Bassooner or Later bassoon quartet (2003) Written
for Acolade
(sic), a Bucharest-based bassoon quartet. I don’t know if the
group ever played it, or, indeed, if Acolade
is still in existence. (Its latest web presence is 2004.) It begins in
the whole-tone universe, then gets sucked into an aleatoric blues black
hole where strange time signatures assail it. | The Help Me Rondo Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello, gong, piano (1995) VCME
asked me for a piece that played off the Beach Boys’
“Good
Vibrations,” however, the Turtle Island String Quartet beat
me to
it. Instead I borrowed themes from “Help Me
Rhonda.”
There’s a
theatrical aspect to the tune: midway through the fugal section, the
percussionist drops his music and calls for help. The other musicians
ignore him, however he recovers and rejoins them at the piano
with a timely glissando. | Out of the Dark Bb clarinet, violin, keyboard synthesizer (1994) Written
as incidental music for Ray Bradbury’s theatrical production
of
Something Wicked This Way Comes. Its dark color
complemented
the dark onstage activity (a consequence of an unpaid electric
bill). |
Billions of Brazilians flute, alto sax, trumpet, Fr. horn, trombone, marimba, string bass, percussion (billions of ’em) (1989) The Holy Guacamole Pick-Up
Orchestra premiered it at
Middlebury College. Members of the Vermont Youth Orchestra played it at
Gunnapalooza.
In between, it was treated to a studio recording that wound up on
Albany Records’ Troy 535. Warning: whole-note melodies
abound! | Hornblende 5 French horns (2006); brass quintet (2010) I
initially wrote this tune for five French horns, but a horn player
hinted that it was too hard to play. By chance, I noticed that
its
melodic lines fit well with a brass quintet. Ergo,
the revision. | Quibbling With Quokkas Bb clarinet, bassoon, marimba, cello, piano (2000) Essential
Music
commissioned this fine tune but disbanded before performing
it. Too bad, because its original scoring of alto flute, two marimbas,
cello and piano would’ve been most entertaining to hear. |
Boss à Nova synthesizer, guitar, piano, bass guitar, drum kit (2006) Due
to the unfortunate dearth of largesse from commissions, I rely
on
a part-time dayjob to generate advantageous income. The employmental
situation
includes a “boss” – but
hardly a typical one. Ergo, I wrote this tune for
her on the occasion of Boss’s Day (i.e. October 16) in 2006. | Hunting Tuna brass quintet (1994) This
bluesy variation on Justin Morgan’s
“Huntington” was composed for the
bicentennial celebration of Stowe, Vermont, however it wasn’t
performed until the “Somewhere East of Topeka”
studio recording.
Various changing time signatures give the piece a pleasantly
out-of-kilter feeling. | Running Lights Bb clarinet, soprano sax, Bb trumpet, marimba, violin, piano (1994) No matter it features six
different time signatures, this is the closest I have yet come to
writing a minimalist piece. |
The Conchoid of Nicomedes flute, Bb clarinet, bassoon, piano (2006) | Katmandon’t Bb clarinet, baritone sax, Bb trumpet, marimba, harpsichord, piano (1997) Written
for the “Somewhere East of Topeka” CD recording, it
hasn’t been performed since. Who among you would care to
correct
this wrong? Instrumental parts provided at fire sale rates! | Shebango Bb clarinet, violin, piano (1998) A tango that is equal parts
fandango and mango, inspired by the tropical rhythms and cocktails of
Pango Pango. |
Cowbellies Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello (1995) Metrically marked Andante with a full udder,
this bovine blues follows the multiple-stomached digestive process of man’s best friend.
A VCME commission. | Khartoumaraca Bb clarinet, marimba, cello (1994) A peaceful trio with an
occasional jagged melodic line. Not a single maraca in sight. | A Song, a Dance and a Spizder 1. Dance of the Hasidic Chigger Hecklers Bb clarinet, alto sax, violin, cello, piano, finger cymbals 2. Not the Right Balloon speaker, Bb clarinet, alto sax, violin, cello, piano 3. Do Aliens Wear Sombreros? soprano, Bb clarinet, alto sax, violin, cello, piano, cicadas (1992) My first commission from the
Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, SDS
owes its funding to the New Music Across America series. The klezmery
“Dance” is
mostly in 9/8 time; the “Spizder” (i.e., Balloon) uses a
wordplay-filled story of mine as text; and the
“Song”
employs more of my lyrics as well as a whining cicada key ring to
faithfully imitate the aliens. |
Cyan Aura flute-piccolo, Bb clarinet, violin, cello, piano (2005) At
16+ minutes, it’s my longest single-movement composition to
date.
Said one reviewer, “It’s (a) kinda neo-Bach with a
sinister
streak, (b) Phantom of the Opera on a topsy-turvy carnival ride or
maybe lost in the fun house, or (c) riding in a Roman taxi and hanging
on for dear life.” Also (d) a VCME commission. | Les moineaux géants
picotants flute, Bb clarinet (2000) Oh wait. This two-instrument
tune belongs under Duets.
So look there. | Tannerka Bb clarinet, violin, cello, piano (2002) I
composed this elegy for a special cat named Tanner on the night of and
days following her euthanasia. Over the piece’s opening 17/16
time
signature, the cello plays a melancholy two-note phrase that calls her
name. |
Downriver oboe, 2 bassoons, viola, cello (2004) Written for members of the
Vermont Youth Orchestra, who premiered it at the Gunnapalooza
concert. | Locomotives stalking a leopard in
a china closet five percussionists and playback (2007) Written
for “The Long Roll,” a concert that featured a
convergence of five
quality percussionists – and me, playing the part of
“the leopard.” | .Thereminerva 3 theremins, accordion, video (2003) Against
a videotape depicting a tour of Minerva, a Nevada ghost town, three
theremins are anchored by recurring chords on an accordion.
That’s it! Hmm, can’t seem to locate a recording of
this
tune. But a video would be even more instructive. |
faux pastiche Bb clarinet, violin, cello, piano (2001) A pasticcio for New
York City. Of the nine themes, three –
collapse, aftermath and revivification – connote events of
September 2001. The “collapse” theme is
but two measures, representing a brief if consternating interlude in
the city’s collective continuum. A VCME commission. | The Mesopotamian March &
Mango brass quintet and saw (1975) Written
for a cousin who was studying trumpet at Indiana University. Due to an
administrative error, its first official performance was delayed by
nearly two decades. | Toast The
third in a series of Boss’s Day tunes. Not yet performed.alto sax, elec. guitar, bass, piano, string bass, drum kit (2007) |
Fifty Birds Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello (1999) A
surprise 50th birthday present for fellow composer Dennis
Báthory-Kitsz. VCME learned it in one day and performed it
the
next at a concert on which both of us had other premieres. If you
listen carefully, you may detect a certain familiar theme. | Missing Inn March, The Bb clarinet, alto sax, bass clarinet, Bb trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, percussion (1996) In March 1996, Dennis
Báthory-Kitsz and I journeyed to Europe to interview
composers for our weekly
radio show. We both wrote tunes to be performed in our
“missing in March” absence. Neither was, though MIM
ultimately made it onto the “Somewhere East of
Topeka” recording (as if it didn’t contain
enough
whole-tone tunes). | Transcendental Medication alto sax, bass clarinet, cello, piano (2001) No, not meditation – medication.
There aren’t many meditative moments in this tune. Why,
there’s barely enough time to process one batch of notes
before a
slew of others comes barreling
down the ol’ syncopation highway. Deep relaxation? Ha! Mantras? Who needs ’em?!
Another VCME commission. |
Forbidden Kitchen oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, synthesizer, piano, string octet, double bass, drum kit (2006) Written
for members of the Hunger Mountain Co-op kitchen staff.
Attentive listeners may hear the “theme of the
cutting
boards.” See also the fully orchestrated version. Not yet
performed. | Monadnocker The
second in a series of Boss’s Day tunes. Not yet performed.marimba, piano, harp, guitar, bass, drum kit, cowbell (2007) | Trio Incognito 2 alto saxophones + 1 tenor saxophones (2007) or 2 Bb clarinets + 1 bass clarinet The
saxophone version performance featured some counting issues, however
the clarinet-only rendition was right on. And that’s the one
presented here for your entertainment. |
Going Like Sixty Bb clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion (1997) Written
for the sixtieth birthday of Jane Pincus, an editor of the Boston
Women’s Health Collective’s “Our
Bodies,
Ourselves.” Ergo, the initial theme symbolizes
“gentlemen for gentle menses.” | Out Back SAT recorders or other family of woodwinds (1985) | The Troll’s Awful Curse flute, oboe, 2 Bb clarinets,
bassoon, French horn, trombone, piano, narrator/tenor, witch (1972) For
archival purposes, only! A very early tune, included here just to
illustrate how far I’ve supposely come, tunesmithwise. |
Foothills synthesizer, piano, violin, elec. guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, extra percussion (2008) | Playball | Fugue State 2 flutes (incl. piccolo), Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons (2009) |
Under the Hill A friendly little tune that
begins life in the lydian mode. Not yet performed.
(Sure are a lot of these.)oboe, marimba, elec. guitar, bass guitar, harp, piano, synthesizer, violin, viola, cello, double bass (2010) | Euphonicum Tangenturis flute, clarinet, piano (2010) ET blends a bevy of diverse
musical styles into a tasty 11-minute tour de force. This
Vermont Public Radio performance is from September 6, 2013. | The Flutes of our Labours 2 flutes, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass (2011) |
The Fifth Universal Principle of
Alignment eight-part flute choir [including contrabass] (2012) Winning composition, 2012 National Flute Association Flute Choir Composition Competition. Performance from the Monster Flute Choir concert, Denton, Texas. | . | |
Lexanne flute, clarinet, alto sax,
bassoon (2012) Lexann was the theme of my
342nd introductory essay to Kalvos and Damian’s New Music
Bazaar. Its connection to Lexanne
is, however, tenuous at best. A VCME commission. | . | Locuslotus Conceived as background music to a
stretching video, it evolved into something more.oboe, guitar, chimes, kalimba, harp, piano, 2 synthesizers, cello, double bass (2013) |
Along the Karakash flute, B-flat clarinet, cello, piano (2016) Commissioned by Vermont Virtuosi.. | ||