Most of my recent compositions have been composed using the names of the performers for whom the piece was written as seeds for the basic materials. While composing What’s in a Name? I was reflecting on the fact that all of the “name compositions” before this piece are solo works. I found that working with… Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Tag: Bach
Electric Dreamscape no. 3
In this piece I am beginning to explore generative musical forms. I wrote 25 fragments of music using a five note pitch-class set derived from the name Matt Mason, the performer for whom this work is composed. (The set is [0 1 2 6 7]). These 25 fragments are separated into five “primary moment groups”.… Continue reading Electric Dreamscape no. 3
Fanfare • Phantom • Architect
I originally intended for this piece to be a trio for Horn, Cello, and Piano (essentially a horn trio with cello instead of violin). In studying some of the standard horn trios I became enamored with a brief passage in the third movement of Brahm’s Horn Trio in E-Flat Major. Having studied the Bach library… Continue reading Fanfare • Phantom • Architect
Tears – A setting of Text by Allen Ginsberg
When I was a teenager my father, perhaps to his regret, introduced me to the writings of the so-called “beat generation” authors. I quickly developed a fascination and admiration for their work. The text for this piece, Tears, is a 1956 poem by Allen Ginsberg. I found the poem to be extremely evocative for a… Continue reading Tears – A setting of Text by Allen Ginsberg