<<  -- 3 --  Patric Standford    CREATING 'THE EMPEROR'S ORCHESTRA'

14 September 2000

Phone calls from Ian K. Dates of performances will be March 2001; Barrie Rutter unlikely to be the narrator, pressure of work (true, he's planning productions of King John in the spring and, it seems, he doesn't much like the story!). And most important, what is my fee? Applications to the RVW Trust and Yorkshire Arts are in preparation to be sent next week, latest. It would seem that the project is on. Better wait to see if they can get any money together.

19 September 2000

Received funding application forms to sign. Wrote a short fanfare for the Emperor. Can't get serious about it until there is a contract; composers should always be careful to secure the business side before devoting too much time to what could be an involved and intricate task. Stravinsky always recommended having the piece written before getting the commission for it. But he always was ahead of himself.

8 October 2000

But one has to be prepared. Knowing that something might be wanted is too inviting to prevent some preparatory work being done. Began some preliminary drafting and decided it was going to be difficult to create a distinction between the orchestra's bored and inspired times. Sketched out a few bars of 'boring' music. Became rather suspicious that this was quite easy -- and I was unable to think of anything 'inspired'. Is there going to be something in this project that tells me more about myself than I want to know? Wrote another fanfare which was supposed to be good; played it to my son (who generally visits on Sunday for food) and he thought it was awful. And he's a typical member of a 'family audience'.

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