18 Feb. 2005 . RTÉ Living Music Festival . Ensemble Modern , conductor Sian Edwards , premiered the Frank Corcoran commissioned work, ” QUASI UNA VISIONE”. Fine. Here was a chamber orchestra with a difference , not a 19th. c. symphony orchestra at all, but a, well, differently balanced sound-group. eg. How balance its string quartet against 3 trombones? Or against 2 Horns and 2 Trumpets ? Plus, say, 3 Percussion ? I had to re-think the whole complex problem of balance, in fact. Tuttis ? – a major headache. Plus its double woodwind ? Great danger, little acoustic room for manoevre. Yes, compose chorally, sectionally, wispeens of lines and melodies; but handling massed groups was a nightmare.
MAD MARCH HAIKU :
” Glint of dragonflies
As the big orange-red sun
Sneaked shyly away. “