In this 6th episode of my video series that follows my journey bringing a large, concerto-like composition to life, I chat with violinist Holly Mulcahy about the problems that virtuosity can bring to a new composition, and how writing simple music can be so difficult. Holly has happily agreed to be the soloist (or potentially one of multiple soloists) for the premiere of this composition when it is complete, and you can follow along on YouTube to see the past episodes, and to stay updated on my work as the composition progresses and finally gets into the hands of the musicians!
ORBITS •
When I think about orbits, I think about gravity and attraction, friction and resistance, between planets and between people. I think about opposites on a grand scale from electrons to galaxies, from musical time periods to melodic moments. I’m interested in writing that is as simple as can be, while also containing the hugeness of life in it. My inspiration for this composition, as always, are the musicians who will play it. I’m excited to work alongside them to refine my score to be as fun to play as possible! Conversations with musicians like Holly are so helpful for me in finding my direction at this stage of a new composition. But, I’m also finding huge inspiration for this piece in the string music of the Italian Baroque school of composers, and I’m finding that this inspiration is affecting everything from scoring my work (something like a concerto grosso) to the quality of the instrumental writing and the way that Italian Baroque compositions are fickle and electric, changing in a split second in a way that still feels new and exciting hundreds of years later. It’s music that was written “before the rules” in a way that allows it to perfectly reflect and embody the laws of nature outside of textbook definitions and science experiments. Simple musical phrases like raw materials are what I’m gathering and cultivating for this composition, and as I start to get the first sketches onto the page, I’m only starting to glimpse what the finished work might be.