do you make a demo tape for yourself to see ifyou like the final composition?
No. What I usually do is come back from a tour with a briefcase full of sketches and I’ll test the parts of the harmony and the lines on the piano, refine it, and then generate a handwritten score in fairly messy condition, which I then give to the copyist I have on the payroll. He’ll ink it and copy the parts, and it’s done. Usually, something that complicated doesn’t roll very fast, such as this orchestral stuff we’ve been trying to get played for about five years now. What pieces will be included in your orchestral set? Will Sinister Footwear be included? No. The Sinister Footwear is going to receive its world premiere in the spring of 1984 with the Berkeley Orchestra and the Oakland Ballet Company. Is it difficult to line up these concerts? Part of the problem is that we’ve been promised performances by certain other people at certain other times who want to do premieres. This included [composer/conductor] Pierre Boulez, who commissioned one piece. That’s set for January 9, 1984, i
