by Kurt Knecht | Dec 6, 2011 | gigging stories, kurt knecht, Uncategorized
The ancient Celts talked about “thin places” in the world. The idea is that there are certain spots where the visible world and the invisible world have been rubbing against each other for so long that there is a sort of smooth spot in the fabric of the universe....
by Kurt Knecht | Dec 3, 2011 | 9-11 memorial, james bass, kurt knecht, Uncategorized, usf chamber singers
Here’s the link to hear my 9-11 Memorial Music commissioned by David Matthews for Dr. James Bass and the USF Chamber Singers.LINKMy first concern when writing music in memoriam for 9/11 was the profiteering that went on by composers after the tragedy. It seemed...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 29, 2011 | Crown Victoria, kurt knecht, Uncategorized
If you missed the rest, you can read them here:PrequelEpisode 1Episode 2 The Crown Victoria served in appropriate fashion for a vehicle named after such a noble and prudish queen. Modesty was not always possible on the...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 26, 2011 | ford crown victoria, kurt knecht, Uncategorized
The Crown Victoria made her second attempt for fifteen minutes of fame some months later. After learning that a member of their family had married someone who had filled a car full of diesel fuel, Jennifer’s grandparents came to make sure everything was OK. Jennifer’s...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 21, 2011 | captain kartoffelkopf, car stories, ford crown victoria, kurt knecht, Uncategorized
(If you missed the prequel, you can read it here.)We had no idea how famous the car would become when we took it from my grandmother’s driveway. After two years of living in Dallas, complete strangers would recognize us as “that couple with the car.” In my...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 17, 2011 | carrie kirby, der tod und das mädchen, kurt knecht, mathilde who liked to sing Schubert, schubert, Uncategorized
Part the first (in which we learn about Mathilde’s gifts and eccentricities)Part the second (An die Musik)Part the third (Der Lindenbaum)Part the fourth (Heidenröslein)Part the fifth (Der Tod und Das Mädchen)(Here is a link to the translation if you need...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 11, 2011 | Manly Men's Chorus, Uncategorized
Pretty funny version of my Manly Men’s Chorus popped up on youtube. This time it’s Albright College in Pennsylvania. Nice videography. What’s the story with the one guy that’s dressed differently? You can watch it here.
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 10, 2011 | carrie kirby, Gerard Manley Hopkins, inversnaid, kurt knecht, spring and fall: to a young child, thou art indeed just lord, Uncategorized
This is a song cycle that was originally written for my friend Carrie Kirby. It was an absolute delight to finally have an opportunity to perform it with her. There is almost no poet so far ahead of his time in terms of modern sensibility and rhythm as Hopkins. I...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 8, 2011 | black horizons, Carl Sandburg, carrie kirby, grieg being dead, kurt knecht, monotone, personality, song cycle, the hangman at home, Uncategorized
The next post from the Knecht&Kirby concert is my Sandburg cycle.I have enjoyed Carl Sandburg’s poetry since it was suggested to me in 9th grade by friend Kevin Boyd. This set of 5 songs is about 5 years old now. I appropriately wrote it over the move to...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 6, 2011 | 13 ways of looking at a blackbird, carrie kirby, kurt knecht, song cycle, thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird, Uncategorized, wallace stevens
When Carrie Kirby and I were in our early discussions of repertoire for our concert, I immediately asked her to look at my setting of Wallace Stevens’ Thirteen Ways of looking at a Blackbird. I wrote the music almost 10 years ago, but I’ve never been able...
by Kurt Knecht | Nov 2, 2011 | art song, kurt knecht, liederzyklus, Rilke, song cycle, Uncategorized
Here is the first of several posts from my concert with my good friend Carrie Kirby. Some time ago, Carrie suggested I take a look at Rilke’s Stundenbuch as a possible source for texts. It is a wonderful set of poems written from the perspective of a Medieval...
by Kurt Knecht | Oct 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
My friend Katie Ganson invited me to be interviewed by one of her classes the other day. One of the more interesting questions asked by a non-musician was whether or not there are pre-made forms for musical compositions like there are for term papers. I gave a brief...
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