Gemuruhnya Malam (program notes for JCOM Fest)

This cycle for baritone & piano, based on 4 poems by Goenawan Mohamad, started from setting the poem "Sajak untuk Bungbung" on flight from Jakarta - Frankfurt beginning of January 07. Someone gave me the complete poems of GM for a present during my stay in Jakarta that turn of the year and that was my "official book" for the flight. Having finished setting that poem, I realized that I have created a material that has a hypnotizing effect (which suits very well with many of GM's poems) : repeated notes, and that material could be developed in further works.

Another poem, Perjalanan Malam (Journey of the Night) also attracted me immensely, since it was based on Goethe's poem "Der Erlkönig" which was later set to become Schubert's most famous song. So, I took my repeated-notes material and also studied Schubert's song before setting GM's poem . Of course I wouldn't dare to emulate the Austrian master, but my piece certainly couldn't have existed without it. It turned out later that all the songs are all based on the note C, although one couldn't pinpoint whether it's major, minor, bi-tonal or even atonal.

This work will receive its world premiere during the closing of the JCoM Fest on the 12th of August, with myself accompanying one of Indonesia's best baritones, Rainier Revireino.

No regrets

Ok, ok, so you complained that lately I write more about airlines and less about music. Well, you can see a new (very short) video of Deta Astari & Elwin Hendrijanto brilliantly playing my song on Sapardi Djoko Damono's cute poem in :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk0Ac2E5WPQ

That is one song from my cycle of 6 songs "Senyap Dalam Derai". Deta & Elwin will sing the complete cycle in their concert for the opening of the JCOM Fest, on the 28th of July in Goethe Haus, Jakarta.

Also another email asked me about "what's my biggest regret until now". What about if I answer it with "That I wasn't the composer of WestSide Story" ? And neither of Candide .... nor Shosty's Fifth or Seventh Symphony .... or Britten's War Requiem ..... well, there is always something to regret in your life ! He he ....

Being Beauteous

Well, well, airlines can (although they’re not supposed to) take passengers wherever they like, with whatever delays. And politicians can invade countries. But, surely, you don't expect that just by having a pretty face, you can mess up the schedules of hundreds of fellow passengers and be able to get away with it. Right? WRONG! My first thought on reading this Penelope Cruz fuss was: “Why doesn't she buy her own f***ing airplane?” Or, would it deprive her of the satisfaction of playing The Superstar and of feeling that everybody else is less important than she is? Read the following from the Daily Mail (London) of today :

Penelope Cruz panic attack allegedly delays plane by two hours
By Martin Delgado - More by this author »
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Actress Cruz alledgedly suffers from panic attacks

Penelope Cruz is reported to have suffered a panic attack on an aeroplane moments before take -off.
The actress had boarded a Continental flight from Newark to Barcelona, where she is due to make a Woody Allen film.
Seated in first class and apparently travelling alone, she initially appeared to be alright.

But as the plane started taxi-ing onto the runway, she became agitated, according to fellow passengers.
After a brief conversation between Cruz and a flight attendant, the aircraft returned to the departure gate and she disembarked.
To the consternation of others on the flight, all the luggage was removed from the hold and placed on the runway in driving rain while airport staff searched for the actress's suitcases.
One passenger said: "She was freaking out and refused to fly."
Flight 120 eventually took off nearly two hours late on Thursday evening.
It is not the first time Cruz has had problems flying. Three years ago she was on trip to Mexico with her friend Salma Hayek when their plane was forced to make an emergency landing.
Last night Ms Cruz's publicist Carrie Gordon denied the Oscar-nominated actress had been overcome by nerves. "There was no panic attack", she said.
"The airline let her know there was going to be a three or four hour delay due to the storm. She had work so she figured she'd deplane and fly when the storm had passed."