tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137828072009-06-11T09:51:13.774-04:00Jerry Bowlesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-59586945104181792002009-06-11T09:50:00.000-04:002009-06-11T09:51:13.782-04:00

Anytime a composer writes a history of his/her development, that person runs a calculated risk of navel-gazing. As I write this post I am a mere twenty-seven years old which, in the world of "classical" music composition, means I am a tender babe still at the outset of his professional life. I am sure that in ten years, if I were to revisit this document, I'd be a combination of shocked, amused,

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-16223998716175476832009-06-05T15:45:00.001-04:002009-06-05T15:46:44.340-04:00

As contemporary artists always have, today's composers exist at a juncture between past and present. And all of us, whether we write music or perform it or listen to it, face a similar challenge: how to relate meaningfully to the past without becoming imbedded in it; how to press toward the future without abandoning the richness of our heritage. It is often remarked that some audiences seem to

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-41604514457700151712009-06-03T14:47:00.000-04:002009-06-03T14:48:29.454-04:00

Harsh words about Bang On A Can:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jan-herman/more-than-one-way-to-bang_b_209949.html

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-13941087806163030952009-03-16T22:09:00.002-04:002009-03-16T22:11:57.324-04:00

Dear Sequenza 21 readers,Ever wonder what the worst tune in the world is? Head over to my new project at Caterwaul and Doggrel and check out the results. Think of it as a musical version of "Failblog."I will gladly take suggestions for future video posts...

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-75201905838983653872009-03-12T11:08:00.001-04:002009-03-12T11:10:20.638-04:00

I've never exactly been a huge fan of Milton Babbitt, but this might change my mind.Serialism and dancing girls? Thumbs up!

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-22129109251803806612009-03-02T07:10:00.003-05:002009-03-02T07:17:02.397-05:00

Erland von Koch has passed away.He belonged to the circle of composers that debuted during the 1930s. Others in this group were Lars-Erik Larsson and Gunnar de Frumerie. The composer Erland von Koch was 98 years old, and one of the foremost Swedish composers of the 20th century.Erland von Koch received his diploma as an organist and cantor from the Music Conservatory in Stockholm in 1935. He

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-16475283935388558012009-02-25T22:25:00.003-05:002009-02-25T22:50:57.270-05:00

For the next few days, I will be heading to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to give a long paper on Elliott Carter's later harmonic and formal techniques. I'll be joined in my lecturing with Jonathan Bernard and David Schiff (who was recently featured on the Sequenza21 main page). In addition, my wife Misty will be performing Carter's 1991 solo flute piece "Scrivo in Vento". To see the line-up for

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-35350376809339859802009-02-08T10:24:00.003-05:002009-02-08T10:31:11.579-05:00

Dear Sequenza21 community,I recently posted this note on my Facebook page, with the intent of reposting it (along with the comments) on this blog. Please feel free to add to the discussion!________(My note:)Within the next five years, I'd like to publish a book of analyses of pieces by 20th-century composers. However, I want to focus on composers who, for one reason or another, wrote plenty of

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-54652110497553414932009-02-01T16:58:00.001-05:002009-02-01T16:58:33.173-05:00

From "New Music and the Intuitive Listener" from a collection of essays entitled "The Right Notes":I have already touched upon [a] point I want to make. You should listen to new music as if it were old music. The corollary of which is, that you should listen to old music as though it were new music. Some forty years ago my suggestion that a Bartok quartet be included on a chamber music series was

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-69598245845631808672008-06-08T09:19:00.002-04:002008-06-08T09:25:47.860-04:00

Here are some tunes to get you going on Sunday...1) A little Monk2) A little Mingus3) And some Martinu

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-53311503967027531472008-06-07T18:49:00.002-04:002008-06-07T18:53:30.481-04:00

With whom have I studied?I studied form with Carter, Beethoven, Schoenberg, and Mozart; harmony from Lutoslawski, Berg, and Martin; counterpoint is with JS Bach and Lassus of course; timing all comes from Stravinsky and Papa Haydn; for imagination, one must go to Ligeti, Berio, Xenakis, and Eric Dolphy; for drama, I studied with Mahler and Schumann; humor and grace I learned from Cole Porter and

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-24406355401054914212008-05-08T16:08:00.000-04:002008-05-08T16:09:16.585-04:00

IMSLP may be back up and running shortly:http://imslp.wikidot.com/

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-85237181310054131002008-04-26T13:59:00.002-04:002008-04-26T14:08:49.652-04:00

Greetings, Sequenza21 readers!Another hectic semester has concluded at Florida State University, but the event dominating my life right now is the upcoming premiere of my new Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble. The work will be performed May 1 (this Thursday) at the University of Southern Mississippi (my alma mater). By all accounts, rehearsals have been going well which is a good

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-51807297699506783552008-03-06T12:45:00.002-05:002008-03-06T13:01:03.448-05:00

In reply to a recent blog, I figured I'd spill my own guilty pleasures. (By the way, I love Tom Myron's comment on New York Times classical music critics playing even their guilty pleasures safe - you're the man, Tom!)Here we go:Ready?I have no guilty pleasures. None.Don't get me wrong. I used to. But these days, I'm not ashamed at all to discuss the music I love. Not all of it is A-list

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-6674872423203366112007-11-13T09:35:00.000-05:002007-11-13T09:54:15.270-05:00

As of last night, the premiere performance of my Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble has been moved from November 29, 2007 to April 24, 2008.The lesson I've learned is that it doesn't matter what I believe regarding the difficulty of performing my works, as the actual performers may think and feel just the opposite. In this case, the ensemble needs more time to work on the Saxophone

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-36625239830670849602007-10-20T15:06:00.000-04:002007-10-20T15:08:04.464-04:00

Sorry, people. If you are a fan of free, online public domain scores, you're out of luck:http://imslp.org/

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-3291697573639760822007-10-15T21:39:00.000-04:002007-10-15T21:40:16.059-04:00

"Men of high civilization have become voracious hearers but do hardly listen. Using organized sound as a kind of opiate, we have forgotten to ask for sense and value in what we hear."-- Curt Sachs

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-21434452184763821022007-09-13T17:44:00.000-04:002007-09-13T17:49:58.268-04:00

Last night, I completed my Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble. The piece is essentially a re-working of my earlier Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra (three movements), but with the addition of new fourth movement.Movements are as follows:I. Lento drammaticoII. BurlesqueIII. PassacagliaIV. Molto energico e precisoThe entire work is 22 minutes long.The new Concerto will be

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-13467423656753992302007-08-13T13:21:00.001-04:002007-08-13T13:27:18.438-04:00

More blogging on my Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble is forthcoming, but for now, here is what I'm listening to:Goffredo Petrassi - Concerto for Orchestra No. 2Charlie Mingus - Boogie Stop ShuffleCharles Ives - Variations on "America"Ben Folds - Rockin' the SuburbsHector Berlioz - Scherzo of Queen MabElliott Carter - PartitaWolfgang Rihm - Jagden und FormenG. P. Telemann - Flute

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-9769436479370279882007-07-18T18:28:00.000-04:002007-07-18T18:30:12.080-04:00

A recording of Eclogue for Solo Flute (2007) is up on my MySpace page:http://www.myspace.com/alantheisencomposer(Click the top tune if it doesn't play automatically.)The performer is Misty Rondeau Theisen.Enjoy!

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-21962324660197521062007-07-14T00:27:00.000-04:002007-07-14T00:28:28.769-04:00

As promised, here is the first installment in my series of essays chronicling the composition of a new finale for my Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble.The Concerto (with wind ensemble) is a re-orchestration of my earlier Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra (2002). The original is three movements long, containing: an introductory, elegiac Larghetto; a short scherzo

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-26227339919935992902007-07-13T01:32:00.000-04:002007-07-13T01:39:46.551-04:00

Hello fellow Sequenza21 campers!First of all, let me apologize for my lack of participation over the past six months. I was busy with my first year of doctoral school at Florida State University, giving papers at three conferences, and composing several new works. I have gotten my account working again and plan on blogging regularly as I did when I began two years ago.Here is the plan:I am

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-1168799120891638952007-01-14T13:23:00.000-05:002007-01-14T13:25:20.923-05:00

I am sorry to report the passing of jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. He was 57.Full story here.

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-1165926979926151572006-12-12T07:34:00.000-05:002006-12-12T07:36:19.943-05:00

I know that this is just a simple link (that many of you have seen before), but it is wonderful nonetheless:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLMIf you are a musician, this is the best five minutes you may ever spend on YouTube.

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782807.post-1164153352575212312006-11-21T18:55:00.000-05:002006-11-21T18:55:52.586-05:00

"...unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives; I distrust their power. They have a lot of it. And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind. I ought to know. I do the same thing. It is my job to create universes, as the basis

Alan Theisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678660736905514054noreply@blogger.com0