Riding East

Beta Collide performance of "not here, not now"

2011-12-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

Thrilling to hear Beta Collide perform my new piece. Thank you, thank you Molly & Matthew.

I've included a reasonably high quality recording of the performance as well as the final score. The context for the concert, once more, was a series of pieces composed in response to Professor Mark Applebaum's "Theme in Search of Variations III". I chose to limit my piece to only two of the four ensemble members (flute and piano), in part because I wanted to focus on the resonance of the piano in this piece which would require a muted dynamic, but also I saw an opportunity to use the exercise as a means to justify writing a long-anticipated slow movement to my first piano sonata. The use of flute and piano in a piano sonata indeed has precedence!

The structure follows my other movements, but with an Applebaum twist. Mark's piece build on a structure of rotating ambiguity in time and space. In my piece, I adopt this same table, but create ambiguity around harmonic center. The hope is that in a very subtle and nuanced way, the resonance of the piano pulls the harmonic center down, up, or possibly reenforces that center. This harmonic center itself is somewhat ambiguous given the polytonal structure. A study of the score, however, would reveal certain pitches and harmonies that are re-enforced and implied by the open bass strings. The metric structure, following the form of my other movements, has the piano in five versus the flute in three. In the central dopio movemento, the briefly align on 4.

not here, not now
not here, not now score

Lento "not here, not now", from Sonata No. 1

2011-10-31T20:28:00.001-07:00

Finished the slow movement of my sonata for a project at Stanford, namely a response to Mark Applebaum's Variations III.

Yes, this movement of the piano sonata requires a flute, or more specifically an alto flute. If Ives could, why can't I?

The piece is very much about the resonance of the piano, and the projected overtones of sustained and open strings, particularly those in the lower bass. The nuance suggests some ambiguity, whereby in some instances the flute line is bent sharp and other instances bent flat through the set of piano strings that remain open and sustained. The piece will vary, of course, by piano and tuning, which is part of the fun of the performance of the piece. Obviously it works best on the longest strings of a concert grand, and would be quite horrible on an upright.

Like the other movements of the sonata, this movement works with contrasting metrical structures, in this case the flute in 3 versus the piano in 5. Of course they come together in the middle stretto, both converging in 4.

The piece also applies the polytonal structure I've developed throughout the sonata. In this case, we have a progression in E Major against its retrograde in F minor and its inversion in F# minor. The middle section moves to G major and its retrograde in D minor. Etc.

Note that the mp3 here is horrific. Sibelius can't understand and project overtones, nor does it handle any of the flute quarter tones. Fortunately the piece will be performed by Beta Collide in a concert at Stanford on December 2nd. I'll update the blog with that recording when it becomes available.

not here, not now
not here, not now score

Another sad morning

2011-08-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

Perhaps one too many of these mornings. Thank goodness for art, for music, and for Ravel.

Technique is getting quite rusty. Need to restructure my life so I, again, have more time for my piano.

Recorded a couple Ravel pieces with my iPhone, the Menuet last week and the Prelude this morning. Probably should have played it a second time as I missed a note the first time... Also, wanted to bring back my Prelude #12 to sit alongside these two Ravel pieces. I realize it's in a different league but, after sitting in the dust for five years, I still enjoy this piece.

Ravel: Prelude
Ravel: Mouvement de menuet, from Sonatine
My Prelude #12

Sonata No. 1 Maestoso, draft next

2011-07-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to maintain Maestoso through a migration from the rhetorical to the anti-rhetorical? Beethoven maintains the cantabile throughout his Op 111, Arietta. Yet the piece seems to leave this world and its purported clarity. Is it possible to contemplate the retrograde of Ive's (or perhaps Schumann's) cumulative form? Is such a form nothing more than an embellishment of sonata form?

I've rewritten the second half of this piece. Virtually impossible to play now. I've taken out the bars. The 3:4 structure needs to stand on its own.

Sonata No. 1: Maestoso Score
Sonata No. 1: Maestoso

Be Still, My Soul

2011-03-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

David Crowder asked me to do a musical number for the Valparaiso ward in a few weeks. Went back to this piece I wrote in '06 and created an arrangement for alto, baritone, and piano. One of my favorite hymns remains "Be Still, My Soul" from Mr. Sibelius.

Frankly the structure of this modest 'arrangement' is limited and metrically I find it quite square. I was tempted to rewrite here (five years later), but alas, I can't bring myself to do it. It is what it is. We'll see how it sounds in a few weeks.

I've dedicated the piece to the Apostle, Neil Andersen, of the Quorum of the Twelve of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is such a wonderful leader and person. I would like to honor him.

Be Still Arrangement

Sonata No. 1 Maestoso

2011-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

A new movement for my sonata. This is an early draft. As I learn to play the piece, like the Allegro from Sonata No. 1, it will certainly evolve.

If the Allegro explores a metrical interpretation of Sonata form, so too does the Maestoso. The Allegro explores the relationship of 6:7, with 6 perhaps identified symbolically with a 'tonic' and 7 a 'dominant', developed through sonata form. In the Maestoso, the form is theme and variations, except the theme derives metrical 3:4. Consider the simple opening of the piece:

From the opening, the listener is presented with two sources of ambiguity. While in 3/4, the piece suggests 3 yet by the third measure proposes 4. A second source of ambiguity stems from the neighbor tones, C# and D. Do we 'tonicize' the 'D' by treating the C# as a leading tone (the key signature suggests as much), or instead do we have a Phrygian motion from D to 'C#? In fact, there seems to be a symmetrical relationship between two.

Similarly, the following table outlines the structure of the two voices found in the first variation on this 'theme' (mm. 10-28). The rows give tonal field, its key, and the metrical units of each gesture.

Etc.

Draft Score of Sonata No. 1: Maestoso
Sibelius Generated MP3

Miserere Nostri for Soprano, Alto, and iPhone

2010-09-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've written a piece for the Daniel Pearl Memorial Concert. The piece will be performed at the concert in Memorial Church on the evening of October 7th.

The piece applies my poly-tonal inversion model, and derives the base harmony from the Tallis masterpiece, Tallis in G, the inversion (Soprano and Alto parts) inverted in F.

You can find a nice performance of that Tallis piece here:

Tallis Miserere Nostri

This piece always seems to give me solace whenever I hear it. I don't know why.

The text comes from Psalm 123, quoted in Latin then English here:

1 canticum graduum ad te levavi oculos meos qui habitas in caelo
2 ecce sicut oculi servorum in manibus dominorum suorum sicut oculi ancillae in manibus dominae eius ita oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum nostrum donec misereatur nostri
3 miserere nostri Domine miserere nostri quia multum repleti sumus despectione
4 quia multum repleta est anima nostra obprobrium abundantibus et despectio superbis

1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.

Miserere Nostri

Is Bartok Modern?

2010-09-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

I wrote this paper over a year ago for a seminar. It's a mildly provocative yet incoherent rant on Modernity, 2Pac, and Bartok's Fifth String Quartet.

Analysis of Bartok's Fifth String Quartet & Prison Music

Sonata #1 Allegro, Larghetto

2010-03-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Had a lot of fun playing in Prof Barth's master class yesterday....

Making progress on my sonata. Here are drafts of the first two movements.

Allegro

Sonata form? Of course. The metrical structure serves as the framework vs tonality. 6 = tonic, 7 = dominant... Yes, false recaps, coda, etc. It's all there. Obvious influences of Prokofiev #7, Ginastera #1, etc. There is a polytonal sub-structure, a leitmotif of sorts, utilizing the system I developed with the Inferno works.

Larghetto

Sonata form? Of course. Why not. The obvious binary form + coda proposes early sonata form. The non-obvious phrygian tetrachords (and their inversions) make a passing reference, again a substitute for the traditional tonal framework. The piece is an experiment in creating sound from the niente, and specifically exciting overtones from the bass strings which remain open throughout with a sostenuto pedal. There is an implied tonal progression, but it is opaque. Borrowing from traditional Japanese dance, the broad, perhaps exaggerated gestures pause at moments of stasis to create a lasting image, in this case in sound. Passing reference to Ive's Serenity.

Schumann Paper

2010-01-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

This trifling idea regarding Schumann's pedal markings is something I'm still thinking about.

We believe that Chopin’s use of pedal markings went beyond basic objectives of providing color or sustaining a given set of pitches to preserve a harmonic structure. Chopin’s pedal markings even went so far as to indicate phrases and/or hypermetrical structure. What about Schumann’s use of pedal markings? And what, specifically, might we learn from his application of those markings in one of his mid-career works for the piano, namely his Waldszenen, Opus 82, composed in 1848 and 1849?

Schumann's use of Pedal Markings in his Waldszenen

Romantic Variations

2009-04-11T09:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I've had my hands full lately. Baby Sabine arrived in May, 2008. I started Smule with Ge in June, 2008. I had major surgery to repair my broken jaw in September, 2008, just before I took my qualifying exams (not pretty) at Stanford and launched Smule's first product, the Sonic Lighter. Coached Noah's basketball team (tough season!), now assistant coach on baseball team (go Red Sox!). Ocarina in November. Orals last month (brutal!). Working on Schumann's Waldszenen sporadically. Buried in there somewhere is my wife (she hasn't left me yet) and my daughter Charlotte .

Jonathan (God bless you Jonathan) is still hanging in there with me, and via his seminar Winter quarter, Livia and Janet will perform the first (and at this stage only) two movements from a new set of variations I'm writing for violin duet, having performed already back east at Fredonia . Modeled after Brahm's Schumann variations, I'm threading my own theme (really a bi-tonal harmonic progression) across a handful of works from other composers, in this case, Chopin and Debussy. The progression is never explicitly stated, only implied. Livia and Janet are performing the pieces tonight at Stanford. I'll be sitting on the back row.

Romantic Variations Score, April, 2008

Binaural Sound in Chuck

2008-06-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

After spending considerable cycles last quarter developing a multi-channel class framework in the Chuck programming language, I began to wonder, in the end, how many people would actually be able to hear 16-channel pieces in a space like the ccrma listening room. I then decided it would be interesting to think about 3D audio spatialization over Chuck and a pair of headphones. So, in addition to convincing some friends to port Chuck to the iPhone (stay tuned), I spent some time reading papers on binaural sound models, including the paper published by Phillip Brown and Richard O. Duda in '98 titled "A Structural Model for Binaural Sound Synthesis".

I've come up with two implementations of binaural sound in Chuck now. The first is my own model built on approximations from my research. The second is a work in progress based on the Brown and Duda paper. As you scan the source, you'll notice how trivial it is to create binaural sound by creating a Chuck class that inherits from the BinAural class I've created. The demonstration code goes on to create sound buffers that load up wave files and buzz a bumble bee by your ears while a thunderclap cracks 130 meters above your head. Eventually it starts to rain. All referenced sound files for the demo are also available.

I will come back to this code shortly and finish implementing models for the pinna. Currently, I have ITD, ILD, and HRTF functions.

Version 1.0
Version 1.1

Data files (must be in a data subdirectory underneath Chuck)
BumbleBee
Thunderclap
Rain

Granados and Ravel

2008-06-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

I recently performed again in the Stanford Noon Concert Series as part of Professor George Barth's studio. It has been a busy quarter, and so I was less ambitious this time around. Our new daughter Sabine arrived on May 12th. She is so unique and beautiful. Her cry has a quality of sweetness. In addition to finishing my last quarter of classes for my program, I'm also starting a new company, and have been spending a lot of time over at Bessemer Venture Partners in Menlo Park. And I'm coaching my son's little league baseball team. And so I was less ambitious for this concert.

I chose two Granados pieces because I promised recordings to my friends in the film school, specifically Charlene and Mike. They created a wonderful documentary film on the lives of three young people trying out for circus school in Montreal. We discussed some potential musical material, and in the end, they liked the Granados. In order to avoid copyright issues, I've made these recordings for their film. It will soon become obvious to Charlene and Mike that there is a gap between my skills and those of Alicia de Larrocha. I also performed the Ravel Waltz in the style of Borodin at the concert, and took the opportunity to record it again to compare how my technique and style have evolved over the past year.

Danza II, en do menor (Oriental), Enrique Granados

Danza V, en mi menor (Andaluza), Enrique Granados

A la Manière De. . . Borodin, Maurice Ravel

Bartok Variations Final Score

2008-05-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've finally completed the score for my Bartok Variations, three movements for twenty strings + trumpet based on material from Bartok's own "Evening in Transylvania", no. 6 of his Ten Easy Piano Pieces. The three movements (Lento, Allegro agitato, and Scherzando) allude to rondo form and incorporate narrative-like techniques reminiscent of Schumann and Chopin, perhaps suggesting subtle shifts in the listener’s perspective of time throughout. The music features expressive polytonal harmonies in addition to polymetrical ideas, elaborations on Bartok’s own rubato from his piano piece.

Conductor Barbara Day Turner will premiere the work on May 18th, 2008 with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. The piece is dedicated to Professor George Barth at Stanford University.

Full Score

Parts
Trumpet Solo
Violin Solo
Double Bass
Viola
Violin 1
Violin 2 Div 1
Violin 2 Div 2
Cello Div 1
Cello Div 2
Cello Div 3

Nice Doggie

2008-03-19T23:11:00.001-07:00

I'm not finished (ending doesn't work, trouble with one of the transitions), but here is my latest Chuck creation. I'm pleased with my work on the machine instruments. Of course to appreciate this piece you would need to be in a 16-channel sphere such as the listening room up at CCRMA.

Off to Chicago tomorrow AM and so time to upload and start packing. I'll come back to this full-time next week.

Thx to Dr. J. Berger and Ge Wang (Sir Chuck).

Nice Doggie
Nice Doggie Source (score)

Mass #1 Performance

2008-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Stanford Memorial Church under the direction of Greg Wait along with Organist Robert Huw Morgan performed two movements of my Mass #1 this past November. As always, we could have used a few more rehearsals. In the Kyrie for example, the tenor and alto parts on the "Christe" phrases don't rise above the sopranos, possibly preventing an understanding of the conflict and resolution in these phrases. Yet I was pleased that the choir & Robert performed the pieces, and appreciate Greg taking on the challenge. I particularly enjoyed Debbie's solo in the Sanctus.

Mass #1 Kyrie
Mass #1 Sanctus
Score

Erika's family attended the performance.

Applebaum Variation Performance

2008-01-01T10:26:00.001-08:00

As a follow up to a previous post, sfSound performed my Applebaum Variation at a concert at Stanford in November. Here is an MP3 of the performance, as well as a reference to my score for the piece.

The performance recording presents several challenges: it is not evident the performers understood the structure of the piece -- specifically the metrical relationships of the phrases. The balance is also a challenge -- in particular, the strings are not audible throughout vs the percussion. Of course there is the issue with the notes themselves. I don't believe an interpretation of the piece was therefore remotely possibe. After hearing a rehearsal the night before I proposed pulling the piece as it was evident sfSound had not practiced the piece (it's not obvious to me that they looked at the score prior to the rehearsal). I was persuaded to not pull the piece. And so, it was a learning experience, and I made sure I was properly sedated for the performance.

Applebaum Variation
Score

Chuck Engine Piece

2007-12-12T21:30:00.001-08:00

I'm building out my Chuck toolbox. Recall Chuck is a Strongly-timed, Concurrent, and On-the-fly Audio Programming Language developed by Ge Wang and friends over at Princeton.

I think I may have the necessary tools for the engine fugue I contemplate. I now have a proof of concept for the piece. The building blocks for my fugue include:

- Creation of a metrical framework to allow all parts to highlight and modulate a given meter and phrase rhythm. In the attached example, I use a 'bar' of 2.5 seconds (just modify the 'bar' variable to change the meter). All drones and other sound sources are strict multiples of this bar. Of course the bar may briefly expand or contract, etc., but also by a relationship of this bar.

- Creation of complex metrical drones from concrete sounds. These drones will conform to the bar structure, and will echo or reverb as a multiple of the bar. All drones in this sample come from 'engines', including a lawnmower, hairdryer, hedgetrimmer, mixer, xBox360, and leafblower.

- Warping. This is the term I use to describe an iterative linear transformation of a sound source. In the case of the drones, a typical warp function varies the gain with the radius of a two pole filter. Variations of warping include oscillations, where a given drone will warp(x,y) and then warp(y,x) over a given time interval, T (which will always be a function of the bar length).

- Creation of a new panning class and four-channel (soon eight) sound. This new class allows me to write sophisticated multi-channel output from chuck. This class allows me to 'place' a sound source anywhere in a 'room', and can pan that sound location realtime. In the sample attached, you'll notice my lawnmower drone comes from the back-left and moves to the middle of the room before returning. Later, the mixer drone literally circles the room. Etc.

- And of course, Multi-Channel PanWarp. The concept of warping is applied in panning. Via sporking, the effects of Warping and PanWarping are combined with synchronized time intervals.

- Two Chuck instruments that I modified, including the TubeBells and StifKarp. With the TubeBells, I modify speed and depth as a f(sin(T)). This, in effect, modulates the bell, emphasizing a different sets of overtones. With the StifKarp, I've built 'slide', 'trill', and dynamice 'phrase generation' functions, allowing a linear warp of struck partial-tones between two pitches.

Here are example chuck programs that do 4, 8, 16, & 18 channel sound with panning:

Chuck 4-channel panning example (square)
Chuck 8-channel panning example (rectangle)
Chuck 16-channel panning example (sphere)
Chuck 18-channel panning example (sphere)

Here is the Chuck example program (about 1K lines of code):

Chuck Engine Example
Zip of data files for engine program (put in data/ directory)

Note that unless your machine and soundcard have serious horsepower, you should run the Chuck Engine program from your commandline with the -s option to generate the wave files.

Here are the four channel wave files output from this example:

Front Left
Front Right
Back Right
Back Left

Stereo version (not the same!):

Stereo MP3

Happy Chucking!

Chuck

2007-11-06T21:51:00.001-08:00

I've enjoyed learning a new computer music language, Chuck, developed by Ge Wang and friends over at Princeton.

Here are a few of my latest experiments in building out textures with more complex metrical structures. I find the language to be extremely expressive as a metrical language, and plan to develop a piece using the concepts which I explore in these three texture fragments.

Chuck Rhythmic Experiment 1
Chuck Rhythmic Experiment 1 Source

Chuck Arhythmic Experiment 2
Chuck Arhythmic Experiment 2 Source

Chuck Drone Experiment 1
Chuck Drone Experiment 1 Source

Applebaum Variations

2007-10-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Mark Applebaum (who turned 40 on October 13th, 2007) wrote a "Theme in Search of Variations". As an exercise for his composition seminar, Mark asked each student to compose a variation to this theme. This score and MP3 (poor quality midi) represent my response to his theme.

Applebaum Variation
Score
All parts

As far a structure, I model the variation on his 'second' theme. I borrow one of his compositional techniques in the process, where I build a sequence, alternatively dropping his measures and splicing in a 'second' variation directly within his 'second' theme. If you look carefully, you'll see the second and third bars are the first and second of his second section, followed by two bars of my variation, followed by his bar, etc. The spacing algorithm: 1,2,x,4,x,x,7,x,x,x etc. where x is my new variation.

To build my variation, I used material from Prokofiev's 7th sonata (seemed a nice contrast to the 'grove' feeling of Mark's theme). Yet I have the metrically structure follow the metrical structure of his first section. Eventually we reach the end of Mark's second section, but before the last beat, a parenthesis is inserted with the substantial clarinet section. Of course, here is the first time Mark's bars (1,2,4,7) are played continuously, but only a monophonic line in the Crotales. When the finally beat of Mark's last measure is reached, then we have continuity for an abridged statement of my variation. If you note, the algorithm was broken initially, and so here finally repaired in the final...

SfSound will perform the piece on November 13th. I hope to post a recording of that performance here shortly.

Lander Pass

2007-10-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I built a sketch over the summer for a structure for a new piece that was modeled after a physical structure. The intent was not to produce sound images or something resembling the physical structure, but simply to use the actual structure as a model for building the piece. In this case, I chose a patch quilt. The idea was to use a handful of source materials that are clearly differentiated, and then to transition across patches of this material. Ideally, each patch of material evokes a discernable yet contrasting image of sorts (again not in the physical imitative sense). Use of time provides an alternative perspective of the patches, etc.

I was influenced by traditional Japanese dance. I saw a concert in Tokyo several years ago. It seemed that in the end, the art was not about the meter or even gestures, but rather a series of images that would be framed in your mind. And so, the question is whether this 'structural' plan would work in music. I believe it does.

Here's a link to my own piano performance with improvisation from sketches (no score yet exists -- coming soon):

Lander Pass
Sketch

In the summers, we now live on the Lander Pass route, a short-cut of shorts on the Oregon Trail. It turns out all of my ancestors were pioneers, most of them crossing the Rocky Mountains in the late 1840s. My great-great grandmother, Sarah Matilda Utley, pulled a hand-cart across the mountains at age 13. Several members of her family including her mother died during the crossing. As I continue to borrow from Ives (just finished learning his Thoreau from the Concord Sonata), I decided to drop in a quote of the quintessential Mormon pioneer hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints".

It's just a quote of course, or rather an attribution of sorts. If you end up defining some meaning for each image of the piece, that's just as well, but again this was not by design.

Mass #1: Final Draft

2007-09-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

The final draft of my first mass is now complete. Many thanks to Giancarlo, Jonathan, & Greg for their input. I suppose this really isn't a final draft as Steve will be giving me some input in a couple days.

I compose and dedicate this Mass #1 to the memory of Erika Knight Fox. Erika, I remember our argument over religion freshman year. I thought I won at the time. I remember you bouncing down the stairs of Madera when we were moving into our dorm the first day of Freshman orientation. Could you be serious wearing those bright orange pants your first day of school? I certainly remember our times talking about life in the hammock. And I will always cherish our time listening to Faure's Requiem as we ate that silly chocolate covered cherry we got at the Stanford Shopping Center.

The Kyrie and Sanctus will be performed on November 18th, 2007 at Stanford Memorial Church by the Stanford Memorial Church Choir and Organist, Robert Morgan.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Credo I
Credo I Score

Organ Canon
Organ Canon Score

Credo II & Sanctus
Credo II & Sanctus Score

Benedictus
Benedictus Score

Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei Score

Evening in Transylvania: San Jose Chamber Orchestra

2007-06-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've completed an arrangement of my Bartok variations for the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, who will perform this piece next spring -- May 18th I believe. This arrangement calls for a solo trumpet, a solo violin, 11 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and a cello bass. I've included individual movements w/ midi, as well as conductor score and trumpet part.

Evening in Transylvania I: Lento Espressivo
Score

Evening in Transylvania II: Allegro Agitato
Score

Evening in Transylvania III: Scherzando
Score

All movements
Trumpet part

Evening in Transylvania I: Chamber Orchestra

2007-06-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm re-orchestrating this octet as the San Jose Chamber Orchestra will perform this piece next Spring. I have a ways to go. Here is the first cut at the first two movements. Arrangement for 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, a cello bass -- and one trumpet.

Evening in Transylvania I: Lento Espressivo
Score

Evening in Transylvania II: Allegro Agitato
Score

Evening in Transylvania III: Scherzando
Score

Mass #1: Agnus Dei & Organ Canon

2007-06-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

The first draft of my first mass is now complete. I threw away the previous 'Dona' and wrote the new agnus dei movement from scratch. I also have inserted an organ solo in between the two movements of the Credo, and have rewritten the organ introduction to Credo II.

I need to let it sit for a bit, and then come back and fix the broken sections (for example the transition in the Agnus Dei).

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Credo I
Credo I Score

Organ Canon
Organ Canon Score

Credo II & Sanctus
Credo II & Sanctus Score

Benedictus
Benedictus Score

Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei Score

Mass #1: Credo II & Santus

2007-05-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Work on my first mass continues. I wrote the latest movements while hanging out with my family in Bellagio (Italy, not Vegas). I was inspired not so much by the view but rather by a barking dog. It seems the world, regardless of where you are, will never quite be silent.

Interestingly, the dog barked a minor third but then, every few iterations, it would reach a quarter-tone or so higher suggesting major third. He remained in d-minor (except for the D-major interludes) throughout the vacation, a convenient fact given the structure of the mass (as laid out in the Kyrie) moves from C# phrygian to D and then to E-Major -- so this movement more or less moves to D-minor.

I've combined the 2nd & 3rd movements of the Credo with the Sanctus. With the Benedictus already complete, I'm moving on to the first movement of the Agnus Dei.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Credo I
Credo I Score

Credo II & Sanctus
Credo II & Sanctus Score

Benedictus
Benedictus Score

Dona
Dona Score

Mass #1: Credo I

2007-04-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've completed the first movement of the Credo. Still working on second & third movements of Credo.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Credo I
Credo I Score

Benedictus
Benedictus Score

Dona
Dona Score

Stanford Memorial Church Choir and Organ Performance

2007-04-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Greg Wait graciously agreed to perform my chorale #4 on April 22nd. The recording is not exceptional, but I'm greatful for it anyway. I also include Robert Huw Morgan's performance of two pieces in the same service.

I've included the revised score of the chorale #4. We found that sustained high Gs for the sopranos was not a good idea. Greg conducted the piece in 4/8 throughout; of course the rhythm is 3:2:3, etc. As always, a few more rehearsals would have helped (including mode switch in bass/tenor @ m 16 -- b-flat minor). But I thought our choir was exceptional, and I was thrilled to hear this work performed.

In retrospect, I've realized that I remain too harmonic (vertical), and I need to think more about voice leading, as well as allowing more liberties in the hyper meter, as well as phrase alignment with the meter, etc. I'm beginning to believe it not possible to write for choir unless you sing in one and participate in the performance of your own works.

Chorale #4
Chorale #4 final score

Robert Huw Morgan

Carillon by Herbert Murrill (1909 - 1952)
Grand Choeur Dialogue by Eugene Gigout (1844 - 1925)

Mass #1: Benedictus

2007-04-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

Newest addition: Benedictus. Still working on Credo...

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Benedictus
Benedictus Score

Dona
Dona Score

Mass #1: Gloria II

2007-04-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Newest addition: Gloria II. Credo sketch exists. It will be a while.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Gloria II
Gloria II Score

Dona
Dona Score

Mass #1: Gloria I

2007-04-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Newest addition: Gloria I. Gloria II under construction.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Gloria I
Gloria I Score

Dona
Dona Score

Mass #1: Dona

2007-04-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Still working on the mass. Bringing together some past material as well. I've now revised the Kyrie and contemplate the following Dona to close the Mass.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Dona
Dona Score

Mass #1: Kyrie

2007-03-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Not many posts recently as I focused most of my time preparing for my piano recital. I neglected to record the recital, but hope to go back and record some of the material. I was happy with the recital (on my 40th birthday, 3/11/2007), particularly my performances of Debussy, Ives, and my own works.

I've started a new project: a mass. I'm not catholic. I was raised LDS in Utah, and currently sing with my wife in Greg Wait's Memorial Church Choir at Stanford. The Memorial Church is non-denominational, but more Christian than otherwise. Greg has decided to perform my Chorale #3/Prelude #4 on April 22nd at the Church. I went back and rewrote this piece when I realized that the voice leading was so choppy -- the first time I confronted the fact that I'm a pianist and not a chorist.

Giancarlo sat down with me a couple weeks ago and explained the catholic liturgy, from Christmas through Christmas. I confess the liturgy has little meaning for me. But I respect the tradition, and don't yet feel comfortable with chorale music to push the scope too much.

I've spent a fair amount of time studying a few masses by Palestrina, including a four part Missa Sine Nomine (do - ma re, do re ma fa so le sa...). I'm also looking at Bach's Mass in B minor and Stravinsky's Mass for mixed chorus and double wind quintet. I recently studied Purcell's Dido and Aeneas -- I'm becoming more attached to prolonged suspensions and anticipations. The approaches to chromatic harmony in the early baroque seem compelling. Yes, this is all old school. But there is so much to learn and so why not. On the piano, I'm learning some Mendelssohn (op 30 no 5 & 6), and have moved on to the final movement of the Concord Sonata by Ives, Thoreau. I suppose whatever you are studying sinks in and ultimately influences what you write, not to mention other music you know.

I built the Kyrie largely on Phrygian C#, but freely move around, including C# minor etc. My goal was to use imitation throughout, with a defined but interrupted progression that never completes the phyrigian cadence until the final bar.

On the topic of old vs new, a few weeks ago I attended a lecture by the composer Christian Wolff. I found Mr. Wolff to be both brilliant & kind. I enjoyed the talk very much. I asked him why he, Cowell, & Cage found it so important to turn their back on the past and strive for the new unique sound. He said he wasn't sure, but it seemed important at the time. I believe him. But I wonder whether this compositional ethos ('must create the new sound'), which represents an important period of music and which I refer to as experimentalism, no longer drives the mainstream of new compositional thought.

For me, the challenge with experimentalism isn't so much the art and ethos, but rather our ability to comprehend this music. It has become so utterly detached from the 'human' side of the equation. Ironically, with the desire to not-conform, the experimentalists' collective and uniform extreme reaction to tradition has created the greatest period of conformity in music since Palestrina. So, perhaps a better term than experimentalist would be reactionist: as a group they are one.

I don't insist tonality must return as a musical language. But I accept that tonality worked -- we could comprehend. Give me something new and different, yet let me comprehend it -- allow my brain, with reasonable training, to pattern match. Moreover, let me want to listen again to learn more. I don't buy the arguments that we are so brainwashed by tonality that we can't possibly comprehend the new, the unique. We are products of our history and we simply can't ignore this. Tonality developed and evolved over several centuries. It wasn't an accident. Two of my favorite composers, Debussy and Ives, believed that in future generations children would whistle semi-tones, etc. It has not yet happened -- in fact, children today have less musical training, less 'sophisticated' ears than past generations.

Let me quote from a disciple of the famous musicologist Schenker, Felix Salzer, from his Structural Hearing, Chapter 1, pg 7:

"It is equally imperative that we be at all times receptive and responsive to the new, and I think we are now on the whole more open-minded than other periods have been. However, the tendency which we often observe to discuss modern compositions in vague generalities is not only unjust to contemporary composers, but is very detrimental to our attempts to meet the crisis. In the appraisal of new works, just as in the analysis of older compositions, there is an unfortunate tendency to be satisfied with vague categorizations according to such superficial stylistic criteria as "new-classic,", "neo-romatic," "linear," etc., or to describe their outer, visible appearance, so to speak, in terms of external aesthetic values. These terms, while having a definite place in the field of music criticism, hardly ever touch upon the actual musical utterance. Often terms such as "original," or "bold" or "interesting" are profusely used but do not succeed in covering up what is lacking either in the music itself or in the listener's understanding.

"Furthermore, it seems as though some musicians are so deadly afraid of "missing" a talent that they think it safer to praise most new compositions, thus demonstrating an appalling lack of judgment and discrimination. This curious attitude has indeed become a veritable obsession with all too many musicians, critics and teachers. Whether we are prejudiced and condemn or neglect works simply because they are new and sound unusual or for other narrow-minded reasons, or whether we go to the other extreme and lose our sense of judgment merely because the work is new and we are afraid to be blamed for not having recognized a talent -- both attitudes seem to me equally detrimental to the development of music. Either will delay more than promote the process of finding a definite language of musical expression."

While I deeply respect Schenker & Salzer's work, I don't believe music can so readily be explained with a single model, etc. I do find Salzer's above argument, however, not only to be compelling but also as relevant today as when he wrote it fifty years ago. It isn't to say that the experimental period of music was not necessary and or not important. I can't look at images of 1917 and 1945 without a profound desire to react to whatever culture created these abominations. I recently attended a concert where Anthony de Mare performed John Cage's The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs (1942), Nowth upon Nacht (1984), A Room (1943), Tossed as It Is Untroubled (1943) as well as Henry Cowell's The Banshee (1925) and Advertisement (1914) among other works. "A Room" was neither neo-classical, nor neo-romantic, nor linear. The texture and timbre which this piece creates on the piano are more than unique, in fact they are beautiful.

My four nocturnes were a reaction to the 'new art'; they were an attempt to embrace intrinsic human desires such as singing, dancing, pro-creating. Perhaps I don't grasp the artistic movements of our generation and I don't belong. Our existence seems so transient, hardened by technology, and alienated by the very mobility we seem to cherish so much. The proliferation of connectivity and information has created a wide-scale crisis of identity, and a resultant desire to demonstrate the unique. A humanistic (yes I've abused the definition here a bit) movement in music, by contrast, would represent the very anti-thesis of these trends. A humanistic movement would perhaps be the appropriate response to the post-modern era.

It seems appropriate, therefore, that music be allowed, once again, to look forward and backward, and most of all to be human. My three-year-old daughter loves to sing and dance. She is not the victim of brainwashing. She is human, all too human.

And so, in order to embrace the future I return to my study of the past. I will write a Mass. I don't care whether I create a new sound, defy the past, or embrace the past. I simply want to write a chorale work that includes the organ.

Kyrie
Kyrie Score

Schumann Fantasy in C Op 17

2007-02-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

I finished a paper on Schumann's Fantasy in C. I'll be performing this piece at my recital, which strangely enough I've scheduled for the afternoon of March 11, forty years after the day of my birth.

I don't think I could have written this paper without having studied the piece in a performance capacity for the past year or so. I also don't think the insight would have been nearly as developed if not for the support of my advisor, Dr. Berger. The book by Nicholas Marston was extremely valuable, as was the biography of Schumann by Daverio.

I intend to record all three movements of the Fantasy over the coming weeks. Ultimately, my interpretation of the piece will be more representative of my views on the work rather than this paper.

Earth's Many Colored Dream: Schumann Fantasy in C Op 17

Briefly, I propose a new model of perceptual analysis to suggest that in fact an intuitive structure and form exists in the first movement.

Chorale #3

2007-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I've finished setting the text for Chorale #3 (otherwise known as prelude #4).

I wrote the chorale a year ago after my grandmother Evelyn visited memchu to attend service and hear us sing. We sang All Creatures that morning. To remember this day and her, I came home that afternoon and wrote this piece. Unfortunately she passed away a few months later; my mother played this chorale at her funeral.

While I've written a lot since this time, and my style has evolved to perhaps challenge tonality moreso, I still enjoy the simple pieces. Technically this is my fourth prelude, but my third chorale, so the name is a little misleading.

When I set the text to this piece (and I advise all to start with text not music!), I of course took the original St. Francis text "The Canticle of Brother Sun". I find he emphasizes Lord throughout, not to offend our modern people, but rather to perhaps offset his praise of 'sister earth, moon, brother sun, etc.'.

I couldn't help but think of Vera during the final stanzas, and so decided to expand the dedication to include her.

Modulations and rhythm require some care, but I think the voice leading is largely straightforward.

Greg Wait has offered to have our memorial church choir sing this work in a future performance.

Chorale #3
Score

Evening in Transylvania III

2006-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've completed the 'final' movement of my Bartok song cycle/octet/piano duet. This little nugget, I believe, complements and closes the cycle.

The form of the three movements should now clear with this final addition. Besides Bartok theme from his Easy Piano Piece, An Evening in Transylvania, the movement includes an obvious allusion to Shostakovich (quartet #8).

Evening in Transylvania, Scherzo & Lento
Octet Score

Evening in Transylvania II

2006-12-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Well, these aren't really preludes any more, but rather a set of movements from my new song cycle, which really isn't a song cycle as it is currently arranged for a chamber group of flute, clarinet in b-flat, trumpet in c, two violins, a viola, and a cello -- make that two cellos. I'm still building out the variations on Bartok's easy piano piece "Evening in Transylvania".

This work also uses some polytonality. The harmonic progression of Bartok's work is developed on the beat in the high strings, and on the double bar in the low strings. The high strings offer the progression in thirds, then (with some periodic help) in triadic form. The high strings and winds/trumpet move between c minor and g minor as they offer up the progression.

Evening in Transylvania, Allegro Agitato
Score for Octet

Here is a piano arrangement for four hands, one piano:

Piano Primo
Piano Secondo

Evening in Transylvania I

2006-11-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Bela Bartok wrote 10 Easy Pieces for piano. "Evening in Transylvania" comes from this set, #6 I believe. We listened to a Bartok recording of this piece in Dr. Barth's master class.

My previous piano teacher, Mr. Adolph "Ushu" Baller, knew Bartok. I think he and Yehudi hung out with Bartok in New York in the early 40's, after Mr. Baller escaped Austria (via Budapest and Turkey), and prior to Mr. Baller and his wife Edith moving to the bay area. I wish I could talk more with Mr. Baller about Bela. And I regret not studying more of Bartok's music with Mr. Baller. I remember Mr. Baller once told me that he knew two words in Hungarian: "I do".

I want to set this to a song cycle. Here is the first attempt, but in chamber form following the previous prelude #14 with flute, clarinet in b-flat, trumpet in C, two violins, viola, and one cello. I have several ideas for expansion here, but need to button up this iteration for classes tomorrow. The piece is yet another experiment in polytonality.

Evening in Transylvania, first movement
Score

Prelude #14 v2

2006-11-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Giancarlo and I have spent some time reviewing this piece. He offered a number of suggestions. I've taken another cut and believe the changes are positive.

Prelude #14
Prelude #14 Score

I'm starting to work on a new song cycle, influenced by Bartok. Hopefully I'll find some time to develop the piece over the next few days...

Prelude #14

2006-11-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

Still working on this one, an assignment for G.C. Aqui. which is due tomorrow. I remain focused on church modes and counterpoint. This prelude is phrygian. G.C. dictated a subject for the exercise.

I listen to the piece now and it sounds like the E minor (tonic) is in fact the dominant. Perhaps this is simply my tonal ear training. Or perhaps the sustained pedal tone on E creates the tension around E, and you want to resolve to A. One of the reasons I like the church modes is the ambiguity they create around a tonal center.

I'm completely swamped this week as I'm teaching CS202 @ Stanford tomorrow evening, and then leading a presentation in Jonathan Berger's seminar on the Schumann Fantasy. Of course I have voice and piano lessons tomorrow as well, in addition to choir practice in the evening. Hmn...

Prelude #14
Prelude #14 Score

Chorale #2

2006-10-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

I've returned to the study of counterpoint. I've spent some time with Giancarlo Aquilanti looking at Palestrina and church modes. I'm tempted to transcribe several of Palestrina's chorales for piano and perform them. Here is an excerpt of the Kyrie from his Missa Brevis.

Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like without Bach. I suppose it's wrong to give him credit for the tonal language that defined classical music for the next couple hundred years. But if one were to identify the Dante of tonality, Bach would certainly be a likely choice. Without Bach, or perhaps without the clear definition of the tonal language, is it possible the polyphony of Palestrina would have evolved differently?

It's almost easier for me to make the jump to polytonality from polyphony than from tonality. With polyphony and church modes, you don't have the strong cadences that typically define a tonal center. And hence you have the opportunity to create more ambiguity, more nuance. I wonder whether composers such as Stravinsky and Ives attempted to build the bridge back to Palestrina and polyphony. My initial work on the Inferno cycle reflects my own desire to explore models of polytonality.

I recall the stories of how often Robert Schumann would go back to the Well Tempered Clavier to study counterpoint. Certainly an understanding of counterpoint and motion in music is as relevant today as centuries before. Motion seems fundamental to music, and without an understanding of dissonance and counterpoint, I wonder whether true motion is possible. I would like, therefore, to spend more time learning about counterpoint, and I want to understand the polyphony of Palestrina.

At any rate, my Chorale #2 is nothing so grand, but rather a simple exercise in counterpoint and church modes. I find the piece sounds slightly modern -- I don't always prepare the dissonance (fourths, seconds, sevenths) for example. I had a lot of fun developing the subject.

Chorale #2
Chorale #2 score
Chorale #2 original score

Inferno II: Andante Agitato, first revision

2006-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

I continue work on the cycle of symphonic pieces composed to text from Dante's Divine Comedy. I now have three movements composed to the Inferno, plus the two cycles from Purgatorio.

I've gone back, as promised, to Opus 7: Inferno II Andante Agitato, the second movement of the Inferno cycle. I wanted to further develop the piece on the return of the A theme, including the addition of a violin 'solo' during the return. The cello and violin additions here are challenging to perform. I've introduced some new concepts here into the return, and so far believe the piece has grown as a result. I still need to finish setting the choral sections to the text I've chosen, again from Canto II as referenced in the first post for this movement.

Inferno II: Andante Agitato
Inferno II score

So, at this juncture, I have more or less three movements, II, III, and IV, to the inferno. I have some ideas for the first (and final) movement, and will begin working on it later this week.

Inferno IV: Moderato

2006-10-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm attempting to build out the cycle of Inferno, modeling images to text from the first several Canto's of Dante's Inferno. When I originally wrote this particular movement a few months ago, it didn't not belong to any cycles and so I, by default, grouped it with the nocturnes. I was attempting to express some of the darker images I have of man's existence when writing the piece, and so feel comfortable adjusting the work and now including it with some of the other works from my Inferno cycle. I was obviously influenced by the composer I quote in bars 92-95, and don't necessarily cherish the proposed answer (?) provided here.

Regarding the composition, I worked on two concepts for the piece. One concept was to maintain two seperate tonal centers with associated seperate meters that eventually converge. Another idea was to develop a modified triadic progression maintained in minor until a cadence. I realize I push the horns, but am interested in that strained sound, and believe it will work.

Inferno IV: Moderato
Inferno IV score

Divine Comedy
Inferno, Canto IV, 1:12
Copyright © Princeton Dante Project

A heavy thunderclap broke my deep sleep
so that I started up like one
shaken awake by force.

With rested eyes, I stood
and looked about me, then fixed my gaze
to make out where I was.

I found myself upon the brink
of an abyss of suffering
filled with the roar of endless woe.

It was full of vapor, dark and deep.
Straining my eyes toward the bottom,
I could see nothing.

Prelude #5

2006-10-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've finally set Prelude #5, a chorale prelude, to text. I knew when writing this music what text I wanted to use including several of the key passages, but I wrote the music first and set the text second. I'm not sure, in retrospect, this is optimal. But it produced an interesting piece, a piece that has a lot of meaning for me.

Prelude #5 updated
Prelude #5 Score for Choir (six part)

I guess I'm discovering a spiritual side of sorts -- spiritual as opposed to religious that is. Having grown up in Utah, I've come to accept that spirituality is part of who I am. On the other hand, I haven't concluded whether I'm agnostic or athiest, perhaps agnostic as I don't want to suggest that I have an agenda to convince others of a belief system, and lack any confidence to suggest otherwise. I certainly respect religion and appreciate the lessons it offers life. But I also fear religion, and the power it seems to offer man over man. I've never liked arbitrary power, and I've often witnessed the abuse of such power to subjugate or even exploit people. Yet I can't seem to suppress deeply spiritual feelings I have, humbly offered forth in this chorale. I dedicate the chorale to my mother. I hope it offers her some peace.

Opus 7: Inferno III: nè allegro nè lento

2006-09-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

I've written a first draft to another movement of an orchestral work composed to text from Dante's Inferno. It remains in draft form and is incomplete. I continue working on the first movement as well. Sadly, I report I also continue working on Purgatorio, in particular the Femmina Balba works. So much to do, so little time, and two young children...

Inferno III: nè allegro nè lento
Inferno III draft score

I've attached the Original sketch as a reference.

Divine Comedy
Inferno, Canto III, 34:69
Copyright © Princeton Dante Project

And he to me: 'This miserable state is borne
by the wretched souls of those who lived
without disgrace yet without praise.

'They intermingle with that wicked band
of angels, not rebellious and not faithful
to God, who held themselves apart.

'Loath to impair its beauty, Heaven casts them out,
and depth of Hell does not receive them
lest on their account the evil angels gloat.'

And I: 'Master, what is so grievous to them,
that they lament so bitterly?'
He replied: 'I can tell you in few words.

'They have no hope of death,
and their blind life is so abject
that they are envious of every other lot.

'The world does not permit report of them.
Mercy and justice hold them in contempt.
Let us not speak of them -- look and pass by.'

And I, all eyes, saw a whirling banner
that ran so fast it seemed as though
it never could find rest.

Behind it came so long a file of people
that I could not believe
death had undone so many.

After I recognized a few of these,
I saw and knew the shade of him
who, through cowardice, made the great refusal.

At once with certainty I understood
this was that worthless crew
hateful alike to God and to His foes.

These wretches, who never were alive,
were naked and beset
by stinging flies and wasps

that made their faces stream with blood,
which, mingled with their tears,
was gathered at their feet by loathsome worms.

The structure of the piece more or less attempts to follow a braided rope. I've tried to construct an harmonic model for this piece, derived from standard tonal theory but using a system of diatonic inversions. The idea is to create a four part harmony and complement that harmony with an inverted four part harmony in a related key. The inversions wrap around the initial harmony to form the structure of the rope. The inversions and the original harmony move to related keys, different registers, and/or timbres to facilitate the braided structure.

I define a diatonic inversion as follows:

I -> VIII (I)
ii -> vii
iii -> vi
IV -> V
V -> IV
etc.

Some special cases:

N (flatted II) -> vii
ii diminished -> VII
ii minor -> vii diminished
etc.

Again, the attempt is a diatonic inversion (versus a more precise twelve-tone inversion).

For the sake of these examples, consider a simple base progression as follows:

I V/iii VI/iii iii V I

I use three diatonic inversions in this piece, defined below:

parallel inversion

I V/vi VI/vi vi IV I

So, the notion of a secondary dominant is preserved, but it applies instead to the inversion of iii, or vi.

single inversion

I IV/iii iii/iii iii V I

double inversion

I IV/vi VI/vi vi IV I

For example, if I use the simple base progression above (I V/iii ...) in C major, I map the inverted harmony (parallel or single or double) to d minor. Noting the overtone technique in Inferno: Andante Agitato, I keep the inverted harmony (usually) a couple registers above the base harmony. The first few bars of the piece actually begin in these keys; the progression is slightly more sophisticated. In subsequent bars, the base harmony moves to e minor, and I introduce a second inversion on D, etc.

I know I'm really pushing the violist in this piece, but God knows they don't get enough interesting work compared to the violins. And I want a strained sound in the upper registers, which is why the viola may reach above the violins. I maintain some elements from the first movement, including a simple, resigned vocal line with more complex harmonic movement in strings & brass.

Robert Schumann

2006-08-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

I've been on this Schumann thing for a while. I never tire of his chamber works. While driving to Wyoming with the family, I had the St. Lawrence String Quartet recording of his first and third quartets in the car. I couldn’t stop listening to it. Hopefully this link to the second movement works: Schumann Quartet #1 Second Movement. You can buy the disk on Amazon.

While working on his Fantasy Op 17, I read a biography by John Daverio, "Robert Schumann: Herald of a New Poetic Age". (Apparently Daverio, like Schumann, also threw himself in a river -- the Charles? -- but, unlike Schumann unfortunately, actually succeeded). I found the biography to be persuasive. I confess that I broke down in tears when I read of Robert’s final days in the asylum, how Clara finally managed to visit him shortly before he passed away, and how apparently he recognized her. No need to recap the book here, but I was struck by the creative, literary dimension of this composer. All his life, it seems, he considered himself as much a poet as a composer. Certainly his lieder bring poetry to a new level, combining text with the color and nuance of tone.

I enjoy the fresh ideas Schumann brings to his music. For example, in his Op 17 Fantasy in C, the first movement "Ruins" (I guess this title didn't survive) starts with a dominant bass line (G) and a broken chord, likely a dominant 11th or a combined dominant + subdominant. You really don't get the tonic (C) in root position until the final few bars of the piece. And it ain't a short piece! As far as form, the developed theme is suggested only in fragments and finally stitched together, again, in the final few bars. When the full theme is finally stated (from Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98), you wonder where you have heard it before as it sounds vaguely familiar. The piece dates from the early 19th century (1838/9).

I wonder whether Robert wrote his Hausmusic to pay the bills. I guess his Album for the Young, written for his children (Robert and Clara had seven), was one of his top sellers. His fantasy was not; apparently even Clara stopped performing it on her tours after only a year or so. I previously believed that his Kinderszenen, like the Album für die Jugend, were also written for children. Certainly they are more straightforward than other keyboard works of his. Yet, according to Daverio, it was not intended for children per se, but rather was Robert's attempt to capture scenes from his own childhood.

I took a cut tonight at recording the first piece of the Kinderszenen Op 15, Schumann: Kinderszenen: Von fremden Ländern und Menschen. It's a straightforward read, but when you climb into the score you realize there are subtle choices. Consider a few examples:

What is the tempo? Schumann gives 108mm per quarter, but several editors suggest that in the neo-romantic style, 80mm per quarter would be more accurate. I tried both and like both, but prefer the slower tempo. (I had the same question with the 66m per quarter in the third movement of his fantasy. Apparently Clara's edition had 66mm per dotted quarter; I find her tempo too fast. Here, I think the 66mm per quarter is accurate.)
He ties the G in bar 6 -- the first time he holds the tenor voice. Why? Perhaps this is the first time he doesn't skip the subdominant, and he wants to hear the melodic shift. The tie seems to help maintain the longer phrase.
Notice the rests in the bass when the A theme is first stated, but then the sustained tones when B theme is stated, suggesting a duet between soprano and bass voices in B but not A.
It's easy to over-voice this piece. I tried to ease off my voicing on the soprano (melody).
What to do on the repeat? I use a different dynamic for A -- Baller usually liked that.
Notice the fermata in the last bar of B, but not at the end of the bar. How do you handle the final notes of this phrase after the fermata? I chose to expand a ritard. but not the same duration as the fermata.
I don't consider the final note of this bar an up beat to the next phrase.

Anyway, you get the idea -- perhaps there is never just a straightforward read.

More Recordings

2006-08-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

I sat down this afternoon and recorded a few more of my preludes, plus some Bach and Ravel. It's not perfect, but I'm out of gas at this point. I listen to this stuff and realize that I remain an amateur. For example, I rush the Courante -- if I could only take more time. Tone control is getting better, but I'm still far from where I'd like to be.

Prelude #10

Prelude #11

Prelude #12

Ravel: A la Maniere de Borodine

Bach: French Suite #4: Allemande

Bach: French Suite #4: Courante

Bach: French Suite #4: Sarabande

Bach: French Suite #4: Gavotte

Bach: French Suite #4: Menuet

Bach: French Suite #4: Air

Where is the Gigue, you may ask? I need a few more days on this piece. The ornaments don't sound right at tempo...

Did you realize that each piece in the suite is a baroque dance? According to G. Henle Verlag's Urtext, the Allemande is a German processional dance in 4/4 time. The Courante was originally a French ball-room dance but now under Italian influence is graceful but extremely serious in rhythm. The Sarabande is a Spanish dance with grave melody and emphasis on the second beat. The Menuet -- a favorite French dance of the period, named for the small steps it used. Etc.

I find it strange that most contemporary classical music has little to do with singing and dancing (unless you call Broadway classical!) It almost seems like music is becoming more ethereal over time.

Orchestration

2006-08-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'm working with Jin-Dong Cai to learn more about orchestration and conducting. One of our first exercises was to orchestrate a piano piece. I chose Debussy's Canope from his second book of preludes. I believe Debussy had a miniature Egyptian burial doll on his desk, the story goes.

I looked at this piece with George Barth and made the argument (convincing or not) that the structure was built on a pentatonic key which defines the melodic line in the opening. The harmonic progression follows this line throughout, moving more or less up and down by fifth.

Here I include an mp3/midi of the orchestration version, as well as my full orchestration score. If your orchestra would like to perform it, send me a note and I'll forward all parts.

Debussy's Canope: Prelude #10, Book II
Orchestration Score of Canope

Piano Performance

2006-08-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Ives: Concord Sonata, "The Alcotts"

It was a real treat to work on this piece with Dr. George Barth. John Kirkpatrick's score for the Alcotts was invaluable. You might visit Yale's online archive of Ives.

Prelude #1

Prelude #3

Prelude #6

Prelude #8

Opus 7: Inferno: Andante Agitato

2006-08-25T23:03:00.001-07:00

Opus 7

Inferno: Andante Agitato
Inferno: Andante Agitato score

Under construction. Not complete. Missing violin solo in B theme, setting of text to chorus,...

This work is based on text from Dante's Divine Comedy, Inferno, Canto II, 127:130
Copyright © Princeton Dante Project.

As little flowers, bent and closed
with chill of night, when the sun
lights them, stand all open on their stems,
such, in my failing strength, did I become.

The chorus text is of the same Canto II, lines 88-90 [Beatrice]:

'We should fear those things alone
that have the power to harm.
Nothing else is frightening.

As far as influence for the piece, I've been listening to a lot of Stravinsky lately, including his Symphony of Psalms. What a masterpiece.

In this piece, I attempt to explore overtones. The concept: any fundamental, particularly in a bass register, should not be considered only as the fundamental but instead as the set of partial tones it produces and the implied harmony. Hence any fundamental is not a 'point' but rather a vector through the tone space. Timbre obviously alters the trajectory of that vector, or perhaps more accurately the fundamental (start point) and partials (trajectory) define the timbre. The 'tendency' of the trajectory is influenced by context, namely previous tones and/or combined tones.

The question for me: when fundamental vectors intersect, does this influence the sound of the combined fundamentals, or perhaps their tendency? Or taken another way, can an implied melodic line shape the progression (tendency) of sets of fundamentals?

I noticed on the piano that certain combinations of fundamentals intersected at various points, or pitches, in higher registers. (This experiment of course depends on the type of tuning, but let's keep it simple for now). There are several cases where three tones in a register (so three of a possible twelve) have a common intersection point in a higher register. There is only one case where four tones intersect, and ironically, this case is the dominant 7th chord, the intersection being a major second three registers up. So, the fundamentals C-2, E-2, G-2, B-flat-2 all intersect D5. If you play this dominant, do you hear D5? It works even better if you slightly flat E-2. The concept becomes a bit more interesting if you can use semi-tones or altered tunings.

I admit this is little more than a restatement of the obvious, but yet the insight helps me to visualize tones and progressions, and perhaps better understand their relationships and tendencies. I no longer think of tones as static points, but rather dynamic vectors with a defined trajectory. The tendency of these vectors is bent and shaped by the context.

This piece attempts to define an harmonic progression based on the implied melodic line: chromatic up, and then whole tone up. All chords are inverted dominant sevenths that form the intersection of this implied melodic line. I use dominant sevenths to maximize intersection points, and thereby implied melody.

I use a uniform (tedious?) meter for context throughout, with the nuance of a sub-meter: an 'upbeat to a beat', two-upbeats to a beat, and then three. I'll add a solo violin on the recap of the A theme in the near future...

Opus 6: Nocturnes

2006-08-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

Opus 6

A set of nocturnes for chamber orchestra in which I, contrary to late 20th century wisdom, embrace song and dance.

Nocturne #1
Nocturne #1 score

Dedicated to my wife Tina.

Nocturne #2
Nocturne #2 score

The B theme is lifted from Shostakovich String Quartet #1, Third Movement. G.C. wanted us to modulate to the flatted 6th, and here I do so (twice). It seems every time I visited Grandma and Grandpa Hillstead, they had that Lawrence Welk show on the T.V. I anticipate another arrangement here with some winds and brass.

Nocturne #3
Nocturne #3 score

I didn't realize that the A theme was lifted from Wagner's Tannhauser until Dr. Berger heard it. I was looking for a way to smooth out the progression on thirds and so introduced a secondary dominant -- voila, Wagner. And by the way, don't argue at night -- you are too tired and should simply go to sleep.

Nocturne #4
Nocturne #4 score

Dedicated to my brother Greg who is a little sharp, or rather lives in a world that is a little flat. I can only imagine what it must be like. You can't just modulate up a minor second. I wonder if Greg would be happy in Naples.

Opus 5: Eastern Suite

2006-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Opus 4: Purgatorio

2006-08-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

Opus 4

I attempt to set a limited chamber orchestra to text from Dante's Purgatorio, specifically Canto I and Canto XIX. These were technically the first pieces I wrote (excepting the first piano prelude), virtually all completed between October and December of 2005, prior to much of my early training in theory. The first three pieces, set to Canto I, are more or less complete; the second four pieces (written first), set to Canto XIX, are not complete.

When I first started meeting with Dr. Jonathan Berger, we decided to look at text in order to compose a song cycle. It was an interesting point in my life to explore this idea. I had just begun the process of transitioning out of my career, and was struggling to make sense of what I'd done and what I might do next. Thank goodness I'd come across Mark and Terry, my "coaches"!

One question that recurred: what is the point of the journey? I'd been so goal-driven throughout my life: point me at the next hill and I can't wait to begin marching. I would climb to the top. Reaching the peak, rather than pausing to reflect, I would seek out the next hill. Find Italy? Find Paradise? And who is Beatrice?

I was haunted by Dante's dream in Canto XIX of Purtagorio, such vivid poetry. Initially, Dante sees an image of a stammering, crippled woman. Yet as 'the sun revives', Dante discovers instead a lovely siren, singing the most soothing and comforting song. Is the image false, the siren only tempting Dante? I long for the song of the siren. I'm tired of the journey, and question the point of reaching the next 'destination'. I wonder whether Dante felt the same way.

Calliope Arise (Calïopè Surga)
Calliope Arise Score
Calliope Arise Original Score

Dante summons Calliope to ‘accompany my song with those same chords whose force so struck the miserable magpies’. Calliope’s voice arrives in the final bar.

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto I, 1:12
Copyright © Princeton Dante Project

To run its course through smoother water
the small bark of my wit now hoists its sail,
leaving that cruel sea behind.

Now I shall sing the second kingdom,
there where the soul of man is cleansed,
made worthy to ascend to heaven.

Here from the dead let poetry rise up,
O sacred Muses, since I am yours.
Here let Calliope arise

to accompany my song with those same chords
Whose force so struck the miserable magpies
that, hearing it, they lost all hope of pardon.

Oriental Sapphire
Oriental Sapphire Score
Oriental Sapphire Original Score

Oriental Sapphire (Dolce Color d'Orïental Zaffiro): In Dante’s first moments on Earth (again), he notices ‘the sweet color of oriental sapphire’. The pentatonic keys (and Dante’s world) change every few bars – only Calliope’s voice (motif on partial iv7-v7-i in pentatonic a-minor) is constant.

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto I, 13:18

Sweet color of oriental sapphire,
hovering in the calm and peaceful aspect
of intervening air, pure to the horizon,

pleased my eyes once more
as soon as I had left the morbid air
that had afflicted both my chest and eyes.

The Fair Planet
The Fair Planet Score

‘The Fair Planet (Lo Bel Pianeto) that emboldens love’: Dante is struck with Earth’s intrinsic beauty. In contrast to Oriental Sapphire, where the key varies and the melodic line is constant, in the Fair Planet the melodic line is implied by the harmonic progression.

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto I, 19:27

The fair planet that emboldens love,
smiling, lit up the east,
Veiling the Fishes in her train.

I turned to the right and, fixing my attention
on the other pole, I saw four stars
not seen but by those first on earth.

The very sky seemed to rejoice
in their bright glittering. O widowed
Region of the north, denied that sight!

‘Femmina Balba’ I, II, III, IV: The Stammering Woman, Song of the Siren. UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

Femmina Balba I
Femmina Balba I Score

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto XIX, 1:9

In the hour when the heat of day,
cooled by earth and at times by Saturn,
Can no longer temper the cold of the moon,

when geomancers see their Fortuna Major rise
in the east before the dawn,
which does not long stay dark for it,

there came to me a woman, in a dream,
stammering, cross-eyed, splayfooted,
with crippled hands and sickly pale complexion.

Femmina Balba II
Femmina Balba II Score

This cello duet (need to fix the score -- sorry) was improvised by midi keyboard input. I don't use this technique often.

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto XIX, 9:15

I looked at her, and as the sun revives
Cold limbs benumbed by night,
so my gaze gave her a ready tongue

And then in very little time
straightened her crooked limbs
And tinged her sallow face as love desires.

Femmina Balba III
Femmina Balba III Score

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto XIX, 16:24

And with her speech set free
She started singing in a way
That would have made it hard for me to turn aside.

'I am,' she sang, 'I am the sweet siren
Who beguile mariners on distant seas,
so great is their delight in hearing me.

I drew Ulysses, eager for the journey,
With my song. And those who dwell with me
Rarely depart, so much do I content them.'

Femmina Balba IV
Femmina Balba IV Score

Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto XIX, 25:33

Her lips had not yet closed
when there appeared a lady at my side,
Holy and alert, to confound her.

'O Virgil, Virgil, who is this?'
she asked, indignant. And he came forward
With his eyes fixed on that virtuous one.

The other he seized and, ripping her garments,
laid her front bare and exposed her belly.
The stench that came from there awoke me.

Opus 3: Chamber Preludes

2006-08-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Opus 3

I love chamber music. I've played little so far in my studies. My 'preludes' opus one, two, and three include chorale preludes, piano preludes, and this set, chamber preludes.

Prelude #2
Prelude #2 score

Dedicated to Dr. Jonathan Berger. How often do you come across one of the top living composers and discover that he is kind and nurturing? Jonathan suggested I look at other scales such as the octatonic early on to branch out a bit, hence this piece (and Riding East, Clouds & Flowers, etc.). This "piano" prelude requires a cellist... And, yes (of course), that is a computer, not me.

The tonal structure, built on an octatonic scale, attempts to move around by thirds more or less, using mode switching to facilitate progression to the adjacent third. Moving a tri-tone away works as a tonal shift more so than a cadence or progression. I'd offer that an octatonic scale would, perhaps, work better with semi-tones, hence the prevalence of trills throughout. I may need to adjust one interval for the cello -- I don't think it can be played...

Prelude #7
Prelude #7 Chamber score
Prelude #7 Piano score

The piece is built on the second (interval plus ...). Basic structure. The goal was for the second itself to suggest a harmony and implied progression. I also want to play more with bells and vibraphones. I wonder why more music is not written for these colorful timbres.

The inspiration here was my home between the hours of 7:30 am and 8:17 am. The horns suggest the calm parent. The trumpet in seconds, of course, is my daughter calling (make that screaming) for her mama every few minutes. And why is it that while we are getting the kids ready for school and out the door, we ascend the stairs five times for every time we descend the stairs? Eventually, as the rhythm suggests, the best you can do is put your feet in the stirrups and enjoy the ride. I can't decide if I like this piece or not. But my wife claims that it is 100% accurate.

Prelude #9
Prelude #9 score

An assignment from Giancarlo Aquilanti's music theory class -- I think Music 22. The goal: establish a tonic and theme for A, modulate to B, establish B, return to A, and eventually A in tonic. The other goal: use a sequence with an augmented sixth chord. I dedicated this small morsel to the friends in the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Need to change the ending here -- the soprano voice doesn't work.

Prelude #10 piano
Prelude #10
Prelude #10 score

An assignment from Spring Quarter for Music 23 (music theory) at Stanford. Giancarlo Aquilanti is a gifted composer -- I enjoyed every lecture. This time I set a chorale prelude to a brass quintet. I juxtapose soprano (French horns) and bass (tuba) with slow, on the bar lines against alto (trumpet) and tenor (trombone) lines move in eight notes, with voice leading in a duet of sorts. G.C. dictated the bass line here for the assignment.

Opus 2: Piano Preludes

2006-08-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Opus 2

I'm not sure these are preludes so much as intermezzi. I use the term prelude loosely so as to focus my attention on development versus categorization for now. The influence of Schumann and Brahms is clear. I'm studying a number of their works and attempting to understand, better, their approach.

I played a lot of Brahms with my teacher Adolph Baller. He passed away around 1994. I'll never forget playing the Beethoven first concerto with him at his home in Palo Alto. I wrecked my car (yellow '79 Honda Civic) driving back to campus one day -- I was still singing the end of the second movement of this masterpiece and was distracted (or perhaps more accurately not on the road driving my car at the time). Baller taught me Brahm's Opus 118 and 119. I wish we had done 117 also, but I'll take what I have.

I'm studying the Schumann Fantasy, Op 17, with Dr. George Barth right now. Just finished practicing some on the second movement -- Trophies. What a poet. I love Schumann's Kinderszenen, a true masterpiece. I've been reading that lately as well, in addition to some Ravel, including the Borodin Waltz and also his Sonatine. I sense that Ravel must be related to Chopin. Still a strong basis in dance with beautiful harmony and color. I suspect Chopin was more adept at improvisation (but not the more gifted at orchestration!). Dr. Barth seems to be one of the few people I've known who is not only an exceptional pianist, but also an exceptional musicologist. Now, how can one claim to understand musicology unless one can play?

How can you write piano music unless you know how to dance and sing? I'm learning how to sing. Perhaps I need to learn how to dance. I recall playing in a Master Class with the St. Lawrence String Quartet. These guys are unbelievable. I remember Geoff Nuttall trying to explain the meter to a girl, Tracie, who was performing a Bach Toccata. Geoff offered to dance to the implied meter to illustrate, of course wearing bright red shoes. Singing, Dancing, Pro-creating -- Bach certainly understood humanity.

Prelude #1
Prelude #1 Score
Prelude #1 Original Score

This simple piece, obviously influenced by Chopin's E-minor prelude (which I played as a boy of course, who didn't?), was improvised more or less. I've attached the original score I scratched out -- noting that I lacked any formal theory instruction at the time. I was trying to make a tone cluster imply different harmonies with subtle changes. I'm also attached (too attached) to the juxtaposed tonic/subdominant (I think I was profoundly influenced by the second movement of Schumann's piano quintet).

Prelude #3
Prelude #3 Score

Dedicated to Giancarlo Aquilanti. Winter Quarter, Music 22: establish the tonic! I should have taken another day to get the return of A in my fingers -- I rush the variation a bit. At some point in my life, I'll wrestle a lot of the anxiety to the ground, and have more control over my performances. I'm convinced the rushing has little to do with my performance and more to do with inner conflict that remains unresolved.

Prelude #6
Prelude #6 Score

I need to record this again. My interpretation has changed somewhat. Plus, this performance is a little sloppy. Strange how I spend all of my time practicing Schumann, Bach, Debussy, etc., but little time on my own stuff.

I modeled this piece after Brahms Intermezzo Op 76 No 4 and Schumann's Des Abends Op 12. I played the Intermezzo as a boy in a piano competition in Utah and choked. My brother Greg and I also played the Poulenc Double Piano Concerto, and played it well (unlike the simple Intermezzo). My brother and his partner Keith took my wife Tina and me to see the goofy Labèque girls play the Poulenc with the San Francisco. Bright red and bright purple dresses. Red had a spasm every few bars, and I'm surprised she managed to return to her piano bench after each 'gesture'. Whiplash?

It's all about voice leading in the end, I suppose. I wrote this piece in a hotel room down at Disneyland. I'd neglected spending time with my kids as I was so caught up in music studies and writing. After Tina and I put them down, I developed the structure, motifs, and harmonic framework to this piece. Of course I can't really finish it until I play around on the piano. I'm only capable of hearing so much without the piano. The piece is for my kids, Noah and Charlotte.

Prelude #8 Piano
Prelude #8 Orchestrated
Prelude #8 Piano Score
Prelude #8 Orchestration Score

I wrote this piece after learning of the unusual circumstances surrounding my Grandmother Evelyn's death.

My goal was to build a tonal duet (A theme) that was a flash-back. Periodically the piece moves to the transcendental present (B theme). As the piece progresses, time moves forward to the present (B theme dominates). The tonal structure erodes, survived by only motifs and ultimately ending with an unusual cadence.

Prelude #12
Prelude #12 Piano Score

The piece is developed on the major seventh, with a basic ABA structure. I'm trying to imitate some techniques of Ravel, where a dissonant harmony can work with some (but not too much) repetition. Of course my definition of dissonance here is a 19th century one! I try to suggest in the piece that a major seventh chord is in fact poly-tonal.

Opus 1: Chorale Preludes

2006-08-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Opus 1.

A handful of chorale preludes. I hope to set all to text over time. I'll probably need to reorganize these preludes.

Tina and I enjoy singing in Gregory Wait's Memorial Church Choir. We also joined Steven Sano's Stanford Symphonic Chorus this past spring for Mozart's Requiem.

Chorale #1
Chorale #1 score

Dedicated to my late father Jerry Petersen Smith. I'm not particularly religious, except that I enjoy singing hymns and chorales -- it reminds of my time in Utah in the LDS Church. I cherish these memories, mostly as I feel closer to my father. He passed away in June of 2000. This is the most simple of the preludes, and came from an assignment in Music 21.

Prelude #4
Prelude #4 score

Dedicated to my late grandmother Evelyn Hillstead. She came and visited us a few months (February of 2006) before she passed away. She attended the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco to see and support my wife and son. The next day she attended the service at the Stanford Memorial church with my family. We sang the hymn quoted in this prelude. My mother played this prelude on the organ at my grandmother's funeral.

Prelude #5
Prelude #5 score

Dedicated to my mother, Karen Hillstead Smith, my first piano teacher, and truly one of the most gifted musicians I've heard play. Many sacrifices to help me study with Dr. Smith at BYU all of those years before Stanford.

Prelude #11 piano
Prelude #11
Prelude #11 score

I love Sibelius. I took a cut at a variation on Finlandia. I'll use the text (eventually) from "Be Still My Soul".