I have started a new arrangement for full orchestra now that the Ysaye is essentially finished.  This time I’m tackling the Beethoven “Kreutzer” sonata (first movement) which is among the most loved, most difficult, and most emotionally charged of his works for violin and piano.  It is a wonderful work that I think will translate beautifully to full orchestra.  It also has a prominent part in that Beethoven movie Immortal Beloved which was not a great movie (although Gary Oldman was spot on as Ludwig), but the soundtrack is outstanding and the story behind this piece helps explain the furious nature of the first movement.

Updates to follow.  Thanks for visiting!

I am a sports fan.

I am a 3rd generation Chicago Cubs fan (my dearly departed grandmother actually took my father to game 7 of the 1945 World Series – the last series game the Cubs ever played I might add). I also care more than most humans about the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Blackhawks – a pattern might be detected here re: the city in which I hold my allegiance.

The Bears have recently acquired an elite-level quarterback and that has made for some extravagant expectations as to the future of the team.  After watching the first three games of the season, I can say that I would like to up my blood-pressure meds!

It has occurred to me that Chicago (nicknamed ‘Second City’) will never, ever do things easily.  We recently lost the Olympics, the Cubs haven’t won a world series in over 100 years, and the Bears can’t win a game without first giving their fans congestive heart failure.  Hindsight may be 20-20, but I am wishing we could get to the finish line without me having to see a @!#$! thing!

In the event that you visited here, or wasn’t aware of the site, or have been living in a cave in western Australia, I’d like to refresh your memory of this site and its uses.

This is a site that is a blog-style site that deals mostly with classical music as played by the violin.  I am a violinist as well as teacher and conductor, thus the thrust of the site.  I have written and encourage anyone to submit articles on violin technique, repertoire, and current events that are paramount to violinists, students, and otherwise musically educated folk for ingesting through this venue.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, or simply write something and let me know how I can include it here.

Thank you for visiting!

HD

I have finally finished the orchestration of the Ysaye Ballade that I’ve been working on for seemingly years and years. Actually it’s only been 4-5 months, but I’m not done quite yet.  I’ve posted the work here, but I am still editing the score for articulation and a few wrong notes here and there.  I hope to have the full score, all the parts, and 99% correct notation by the end of the year for a possible performance in the Spring of 2010.   We’ll see.

Thanks for looking!

HD

How does one spot a famous conductor? The hair.

Look around at the great orchestral conductors throughout the years and you will notice that each has what I call “special” hair. I have categorized this special hair into three groups.

The first would be the “perfect” conductor hair.

There have been many over the years, but this group is headlined by the late Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan. Perfect conductor hair (or PCH) is generally long and wavy and although it inevitably turns gray, it remains perfect throughout the maestro’s lifetime. The best part of PCH is the look at the end of a performance. Usually these frocks explode into sweat mangled messes by the end of a symphony. Just look at any youtube video and you can see what I mean. (more…)

Wow, it’s been a long time since I put any effort into this site.  I am hoping to change that going forward.

Football season gets started soon, as does school season.  I’ve been working on a lot of new arrangements for string orchestra which are all coming along very well.  You can see them all HERE.

I’m still working on the violin, however I’ve had a few setbacks with regard to my health.  I’ve recently had surgery to repair a herniated disc in my upper back.  I am back to 100% now and pain free so it’s back to work!

Stay tuned for more!