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Launching "marcuspaus.com"!


Marcus

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You've got quite a prolific portfolio of music you've made.

I'm impressed. :)

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Great looking website. Very nice. Except . . . I can't seem to get any of the music samples to play. Have you had any reports on issues with this?

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Works normally for me. I am using Firefox.

I have browsed casually through and listened to a few pieces and I can only say that beautiful work Marcus. Really quite beautiful. :)

And you have accumulated quite a body of work already. Impressive.

Your End Credits and Ave Mozart from the film Upperdog is a delightful combination of your own themes and a joyous interpolation of grand master of the Classical period into the suite. Brought a smile to my face.

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The site doesn't work on NCSA Mosaic. Very frustrating.

Oh Alan, antediluvian Alan. You should upgrade to Netscape Navigator ASAP!

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Yeah, could you host the site on GeoCities instead?

Why, is it the year 2006?

Otherwise, he would have to run it through their Japanese servers.

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I'm so sorry for the trouble and frustration! Doubly so as I have no idea what you're talking about; I know nothing about servers, GeoCities etc.. I was involved in the design details and the general layout of the website, but not the actual implementing of all the technical stuff. My computer skills are limited to writing emails and posting here and on Facebook... Forgive me!

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We're just messing about Marcus (except for Uni, I think), the site works fine, and your work showcased there is exceptional, as I've said.

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I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! And you're very generous and kind to say so; thank you so much!

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It is great to finally be able to hear your work and I will definitely search it in CD form soon. :)

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Yes! I was at MSM at least for the first half of 2005. And I lingered in the city until 2006, and kept an apartment on LaSalle St. (123rd/Bway); were you there as a composition student?

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Fancy that. I've been on Bleecker for the past ten years. Studied with Corigliano and various folks from 2004 to 2006. Frequently haunted MSM, Juilliard, NYU, and Glass' studio before he closed up shop.

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Ah! I had some very informal lessons with John in 2004-5. At MSM, I was in Richard Danielpour's studio, which was great, and I worked as his assistant for my second year of Master's, which was arguably even better. Lots of work, lots of proof reading (he was getting his opera "Margaret Garner" ready for its premiere), but also a great opportunity to work closely (albeit in the wings) with really top notch musicians, and to get a practical perspective.

I can imagine working with Glass could have been a similar experience? I never really ventured much down to the Village. Big cities tend to be like that, at least for me: I get very neighborhood-centric. It's like that in Berlin too (where I live now).

@Inky: Thank you! I'm so pleased you like it!

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I'm sure it's not the site. No doubt it's something my computer's carrying around in its rusty innards. . . .

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Ah! I had some very informal lessons with John in 2004-5. At MSM, I was in Richard Danielpour's studio, which was great, and I worked as his assistant for my second year of Master's, which was arguably even better. Lots of work, lots of proof reading (he was getting his opera "Margaret Garner" ready for its premiere), but also a great opportunity to work closely (albeit in the wings) with really top notch musicians, and to get a practical perspective.

I can imagine working with Glass could have been a similar experience? I never really ventured much down to the Village. Big cities tend to be like that, at least for me: I get very neighborhood-centric. It's like that in Berlin too (where I live now).

@Inky: Thank you! I'm so pleased you like it!

Wow, Margaret Garner. I saw that in 2007, I think. The Looking Glass was this incredible sanctuary where the whole vibe of the 1970s NYC music scene was preserved. Some really fascinating people came through that place. Most exciting for me of course was when he was working on The Illusionist. It confirmed that everything about writing for film appealed to me immensely.
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Thank you! That piece actually consists only of those four pitches -the entire piece is just those four notes, inspired by the motto inscription on Shostakovich's tombstone. It's probably one of the most radically "minimal" pieces I've written, and one of the most austere. But it was an interesting challenge to try to make it seem as if it contained more pitches. And to somehow

obscure the motto, all the while having it be omnipresent (literally). Glad you liked it!

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Just heard that piece. Marvelously done.

I also love The Stolen Child. Beautiful stuff.

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Wonderful site Marcus!

I can't say I'm impressed, simply because I was already aware of how amazing a composer you are :)

After all, you've been impressing me for the past few years!

Having said that, everything on the site works fine for me, love the design, the music even more, and can't wait for what will come next from you :)

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  • 3 months later...

Greetings, everyone!

I'm pleased to report that a recording of "Hate Songs", my symphonic cabarét on poems of Dorothy Parker, is now featured on my website, in a stunning performance by mezzo Tora Augestad and the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste:

http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Works+with+Soloist

Another addition to the audio section, is a short solo violin piece, "Vita", written less than two weeks ago, and already beautifully recorded by Norwegian violinist Bjarne Magnus Jensen:

http://www.marcuspaus.com/audio/category/Solo

Hope you'll enjoy!

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Excellent pieces Marcus! Thank you again for sharing them with us! :)

And fantastic that The Finnish Chamber Orchestra and Saraste have performed your work.

Vita if you don't mind me saying has some shades of our beloved JW to it. Very soulful resonate performance as well.

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Thank you both so much!

I was unfortunately prevented from attending the performance in Finland, but I'm so touched, thrilled and honored by the brilliant performance they all gave, and by by both the lushness and clarity of maestro Saraste's take on the music.

Same goes for Jensen's rendition of "Vita". And given Williams' very formative influence on the evolution of my own craft and voice, I'm unsurprised by the detection of certain shared characteristics, and will take any perceived kinship as a compliment (if I may).

So glad you've enjoyed these, and very happy to share such stellar performances of my work!

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Thank you both so much!

I was unfortunately prevented from attending the performance in Finland, but I'm so touched, thrilled and honored by the brilliant performance they all gave, and by by both the lushness and clarity of maestro Saraste's take on the music.

Same goes for Jensen's rendition of "Vita". And given Williams' very formative influence on the evolution of my own craft and voice, I'm unsurprised by the detection of certain shared characteristics, and will take any perceived kinship as a compliment (if I may).

So glad you've enjoyed these, and very happy to share such stellar performances of my work!

Comparison to Williams is ALWAYS a compliment. ;)

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I was unfortunately prevented from attending the performance in Finland, but I'm so touched, thrilled and honored by the brilliant performance they all gave, and by by both the lushness and clarity of maestro Saraste's take on the music.

So how did it happen that you got this commission then? You're Norwegian, is that correct?

Karol

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The commission came about through the soloist, Tora Augestad, for whom I've written quite a bit of music, including the part of the Grand High Witch in my opera "The Witches" (based on Roald Dahl's book). She has worked with Saraste in the past, and sent him the score, as they were about to program concerts together in Ekenäs at Saraste's festival. Tora premiered the piece with Jonathan Stockhammer and the Kristiansand Symphony in Norway this past January, and her German management also took an interest in the piece, so it is probably a combination of interest on a few different levels.

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I've been blessed with lots of opportunities, and I am very grateful for all of them. But it's also hard work, and even more than that, an entire lifestyle. I guess I average 2-3 hours of music per year, almost all of it commissioned work (although I find it increasingly necessary to leave some time for work only demanded by my own creative urges), which for me requires at times 15-20 hour work days (I've never been good at balancing anything in life, least of all my working hours), so it is taxing, and it does take its toll sometimes. Again, I'm not complaining, I'm deeply thankful for the work.

I'm also very lucky to be blessed with a wife with similar inclinations (she's a writer), so it's still possible to share an existance that involves more than just work, even though that work (hers and mine) is the very foundation of our lives.

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Gosh, these are really long days. But at least you and your wife see things eye to eye when it comes to work. That's an important thing, and rare as well.

I kind of envy that kind of lifestyle, in a way. While not completely lazy, a lot of things seem to dilute my concentrations. In all fairness, probably 80℅ contributions to this board are mostly useless, but I'm starting to try turn my hobbies into something more useful and, hopefully, better structured.

This is why I admire dedication like the one you seem to be displaying with increasingly growing body of work. That's really inspiring. Respect.

Karol

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It is such a blessing to be able to do what you really love and having had such great opporturnities as you have had Marcus. And even though it might be hard work it must be highly rewarding. One could also say that anything worth pursuing should not be easy. Makes you appreciate it all the more. And as Karol said quite inspiring to see and hear from the perspective of a moderately creative person.

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