Joseph's Tempest

Hello Joseph

Sorry to have taken a while to listen to your Shakespearian settings but
they are truly enchanting and I would have loved to have seen and heard
the play itself with your music. Looks like you put in a good shift with
that commission. I went to an open air production of Midsummer's Nights
Dream over the summer. The play has lots of magic in it and the music
was live with keyboard, brass and flute, well written and in 12 tet. The
music tried to get into corners that can only be reached with
microtonality and it struck me that it would be most appropriate and a
good opportunity for microtonalists to set Shakespeare's songs. Perhaps
other theatre groups will hear your music and ask for more.

The Dowland is a nice touch. Did you know that you are following in the
footsteps of Benjamin Britten who used a Dowland theme in one of his few
compositions for guitar?

Best Wishes

--- In tuning@y..., Alison Monteith <alison.monteith3@w...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_27758.html#27758

> Hello Joseph
>
> Sorry to have taken a while to listen to your Shakespearian
settings but
> they are truly enchanting and I would have loved to have seen and
heard
> the play itself with your music. Looks like you put in a good shift
with
> that commission. I went to an open air production of Midsummer's
Nights
> Dream over the summer. The play has lots of magic in it and the
music
> was live with keyboard, brass and flute, well written and in 12
tet. The
> music tried to get into corners that can only be reached with
> microtonality and it struck me that it would be most appropriate
and a
> good opportunity for microtonalists to set Shakespeare's songs.
Perhaps
> other theatre groups will hear your music and ask for more.
>
> The Dowland is a nice touch. Did you know that you are following in
the
> footsteps of Benjamin Britten who used a Dowland theme in one of
his few
> compositions for guitar?
>
> Best Wishes

Thank you so very much, Allison. Actually, it only took me 4
evenings! However, they were four evenings with me about the color
of a sheet, in a state of shock... I was rather concerned that I
wouldn't finish in time!

I was surprised when the costumer told me he hadn't heard any
Renaissance music used with Shakespearian settings recently. Maybe
it isn't the "in thing" these days. Anyway, that's what I wanted to
hear with the play... and it certainly doesn't surprise me if people
have done that before. After all, *some* of the songs in
Shakespearian plays are actually Renaissance tunes! I'm thinking,
specifically, at the moment of _Oh Mystress Mine_ by Thomas Morley
which is in _Twelfth Night_... but there are many others...

Here is a funny one. I can actually see the play (including my wife
doing some parts) from my window on the 35th floor! I use a pair of
binoculars and can see quite a bit of the action, since it is in a
courtyard and roof right across the street... but 34 floors down!

best,

JP

jpehrson@rcn.com wrote:Here is a funny one. I can actually see the play
(including my wife

> doing some parts) from my window on the 35th floor! I use a pair of
> binoculars and can see quite a bit of the action, since it is in a
> courtyard and roof right across the street... but 34 floors down!
>
> best,
>
> JP

Joseph, you wee rascal, you get arrested for that sort of thing over
here. ; - ). Get back to your
composition.

Regards

--- In tuning@y..., Alison Monteith <alison.monteith3@w...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_27758.html#27767

>
>
> jpehrson@r... wrote:Here is a funny one. I can actually see the
play
> (including my wife
>
> > doing some parts) from my window on the 35th floor! I use a pair
of
> > binoculars and can see quite a bit of the action, since it is in a
> > courtyard and roof right across the street... but 34 floors down!
> >
> > best,
> >
> > JP
>
> Joseph, you wee rascal, you get arrested for that sort of thing over
> here. ; - ). Get back to your
> composition.
>
> Regards

That's a good one, Allison...

JP