Posted on by Marilyn Herman

Music by Contemporary Women Composers

Music by contemporary catherine

Including my “Vocalise” for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet in Bb.  (My surname only has one of each letter!)  Called “Vocalise” because I set out to write a “Vocalise” for voice and clarinet – but it took on a life of its own (as these things do), and became a work more suited to instrumental forces – winds.  But I retained the title.  I can’t wait to hear it performed by these superb musicians!  And I love the atmosphere of the venue!

If there is a soprano out there who feels she would like to give the flute part a go, that would be great too!  I would love to hear that!

Also, great that this concert is contributing towards putting women composers on the map.  Women have been grossly ignored in the world of classical composition throughout its history.  Today, when there is no shortage of women composers, there is no excuse.  Just a couple or so years ago, not a single work by a woman composer was played throughout the entire summer prom series!  And in the days when massive CD stores were still gracing the West End’s main streets (London), I went into the largest classical CD section to be found in a CD store in London (Tottenham Court Road) and could not find a single CD featuring works by women composers.

Posted on by Marilyn Herman

Michal 06 for Solo Clarinet at l’klectik Art Lab

18th London Wind sept 2015 new yellow

My work for solo clarinet, Michal 06, will be performed again on Tuesday October 13th, at l’klectik Art Lab, London SE1, by Phil Edwards. He performed it so beautifully and gave it more than I could have imagined, last month at Regent Hall. He has completely made it his own. The acoustics of the venue were amazing, which brought out polyphonies in the piece I haven’t heard in it before, and which I couldn’t have anticipated when writing it! I’m thrilled that he’s performing it again!

Posted on by Marilyn Herman

A clarinet performance, and a protest against compression!

Embed from Getty Images

I found this image of a clarinet next to a precariously tipped glass of martini, on Getty images. I would be rather worried if I were the owner of that clarinet….

I have written a work for solo clarinet called “Michal 06”.  It will be receiving a second performance on 18th September in London, at the New Winds Festival, played by Phil Edwards.  I’m not sure yet of the venue, but will keep you posted.  Please keep this date free for this, and newer works for winds.

Michal 06 starts off as jazz, then progressing into a section based on oriental-style modes, which in turn progresses into a section which is Impressionistic in character. Although these three styles are so contrasting, the transition from one into the other seems seamless and natural. In the final section, these three styles are fused.

You can hear a recording of Michal 06 played most beautifully by Phil Edwards here:

If you’re thinking:  I’ve heard it now, so there’s no point in coming to the recital, my answer to you is:  not so!!!  Now it’s familiar, you’ll enjoy the performance more, and you’ll be getting the live, visual, compression-free experience.  Martini:  I think you’ll need to bring your own.

Speaking of compression:  I’m starting to think it should be outlawed!  I understand completely why so many people are reverting to vinyl, and am so pleased that I have kept my vinyl collection.  I used to feel music played on my record player with all my being, and now, with mp3s, it’s as if it’s all 2D instead of 3D.  My priority, as soon as I have the space, is to get a really good sound system, and to do away with mp3 recordings as far as possible.  It’s so convenient to be able to listen to Youtube recordings or to go to Naxos, but for the listening experience, I think it was far more worthwhile to make a trip to the music library, incur huge fines, etc. in order to take out LPs or even CDs.  Surely performers and composers want people to hear their music at its best, and not all compressed and flattened and deadened.  They could start refusing to allow their music to appear in mp3 format – but only really established artistes could really afford to do that.

In the meantime, it seems a whole generation has only ever heard compressed mp3 recordings, except when they go to live concerts.  How sad is that?!!!