Welcome!

This blog documents the creative processes of composers Craig Biondi, Alphonse Izzo and Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn as they compose new works for a concert funded in part through Meet The Composer's Met Life Creative Connections Program in association with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Since the posts here chronicle a linear progression of a piece's creation, it is suggested that new readers scroll to the bottom of the blog and work their way forward. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Wrap Up



I spent the week prior to the concert in Alabama and had an opportunity to see what Birmingham has to offer.  Did you know that Birmingham was earliest and heartiest industry was iron?  Well, there's a huge statue of the Roman god Vulcan that looks down upon the city as proof.

Craig, Aleks and I had a blast visiting Sloss Furnaces, a former Iron Foundry that is now open for tours and also hosts artists whose medium is appropriately enough, metal.  If you go, be sure to spend a cpl of bucks to create your own cast iron tile. 

Ever wanted to experience an authentic Japanese tea house? Birmingham's got you covered... seriously.  The folks at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens generously gave us a tour of the beautiful Japanese gardens and tea house.  It's amazing that such a place exists in AL, though we're told that the climate in AL does resemble certain parts of Japan so the trees/plants etc. do thrive.

On Wed. the 24th. Aleks, Craig and I presented our solo cello music to the students at UAB.  My piece, The Madcap Laughed, contains elements of graphic notation which is what I centered my presentation on.

In addition to attending rehearsals throughout the week, one of our preoccupations was trying to get the live ustream feed set up correctly for the concert.  After many, many hours we finally had everything set up nicely for the concert on Saturday night so it was a surprise to find out after the concert that sound was completely distorted...  Apparently there was a problem with the levels on the mixing board that we weren't aware of.  Live and learn as they say..

Despite the fiasco with our online stream the concert was a success.  We had a full house and received some nice feedback after the concert.

I've included excerpts of the premiere of my piece Memory Theater as well as the entire performance of The Madcap Laughed. 

The Madcap Laughed, (feat. Craig Hultgren, cello):

   
       

                       
   
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Excerpt from Memory Theater (feat. Craig Hultgren: cello, Kathryn Fouse: piano, Denise Gainey: Clarinet)




                   
   
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1 comment:

  1. Great idea, guys. I wish there were more linear journals of the creative process out there because I just find it so fascinating. I also wish I had stumbled upon it a little earlier so I could have had the benefit of following it from the beginning. I hope you will consider doing this sort of thing again.

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