COMPOSITIONS - CLASSICAL
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
These pieces do not fit in the jazz or popular categories. They were composed in the tradition of "serious" music.
ORCHESTRAL - Classical
Portraits of the Gulfcoast Symphonic Orchestra Dhyan Symphonic Orchestra Case Study Solo Soprano, Chamber Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Electronics Concerto for Two Trumpets Symphonic Orchestra & Two Trumpets Poem for Tenor Saxophone Symphonic Orchestra & Tenor Saxophone Concerto for Bassoon & Orchestra Symphonic Orchestra & Bassoon ENSEMBLE - Classical
Alhambra 2 Flutes and Cello Quintet 1975 Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp Pervigilium de Strepito et Tumulto Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, Harpsichord Pascha Two Flutes & Cello Quartet 1981 Strings Wind Trio Flute, Oboe, Bassoon Birthday Fugue Flute, Oboe, Bassoon Quartet 1976 Strings
SOLO - Classical
Reflections Cello Gwynn Kelson Flute Meditations Flute Piano Sonata Piano Cello Sonata Cello Jolie's Themes Piano Angore Violin Dockwieler B. Violin For Elaine Piano DUO - Classical
After The Rain Flute & Cello Cello Duo Two Cellos Chimera Cello & Piano A Little Sadness, A Little Bitterness... Resolved Cello & Computer VOICE - Classical
Cycles Soprano & Piano Evening Of Life Soprano & Piano Dhylan Thomas Trilogy Soprano, Flute, and Piano Nocturne 1 Women's Chorus & Chamber Orchestra Before You Sleep Voice & Chamber Orchestra Hold It As You Would The Sand Voice & Chamber Orchestra Wedding Offertory Voice & Chamber Orchestra Diane (Beauty's Name) Voice & Piano
Orchestral - Classical
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Portraits of the Gulfcoast
[Back To Top Of This List ] [Back To Top Of Page]This three movement symphonic poem was written between the time that I was a senior in high school and the summer prior to my freshman year in college at the age of 17. It takes as inspiration the last hour I spent in the Biloxi, Mississippi Gulfcoast area. The First movement is entitled "...And The Sea", the second is "The Blue Hour", and the third is "A New Life".
...And The Sea Prices The Blue Hour Prices A New Life Prices Dhyan
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This work is entitled DHYAN (the Eastern Indian word for meditation) because it describes a particular form of meditation known as Sant Mat. It is a method of attaining spiritual release by the constant repetition of the name of God and concentration on the inner sound current of creation (Shabd) The technique is also known as 'sound and light' meditation. The piece unfolds as a meditation for the listener, as attention is drawn from the world of the senses (Indriyas) towards the highest spiritual region (Sach Khand), where the Soul merges with the sound current, its true home, and becomes one with God. The only performance to date of DHYAN was on December 15, 1984 by the San Jose City College Orchestra, conducted by Emily Ray.
Dhyan Prices
Case Study (A Young Woman's suicide)
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The Cantata, "Case Study", is taken from a newspaper article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times on December 19, 1976, entitled CASE STUDY: A YOUNG WOMAN's SUICIDE by Times reporter Kathleen Hendrix. This article was written in the form of an interview with the young woman's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gould Allison, along with excerpts from their daughter's journal, which is scattered intermittently throughout. With the exception of a few words or phrases which were deleted from the journal (to make the material more musically manageable) I quoted all of the libretto exactly from the article.
Case Study Prices
Concerto for Two Trumpets and Orchestra
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This three movement work was commissioned by Emily Ray, conductor of the San Jose City College Orchestra. Once during a conversation, she expressed to me her difficulty in finding a piece that would highlight the talents of the two trumpet players in the orchestra. I offered to compose one for them.
Movement 1 Prices Movement 2 Prices Movement 3 Prices
Poem for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra
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Imagine the scene ... an orchestra is playing a "modern" sounding piece in the distance. A short while later the soulful improvised melodies of a saxophone can be heard through the open window of a tenement building. Being midway between the two points of music, you hear what is rarely heard ... the electrifying combination of saxophone and orchestra. The central theme of the "Poem for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra" is that of the tremendous influence that improvisation has had on the flavor of 20th century music.
Poem for Tenor Saxophone & Orchestra Prices
Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra
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This piece has its genesis in the time several years ago when I had the pleasure of playing cello in an orchestra where Rufus Olivier appeared as a soloist. I was impressed with his virtuosity... his musicianship, tone, and most of all, his jazz-like style. Over the years Rufus and I have had the chance to talk and I have threatened to compose a piece for him each time we met. The first movement of this piece, "Looking a Long Time", is representative of the many changes I experienced which affected nearly every part of my life after my first divorce. The second poem, "...For Carol", was composed for, and about my new wife, Carol.
Looking A Long Time Prices ...For Carol Prices
ENSEMBLE - Classical
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Alhambra
Alhambra is a trio for two flutes and 'cello and was performed by me playing 'cello, and Francesca Cox and Sarah Lloyd playing flute on December 17, 1998 at the Smith Performance Center at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA. You'll hear that Alhambra is a tonal, Spanish-sounding piece. Performance directions call for the 'cello to be played across the lap during most of the piece... like a guitar.[Back To Top Of This List ] [Back To Top Of Page]
Alhambra Prices
Quintet 1975
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This three movement piece was composed in my Freshman year at UCSB for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harp. The inspiration for the piece was a poem by T.S. Eliot called "The Lovesong Of J. Alfred Prufrock". The three movements are titled after lines of the poem:"Talking of Michealangelo", "...Do I Dare?", and "'Til Human Voices Wake Us".
Talking of Michealangelo Prices ...Do I Dare? Prices 'Til Human Voices Wake Us Prices
Pervigilium
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Pervigilium (de Strepito et Tumulto) is a descriptive quintet about restless nights and inner turmoil. At the time it was being composed, I lived in an apartment building where the tenants below me were destroying their apartment (literally breaking glasses, windows, cabinets, etc.) every evening for months, the person to the right enjoyed playing "Muzak" very loudly at 3:00 a.m., and where my neighbor to the left had several visitors who frequently insisted on coming at all hours of the night to play percussion on his door.
Pervigilium Prices
Pascha
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Pascha Prices
Quartet 1981
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Quartet 1981 Prices
Wind Trio
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A trio for Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon composed in 1981. It was first performed in the Summer of 1993. The three movements are "Being Fugueal", "Time To Do Things", and "That Again". The piece was written during a time which I describe as my "American Gothic" period. It breaks away from the tyranny of both tonality and the oppressive "twentieth-century" atonality of my contemporaries.
Being Fugueal Prices Time To Do Things Prices That Again Prices
Birthday Fugue
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On my birthday I was sitting at my computer, playing a solitaire game, when this piece came to visit. Naturally, I dropped what I was doing to capture it.
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Quartet 1976
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The Quartet (1976) is the second in a series of pieces written for strings with movements entitled DIALOGUE. The first such piece was a 'Cello Sonata with two Movements and two Dialogues. The concept of the Dialogue movements is to present tightly structured interludes of an "argumentative" nature, whereby each instrument is used to voice its own, particular, musical idea, in contrast against the voices of other instruments.
Dialogue 1 Prices Dialogue 2 Prices Dialogue 3 Prices
Solo - Classical
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Reflections
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Reflections Prices
Gwynn Kelson
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Gwynn Kelson is the name of a student I had when I was a professor of music at UC Santa Barbara. Gwynn was a good flutist, who at the time, was 18 years old. I was struck by the dichotomy between the sophistication of her abilities as a performer and the somewhat "girlish" quality of her youth. This piece is thus, a musical sketch of her personality as I knew her. It has moments of sophistication and maturity interspersed between periods of playful, almost jazz-improvised sounding melodies ... much like the Gwynn Kelson I once knew.
Gwynn Kelson Prices
Meditations (Flute)
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Meditation 1 Prices Meditation 2 Prices Meditation 3 Prices
Piano Sonata
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This Piano Sonata in three movements was inspired by, and written for Jolie Maurer. It was started in the summer of 1981 and completed in the fall of 1986.
Movement 1 Prices Movement 2 Prices Movement 3 Prices
Cello Sonata
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Cello Sonata Prices
Jolie's Themes
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These pieces were written for Jolie Maurer, who was the source of their inspiration. She spent an entire evening once trying to convince me that some hit songs from musicals are very good, and that I should change my mind about musicals in general.
Monday Prices Tuesday Prices Wednesday Prices Thursday Prices Friday Prices
Angore
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Angore Prices
Dockwieler B.
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Dockwieler B.
Prices
For Elaine
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For Elaine
Prices
Duo - Classical
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
After The Rain
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This piece was composed for a flutist friend of mine who was, at the time we were in high school together, a very good player. I also had a crush on her and found that composing pieces to play with her was a good way to get to see her.
After The Rain Prices
Cello Duo
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This is the first movement of the first cello duo I've composed. It was recorded at my house by myself and Jeff Ziegler in the summer of 1991
Cello Duo Prices
Chimera
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Enola Yadno a No Prices Yoj Rou Prices Emit On Si Ereht Prices
A Little Sadness, A Little Bitterness...Resolved
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While I was composing this Sonata for Cello for my good friend Lawrence Granger (who is the 5th chair cellist with the San Francisco Symphony), I asked if he would mind doing improvisation during the performance. He said that absolutely, under no circumstances would he improvise. So the middle part of the piece is an improvisation I recorded, then painstakingly notated for him. Lawrence premiered this Sonata on Sunday June 27, 1993 at the Old First Church in San Francisco. I accompanied him, performing on the computer.
A Little Sadness Prices
Voice - Classical
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | ELECTRONIC | CONTEMPORARY
Cycles
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Cycles was written as a reflection on how the meaning of words and music can fold into each other. This piece takes as inspiration three of the great emotions of life: love, despair, and hope, and explores how they are interrelated.
Love Prices Despair Prices Hope Prices
Evening of Life
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This poem was written when I was 16 years old and was always thinking about where my life was leading me. I set the poem to music during my Freshman year of college.
Evening Of Life Prices
Dhylan Thomas Trilogy
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While visiting my fiance in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981 I found a book of Dylan Thomas poetry that I immediately became entranced by. Fortunately I brought music paper with me. It took a week to compose these three art songs for voice, piano, and flute: "In My Craft Or Sullen Art", "The Force That Through The Green Fuse Drives The Flower", and "And Death Shall Have No Dominion".
In My Craft of Sullen Art Prices The Force... Prices And Death Shall Have No Dominion Prices
Nocturne 1
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This composition for Women's chorus and chamber orchestra is the second in a series of pieces for this grouping. It was first performed by the "Dorians" at UCSB under the direction of Dr. Michael Ingram. This recording is of that performance.
Nocturne 1 Prices
Before You Sleep
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Part of a wedding cantata that I composed for my own wedding in 1987. It was actually composed in 1983 as part of a song cycle, and was fully arranged for orchestra to become part of the Wedding Cantata.
Before You Sleep
Prices
Hold It As You Would The Sand
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Part of the wedding cantata that I composed for my own wedding in 1987. It was actually composed in 1983 as part of a song cycle, and was fully arranged for orchestra to become part of the Wedding Cantata.
Hold It As You Would the Sand Prices
Wedding Offertory
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Part of the wedding cantata that I composed for my own wedding in 1987. It was actually composed in 1980 for the wedding of my brother Alwyn, and his wife Sharon. Like Before You Sleep, it was arranged for my Wedding Cantata for full orchestra.
Wedding Offertory Prices
Diane (Beauty's Name)
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This was music was composed from a poem I wrote for a friend named Diane Stillman in 1982.
Diane (Beauty's Name) Prices
