Up early for videos of Spectral Preludes: VII. Purple and
VIII. Blue-Purple and another Psalm 22c (23) sheet, before Theory, with dictation and board harmony on the Orkney Island Hymn to St. Magnus. Paper grading follows at Elephant Bar, then a return for
Music Literature, the weekly
assignment, and the late-evening Owen-Doug faculty conference at the bistro.
Do the fifth video for Spectral Preludes (Red), another page of Psalm 22c (22) and begin writing up the JooWan Kim show before the daily beauteous commute to Diablo Valley College -- with D Dorian and Minor, E Phrygian, Rex Coeli dictation/harmonization (oblique and contrary motion), and a fine composition by Cameron.
Home apace, after a
supply run,
to finish the Mik Nawooj etc article, embed videos in the first half of the Medieval chapter at markalburgermusichistory.blogspot.com, and create more visuals for Preludes with
Finish up videos for the latter two movements of Seasons' Eves: IV. Winter and
III. Fall, work on Recordings section of October 2010 21st-Century Music, head off to
dinner at a local Chinese spot with Harriet, as the local temperature plunges (into the 70's and 60's, two days after the 100's and 90's), and do another edited page of Psalm 22c (19) -- also discover the old Dyke van Dyke show online (with the classic ditty I Am a Fine Musician) and favorite a Casablanca excerpt for use in markalburgermusichistory.blogspot.com
Another edited page of Psalm 22c (18), heavy traffic approaching Cordelia, and Quiz 2 for the Theoreticians (Bass Clef, m & M2's, Snake Charmer keyboard-solfege in letter names, F Lydian and Major Scales) -- followed by a jaunt across the Bay to Celia's for paper grading (all A's again), post box check (several financial greetings), and walking the length of Casa Grande Avenue in Petaluma from Lakeville to
General Vallejo's Old Adobe, via
housing old
and
new,
political
barns,
sheep (of all animals...), a
golf
intrusion (well at least there are views and a kind of preservation, in contradistiction to some of the other encrustations)
challenging the thirsty
riparian corridor and
lost fish at the
edge of town, a
eucalyptus
sunset
(at the end point, which, astoundingly enough turns out to be part of the
Bay Area Ridge Trail), and
fog nudging up against Sonoma Mountain, invading across the Estero Lowlands to the north. After this, there will only be the long walk north to (the second) Sonoma Mountain Road to finish up the Coast-to-Tahoe-Basin endeavor, but, for now, subsequent to a circuitous return, there's dessert with Harriet and the first two videos of
Seasons's Eves: I. Spring and
II. Summer. Check out Alexis Alrich's impressive work on Facebook and YouTube, and we become friends and mutual subscribers on the latter.
A degree hotter than yesterday -- 107 -- definitely getting up there as two more videos are produced for Mary Variations, specifically XIV. Minimal Mary and
XIII. Toying with Mary, plus another edited page of Psalm 22c (17). The day's Music Theory class is given over to review of Bass Clef, F Lydian and Major, with sight-singing of Ancient Greek music including the First Delphic Hymn and the Epitaph of Seikilos, to which is added a bit of Indian Raga, launching into the first engaging compositions of our student composers. Returning in the blazing sun, Harriet and I share a sumptuous supper, and the Variations videos are concluded with
Hottest day of the summer, getting up to 106 officially, with yet more videos for Mary Variations -- XII. Concerto for Serial Mary the Kid, after
XI. Mary and the Wolf -- and another prepared-for-publication page of Psalm 22c (16).
Following these, a blast off to DVC for Theory, with F Lydian and Major, and major sight-singing endeavors, also beginning with beginning harmonization, at the perfect parallel fifth below, in the spirit of Musica Enchiriadis.
Home briefly, organizing first student compositions (which were due today), for initial presentations tomorrow, then back for more with the Music Historians (9000-year-old Chinese Gudi flutes through the Grecian Delphic Hymns) and their Quiz 1,
preparing for next week.
Festivities afterwards with
Owen,
Doug, and Melanie -- meeting a couple of women (drawn by the Jerome (AZ) leather cap, one a UCSD alumnae) who, astoundingly enough, are familiar with the music of Roger Reynolds. Home late thereafter, to wonderful Harriet.
Impressively hot day, with two more videos for Mary Variations, the second being X. Blue Chrome Mary, following
IX. The Rite of Mary. Second week of Fall Semester 2010 begins with Bass Clef, Intervals from P1 to P5, Prime/Retrograde/Inversion/Retrograde-Inversion Board Work, lingering thereafter in the lab to Tritone-Orchestra record Symphony No. 2: III, then
circuitously
homeward
to rendezvous with Harriet and edit another page of Psalm 22c (15).
A leisurely morning with Harriet, plus two more videos for Mary Variations, being VIII. Salieri Mary and
IX. Mary Rag, another page of Psalm 22 (14), and printing up the parts for Animal Farm: Part 1. In Cold Blood at Staples (slightly cheaper and more service oriented than at formerly-known-as-Kinkos, the latter where they now have several "Kinkos Inside" signs in the spirit of Intel -- perhaps they've finally learned the value of the original name, albeit probably too late). After this, we head to the city, finding, at last,the Getty Grant waiting for us in the Goat Hall mailbox... Hallelujah! Then off to Loren's to drop off the parts for AF: P1. ICB + Terry Riley's In C and to Suzanna Mizell's likewise re the Job score. Beyond, Harriet and I swing south to South San Francisco, dining late at a Mexican spot, then north via the coast, Marin, Sonoma, and home for a relaxing late evening together, to the strains of Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme. Very late, discover all of the Philip Glass Koyaanisqatsi and Powwaqatsi video files on YouTube and post as two new playlists on the DrMarkAlburger channel.
Harriet's back, and we leap for joy a la V. Mary Is Icumen In from Mary Variations, also doing video for
VI. Monteverdi Mary earlier in the day. Additionally pre her arrival,
take a run for
more file boxes, put all the music/etc. that has been scattered around the dining room and study back into the adjunct library -- considerably neater, although not perfect by a long shot, for now -- and print out all the parts for Animal Farm: Part I In Cold Blood. Somewhere in there, as well, is another edited page of Psalm 22c (13).
More videos for Mary Variations -- Now III. Dies Mary and
IV. Medieval (Isorhythmic) Mary -- plus another edited page of Psam 22c (12), looking forward to Harriet's return tomorrow. Internet connection goes out for awhile (perhaps the high, chill winds of the evening?), so stall for time and go out on a supply run. Upon return, situation has still not rectified itself, whereupon the old unplug-it-and-plug-it-back-in is tried, and, lo, it works....
Begin videos for Mary Variations, Op. 28 (1985), with I. Pentatonic Mary and
II. Mary Raga Kalyam, bestow the first quiz upon the Theoreticians, then make for
Alameda and
Marin, for a first fall-semester 2010 session at Celia's (all A's on the quizzes -- always a good sign), checking the post box with several financial greetings, then
north to
Petaluma for a second and final walk on
Lakeville Road,
east
out
of
town
to
Casa Grande north, now with only this stretch from here to
Sonoma Mountain Road to finish up the walk from the Coast to the Sierra.
Returning via 116,
12 (through Sonoma
and
Napa
in
plenteous
traffic),
and
80,
there are the last two pages of Symphony No. 2 and another of Psalm 22c (11) to edit, and more parts to print out for Animal Farm.
Mark Alburger (b. 1957, Upper Darby, PA) is an award-winning, eclectic ASCAP composer of postminimal, postpopular, and postcomedic sensibilities. He is Music Director of San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra and San Francisco Cabaret Opera / Goat Hall Productions, Editor-Publisher of 21st-Century Music (P.O. Box 2842 San Anselmo, CA 94960) and New Music, Music Critic for Commuter Times, and Instructor in Music Theory and Literature at Diablo Valley College. His principal teachers were Gerald Levinson, Joan Panetti, and James Freeman at Swarthmore College (B.A.); Jules Langert and Ted Blair at Dominican University (M.A.); Roland Jackson at Claremont University (Ph.D.); and Terry Riley. Dr. Alburger has composed 181 major works over the past 35 years, including chamber music, concertos, oratorios, operas, song cycles, and symphonies. His complete catalogue is being issued on discs from New Music ($15 / P.O. Box 2842, San Anselmo, CA 707-474-7273).
YouTube/DrMarkAlburger,
markalburger.blogspot.com,
markalburgerworks.blogspot.com, markalburgerevents.blogspot.com, markalburgermusichistory.blogspot. com, 21st-centurymusic.blogspot.com
