dark and light.
VSL- You've hit it dead on. It was working one evening then Windows did an update. Next evening it wasn't. It's still in the hands of support who claim everything looks all right about where to find content etc. They have the latest diagnostics file now. The iLok seems okay: it updated successfully, it lights up. All items are activated...which doesn't mean it's working. We shall see. At least, thanks to your comment I don't feel quite so alone!
All the best,
Ivo
Don't know if you use Vienna Ensemble Pro? I've found that if VSL release updates to say the Synchron player and Vienna Ensemble or VEP, then installing the updates in the correct order could be critical and trying uninstalling/reinstalling could help. On the othe hand, you said it was a Windows update. Curiously I think I once had a problem after a Windows update as well but unfortunately I can't remember how I fixed that one -- possibly just a system restart was enough in that case. For VSL, I have iLok in the cloud by the way.
It finally turned out to be an iLok problem. Once Johannes had checked that everything SHOULD work okay it could only be a windows update or the iLok. For some reason it went 'out of synch' The iLok site has a button "iLok not working?" and the first solution worked. That's taken about 6 weeks. Crikey!
Hi Ivor. I liked how this unfolded so naturally, with connecting poetic gestures gradually increasing in intensity, and then ebbing back for the close.
The orchestration I found very effective and engaging moment to moment. I like your harmonic language, colorful and nuanced, sometimes gently surprising but never breaking the 'emotional' context of the flow. I also thought your treatment how the rhythm gradually intensified was masterful.
Although only 5 minutes, there is much for the ear to enjoy! A lovely piece, and certainly a work of art. No criticism here.
Hello gregrorio j
Thank you indeed for your comment and I'm pleased it made some sort of sense!
Most encouraging. All I need now is to get my computer to work with VSL again and hope to make progress.
Cgeers,
Ivor