Last week came with some pleasant news – the composition of talsonist Karl Roerich was recognized in the composition competition organized by the English Horn Society.
— Why was this piece created? Or especially for this composition competition?
— Yes! I am the same 21st century person as everyone else, and by flipping through social network endless pile of news, the algorithm showed me an advertisement that the English Horn Society was holding a competition for composers. In honor of the annual festival of British horn playing, where the world’s greatest masters come together. Concerts, master classes, instrument exhibitions are held there. This time they chose the new composition competition as an added value of the festival. I had to send a piece for horn solo that had not been played until now. Since the deadline was still a couple of weeks away, all I had to do was look at my calendar and find some free hours to compose.
— What is this piece about?
— The piece is called “En Route”, which could be translated as “the road”. But not only in a physical sense, but also in a philosophical sense. The path as experience, the path as development, the path as overcoming difficulties. Then the composition alternates between lyricism and drama, simple and complex episodes. The piece is relatively short, just over three minutes, but it contains many virtuoso horn playing techniques. The playing of natural soundtracks, singing on an instrument, wide registers, mutes, different rhythms. I think that woodchucks will find this piece interesting, as it will allow them to play with the instrument. Figuratively speaking of my experience as a forester, everything starts with the first sound doin turn, takes you in all sorts of directions. As I have played both classical and opera music, but I have also played pop and jazz music, the piece contains a quote from Benjamin Britten’s “Serenade for Horn, Tenor and Strings”, as well as rhymes from the blues, as well as from boring scale games in deep solitude for hours.
— What inspired you to create the piece for horn solo?
— In this case, the competition rules stipulated that it must be an unaccompanied piece. I definitely want to mention that at the Academy of Music, while writing my master’s thesis, I concluded that there is not a single piece for horn solo in Latvian music, this was an additional drive to write something.
— Were there any difficulties that had to be overcome?
— The biggest difficulty is to believe in your idea. Since my piece is technically quite virtuosic and combines several contrasting musical images, I sent it to the world-famous French woodcarver Hervé Julien (Hervé Joulain) and please provide some comments. He described the image of my music so accurately, just by seeing the sketches, that I understood – yes, real people will understand. This gave me a big push to polish this miniature and send it to the contest with high hopes.
— How did you manage to find such a prominent adviser, and from far away Paris?
— Ervè was once in Riga to play a solo with the chamber orchestra “Sinfonietta Riga”. I was completely fascinated by his musicality and asked for a master class. We started with Mozart’s 3rd horn concert, ended with several hours of long conversations about music, horn methodology and, of course, life. Time passed, and he offered me to participate as the second soloist in his latest solo recording (by the way, the CD will be released on November 24) «Horn Universe», playing Teleman’s suite for two horns and chamber orchestra together. Since the recording was made in Riga, I showed him the museums and restaurants of Riga in my spare time. That’s how we got to know each other even more, and I’m really indescribably happy that I was able to show my composition to a person who has recorded almost 40 CDs of music for French horn. So he knows music.
— What does the creation of this piece mean to you?
— Creating compositions is now my job. So I just have to work. While creating this piece, which is actually my first work after stepping out of the shoes of a composition student, I
It became clearer to me that creating a piece is a very complex process. It starts with “feeling” the idea, creating sketches, continues with the development of the form, and then the magic called composing takes place. If all the preparations have been made, the ground has been prepared, all that remains is to allow inspiration. And in this phase of work, two resources are more valuable than gold - time and physical energy. Because if you have reached inspiration, then you have to be able to catch what the muses give, and this is a time-consuming and very tiring process. In principle, each piece is associated with a lived life cycle. It starts with a build-up of energy and ends with a pump-out. But by the time you feel that the composition is really ready, all the difficulties are forgotten and you start thinking – what to compose as the next composition? “En Route” gave me the confidence to find time and energy to write new music.
— The received recognition seems to be quite simply useful as a business card. Someone sees your name, maybe calls for a new collaboration. Of course, just as any constructive criticism increases professionalism, any recognition increases self-belief. However, more important than recognition is the knowledge that you have given something new and, hopefully, valuable to the world of art. Of course, as a forester, it means a lot to me the fact that the chairman of the jury was the legend Freudis Rae Vekre, awarded with the title of Norwegian knight (Frøydis Ree Wekre). The fact that in addition to one winning composition, five other compositions will receive recognition was a surprise to me. As far as I know, authors from all over the world participated in the competition – USA, Australia, Europe, Asia.
— In addition to the winning composition ”Iberia” by the prominent Portuguese forester and composer Ricardo Matosinho, the jury selected five compositions that were included in a special list to be published by the British publishing house “edition db”. This means that the sheet music of my piece will be available for purchase both on the publisher’s website and in sheet music stores in England and probably elsewhere. I am generally very surprised by so many congratulations and the fact that the recognition of «En Route» has been noticed. Now we have to wait where and when the premiere will take place.
How can musicians find inspiration when faced with the challenges of composing solo pieces?
Interview between the Time.news Editor and Karl Roerich, Composer
Editor: Good morning, Karl! Congratulations on your piece being recognized in the English Horn Society’s composition competition. That’s quite an achievement! Can you tell us why you created this composition? Was it specifically for the competition?
Karl Roerich: Good morning and thank you! Yes, the piece was indeed created for the competition. I stumbled upon the advertisement while scrolling through social media, and it piqued my interest. The competition was held in conjunction with an annual festival celebrating British horn playing—a fantastic event where the world’s best musicians gather for concerts and masterclasses. With a little nudging from the deadline, I found some free hours in my calendar to compose.
Editor: That sounds exhilarating! Now, could you share what your piece, “En Route,” is about?
Karl Roerich: Absolutely! “En Route” translates to “the road,” which embodies both a physical and philosophical journey. It reflects the path of experience, personal development, and overcoming challenges. The composition is relatively short, just over three minutes, but it’s packed with contrasting elements—lyrical moments juxtaposed with dramatic passages, and various technical techniques for the horn. It invites players to engage with the instrument in diverse ways, showcasing my background in classical, opera, pop, and jazz music.
Editor: That’s fascinating! Was there a particular inspiration behind composing a piece specifically for horn solo?
Karl Roerich: Well, the rules of the competition required an unaccompanied piece, which was a challenge in itself. Additionally, while working on my master’s thesis at the Academy of Music, I realized that there weren’t any horn solo pieces in Latvian music. That gap inspired me to create something meaningful.
Editor: Every creative journey comes with its challenges. What difficulties did you face while composing?
Karl Roerich: One of the biggest challenges was believing in my idea. The piece is quite virtuosic and blends several contrasting musical images, so I needed external feedback to ensure I was on the right track. I reached out to the renowned French horn player, Hervé Joulain, asking for his comments on my sketches. His insightful feedback reassured me that real people would connect with my music, which motivated me to refine the piece before submission.
Editor: How did you establish such an invaluable connection with Hervé Joulain?
Karl Roerich: Our paths crossed when he performed a solo with the chamber orchestra “Sinfonietta Riga.” I asked him for a masterclass, and after a fruitful session and several hours of discussion about music and life, we developed a rapport. Later, I even had the honor of participating as a second soloist in his upcoming recording, “Horn Universe,” which will be released soon!
Editor: What a remarkable collaboration! Now that you’ve completed your piece, what does its creation mean for you on a personal level?
Karl Roerich: Composing has become my profession, and in creating this piece, I realized how intricate the process is. It begins with feeling out an idea, sketching, developing the form, and then experiencing the magic of composing. The time and energy resources are precious in catching inspiration. Once you’re in that creative flow, the hard work pays off, and by the time a piece is ready, the challenges fade into the background. It’s about what comes next—what will I compose after this?
Editor: It’s incredible how the creative process intertwines with personal growth. Thank you, Karl, for sharing your journey with us today, and we look forward to hearing more of your work in the future!
Karl Roerich: Thank you for having me! I’m excited to share “En Route” with audiences and see where the road takes me next!