Opus 5: Eastern Suite

Opus 5

Three chamber works built largely on octatonic scales.

Clouds and Flowers
Clouds and Flowers Score

The goal was to integrate the primary motif from Debussy's Nuages with the Jasmine Flower Chinese folk tune. I found this exercise non-trivial. Note that the score calls for a violin in pizz -- I intend for this to be a traditional Chinese pipa if possible. The work has nothing to do with my marriage to my Chinese-American wife, but if it did, I would clearly be the flower and she the clouds...

Looking Back
Looking Back score
Looking Back organ score

This piece calls for a brass octet, including trumpet, three French horn, two Trombone, and two Tuba. Or alternatively, one accomplished organist. I experiment here with tone clusters and octatonic harmonies. Dedicated to my late father.

Riding East
Riding East Score

An image of two on horseback riding against the setting sun. I clipped the central motif from Jonathan Berger's Doubles string quartet. The arpeggiated strings with the integrated theme in thirds was modeled after Chopin's Ocean Etude, No. 12 in C minor, another piece I played as a boy.