December 15, 2009
Sonatina for baritone saxophone and piano
Here's a piece I sorta wrote for my stepson Stephen Morgan (except he never got a chance to play it). It's kind of a test piece, showcasing things that a reasonably adept non-pro sax player should be able to do. Saxophonist is Thomas Lempner, pianist Ms. Morikawa
I.
II. Ballad and Chorus
III.Rondo with Leftovers
UPDATE: For some strange reason, none of these links are working. I'm sending a letter to the Case Blog-Gods for help, but until then, don't frustrate yourselves clicking on the links above.
UPDATE 1/7: I finally got the upload to work. by using Firefox instead of Safari. Sorry I didn't get to it sooner, and thanks to all interested parties for your patience.
November 11, 2009
Another podcast: choral things
OK, first we'll have the Missa Oculi Virginis. It was commissioned by Louis Hill for the choir of St. James Anglican Catholic Church, to serve as an easy Latin Ordinary for Marian feasts. It is based on the tune "Farley Castle" by Henry Lawes, which is found in The English Hymnal (217) paired to a text by Bishop T. Ken which begins "Her Virgin eyes saw God incarnate born"; hence the the title "Virgin Eyes Mass". The melody is used as a chorale in the tenor voice, as a source of motives, in retrograde, and briefly as a cantus firmus. The Credo is not set. The total duration is six and one-half minutes. Not the best of all possible performances, but it gets the point across.
Kyrie
Gloria
Sanctus
Agnus
Here, for the upcoming season, is a setting of a poem by Robert Herrick, Christmas Ceremonies, sung by the Old Stone Singers. Quite a different mood entirely.
October 21, 2009
RIP Richard Nanes
I was going to add this to the comment thread here, but the system is apparently choking on my URLs, as if I was going to spam my own blog
Here's his obituary.
I see his website hasn't been updated yet. And this hasn't hit the Gaylord Music Library obituary page yet.
I don't know if "DN" is Daryl Nanes, his nephew....if so, I am sorry for your loss. But really, "hatefulness?" I re-read this, and the only bit that could be construed as ad hominem is my crack about short-bus special. The rest is entirely about the music. And if you're going to represent yourself as a composer, particularly with the excessive puffery of Nanes' approach to self-promotion, you should expect that people will judge your music, one way or the other. He may indeed have been a perfectly delightful man. But he sucked as a composer. So did Thomas Fawick, another entrepreneur/musician (from Cleveland), but Fawick stuck to salon pieces, and didn't have the budget or modern media to hawk his pieces.
Now Richard Nanes belongs to the ages. I predict that the ages will forget him, but I could be wrong. We remember Florence Foster Jenkins, Silas G. Pratt ("The Wagner of America"), Bulwer-Lytton, and various other panache-filled figures.
October 15, 2009
Some more songs
To start with, some anonymous Elizabethan PG13 silliness, My Love in Her Attire, sung by Mr. White.
Now, I set some Poe. I don't know if Poe was a mighty poet, or if these are just mighty po' songs. But here are all 3 of the Three Mighty Poe Songs from 1997, as sung by Mr. White with Paul Gothard at the piano:
To Helen
Eulalie
Eldorado
And finally, here are Three Songs for Bain (1994), which are meditations on death by Watts, Millay, and Whitman, written in memory of my teacher Bain Murray, and sung here by Andrew White (it might have been Paul Gothard on piano again...I forget which performance this was.)
I. After Psalm 90 (Watts)
II. In the Grave No Flower (Millay)
III. Whispers of Heavenly Death (Whitman)
Some songs
Here are some miscellaneous songs of mine.
First, a setting of Psalm 23. The flutist here is Allison Ballard, in her high school years. She later went on to become a student at Case (and circ assistant at Kulas Library).
Next, while we're being religious, here is Adoration of the Shepherds, sung by Andrew White. The poem is by Akron-area poet Brooke Horvath. I found out later that there's a whole cycle of these...I could create my own Marienleben.
Now, a nice little love song, Be Still As You Are Beautiful, sung by Allie Laurie.
The going gets weird with the next two. Lost Mistress with Sisters is a rare setting of one of my own poems, which happens more rarely nowadays since I'm a retired poet (and no longer a hormonally-deranged young man). That's Allie Laurie too. Then we have The Defiled Sanctuary, text by Blake, sung by Andrew White. The only other composer I know of who set this was Havergal Brian, and Andy thinks my setting is better.
October 09, 2009
Whole boatload of new podcastery
I recently got approached by a couple kids at Pittsburgh State who search-engined up my trio for violin, alto sax, and piano, found it here, and want to do it. Way cool! So I am inspired to get more of my stuff out here on da innerwebz.
So first we have my piece for brass quintet Chasmalim, which is published by Hoyt Editions (maybe still). The Chasmalim are the order of angels assigned to the sephirah Chesed. They correspond to the planet Jupiter and are in charge of good humor. This is by the Parergon Brass Quintet
While we're onto Joviality (and Hoyt Editions) here are the 3 movements of my Terzetto Joviale, played by the Mariah Wind Trio.
I. Sonata & Allegro
II. Duets & Choruses
III. Promenade & Fugue
And next, while we're doing stupid light pieces for winds, how about Picnic Music? This is the original recorder version, not the subsequent flute quartet. It was recorded by me and a bunch of buds, so don't expect Amsterdam Loeki Stardust, 'kay?
I. (no title)
II. Cage is Dead
III. Reel: the Humours of Tremont
October 07, 2009
Time for another podcast: Responsoria
It's been awhile...
Here is a performance of 3 motets from my Responsoria (1998) by Cantores Cleveland, at Christ Episcopal in Shaker Hts, 2/22/09.
I. In Monte Oliveti
III. Ecce vidimus eum
VII. Eram quasi agnus innocens