Greetings, In the preparation for my first performance of the just the solo Interstellar Call, I felt guilty and struggled with the decision to perform it out of context. My first teacher, Glen Swarts, was considered by Messiaen to be the best interpreter of the Call in context. So, I asked Glen about it and he felt it was a difficult decision, but ultimately I had to make the choice. In rehearsal in the concert hall, I found the work to be very effective and I went ahead with the performance. I did give a short speech before I played. People commented they liked my explanations to help with their imagination before I played. I did not have to prepare much for the explanation due to my experience with Southern Utah and Zion.
I can understand Messiaen's reasoning for wanting it performed in context. But, after performing it many times out of context, I find it stands on its own very well and is stunningly effective. While I would dream of playing it with full orchestra, the chances for pieces like that are few and far between. I think it is more of a reason to be exposed to the piece out of context. In my opinion I have not heard any solo horn pieces that can even sniff the Interstellar Call. I think it is a great competition piece. Buy the score, it is worth every penny. 50USD for one part is worth it. I have yet to be able to afford it, but at some point I want to own it. I have looked through the score and it is great. Matthew Scheffelman ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
