This sounds great, a really fine composition.  Also the clarinet programming is excellent  - congratulations on all of this huge amount of work.  

p.s.  I used to sing Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (raspy voice and all) to my cat...before he attempted to claw my eyes out 😊

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Everyone's a critic! Next time, tell him what I always say when I get the mic: "I occasionally take requests...but most of the time I sing anyway." 😛 Of course in his case, you should probably say it while wearing safety goggles.

@William said:

This sounds great, a really fine composition.  Also the clarinet programming is excellent  - congratulations on all of this huge amount of work.  

Thanks so much, William.  You know how I value your opinion and appreciate you taking the time to listen and comment.

All the best,

Dave

Hi Dave

After two listens I guess I can say something about this impressive concerto. But first of all I find it a very nice gesture to dedicate the piece to Rebecca, wife and mother, solo clarinet player, source of inspiration and technical performance assistant... She really deserves it. How thoughtful of you. Hopefully she will perform it once live on stage!

Let's start with the composition itself. Actually I was overwhelmed by the first listen because of the musical content. The three parts show another soul, a different spirit in a most creative way. Without leaving the basic style, you managed to create in the movements a different ambience in which the clarinet plays an important part. It shows how you master the instrument in its technical abilities, without getting too cerebral. Everything remains listenable and musical, a great achievement in a piece of that scale.
OK, there might be some small balance issues between orchestra and woodwinds (brass and percussion), but they don't disturb me. One could always criticise for criticism's sake, but that usually doesn't bring much support or improvement.

The second listen confirmed my first impression and proves your musical freedom: not lead by one particular style or way of writing, tied to one or other composer or teacher. There I recognize myself. I refuse to stick to one period, style, technique and I hate modernism because I don't often understand what's going on, unless it's mere sonic experiment as a kind of soundscape. One of my teachers (a great composer btw) once told me that it was necessary to have a decent musical background to compose (to be able to judge yourself), but that you must put aside all compelling theories (harmony, strict counterpoint, chord progressions...) to be able to be creative in a personal way. They can only serve as technical basis to work on. And it's no use to repeat musical history, neither is throwing it away!

Well Dave, after my (too) long summer absence, I'm so glad I could pick up the forum activity by a masterpiece like your concerto. Looking forward to hear a live performance!

Jos

I can't express my gratitude to you, Jos, for taking the time to write such an extensive set of observations and I'm happy that you enjoyed the concerto.  Becky took a stab at the piece one evening (time is scarce with the baby), but there's still the little thing with finding a willing orchestra.  Lately, I haven't been feeling keen on reaching out to performers for a variety of reasons, and if getting small chamber groups on board is difficult, getting orchestras is nearly impossible for unknown composers.  

Cheers!

Dave

"Lately, I haven't been feeling keen on reaching out to performers for a variety of reasons, and if getting small chamber groups on board is difficult, getting orchestras is nearly impossible for unknown composers. " - Acclarion

I have had the same feeling for years now.  If you play in, or conduct, an orchestra or ensemble it is possible.  But in general players have no need for new composers, so they end up just ignoring them.  

I have started to develop an outright hostility to this situation - partly because of samples.  In other words, one strives to get a performance by the vaunted live players and their precious gift to you - the pathetically begging composer - and maybe once in a blue moon it succeeds. Then they do a lousy, hasty, under-rehearsed performance and it is inferior in every way compared to VSL.  

O.K. I am getting irritated - very easy to do on THIS subject!  

Hi Dave, William,

You can count me in, but I'm in a total different situation now. For 25 years I was leading a chamber ensemble (9 to 14 musicians) with whom we played mainly 18th century light music from the Flemish archives. That way I met many fine professional musicians and organisers of concerts. 
A few months ago, the mayor of my village (12 000 inhabitants) asked me to organise a concert with my symphonic music exclusively by the end of Februari 2019. Of course the cost was the main issue and a full professional syphonic ensemble would be out of reach for a small village like ours. So I had to look for a semi professional orchestra. In the neighbourhood, there is such an orchestra, with partly professionals and partly good amateurs. The conductor is a professional bassoon player and director of a music academy. He has a complete ensemble, even with all the percussion and a harp. They have received all the scores and parts and can start rehearsing.

In the village we have a modern church with a marvellous acoustic and I asked to play the concert there. Maybe they will play my accordion concerto as well, but again that depends on the price of the soloist.

Of course I can't expect a perfect performance. That would be priceless. But I'm very much pleased with the offer anyway, realising that this is really rare these days. And the community pays all the expences!

Jos

William:  As we've discussed, I'm fully in agreement with you and your "right to riot" when it comes to the treatment of composers by those who could give our music a chance to resonate with audiences.  Alas, as Liszt said, "mournful, but grand, is the destiny of the artist."  Finding value in what we do now guarantees some measure of success and purpose, rather than waiting and hoping for future recognition that likely will never come for most of us.

Jos:  Congratulations on this opportunity!  While being in a small town/village most often isn't condusive to getting discovered and/or receiving breakout opportunities, it also can have the effect of letting you build relationships and develop a following that would be difficult in larger cities that are swarmed with talent and are hyper-competitive and political.

Keep us abreast of the developments and here's hoping you get your accordion concerto performed by someone that will make you proud!

Cheers,

Dave

"...mournful, but grand, is the destiny of the artist..." - Liszt

This is recompense from one of the greatest heroes of music and art.