THE AGE OF NOSTALGIA
The Age of Nostalgia was composed for The Chelsea Symphony and is based on a 12-tone row but in sonata-allegro form. The piece attempts to blend 12-tone serialism with lyricism and formal arrangement--it's in sonata-allegro form.
(2222 - 4221 - timp., perc., str.)
IN A SNOWY DAY
In a Snowy Day was inspired by the experience of being stuck in a dense snow storm while on foot in Queens, NY. The title comes from the William Blake poem, "Soft Snow." (2+picc2+eh22 - 2200 - timp. - perc. - str.)
MS. RUBINSTEIN'S BEAUTY
In the tradition of "Peter and the Wolf," and "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," Ms. Rubinstein's Beauty uses the text of the gorgeous children's book by Pep Monsterrat (with kind permission from Sterling Press). It tells the story of the elegant, beautiful and kind Ms. Rubinstein who happens to be a bearded lady in a circus. (222alto sax.2 - 2210 - timp. - perc. - hp. - pno. - narr. - str.)
MELODRAMA
Inspired by the Neo-Classicism of composers like Prokofiev and Stravinsky, Melodrama blends traditional sonata-allegro form with more contemporary musical idioms. It's a lighthearted piece that conjures images of early melodramatic films with its wild and comic mood swings. Premiered in New York City by The Chelsea Symphony, it's a suitable piece for a high school or university orchestra to play and always a good concert opener.
OPHELIA
Ophelia was originally composed for piano quartet but later orchestrated at the request of the Queer Urban Orchestra. An earlier work, the piece attempts to get into the psyche of its enigmatic title character. (2+picc2+Eh22 - 4200 - harp - pno - timp. - perc. - str.)
FLUSHING MEADOWS, 1964
Flushing Meadows, 1964 for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra was my ode to the last World's Fair held in New York City and its contribution to architecture. It's in five main sections, "Opening, 1964," "Welcome to the Unisphere," the striving optimism of "The Rocket Thrower," the vastness of "The Tent of Tomorrow," and a giddy "The Tower of the Four Winds," the piece attempts to capture the feeling of the Fair and its sense of hope in a turbulent time in our history. (2222 - 0200 - alto sax. solo - timp - str.)