To Alistair Hinton, the composer

[baron_von_heimlich]

This is adressed to Alistair Hinton, the composer and no one else by that same name...

Is there anywhere online where samples of your music can be heard?  I am very curious, because I would be interested to hear your style of composition.  Also, how do you pronounce your name?  Is is "Allah stare Hint on" or something else?

[ahinton]

This is adressed to Alistair Hinton, the composer and no one else by that same name...

Is there anywhere online where samples of your music can be heard?  I am very curious, because I would be interested to hear your style of composition.  Also, how do you pronounce your name?  Is is "Allah stare Hint on" or something else?

IS there anyone else by the same name? I suppose that there might be, but I've yet to encounter him...

I am sorry to disappoiont you, but I am unaware that any samples of my work are available anywhere online. I have three works available on CD; one (my string quintet, a 3-CD set) has been out for almost four years and the others (my Pansophiæ for John Ogdon, for organ and Variations and Fugue on a theme of Grieg, for piano) for about 12 years. They are all on the Altarus label (www.altarusrecords.com) and their catalogue numbers are
AIR-CD-9066(3) (string quintet)
AIR-CD-9063(2) (Pansophiæ)
AIR-CD- 9021 (Grieg Variations)

Maybe you could try the various countries' Amazon sites and see if ther are any sound samples from these recordings...

The pronunciation is pretty much correct as you have it, except that "Allah" should be "Ali" (short i).

Sorry not to be more helpful.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

P.S.

Although I'm not at a computer with a sound card so cannot check them out to provide specific details, there are apparently some sound samples from those recordings out there. Just go to your search engine, input my name and have a look around. I hope that helps and I wish you good luck with this!

Best,

Alistair

[baron_von_heimlich]

I found a nice review of your String Quintet, and I think I'm going to order it.  It seems like it would be a nice challenge for my ears, and possibly my patience.

Actually, on second thought, I will have my music professor order it for our school library - it is a little too expensive for me right now!

[stevie]

his music reflects his personality.

make of that what you will. 

[tds]

his music reflects his personality.

 

make of that what you will. 

ingenious

[ahinton]

his music reflects his personality.

make of that what you will. 

What I'll make of it (if I may be permitted to say so) is that what it may reflect to you would depend very much on what of it that you have heard (which may be very little) but, leaving that to one side momentarily, should we assume that your posts reflect yours? Fully, I mean?

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Almost bracketless response from the composer.

Thal

[ahinton]

Almost bracketless response from the composer.

Thal

In fact, remove each bracket and replace it with a dash and you'll have just what you want - assuming that the content itself is OK for you, that is...

Best,

Alistair

[steve_m]

4

[panic]

That video looks like the result of a hypnotist stealing the HAL 9000.

[ahinton]

That video looks like the result of a hypnotist stealing the HAL 9000.

Not guilty!

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

How many piano-sonatas have you written?

And are they in one mwt or in many?

[ahinton]

How many piano-sonatas have you written?

And are they in one mwt or in many?

Five, as follows:
No. 1: three movements (although the third was lost many years ago) - c. 13 minutes
No. 2: four movements - c. 70 minutes
No. 3: one movement - c. 17 minutes
No. 4: originally to be four movements but movements 2 - 4 abandoned) - c. 20 minutes
No. 5: four movements - c. 58 minutes

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

Five, as follows:
No. 1: three movements (although the third was lost many years ago) - c. 13 minutes
No. 2: four movements - c. 70 minutes
No. 3: one movement - c. 17 minutes
No. 4: originally to be four movements but movements 2 - 4 abandoned) - c. 20 minutes
No. 5: four movements - c. 58 minutes

Best,

Alistair

If you could compare your sonatas to any other composer who would it be?

Does Hamelin play them?

[ahinton]

If you could compare your sonatas to any other composer who would it be?

Does Hamelin play them?

I really don't know how I could answer your first question other than to say that I couldn't in all honesty make any such meaningful comparisons.

Hamelin possesses the scores of nos. 3, 4 & 5 and has expressed interest in playing them but has yet to do so - nor, sadly, can I yet tell you when he might do so.

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

Hamelin possesses the scores of nos. 3, 4 & 5 and has expressed interest in playing them but has yet to do so - nor, sadly, can I yet tell you when he might do so.

Best,

Alistair

Since I know nothng of how a modern British composer works, may I ask if you have even heard your own piano-sonatas?(I know nothing about how many pianist-friends you have)

You have of course never played them. Since you have said that you aren`t a pianist(quote: I am not a pianist). This I find very strange, because a pianist is a person who can play the piano(it has nothing to with how good one is, and it doesn` just refeer to those who work as pianist). Anyone who can play anything on the piano is a pianist. Therefor I am sorry to hear that you have no hands. But then I have seen people play the piano with their nose. And also with their feet and even with their body. Does that mean that you doesn`t exist!?(but what on earth are you) The strangeness of it all is that you have reportadly written that you have tried your hands on some of the extremely difficult Godowsky/Chopin etudes This just doesn`t make any sense. But then technology has come very far, and I am just a little viking-boy...

[ahinton]

Since I know nothng of how a modern British composer works, may I ask if you have even heard your own piano-sonatas?(I know nothing about how many pianist-friends you have)

You have of course never played them. Since you have said that you aren`t a pianist(quote: I am not a pianist). This I find very strange, because a pianist is a person who can play the piano(it has nothing to with how good one is, and it doesn` just refeer to those who work as pianist). Anyone who can play anything on the piano is a pianist. Therefor I am sorry to hear that you have no hands. But then I have seen people play the piano with their nose. And also with their feet and even with their body. Does that mean that you doesn`t exist!?(but what on earth are you) The strangeness of it all is that you have reportadly written that you have tried your hands on some of the extremely difficult Godowsky/Chopin etudes This just doesn`t make any sense. But then technology has come very far, and I am just a little viking-boy...

We evidently interpret the term "pianist" very differently from one another. My involvement in matters pianistic has certainly been one of considerable commitment, but it is a very different thing to have a creative desire to express oneself well via the medium of the piano than it is actually to be a piano performer. So, yes, I have had some experience of working with the piano which has held me in good stead when writing for it, but I believe that I know more in my head about what it is to be a pianist than I do in my fingers about the experience of actually being one.

I'm sorry if that answer may come across as abstruse, but if it does, I'm sure that it's no more so than some parts of your question!...

Best,

Alistair

[Derek]

hey alistair, why don't you post some mp3's on this site of your compositions...if only an excerpt ..I'm curious.  The link that was provided above requires me to get realplayer...and I refuse to get realplayer lest it strangle my computer with its spyware like behavior.

[ahinton]

hey alistair, why don't you post some mp3's on this site of your compositions...if only an excerpt ..I'm curious.  The link that was provided above requires me to get realplayer...and I refuse to get realplayer lest it strangle my computer with its spyware like behavior.

Thanks for asking, but I just don't have any means of doing that. I did check out a few sales sites tha have CDs of my work and managed to listen to the clip from my Grieg Variations, but the one from my Pansophiæ is almost inaudible! I couldn't find one for my string quintet.

Sorry not to be more helpful - but there may be some clips out there somewhere.

I wouldn't worry about RealPlayer; I have it here and it causes no problem. If you're worried about spyware implications, just get something like Norton Internet Security 2006 to deal with that, ad-blocking, virus protection and other useful and necessary things all in the one package; it's not very expensive but we've found it to be very effective (so far, at least!).

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

Alistar, can I get the scores to your piano sonatas at the Sorabji archive?

And do Jonathan Powell play them?

[thalbergmad]

Have you ever written anything for the banjo??

Thal

[jakev2.0]

Hey now, you're an Alistair, get your game on, go PLAY...hey now you're a rockstar, put your show on, get PAID.

[gymnopedist]

Have you ever written anything for the banjo??

Thal

Not to my knowledge, but he has a lovely concerto for kazoo and orchestra. Sorry, couldn't resist it.

Also, i listened to the two excerpts, and i really liked them. The second one was incredibly beautiful.

[ahinton]

Alistar, can I get the scores to your piano sonatas at the Sorabji archive?

And do Jonathan Powell play them?

You can get all of my scores from that source; please send an email to me at sorabji-archive@lineone.net and I'll email you a brochure by return.

Jonathan has not yet played them; he may play no. 3 at some point. He will, however, be premièring my Sequentia Claviensis in London in November this year.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Have you ever written anything for the banjo??

Thal

No, but then I've never knowingly written anything against it, either.

Best,

Alistair

[baron_von_heimlich]

I had the most bizarre dream last night. 

I dreamt that I was going to go on a nature walk with my parents.  However, I was putting on my tennis shoes and I noticed that they were not in good condition.  I then thought to myself, "I need some new shoes.  But I want nice ones - I want a pair of Alistair Hintons".  Apparently, in my dream Alistair Hinton was a brand of tennis shoe.  Don't ask me why!  Mabye its because I've been reading all these threads about Sorabji and Hinton and everything.  Still, I remember waking up and thinking "what"?

[ahinton]

Hey now, you're an Alistair, get your game on, go PLAY...hey now you're a rockstar, put your show on, get PAID.

Er - care to explain that?

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

I had the most bizarre dream last night. 

I dreamt that I was going to go on a nature walk with my parents.  However, I was putting on my tennis shoes and I noticed that they were not in good condition.  I then thought to myself, "I need some new shoes.  But I want nice ones - I want a pair of Alistair Hintons".  Apparently, in my dream Alistair Hinton was a brand of tennis shoe.  Don't ask me why!  Mabye its because I've been reading all these threads about Sorabji and Hinton and everything.  Still, I remember waking up and thinking "what"?

Yes, I daresay you did think that. Gershwin and Schönberg used to enjoy playing tennis together, but this was long before my time, so I cannot offer you any rational explanation for what you write about here. I don't possess any tennis shoes, incidentally - and I don't play tennis, either. Still, if anyone aware of these two facts remains daft enough to want to market a brand of tennis shoes with my name on it on the strict understanding that The Sorabji Archive gets a respectable cut of the sale proceeds of the millions of items sold, then they're welcome, I guess...

Best,

Alistair

[stevie]

Er - care to explain that?

Best,

Alistair

tis a parody on a popular song

[ahinton]

tis a parody on a popular song

OK - thanks for the explanation (for what it could possibly be worth); 'tis a tad abstruse, methinks - and accordingly falls rather flat if an explanation is required. It also seems rather tenuous contextually; for the record, I have neither time nor inclination to be a rock star - or even a tennis ditto...

Best,

Alistair

[steve_m]

3

[jakev2.0]

Ahh...that brings me back to Grade 7. Thanks. 

[thalbergmad]

Is it possible for me to commission from you a Requiem Mass for my ex - girlfriend??

Thal

[ahinton]

Is it possible for me to commission from you a Requiem Mass for my ex - girlfriend??

Thal

I have no idea. Even before we enter (assuming that we even do) into discussion as to an appropriate contribution from the contents of your wallet for such a project, I think I ought first to establish the status of your said ex-

No, I'm not going to continue with this answer here. You PM me (or, better still, write to my personal email address, which I know you have) and tell me first if this is a serious question; let's face it, that's not an unreasonable request from someone whom you very recently asked about his contribution or otherwise to the banjo repertoire, now is it?...

Best,

Alistair

[alwaystheangel]

The clip of your string quartet is very beutiful,I'd love to hear the whole thing.  Absolutely stunning!

[ahinton]

The clip of your string quartet is very beutiful,I'd love to hear the whole thing.  Absolutely stunning!

Thank you very much! It's a quintet, actually - and it also has a solo soprano in its finale - but where did you find that clip? I had a look the other day, when asked on this forum about these things and I couldn't find one, so I have no idea which bit you've heard; I'm curious!

Best,

Alistair

[gymnopedist]

Thank you very much! It's a quintet, actually - and it also has a solo soprano in its finale - but where did you find that clip? I had a look the other day, when asked on this forum about these things and I couldn't find one, so I have no idea which bit you've heard; I'm curious!

Best,

Alistair

Steve m posted a link that has two clips above. One from the first movement and one from the last, i believe.

[ahinton]

Steve m posted a link that has two clips above. One from the first movement and one from the last, i believe.

Dear me, yes - I'd forgotten about those (perhaps as a consequence of selective memory, in that the review in which they appeared seemed rather bizarre in its general presentation!); indeed, the first clip is from early on in the opening movement and the second contains the end of the first and start of the second fugue in the triple fugue that begins a little over an hour into the finale. Thanks for reminding me of this!

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

Ali send me a brochure.

You know my e -mail

[quasimodo]

This dialogue is legendary.

Have you ever written anything for the banjo??

Thal

No, but then I've never knowingly written anything against it, either.

Best,

Alistair

Is it possible for me to commission from you a Requiem Mass for my ex - girlfriend??

Thal

I have no idea. Even before we enter (assuming that we even do) into discussion as to an appropriate contribution from the contents of your wallet for such a project, I think I ought first to establish the status of your said ex-

No, I'm not going to continue with this answer here. You PM me (or, better still, write to my personal email address, which I know you have) and tell me first if this is a serious question; let's face it, that's not an unreasonable request from someone whom you very recently asked about his contribution or otherwise to the banjo repertoire, now is it?...

Best,

Alistair

No matter how hard I try, I can't reach half, even quarter of the humoristic power involved in the above quotes.

[prometheus]

You are right.

[quasimodo]

You are right.

Definitely.

[alwaystheangel]

sorry about the typo on quintet/quartet.  I have quartets on my mind right now.


Anywho.  I'm just going to e-mail you about that brochure, so don't spam me.

You'll recognize my e-mail, I think!

[thalbergmad]

Do not infringe the copyright.

[ahinton]

sorry about the typo on quintet/quartet.  I have quartets on my mind right now.


Anywho.  I'm just going to e-mail you about that brochure, so don't spam me.

You'll recognize my e-mail, I think!

OK. I never spam anyone, by the way! Our email server has only just come back up after being down for almost three days, so I've received your message and responded to it.

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Do not infringe the copyright.

I promise not to infringe any copyright, although in so saying I should point out that I'd make the most useless policeman imaginable...

Best,

Alistair

[mephisto]

I just realised that me friend Hinton had actually sendt me all I was looking for.

[ian_j]

Alistair,

I have the disc of your Grieg variations and I am gradually getting to know it (and I am enjoying it too!) - I'm also shortly going to acquire your quintet which has had some pretty good reviews.

I was wondering what other key works there are in your output - I know about the 5 sonatas but little else. Are there any orchestral works, any further chamber works etc...

I look forward to your response.

[ahinton]

Alistair,

I have the disc of your Grieg variations and I am gradually getting to know it (and I am enjoying it too!) - I'm also shortly going to acquire your quintet which has had some pretty good reviews.

I was wondering what other key works there are in your output - I know about the 5 sonatas but little else. Are there any orchestral works, any further chamber works etc...

I look forward to your response.

Many thanks for asking.

On the recently inaugurated Sorabji website at https://www.sorabji-archive.co.uk/hinton/ you will find a biography and details of my works (including the three CD recordings currently available - which are the two you that mention above and a more recent organ piece in memory of John Ogdon played by Kevin Bowyer). If you wish to email me direct with any further questions, you are welcome to do so at sorabji-archive@lineone.net.

I have indeed been most fortunate in the extent and content of the published reviews of the quintet; when you hear it, you will realise that I have been quite exceptionally fortunate in the performers who participated in it!

Best,

Alistair