Chamber Music
Chamber Music consists of three movements played without pause. The first and third movements are characterized by contrasting contrapuntal textures in which different tempi and instrumental combinations define the different sections. Musical material of the first movement is reinterpreted in the last movement, where discrete sections are less apparent, and the music is more directional, leading to the climax of the piece. The second movement is slower, beginning with quiet sounds, which gradually become melody, featuring solos in every instrument except the piano. However, the piano is important in articulating the form, as piano solos end the introduction and lead into the coda, which is a quiet reflection of the beginning of the work.
Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra
The violin concerto consists of three contrasting movements. The first movement begins with a high level of tension. A violin cadenza, at first agitated, eventually provides repose. The rest of the movement leads back to the intense music of the opening, in essence, showing how the music reached the climax at the beginning of the movement. This form is similar to a movie which begins with a great deal of action, and then uses flashbacks to show what happened to lead up to that climactic moment.
The second movement is essentially a song for the violin, in which the violin moves from its lowest notes to its highest notes, with a few digressions. This movement is slower, less dense, and more relaxed than the first movement. Rhythmic ideas dominate the last movement, which also contains elements of the first and third movements.
The Devil You Know
The Devil You Know is a work that combines elements of jazz and contemporary classical music. The slow introduction introduces melodic ideas that are developed in the ensuing fast section, which alternates between a swing and bop rhythmic feel. The mysterious and expressive music of the slow middle section eventually becomes more agitated, leading back to the fast music. Although the clarinet, with its wide-ranging melodic lines, is usually in the foreground of the texture, the bass and drums contribute important solos and the dynamic interplay of the trio is exploited throughout the work.
Double Play
It starts with a flick of the tail… a raised eyebrow, a couple of feints with the left paw…. and… they’re off! Two cats chasing, boxing, wrestling, jumping, virtually flying through the air. Now they’re together, racing side by side, now they’re apart, racing off in opposite directions. Then, creeping…, creeping ever so slowly toward one another… a frozen pose with raised paw, flattened ears and fangs bared… and then they’re off again! No harm meant, no harm done, just the joy of the chase until they get… ever… so……. tired……, yawn…., purr…, snore….., entangled so it’s impossible to tell which foot or tail belongs to which cat - a nap. Not a catnap, but a looooong nap…….. Then, a flick of the tail…, a swat to the head… a frozen pose…. and, and…. They’re off!
Elegy
Elegy was written in response to the events of September 11, 2001 and consists of four movements. The brief first movement begins with quiet murmuring strings that gradually become more agitated, leading to chords that will recur in other movements.
A single pitch, D, is presented with different timbres and dynamic profiles at the beginning of the second movement. This single note leads to a contemplative viola melody, which is followed by lyrical counterpoint in the other strings. Aggressive chords from the first movement interrupt the lyrical music, leading to a climax that is derived from the opening unison. A quiet coda ends this movement.
The third movement, which is relatively static, consists primarily of harmonics and relies on subtle changes to create a quiet sense of drama.
Running sixteenth notes dominate the fourth movement, which also contains a return of the murmuring strings, chord progressions from the first movement, and harmonics. The climax reflects feelings of anguish while the ending provides a sense of resignation and hope.
Nocturne
Nocturne, for solo cello, utilizes sudden shifts in dynamics, texture, timbre and types of energy to create a sense of drama and mystery within a relatively short time span. The work also exploits the different ways the cello can be played as well as its inherent expressiveness. An introduction presents the musical ideas developed in the piece and is followed by two main sections. The first section emphasizes the lyrical aspect of the cello and is followed by a more agitated section. A brief coda ends the piece. The pizzicato chord heard at the opening of the piece recurs at important points of articulation within the work, acting as an important signal.
Percussion Quartet
In writing this work I enjoyed exploring the coloristic and expressive possibilities of the percussion ensemble. I also chose to obscure the difference between instruments of indefinite and definite pitch by assigning melodic lines to instruments of indefinite pitch and at times employing instruments of definite pitch to play music which is primarily rhythmic. The work was commissioned by the Fromm Foundation.
Percussion Quintet
The percussion ensemble, with its variety of instruments, provides a composer with an exhilarating sound world. Not only is there a variety of instruments, made of skin, wood, or metal, there are also many different ways to play the instruments - with mallets, sticks, hands, brushes, and bow. In addition, percussion instruments can be classified as possessing definite (vibraphone, marimba, etc.) or indefinite pitches (drums, cymbals, wood blocks, etc.). The possibilities seem endless and the difficulty is in choosing how to exploit this ensemble.
I decided to feature the marimbas in one section, metal instruments in another, and instruments of indefinite pitch in the final section, in which the different types of instruments also interact simultaneously. The musical ideas of the first and last sections are similar in that both feature running sixteenth notes with irregular accents providing syncopation and a strong sense of pulse.
In the first section the sixteenth notes are played on three marimbas, which at times interrupt the sixteenth note motion with arpeggios and chords. Instruments of indefinite pitch, including tom-toms, bongos, snare drum, claves, and others, take on the running sixteenth note idea at the beginning of the third section.
The middle section features metallic instruments, including vibraphones, chimes, orchestra bells, crotales, gongs and cymbals. A sense of timelessness and the absence of pulse characterizes this section. In addition, these instruments have differences in attack and decay as well as the overtones produced. So I decided to create complex chords and use sticks, mallets and bows to create different types of attack and decay.
In the third section, after the instruments of indefinite pitch are featured, the marimba returns with material derived from the first section. Eventually metallic instruments are added, providing chords behind the running sixteenths. At this point the different musical ideas are used simultaneously. The coda begins with melody in the vibraphone, accompanied by other instruments, and important musical ideas return briefly as a reflection on what occurred earlier in the piece.
The Rage of Achilles
The version of The Rage of Achilles, based on Robert Fagles’s magnificent translation of Homer’s timeless Iliad, you will hear tonight consists of three movements and two interludes of a larger work, which will ultimately include two more movements and one more interlude. Tonight’s version begins with the famous argument between Achilles and Agamemnon from first book of the Iliad, followed by an interlude describing the war in bloody detail, a tender scene with Hector and Andromache in Hector Returns to Troy, another interlude in which Hector kills Patroclus, and concludes with The Death of Hector, which is the climax of the work. Devotees of the Iliad might want to know that the rest of the piece will consist of Patroclus’s ghost visiting Achilles, followed by another interlude describing yet another battle, concluding with the last movement in which Priam bravely visits the Achaean camp and persuades Achilles to release Hector’s body, and finally, the burial of Hector.
The Iliad is both timeless in its subject matter and extraordinarily modern in its well-rounded characters—they are not mere archetypes, but fully rounded personalities. Homer presents us with the different facets of war from the points of view of soldiers, wives, mothers, fathers and children. He shows us that while war tears the fabric of civilization and turns men into savages it also engenders heroism, exultation, sacrifice, and even reconciliation. While it was difficult to choose text from such a profound masterpiece, my desire to deal with different aspects of war—brutality, heroism, fear, exhilaration, madness, loyalty, grief and reconciliation—led me to this version. Interactions between characters and their intimate thoughts and relationships are featured in the main movements while the battle scenes in the interludes are chaotic and violent and reflect the brutality of war in an impersonal manner. In fact, the war itself is a main character, which, in the interludes in their descriptions of anonymous soldiers battling, appears to be a living, faceless creature without a shred of humanity. Last, but not least, taking great pleasure in the terrible spectacle and influencing the outcome on orders from the more powerful gods such as Athena and Zeus, war is personified by some of the lesser gods, “Strife, “Terror,” “Hate,” and “Rout.”
The bass baritone soloist is featured throughout the work, serving as both narrator and some of the main characters, most importantly Hector and Achilles. Three additional singers, soprano, tenor and baritone, provide versatility by singing the roles of important characters including Thetis, Andromache, Agamemnon, and Calchas, and, at times forming a trio to serve as a Greek chorus. It was a joy to compose for this ensemble of singers and large chamber ensemble as it offered me great flexibility in colors and textures.
Sing to Me of the Man, Muse
Sing to Me of the Man, Muse consists of five movements and is based on Robert Fagles’ highly acclaimed translation of The Odyssey. The work beings mysteriously and gradually becomes focused with the entrance of the voice with the text, “Sing to Me of the Man, Muse,” the opening lines of The Odyssey. The vagueness of the opening suggests Odysseus’ ship hidden in fog and waves, gradually becoming visible and moving to the forefront as the bard tells his story. Musical ideas introduced in this movement will recur during the work.
The text for movements II and V is from A Day for Songs and Contests in which Odysseus, nearing the end of his harrowing ten-year trip home from the Trojan War, is traveling in disguise, fearful of revealing his true identity. While recovering from a shipwreck he hears a bard sing a tale of his own story of exploits from the Trojan War. The effect of reliving his experiences in the Trojan War, his profound loneliness, and the realization he may never return home causes him to hide his face in his cloak and silently weep. This searing moment of Odysseus’ self-realization serves as a frame for the work. Each of these movements contains ritualistic music to evoke the ceremony of the bard singing Odysseus’ story as well as dramatic music reflecting the battle and plunder of Troy. Quiet, contemplative music, including a cello solo, representing Odysseus, reflects Odysseus’ moment of self-realization.
Eerie glissandi, string harmonics, non-vibrato string crescendos, timpani tremolos and glissandi, and metallic percussion help to create the sound world of The Kingdom of the Dead. This movement is divided into three sections, the first of which features Tiresias the prophet who is introduced by the bass clarinet. The second section, which is itself divided into three parts, features a moving and intense dialog between Odysseus and the spirit of his mother. Odysseus is shocked to find his mother in the Kingdom of the Dead because he did not know she had died. His mother, accompanied by alto flute representing her soul, attempts to comfort him. After she warns him he must leave immediately he encounters the ghost of Achilles who holds no illusions about the bitterness of death.
The Cattle of the Sun is a dramatic recreation of the shipwreck caused by Helios, the Sun god, because Odysseus’ men ate the cattle of the sun against his orders. The music reflects the angry sea, the chaos of the thunderstorm, the breaking up of the ship and drowning men. A quite coda reflects hopelessness of Odysseus as the lone survivor, drifting “on and on, and on….” in his makeshift raft.
A Day for Songs and Contests II returns to Odysseus as he listens to the bard sing of the plunder of Troy and ends with Odysseus weeping silently into his cloak.
Six Part Songs for Unaccompanied Chorus
The English Renaissance poetry I set for Six Part Songs for Unaccompanied Chorus (1981) expresses the timeless aspects of love: exhilaration, despair, passion, frustration, and regret. That so many songs in all genres of music are about love demonstrates the power and universality of the subject matter. (Some of my earliest musical memories are listening to love songs and learning that love usually triumphs in Broadway musicals, leads to existential loneliness in blues, often has a gruesome ending in folk ballads, and almost always results in heartbreak in country music.) I felt that these poems were well suited to musical settings and allowed me the opportunity to express musically the different emotions conveyed by the poetry. The first song, Love is a Sickness, is about the conflicting emotions love incites, while the last song, Weep You No More, Sad Fountains, offers solace to the troubled heart.
Through the Golden Gate
It was a great pleasure to compose a piece for Earplay’s 25th anniversary season. Over the past 25 years, Earplay has established itself as one of San Francisco’s premiere new music ensembles and is renowned throughout the country. I have had the opportunity to work with Earplay several times and jumped at the chance to continue our collaborations.
On the occasion of Earplay’s 25th anniversary season it seemed appropriate to write a piece about the beautiful city of San Francisco. Having grown up primarily in the Bay Area and having lived here for more than thirty years, I left my heart in San Francisco and miss it a great deal – the cool, enveloping fog, the dramatic coastline, seagulls riding the wind as it whips up waves in the bay, the constantly changing view of the Golden Gate Bridge as the fog blows over and through the towers and suspension cables – this sight always inspires me! So even though I do not believe music can literally represent a place the way a painting or photograph can, this piece is a musical imagining of day moving into night in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The piece is primarily concerned with color and harmony, though melodic passages also occur, particularly in the flute, which employs a number of extended techniques. The ensemble is often used to create a kaleidoscope of sound, with colors and patterns constantly changing and moving in and out of focus. The overall form is directional – beginning with the use of sound for its own sake utilizing clusters, glissandi, harmonics, pizzicato, etc., then moving to the prominent flute melody and later contrapuntal flute and clarinet melodies, with the climax consisting of the use of the entire ensemble creating rich harmonies and colors over a wide register. A brief coda provides reminiscences of musical ideas used earlier in the piece.
I realize that without this description, the listener would most likely imagine something other than what I sought to portray. However, I believe the dramatic arc of the piece can be perceived as a progression from early morning to late at night, with the light of glittering stars dancing on the waves.
Many thanks to the wonderful musicians of Earplay for premiering this piece!
Vision
Although any piece of music is ultimately based on musical ideas, the title, Vision, provided a poetic metaphor for this piece. A vision is something seen in the mind’s eye - something which is vividly experienced in a “dream” world, often an epiphany providing insight into something not previously understood. In this case, vision refers to the insight gained through the process of composing, and, because visions often describe journeys with a beginning, middle and end, to the narrative or dramatic structure of the piece. The title also expresses the inspirational influence of visual art on my work.
Vision consists of a single movement, clearly divided into an introduction, four main sections, and coda. Musical ideas are transformed so that what appears as background in one section will move to the foreground of another section, changing the meaning of the musical ideas over the course of the work.
The brief, dramatic introduction features accented chords with dramatic shifts in register. These chords are important markers in the piece, occurring at important points in the narrative. As the music becomes calm, most of the strings move up to high harmonics, while the basses descend. This simultaneous use of very high and very low registers, which occurs several times in the work, creates tension and emphasizes important points of articulation in the form.
The first section begins with a flute melody over the string backdrop, with counter-melodies in the alto flute and bass clarinet. Other contrapuntal combinations of winds and brass follow, eventually leading to a climax featuring wind fragments, pizzicato strings and repeated notes in the brass. The accented “marker” chords return, leading into the new section.
The second section features repeated notes and fragments in the brass, accompanied by pizzicato strings and a backdrop of sustained winds. Eventually running lines in the strings take over, creating momentum, while the winds and brasses provide rhythmic chords. A quiet interlude featuring the percussion and pizzicato strings leads to more rhythmic chords, followed by running lines in all of the instruments, which fizzle out in the high register.
A brief interlude, featuring overlapping sustained chords and a return of the flute melody, introduces the next section, which consists of long, expressive string lines.
The last section contains transformed elements from the preceding sections, including rhythmic chords, string counterpoint, brass repeated notes and fragments, wind fragments and sustained strings. The accented “marker” chords return to begin the climax of the work, which features the different musical ideas in various juxtapositions.
After the climax, the overlapping sustained chords return. The quiet, reflective coda returns to previously expressed musical ideas, in particular the flute melody over a string background of high harmonics and a low bass note, illustrating that the music has come full circle. Eventually the flute drops out and the strings fade into the silence of eternity.
wave-particle
When composing, I first think about the kinetic aspect of music - how the music moves through time – fast, slow, or in between – pulsed and rhythmic, or more suspensive and timeless. The interaction of musical materials and how they affect the form of the piece is also a primary concern. At times the musical ideas collide, changing the trajectory of the music, while at other times the different ideas are presented simultaneously, creating several layers of activity. In calmer sections, the instruments cooperate in presenting similar musical ideas.
Another important compositional choice is the instrumentation of a given work. I chose piano and percussion for their resonance and color. The ability of the piano to cover a wide range and create an almost orchestral sound is utilized, particularly in the dramatic piano cadenzas in the first section and coda. In the cello writing, I emphasized the wide range and expressiveness of the instrument as well as its ability to sustain a note indefinitely.
In this piece, sixteenth notes, often repeated, with irregular accents are used to create rhythmic drive and pulse. Rhythmic cells provide some variety, and the sixteenth notes are, at times, disrupted by grace notes and triplet rhythms. Arpeggios covering a wide register provide “waves,” which are not pulsed. These two musical ideas are the building blocks of the piece. Moving the 16 th notes from a horizontal to vertical position is often used to build rhythmic chords, and melody is derived from a slowed down version of the waves.
The title, wave-particle refers to a physics term, wave-particle duality, which describes a basic feature of quantum mechanics: objects manifest both wavelike and particle-like properties. I do not pretend to understand quantum mechanics, but believe this term serves as a good metaphor for this piece, in which the particles (16 th notes, chords) and waves (arpeggios, melody) interact in many ways and often occur simultaneously.
The form of the piece is introduction, three main sections and a coda. A 12-note chord, which provides the basis for the harmony of the piece, is presented in the introduction. The first section consists of rhythmic music alternating with wide-ranging arpeggios in the piano. Eventually, the “waves” take over, leading to a dramatic piano cadenza.
The second section features suspensive, non-pulsed music, and begins with cello harmonics and tam-tam. Eventually, the cello provides a melody, accompanied by rich harmonies, sustained by trills and tremolos, in the piano and percussion instruments. Repeated notes, derived from the first section of the piece, return gradually in the accompaniment to kick off the third section.
In the third section, musical ideas from the first two sections, including the rhythmic music, arpeggios, rhythmic chords, melody, and trills and tremolos, are superimposed. The coda begins with the vibraphone stating twelve pitches, which are derived from the chord that was presented in the introduction. Another piano cadenza leads to the end of the piece.