miércoles, 25 de julio de 2012

My third book of works for voice

On preparing the 3rd volume of collections of my vocal works, I realize that for the last two years (after the 2nd volume was published) I haven't written that many songs. However, I did write a lot for the voice : I wrote my two chamber operas (Laki-Laki Sejati & Mendadak Kaya) both in 2011, and I am writing a new one at the moment, again based on a short story of Putu Wijaya. So, the 3rd volume of "Tembang Puitik Ananda Sukarlan" (Ananda Sukarlan's Vocal works) contains in fact mostly works I've written before 2010. I copied them down in Sibelius file, and of course revised some of them or even finished them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are still some songs (solo & duet) from the past unpublished that couldn't be included in this book. I think if I publish them, they would easily make another book, and that's it. Those will be the complete songs of my life. And since I was so aroused to write dramatic works, my interest in writing short songs diminished. Since vocal works involve words and texts, I realized that I wasn't just interested in that highly expressive and unique "musical instrument" (which is the human voice) but also the character and drama that comes together with it. So, although I am quite sure of a 4th volume of my song collections, I am not so sure if there will be a 5th one, since I quite lose interest lately in doing them. Except if suddenly someone like Fischer-Dieskau or Peter Pears come to my life and totally inspires me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The poets whose poems I set to music the most in my third book are Ready Susanto (from Bandung), Hasan Aspahani (now living in Batam) and Nanang Suryadi (from East Java; I am not sure where he's from, what I know is that he's a lecturer in the Brawijaya University in Malang at the moment). There are also 2 songs based on tweets, by the Peruvian poet Jose Luis Mejia and the Indonesian M. Aan Mansyur. And then there are 2 songs for voice & guitar. There are also other foreign poets here: Longfellow, Robert Browning and of course O Captain, my Captain Walt Whitman. Both the Whitman & Browning poems are unabashedly erotic, although there are other poems by Indonesians that are quite erotic as well, though not so much as those two foreigners. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Again, I was "forced" to compile my scattered manuscripts of songs, thanks to Patrisna Widuri who will again organize the National Voice Competition next year. The rules are not yet published since she is formulating it with her artistic team, but you can already join the competition's facebook group : http://www.facebook.com/groups/361289260607185/ . They (and I) will publish news & updates regularly there. The vocalists can choose from this 3rd collection of mine for their repertoire in the competition.