Email from Anchor Mejans to F Lemore (August 23, 2006)
F -
I assume you got the message from Truckbytten? Though I am excited about the Amon Rowley stuff…I am not to keen on having to deal with Truckbytten. I’ve had some encounters with him before. He was a great fan of the Fito Day Ensemble, that arcane Jazz group…and I was a personal friend of Fito Day and other members of his band…but to make a long story short…Werner wrote an expose of the group, titled: The Truth behind the Jazz Abduction… allot of it pure baloney, and caused some grief to the still-living and remaining members of the ensemble. So, I am wary of doing business with him, but really intrigued at the prospect of singing new Rowley songs!
Hope all is well
Anchor
Letter to F Lemore from Anchor Mejans
August 24, 2006
Lemore
I am very much looking forward to meeting you in Paris next week. I went ahead and purchased the tickets on Euro-Star for our trip to London. I also managed to find us a place to stay in lieu of the Hotel Sandersen. My friend Ulrich Graf has a flat which he rarely uses in Earls Court, # 37 Bolton Gardens, and he has given me the keys. Graf lives in Munich most of the time and the flat in London is a kind of get-away for him. In any case, there you have it… Sounds like we are set.
It did take me some time to get over my feelings about Truckbytten as the envoy of this project, and our phone conversation was somewhat strained. However, I would be a fool not to accept this proposal. I’ve admired Rowley’s craft for as long as I can recall and the opportunity to perform some of his pieces and learn more about him as an artist is irresistible. Not to mention the chance to work with you, something I’ve always enjoyed.
Then there is the honor of being admitted to the sacred halls of the T.R.I.!
See you on Saturday next.
Anchor Mejans
August 27, 2006
37 Bolton Gardens, London
F Lemore and I have arrived in London. Ulrich Graf’s flat here in Earls Court is a perfect location. The T.R.I. is not too far away in neighboring Kensington and we can easily walk there.
We met Mr. Terrence Bainbridge and his committee of associates yesterday and went over the details of our tenure and all the why’s & where-of’s concerning the institute, personnel protocol, and a private tour of the facilities, which I must add, are considerable and impressive. Lemore seemed as impressed as I. It’s an amazing place and I feel much better about the whole endeavor now that we are here.
Tomorrow will be our first day to go over the Rowley material available; this will be a cursory overview, as there is an abundance of items. For a man who remains rather obscure, there are yet plenty of ephemera, notes, notebooks, scores, letters, and even some early disc recordings.
Truckbytten will also be here tomorrow and he will present us and the T.R.I. with a facsimile of the newly surfaced score/document of the so-called “Woodcut Variations”. This, I assume will be our first project. We will be the first people to perform and record the work, a daunting honor. It is also our job to assemble the other musicians necessary for this task. Between Lemore and me we should have no problems. Thank goodness we also have an expense account!
August 29, 2006
Lemore left the flat earlier than I did today. Under my hat was a note from him:
Anchor – Concerning the “Woodcut Variations” - The idea came this morning: to build a suite as we would assemble a train, leaving some room for the partner to hook the next wagon.
Lemore has some terrific ideas and this one will suit the flow of the music perfectly.
We had a chance yesterday to study the score of the “Woodcut Variations”. Truckbytten brought the original with him as well as a facsimile for us. Rowley’s score was incredible to examine. Like all of his scores, they are bound in costly deep rose colored Moroccan leather. The paper, always handmade Arches, is graced with his unique penmanship, complete with notes, and sometimes drawings. I add that he also lines his own bars with meticulous precision.
The music itself is the essence of Rowley. One can see immediately the great care applied to a simple structure and the process of transforming it into more complex forms as the piece evolves.
My job today is to get in contact with the musicians who will assist us in bringing this work to life in the studio. I have already thought of the many valuable contacts I made through my friend, the late Fito Day and among that bevy of talented artists I am sure to find some assistance.
I was none too thrilled to see Truckbytten again. I still find it difficult to be around him. I’m not sure if I can ever forgive him for some of the pranks he pulled in an effort to cash in on Fito Day and his Ensemble’s enigmatic disappearances. Truckbytten cannot be trusted I am sure, yet he seems to have turned over a new leaf. I did speak with my friend Jaff Seijas on the phone last night and asked him if the Truckbytten fiascos were completely resolved. As the executor of Fito Day’s estate, Jaff was able to fill me in on the details of the various lawsuits, and unwholesome chicanery from which Werner Truckbytten spent considerable time extracting himself*. But enough! That was then and this is now.
The prospect of creating some truly memorable music is ahead of us and that is all that matters!
*Werner Truckbytten was the perpetrator of various crimes ranging from theft to fraud, slander and extortion as a result of his association with the Fito Day Ensemble in the years 2000-2001. Yet he remains a respected musicologist, journalist and author.
August 30, 2006
We are making progress…slowly, carefully. Understanding Rowley’s score, “Woodcut Variations”, is more an “intuitive process than an intellectual one”, as Lemore put it. There are several written comments in the score, mostly concerning sound intensity, mood, and other musical notations. But perhaps most revealing and enigmatic are three inscriptions on the final back fly-leaf of the document, in Rowley’s meticulous handwriting:
- Wood is warm
- The Buffoon is antithetical to the Artist
- Manifestation Is Consistency
There is also, on that same page, affixed by a paperclip, an actual woodcut print. It is titled: Tentazione – signed by Max DeAmicis, 1938.
Mr. Bainbridge allowed me to make a digital photograph of it.
I have received confirmation of participation from all of the musicians I have contacted concerning the Rowley project…Allo Nahon (piano), Terry Thouverez (wind instruments), Lola Bascaglia ( theremin and percussion), and Katherine Trowell (violin) –all virtuosi I have worked with before and all compatible with the spirit of the project. I will perform the cello parts and Lemore will direct us. Everyone is on the Continent, except for Miss Trowell, who will fly in from Toronto.
I spent most of the afternoon going over the various profiles of the selected group with Bainbridge. He is a charming and easy-going old guy and very enthusiastic.
Lemore says he knows more about Rowley than anybody. Bainbridge did mention that there was an interview given “moons ago” (his words) between he and journalist Kay Riverbend of the English Arts Affiliates Society and that it was published in “some magazine or other” (his words again)…he assured me he would locate it for our edification.
September 5, 2006
On Saturday evening last, there was a large cocktail gathering given at the T.R.I. – a very interesting and exciting affair attended by all staff members, Bainbridge, some of his cronies, and the entire group of musicians who comprise the membership of the institute. It was really a rather impressive assortment. Some of these people, I had heard of, others were new to me. But I was certain that if Bainbridge had selected them (us) that it was the crème de la crème who were present.
This morning in my mail box, in the common room of T.R.I., I found a printed sheet which had all the member’s names listed, and also either their position or instrument.
Members of the Trash Research Institute
Sir Terrence BAINBRIDGE, president and musical director
Staff:
Mr. Bainbridge's personal assistant - David Gladstone
Secretary - Mallory Mott
Archive-Librarian - Charles Whittlesy
Accounts - Issac Marcus
Personel Director - Jayne Reeth
Receptionist - Adel Blas-Vega
Custodian - V. Rama Kotla
Musicians:
flutes Germaine O'toole, Sandra Sandoz
oboes Peter Tzetzes, Victor Brown
clarinets Cynthia Turnstyle, Hannibel Menendez
bass clarinet Gordon Flanders
bassoon Ragnar Van Hettinga
horns Everett Lewis, Mark Messenger
trumpets Bruno Grugeryvic, Robert Swanson
trombones Caspar Montcastle, Ned Solis
tuba Terry Thouverez
percussion Lola Bascaglia, George "Ong" Nikas, Zoe Parigi
piano Allo Nahon, Xaviar Griffon-Boone
organ F Lemore
harp Sina B. Schott
violins: Katherine Trowell, Mission Smith, & Kuri Sakura
violas Dion Hamsness, Cyril Melton
cello Anchor Mejans, Noel St. Fiat
double-bass Caze Jerusalem
electronics F Lemore
Today was the first rehearsal and the “Anchor Mejans Quintet” (as we have been dubbed) and we were all in rare form. In fact, there will be some other of the musicians joining us, as it has now been decided, through Lemore’s influence that the variations should be represented as a sort-of train, and that, as such, they will not be strictly-speaking a work for quintet. Lemore pointed out, and Bainbridge concurred, that in the score there is no precise delineation between endings and beginnings; only sweeping underlines between passages, in Rowley’s hand, which denote a change of mood. Since it is obvious that Rowley intended the variations to be somewhat protean (possibly even interchangeable in sequence), we have decided to adopt Lemore’s approach and interpret the variations as links in single chain and fuse the selections into one piece rather stop and start with definite openings and finalities.
September 8, 2006
The recording sessions of the sheet music fragments went smoothly. Thouverez was hilarious ("more fun than X******!" he said). Jerusalem could not believe such a bass part had been written in Europe in 1942. "Woodcut" has become Griffon-Boone & Nahon's war-cry!
I am pleased with the outcome of our efforts so far, and I believe Mr. Bainbridge is too. It’s the weekend now. No work for two days, just time to reflect. Yet, Rowley now seems present in spirit everywhere.
September 12, 2006
The Woodcut Variations are now complete. We have recorded two possible cuts for the final album (The Complete Amon Rowley). The first follows the score in a more or less true-to-form rendition (recalling that Rowley’s scores, with their odd handwritten esoteric notations are often not clear; or at least open to speculation about their meaning). The second version is one in which we look more creative license and following Lemore’s creative genius imbued the piece with a more contemporary sound. Bainbridge concurs that Rowley’s works were often flexible and adds that he also believes Rowley wished his music to be more plastic in a sense and allow the musicians some level of creative input.
We have been allowed complete access to the Rowley material in the archive (still under the watchful eye of Mr. Whittlsey, Librarian) and many interesting items continue to surface.
Yesterday we viewed a very old and somewhat damaged film fragment of Amon Rowley playing a portion of an unnamed work on a Vibraphone (alas the sound was inaudible).
We also began a cursory view of the so-called “N’Hush files”. These include a few notes and a series of tape-recordings. All very exciting…can’t wait to hear them!
September 14, 2006
The N’Hush tapes are very exciting. What is most interesting to consider the wide range of stylistic venues open to Rowley throughout each decade of his life, and how he interpreted those styles through his own vision. The N’Hush tapes are purely electronic (so far) and one can detect the time and energy Rowley spent on his permutations of those effects.
As the search continues through the archives of TRI (and there is indeed more material than at first assumed), new treasures emerge. Another old film canister was found with another poorly preserved film, yet still viewable, though perhaps not fully restorable. This one has the following brittle and yellowed note attached to it with a piece of twine in Rowley’s handwriting:
(The italics are mine)
December 192- (the last number is faded)
Somewhere on Earth
On reverse side of paper:
Thanks, when I have spoken to.......... (Several words too faded to read) perhaps then. In the meanwhile I will see you in St. M........ (Several faded words here)
Amon Rowley
Bainbridge plans on viewing the film with us and has sent for a professional to help us technically. One can’t help but wonder why some of the items in the Archive are so deteriorated. Notwithstanding the vast amount of materials in the place, it does give one pause…why hasn’t Bainbridge allowed anyone, so far, accessibility to the Rowleyabilia?
And what has Whittlesy, the librarian, been doing all these years? Oh well…maybe it’s simply and English thing.
The portions of the archive that are public, and those used by visiting aficionados and scholars are very well kept, clean and modern. It’s the room referred to as the “shrine” that seems to be the most unkempt and this is where all the Rowley papers and ephemera and other boxes of yet unclassified stuff we are foraging through is housed.
One other note of interest today. I had a conversation with Lemore about the “Woodcut Variations”. We were going over the original score again, simply reviewing the DeAmicis woodcut and handwritten notes Rowley had left as mental jottings.
The three inscriptions
1. Wood is warm
2.The Buffoon is antithetical to the Artist
3. Manifestation Is Consistency
We now believe that these three odd indications are perhaps suggestions for titles, or maybe only moods of the three phases of the movements within the variations. These may not be apparent to anybody but a musician who has played the piece.
There is also a note on page 12, bottom of score…
“Wish instruments were more developed. Could use some supremely electrical (?) sounds to supplement…wish there were more Chthonic vibrations emerging from woodwinds…and more x-ray like moods arising from percussion.”
Quite revealing side notes. Was Rowley longing for a sound that synthetic music could only generate?
We may never know about the actual Woodcut. So far research about DeAmicis, as an artist has led to nothing. There are no mentions of him on the internet and no references to him in any “Who’s Who” of International Artists. Obviously the piece is pivotal to the composition, perhaps even the inspiration. Otherwise why would it have been kept by Rowley in his score for the Woodcut Variations?
September 15, 2006
The film is indeed in terrible shape, yet Bainbridge has hired an expert in restoration to salvage what can be fixed.
It is probably from around 1927-1930, silent and made with 16mm (the canister has an old label: SOE – 16mm made on Le Parvo Model K).
The attached note: (see digital image below)
December 192- (the last number is faded)
Somewhere on Earth
On reverse side of paper:
Thanks, when I have spoken to.......... (Several words too faded to read) perhaps then. In the meanwhile I will see you in St. M........ (Several faded words here)
Amon Rowley.
Lemore and I are speculating. Is it possible that this surrealist-style film is one of Rowley’s own? Could it be a student work of Alfred Hitchcock’s? Or a collaboration?
We know He was friends with “Hitch”…
Well perhaps the reality lies somewhere in those facts. The woman in the film looks very much like Eulaylia McGurrie and after cross-referencing her photos in the archive, we are certain it is.
The music from the tape found yesterday in the N’Hush boxes, fits the film perfectly in length. Lemore pointed out that the Vibraphone was a new instrument at that time, and it was highly likely that Rowley would have experimented with it. We hope to have Bainbridge’s permission to add it as a soundtrack.
September 20, 2006
This past week has been spent completely immersed in the production of the N’Hush pieces. The task of their interpretation, or shall I say decipherment, is mostly my responsibility and it is a daunting one. Rowley’s manuscript/score for the piece is a cryptic formula, unlike anything I have ever seen before. Although it is composed in a standard commercially printed music score (unlike his other scores) – there is nothing conventional about the notations which are a series of directions indicated by personal symbols, numbers, diagrams, and even script which are presented in such a way as to be nearly unfathomable. From these hieroglyphics, I must glean an understanding of Rowley’s intent. Some of this works requires a penetrating analytical oversight and some a far-sighted imagination! Fortunately, we have the N’Hush tapes as a guideline, and it is through listening to these various compilations that we are beginning to grasp the schema of Rowley’s vision for the work.
In the Score there are some indications of a key to the abbreviated notations. On the frontispiece is a chart with initials and some words following each in parenthesis.
These are:
R.W. (radio)
A. N. (art. noise)
S. N. (neg. seq. and synth.)
Vox Eterna (music of spheres)
F. (vibratory rates)
Fi. Seq. (Golden Mean/ Pythag.)
&
Chthonic Inst. & Trad. Inst. (to be indicated)
I think that R.W. must refer to radio-waves.
A.N. is possibly artificial noise.
S.N. could be synthetic noises or space noise, although I am uncertain about the abbreviation: neg. seq.
Vox Etrena – is the only fully spelled word and “music of spheres” is a well known phrase. In this instance, I believe in may refer to actual human voice which has been manipulated electronically.
F. is possibly a marking for “frequency (ies)” which could correspond to the phrase “vibratory rates”.
Fi. Seq. with it’s accompanying inscription of “Golden Mean / Pythag.” Can only refer to the Fibonacci sequences.
And finally-
Chthonic Inst. & Trad. Inst. – with its note: “to be indicated” – must refer to traditional musical instruments. Rowley’s use of the word, Chthonic, is idiosyncratic. I suspect he means very earthy sounds, most likely the woodwinds.
Yet, there are other less evident notations…Often a series of numbers or letters…sometimes wavy lines, or arrows…Sometimes written inscriptions will appear, not necessarily music related, though obviously intended as a guidelines…for instance, some random selections:
Pattern is Equilibrium – or - Steady to promote Hypno – or – Solar Lunar – or – Cycle of History re-Cap – etc. etc.
My hope is that the spirit of Rowley is my (our) guide in this endeavor and that we produce a piece of music that is as close as possible to his original conception.
Lemore has been arduously at work on the restoration and re-creation of the existing N’Hush tape fragments as well as the polishing of each days new experiments. We work together in the process of re-constructing what we believe to be the intended effect and then at the close of each day meet with Bainbridge to listen to the dailies, and discuss our progress. So far we are only in the preliminary stages of this work, but Mr. Bainbridge is pleased with our progress.
Lemore has a secondary idea, which may be of use later. He is keeping our personal interpretive experiments in separate files which may be of some use later. These are of course are a private sideline, and may or may not be close to Rowley’s ultimate idea. However, we may discover that through intuition, or sheer serendipity that we have hit upon a true Rowleyism!
September 21, 2006
I have now surmised that the N’Hush works (a.k.a.: The Archon Suite for Electronic Instruments 1962) has actually three distinct movements. This became apparent to me as I mulled over the labyrinth of Rowley’s mysterious score.
Part one is dominated by layers of Radio-waves manipulated and distorted and eventually layered into a more complex strata of deep ponderous sounds produced through synthetic melding.
Part Two has a more rhythmic progression and is in fact a series of expanding sound structures based on the Fibonacci ratios, eventually retreating and cascading into the inverse of their musical mass and weight.
Part Three was more difficult to discern. It was clear from Rowley’s notes (and title of piece) that the N’Hush works were to be solely electronic. Why then were there indications for notations of human voice and traditional instruments?
In the final Rowley Tapes of the N’Hush Series (#’s 22, 23, and 24), all badly preserved and even damaged in significant sections, I was able to determine what is clearly experiments in sound reversal, vocal distortion produced by pitch alterations and synthetic applications; as well as more traditional instruments like cello, oboe, harp and trumpet with this same techniques applied.
I am guessing that Rowley actually did write some singable and playable music for vox and instruments and these were used as the basis for the aforementioned experiments.
Part Three is in the style of a Paean and is composed of a mixture of that altered scored music for voice and traditional instruments…eventually folding back into the same progressions as Part One.
September 21, 2006
The TRI received a wonderful and provocative gift today. The daughter of Eulaylia McGuirre, Valentine Nagel, sent a letter, discovered in a book. This is a letter from Amon Rowley to Eulaylia, signed and dated December 1939. Mrs. Nagel’s discovery was found in her library. Many of the books she owns were bequeathed to her by her parents. Curiously this letter was tucked away in a volume of poems, The Tavern of Dreams, by British author Claude Houghton. It was at Houghton’s home, on a weekend visit that Rowley conceived his idea for his work - “An Invitation to Spend A Weekend Away” and quite possibly where he first realized his deep affection for Eulaylia McGuirre.
Copy of letter from Amon Rowley to Eulaylia McGuirre
Dec. 1939
Grafton Place
Anstruther
My Dear Eulaylia,
It is with a heavy heart, but not one without hope, that I write you. Since out last meeting I have come to cherish those parlays we shared, as so many of them have led to deeper insights into Life’s greater questions. I am aware that the mysteries of human existence shall never be solved, and of course, we need those mysteries as lodestars of inspiration. You have helped bring me to a calm, still spot of inner-contemplation and your spirit has been a soothing balm for my oft’ times troubled soul. For this, I thank you again and again.
It is my desire that one day I will compose a melody so evocative, that it will resonate with any man, woman or child who hears it. This idea came to me as a child in fact and I have never forgotten it. The melody must be so tender, and yet so strong, as to be a song both happy and sad…both sad and happy. I feel as if I may soon hear this tune in my mind…perhaps one morning just before awakening…or some night, sitting by the fireside…for I believe that it is on the verge of surfacing. Surely this musical epiphany is a direct result of knowing you!
You are and ever shall my muse.
As ever,
With respect, gratitude and Love,
Amon
September 27, 2006
We continue to labor over the N’Hush tapes. But we make headway and are generally pleased with our progress. The subtleties of Rowley’s notes are now becoming more discernable to us and there is a definite pattern emerging.
Lemore feels good about his efforts and Bainbridge is satisfied with the dailies, confident that the end result will be outstanding.
However, an occupational hazard…I dream of composition at night and hear those quirky sounds in my head!
Bainbridge spends some time each day with various members of the orchestra going over score fragments (mostly selections from the Woodcut Variations and The Yellow Music) as practice sessions to continue to familiarize them with Rowley’s style.
Mr. Bainbridge shared a letter received from Werner Truckbytten with Lemore and me at lunchtime. It seems Truckbytten wants full credit for the discovery of the manuscript. That’s all well and good I suppose…but I still sense something decidedly manipulative in between the lines of his letter! I said nothing to Bainbridge, but Lemore saw my expression as Bainbridge read the letter to us, and gave me an understanding wink.
October 2, 2006
We are still at work on the N’Hush pieces. In addition we have also begun rehearsals for the second of “The Woodcut Variations”. I find this second piece quite exhilarating and I think the other musicians do as well. It requires a great deal from the percussionists (as do many of Rowley’s pieces) and after the initial play-through this morning, Lola Bascaglia, simply stretched out on the floor and began some deep breathing exercises. When I asked if she was all-right she simply waved her hands in a gesture which I assumed to mean, “Don’t bother me now”.
Bainbridge has received yet another letter from Werner Truckbytten, which he shared with us. This time Truckbytten says he has found a cache of Rowleyabilia which could be a mother-lode. Naturally, I am suspicious. In addition it’s supposedly for sale and not to be given as gift!
October 3, 2006
Arrived at T.R.I. somewhat early today and had some time to kill, which I spent in the Archive Library. I found Werner Truckbytten’s monograph - The Forgotten Faces of Amon Rowley (printed by Zwerus & Sons, Amsterdam 1985) and began to skim through it. My eye was caught by an excerpt on page 77. According to Truckbyten's research:
Rowley made notes on three of his manuscripts referring to String-Quartets:
#1: In the “Yellow Music” - following the Prelude and then song, Quixote, there is a note scribbled on the bottom left suggesting insertion of a String Quartet, with the following title: Acts of Defiance. Unfortunately, those pages have been ripped from the original manuscript.
#2: On page 5, after the first song in "Invitation to Spend A Weekend Away" - the same note appears, pages also missing.
&
#3: In "Breadcrusts" a note on the title page in Rowley's hand reads: “Include the Acts of Defiance for Quartet as finale”. In this case too, no score is included.
I asked the librarian, Mr. Whittlesy, whose memory is encyclopedic, if there was any other information he knew concerning the so-called “Acts of Defiance Quartet”. He said all he could recall was that the piece was recorded in the year 2000, or 2001 by the Fito Day Ensemble and included in a series of commemorative recording of various modernist composers which the T.R.I. had issued only last year.
The recording cited: Visiter de Nouveau: Trash Research Institute (April 19, 2005) features various works by contemporary composers, including Rowley. The track in question is in fact titled:
Acts of Defiance for Quartet - The ensemble who performs the work, The Fito Day Ensemble, is no longer functioning as a group.
According to Truckbytten’s monograph (again quoted):
Mr. Day is actually the composer of this piece which he attributes to Rowley. Fito Day, in the liner notes of that recording is quoted as saying, he was "fortunate enough to receive a copy of the score from his good friend Caze Jerusalem, as a birthday gift." We cannot contact Mr. Day, since he, along with a few of his ensemble disappeared in 2001 in mysterious circumstances in Egypt.
Well, that morning session in the archive left me with many questions.
Obviously from the notes concerning The Acts of Defiance...we can glean that
the piece was written on or before 1935. What was so important about the
Acts of Defiance Quartet that Rowley wished to include in various pieces and
yet did not, could not, or decided not to?
And what made him think that it was sympathetic enough with the pieces he
wished to include it in…or was indeed contemporary enough to include in the
Yellow Music some 20 years later?
Also, how did Caze Jerusalem obtain the gift of the score for Fito Day?
I will have to ask him, since I see him frequently during rehearsal (He is the Double-Bass player).
And if the score used was indeed a Rowley, or was it simply Rowley-esque?
Why does Truckbytten insist that Fito Day is the composer of this piece, only attributed to Rowley; especially since he was unable to verify that fact?
Do other examples of the piece exist? A final score? Will it turn up in the
new cache of Truckbytten stuff?
All questions....no answers.
Naturally, thinking about Fito Day produced some emotions in me. Fito was a personal friend and I had some good times with him. I also was well acquainted with his ensemble members, some of whom are also in the T.R.I. – Katherine Trowell, Caze Jerusalem. Other members of T.R.I. have also worked on projects with Fito Day when he was alive…Notably Nahon, Thouverez, Bascaglia and Nikas.
Fito’s musical interests were vast and eclectic. Although jazz was his chosen forte, his interpretation of jazz classics and his own personal offerings in that genre were clearly unique, musically idiosyncratic presentations of his style. He was no stranger to classical music either, having studied cello early in life.
Whittlesy procured a copy of the CD, Visiter de Nouveau, for me and I listened to the track. I could detect the Fito Day style in the direction of the piece, even though it certainly seemed Rowley through and through.
October 4, 2006
I finally had a chance to question Caze Jerusalem about the “Acts of Defiance” score he gave Fito Day as a birthday gift. He said he bought the score, along with several other odd works by different composers (all of which were copies), in a Greenwich Village bookshop. The score itself was inexpensive. It was in a plain folder and was mimeographed in faded blue ink, probably made in the 1970’s.
Caze said he knew Fito Day liked Rowley and had mentioned once an idea of interpreting a Rowley piece. Other than that, he had no further insights.
October 5, 2006
Holy F#*@K!!!!
Bainbridge called a meeting this morning and read to us a letter from Werner Truckbytten. Apparently the Motherlode of Rowl-abilia has descended from outer-space and is approaching London at warp speed.
Truckbytten states that an unidentified person has sold him a cache of Rowley stuff that would make any musician, music historian, or modern music aficionado pee in their pants!
Bainbridge says he will in turn purchase the treasure trove from Truckbytten and it will soon be preserved and guarded in the archive of TRI (Whittlsey nearly fainted at this announcement).
Naturally we are all quite excited about this. A portal has perhaps opened.
October 6, 2006
We continue to make progress with the second of the “Woodcut Variations” and I believe we are approaching a satisfactory recording of the piece. Lemore is also working very hard on the arranging of the N’Hush selections…I hope we will bring these to fruition soon…I fear Lemore’s head will explode if we don’t!
There is some fun on the horizon however.
Bainbridge has invited some of us to his country home (Strove House) near Chelmsford for a weekend get-away, hopefully a delightful excursion.
But! The big news is the arrival of Truckbytten. He sauntered into the TRI this afternoon with an imperious air. I happened to be talking to David Gladstone and Sina Schott in the reception room, and he gave us all a slight bow.
His meeting with Bainbridge lasted most of the afternoon and I did not see him leave since I was in the studio. But, around four o’clock Bainbridge came into the Studio “C” and announced to all present that he had officially obtained the Werner Truckbytten cache of Rowley stuff. He was beaming with obvious pride and delight.
Later, as Lemore and I were preparing to leave TRI, Bainbridge called us aside and asked us to come into his office for a preliminary viewing of the new acquisitions.
We did not see all of it, but what was seen was absolutely tantalizing. A more in depth appraisal will come next week.
For now it’s off to Strove House, Chelmsford.
October 8, 2006
Sunday Evening. I’m glad to be back at the flat even though the weekend excursion was interesting and even amusing. I couldn’t help but think of Rowley of course, the whole time I was there at Bainbridge’s country place, Strove House.
Naturally, Rowley’s piece, “An Invitation to Spend A Weekend Away” came to mind, but it was also simply knowing that Rowley too had once spent time with Bainbridge and his cronies and associates within those very walls.
The house itself was no mere cottage…it was rather a grand Victorian affaire with many rooms and halls…some with actual Pre-Raphaelite design work on wallpapers, woodwork, etc. – It dawned on me then, even though I was dimly aware, that Bainbridge was indeed quite wealthy and was clearly a member of the privileged classes.
All in all there were some twenty-five guests, mostly TRI people. We were wined and dined in posh surroundings and given a grand tour, which included a visit to Bainbridge’s private conservatory, filled with framed photographs, and keepsakes of his notable friends (Rowley as well). After dinner, on Saturday night we gave an impromptu concert which brought out the “fun” side of all present.
It was decided that we’d conjure up an improvisation of a theme (for this we chose one of Rowley’s pieces, a simple offering, Little Boy Blue – one of the songs from “An Invitation to Spend A Weekend Away” (synchronistically enough). Bainbridge provided the sheet music, which he had tucked away in huge shelves which rolled out on casters from their concealment within a wall.
Also available were some of the finest instruments I’ve seen. An assortment ranging from baby grand piano to woodwinds, strings, even percussion. I was thrilled to be allowed to play a rare antique Cremona cello, which seemed alive under my touch.
The “improv” took a turn when somebody cleverly and stealthily introduced the tune from Jerome Kern’s All the Things You Are…from that point we escalated into a jazzy shifting of temperament which at length returned to the original theme, yet somehow spoofing mid-nineteen-forties modernist trends.
It was exceptional. Bainbridge was transported with delight.
Tomorrow, as they say, is another day…and one I am looking forward to. We will, no doubt, or shall I say hopefully, be re-introduced to some of the treasures which TRI recently acquired from “the Truck” (my nickname for Truckbytten)
October 10, 2006
I feel privileged and somewhat daunted to be in the inner-sanctum. I am talking about the special honors afforded to Lemore and me as coordinators of the Rowley project.
Today we were admitted to the conference room in the presences of Bainbridge, and Mr. Whittlesy and were allowed to take part in the viewing and assessment of each and every piece in the new collection of memorabilia, etc. etc., obtained from Truckbytten.
It was an awesome experience. I am now convinced that we have before us some material that will certainly change our view of the composer and his compositions, as well as fodder for new projects that could in fact go on for years.
We have decided to simply begin. This is perhaps easier said than done because we will, of course, be working on the rehearsals and recordings of the already existing agenda.
Whittlesy, whose opinion is to be respected as an archivist, believes we should begin with an examination of the scores we have received and place them into to existing chronology of known Rowley scores.
We all concur. And so it begins.
Here follows a new list of the Rowley scores updated with *’s to mark their placement:
Acknowledged Works of Amon Rowley
- Lost In A German City (1930)
- Invitation To Spend A Weekend Away (1935-37)
- The Fete Of Fire & Drums (1939)
- Incidental Music for The Fete Of Fire & Drums (1939)*
- The Woodcut Variations (1942)
- Breadcrusts (1945)
- Untitled (a.k.a.: 7JS MU 9x3) (1949)
- Untitled (a.k.a.: 7JS MU 7x1 & 8x2) (1949)*
- The Yellow Music (1950)
- The Game Of Chess (1955)
- Sabazius (1960)
- N’Hush - or – The Archon Suite For Electronic Instruments (1962)
- A printed score untitled and unsigned (1965)*
- Speculum Persona (1970)
- Assignations (printed score /not in Rowley’s script) (1974)*
- The Madeline Songs (1975)
- The Emma Virginia Alderman (In One Act) (1978)
- Addendum To Songs For Ad Veritatem (1979)*
- Ad Veritatem (Tone Poem & Songs) (1980)
- Acts of Defiance For String Quartet (1,2,3,4,5) (no date)*
- The Deep Blue Sea (no date)*
October 11, 2006
I had been wondering, naturally, just who was the mysterious person was who originally possessed the newly acquired Rowley materials?
The astonishing answer came today in the form of a letter to the T.R.I.
Bainbridge called Lemore and me into his office and read to us the information that now only deepens the mystery of Amon Rowley’s life.
Now, it seems, Rowley has a living son! Jaufrey Eulaylio Duran-Arneau, a mute brought up by an old family friend and gypsies, no less!
Apparently the son is the “Love-Child” of Eulaylia McGuirre and Rowley. Bainbridge was quick to concur, adding that he even suspected such a thing already from implied asides offered now and then from Rowley himself, but never openly revealed.
Jaufrey was obviously raised by Rowley’s mother, Madeline Duran-Arneau Rowley with the aid of her helpers. At some point he was diagnosed with “hysterical aphonia” and still lives in this condition somewhere near Decazeville, France. It’s all quite fantastic and fascinating. But the sad part is “Truck’s” nasty role in the whole thing.
The guardian, a certain Marc Sant-Nazer says, as the author of the letter, that he is Jaufrey’s spokesperson and friend and that they decided to sell the Rowley stuff to Truckbytten, who clearly took advantage of them and the situation. Sant-Nazer says that without doing a hell of allot of research about the market for such things, he went straight to “Truck” and offered the stuff. How he learned of Werner Truckbytten in the first place is not revealed. In any case, Sant-Nazer goes on to tell how he and Jaufrey may have been ripped off, suggesting that “Truck” lowered his offer substantially from the first quote. Now Sant-Nazer thinks he might have a case against Truckbytten’s possible legal infractions, since “Truck” turned around and sold the stuff pronto to the TRI for big bucks.
Bainbridge, in his magnanimous clarity, simply shuffles the whole problem off by reducing it to a series of penetrating deductions. He intends to reimburse Marc Sant-Nazer and Jaufrey Duran-Arneau with the difference not obtained during the sale and offer them documented acknowledgement of their contribution. I am sure he will write a convincing letter, and probably also make quite a smooth and irresistible phone call as well. I am also sure that before any funds are exchanged Bainbridge will make a trip to Decazeville to meet these men in person.
As for Truckbytten…Bainbridge plans to notify him personally and make it known to him that the TRI is aware of his unscrupulous actions and that if need be will take actions to bring these actions into the light of day.
Copy of the Letter sent to TRI from Marc Sant-Nazer
Marc Sant-Nazer 2006-10-11
Château Vebond
L’Source Foutin
Decazeville
12300, France
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing this letter on behalf of my friend Jaufrey Eulaylio Duran-Arneau, who recently sold a collection of memorabilia belonging to the late composer Amon Rowley to a Mr. Werner Truckbytten of the Netherlands.
Arneau does not write or speak English. In fact he spoke only pigeon-French and a Roma dialect until he was about sixteen years old, when he was seized by a condition, hysterical aphonia, and has remained mute since then.
My name is Marc Sant-Nazer. I have known Arneau since boyhood. We grew up on the same estate, in the same village near Decazeville and have remained friends since then. My parents were the caretakers of the Chateau Vebond, the home of Madeline Duran-Arneau Rowley, Amon Rowley’s mother and the grandmother of Jaufrey.
The details of Jaufrey’s life are not the purpose of this letter however and so I will only add that as a boy he was brought up by a family of Romney workers who resided on the property and were devoted to Madame Rowley. Since then he has been with my family, who still reside at the Chateau Vebond.
Upon the death of Madame Rowley, Jaufrey inherited the house and property (which my father, mother and myself continue to manage), and other personal effects. Among the articles left to him was the assortment of Amon Rowley pieces recently sold to Mr. Truckbytten.
It is this subject which I would like to bring to your attention.
During the negotiation of the sale Mr. Truckbytten offered us an assured amount of money for the Rowley articles. Later, just prior to the actual sale, he announced that after an appraisal conducted by experts, the items themselves were deemed worth considerably less than originally assumed.
At that time, because I had not researched thoroughly, I was unaware of the T.R.I., and simply trusted Truckbytten’s word as honest. The sale was made and the goods delivered on the scheduled date, but for nearly one-third less the monetary value first quoted.
Last week, I was in Paris and after some research on-line and with a friend at the library, I discovered that the T.R.I. had purchased the items in question.
When I called Mr. Truckbytten in Rotterdam recently and inquired about this, he was discourteous and suggested it was no longer my business and that our transaction was completed honestly.
I am not here requesting that Jaufrey be somehow compensated by the T.R.I., but I am asking an opinion.
Do you think we were swindled? And if so, do you think we have a good case, if we bring this to the attention of an attorney for legal action against Werner Truckbytten?
Please feel free to contact me via the enclosed address or phone number.
Sincerely,
Marc Sant-Nazer
It’s intriguing to consider this aspect of Rowley’s life. We all knew of the affaire between Eulaylia McGuirre and Rowley, but now that there may actually be a living son, born out of wedlock, it adds a certain saucy depth to Amon’s character. The fact that Jaufrey bears his mother’s name in modified form (Eulaylio) is certainly a convincing argument in favoring his validity. One wonder’s why Madame Madeline Duran-Arneau Rowley, did not allow the boy the Rowley surname? Or was it Rowley and Eulaylia’s decision?
Also curious is the mysterious upbringing. Why did the fellow never learn proper French? Was it a result of being partially raised by the Gypsy keepers? Was he not educated in public or private school? Did Madame Rowley fear that the boy would follow in the footsteps of his genius father?
I also wonder if Jaufrey is at all gifted like Rowley and Eulaylia…or is he simply an ordinary guy….a half-wit…or perhaps even a brute?
So many speculations…
I suppose all will clarified after Mr. Bainbridge makes his journey.
October 18, 2006
Bainbridge has returned to London following several days in France and Holland and meetings with Marc Sant-Nazer and Jaufrey Duran-Arneau, and then Werner Truckbytten. He seemed quite pleased with the results of this journey. I am sure his diplomatic skills and his charm and strong persuasiveness came in handy.
Bainbridge informed Lemore and me that he was positive that Jaufrey is the offspring of Rowley and Eulaylia Mcguirre, adding that it was not only apparent from the physical likeness but also temperamentally he seemed much like them as well. His observations concerning Mr. Sant-Nazer, the residence in Decazeville, and all other elements surrounding the meeting were for him satisfactory and conclusive. Apparently he convinced Sant-Nazer not to pursue any legal advances but to accept the monetary compensation that TRI offered and also the continued association with the institution which only seeks to preserve the memory and music of Amon Rowley.
Bainbridge informed us that he felt both Sant-Nazer and Jaufrey Duran-Arneau were absolutely genuine and not at all threatening but he seemed cautious about revealing any other observed details concerning their personal milieu.
His meeting with Truckbytten in Amsterdam took place at the offices of the Nederland’s Classical Music Gazette and was also equally as satisfactorily resolved. Bainbridge laid down his own law with “Truck” and informed him that he will not tolerate anymore shady dealings with him and that his name would not appear connected with the recent acquired Rowley materials or any future TRI projects. He also required that the Gazette publish a written disclaimer with acknowledgement of Truckbytten’s nefarious plan and full relinquishment of any claims to future Rowley/TRI connections. If this was not adhered to then proper legal action would be applied forthwith.
Now we can resume the cataloging and study of the Rowley materials and allow the contents of that cache to find its rightful place in the puzzle of Rowley’s enigmatic legacy.
We have nearly completed the work on the third movement of N’Hush and that will wrap up that aspect of the “Complete Amon Rowley”.
October 24, 2006
When I looked in on Lemore today he looked like a holy card of a catholic saint martyred at the stake. However, instead of piles of wood at his feet (ready to be ignited) were scraps of tape lengths and sheets of note paper…all remnants of the N’Hush cuttings. “It’s done!” he said. “Well nearly…”
Later in the day we sat in the sound-booth and listened to the whole composition. I was truly amazed by Rowley’s ability to assimilate various styles of music and at his clarity of vision in bringing his works to fruition. The N’Hush works contain his entire initial concept for the piece as a sound-study. Since I am aware of the theme of this work from reading his notes about it, I naturally understand intellectually what he has created. But I also think that N’Hush could be listened to without knowing anything of what its source of inspiration was. It stands up to the critical ear as a composition both entertaining and captivating for its genre.
October 26, 2006
Today we begin work on a new phase of "The Complete Amon Rowley". We are now returning all the way back to the start of his career and his opus "Lost In A German City" (dedicated to "Hitch"). Rowley must have been inspired even more through the making of the early experimental soundtrack for "Hitch" and this led him to an exploration of the then popular German Expressionist movement. Rowley was a young man wrapped up in his emotions and dark presentiments. He was no doubt influenced by the Futurist and Cubist movements, Fritz Lang and other avantgarde silent films. I know he read Oswald Spengler's "Decline of The West" and Nietzsche and also some of Rudolf Steiner's esoterica on Antroposophy. He made a trip to Germany during that phase. The trip itself was a ghastly experience. He was ill part of the time and afflicted with terrible insomnia. At one point (whether in Berlin or Munich is uncertain) he
wandered deliriously through the streets, finally fainting. He was hospitalized and his
mother went after him. He was brought to France, and during his re-cuperation worked on the score. When well - he went to Mt. St. Michel and St. Malo. There he destroyed nearly 2/3 of the pieces he had written for "Lost In A German City". But he did keep some of it. Therefore it is somewhat disjointed (perhaps rightly so).
We are unsure of the actual order intended but in his note book we are given a clue in the form of a list.
The work is composed of several musical offerings. These are written for Organ (Rowley was terribly influenced by Marcel Dupre) and for cello(s). There are 3 cello works- two duets and one solo. There are 3 songs, two with cello accompaniment. The other is a wild vocal which alternates between acappella vox and organ (much in the style of the early Bach Morimur alterations). My guess is the sequence is:
cello duo
cello-song #1
cello solo (shadows 1)
shadows part -2-3
cello song #2
Organ Mysterium
Organ - Vox piece
(I could be wrong and perhaps we will discover a better
sequence)....................................................................
October 29, 2006
David Gladstone (Mr. Bainbridge’s personal assistant) telephoned this evening and asked if I would mind taking a cab to Waterloo Station to pick up Marc Sant-Nazer and Jaufrey Duran-Arneau (Rowley’s son) tomorrow morning. Apparently they are making the trip up on EuroStar to see the T.R.I. and also visit Bainbridge’s country home for a few days, as a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the T.R.I.
I have to admit, I am looking forward to meeting this pair! I assume that Sant-Nazer will do all the communicating, since Jaufrey is completely mute.
November 2, 2006
Just a few impressions of Jaufrey Duran-Arneau and Marc Sant-Nazer…
Mr. Bainbridge, David Gladstone, and Jayne Reeth, led the tour of the T.R.I. for our guests. Zoe Parigi, and Lemore (both serviceable as translators) and I were the honored attendants. Sant-Nazar and Jaufrey communicate with a specialized form of hand-jestures and modified sign-language and I did notice that they also convey much with their facial expressions and a sort-of telepathy which I assume has developed over their long acquaintance.
I definitely felt like I was in the presence of Rowley when close to Jaufrey, though it may be that he favors his mother more in looks.
After lunch, which was given at a neighboring restaurant, we returned to the T.R.I. and were treated to a brief concert. Kuri Sakura, the youngest member of the institute (I believe he is only thirteen) and a gifted violinist, performed an adaptation of a theme from Rowley’s “Woodcut Variations” and Sina B. Schott treated us to a Chopin prelude played on her harp.
I noticed that Jaufrey seemed quite transported during the musical performance. At one point he appeared to lunge forward, as though he were going to suddenly leap up and dance, but Sant-Nazer put his hand on Jaufrey’s shoulder and instantly calmed him.
Bainbridge then had his car brought around and he and Sant-Nazer and Jaufrey Duran-Arneau took off for Strove House.
We are back at work, full speed ahead. The “Lost In A German City” music is demanding but quite captivating and it is interesting to be “lost” in Rowley’s initial opus.
