Describing your own music is a precarious business for a composer. But here are a few thoughts about my work and an accompanying guided playlist, by way of musical introduction.…
My pieces usually have a “thread” that connects them to something outside of the music itself. That connection might be explicit or hidden; it might be musical or extra-musical, collaborative or inter-disciplinary; its context may be historical or contemporary, social or political. Whatever the thread is, it usually forms my initial inspiration and my guide as I create the fabric of a piece. The examples below are organized to reflect these various creative strands, and to reveal a little of my approach and compositional “style.” If you’d like to explore my catalogue, these are places you might start.
VISUAL ART INSPIRATION…
Visions from Another World: Spinning Ballerina An orchestral work based on fantastical, other-worldly images by 19th century French illustrator J. J. Granville (1803–1847).
Six Bagatelles: Gauloises Blues Short vignettes for piano trio after prints by American abstract expressionist artist Robert Motherwell (1915–1991).
Tagore Love Songs: 10. If you would have it so A setting of love poems by the Bengali Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941).
If you would have it so,
I will end my singing.
If it sets your heart aflutter,
I will take away my eyes from your face.
If it suddenly startles you in your walk,
I will step aside and take another path.
If it confuses you in your flower-weaving,
I will shun your lonely garden.
If it makes the water wanton and wild,
I will not row my boat by your bank.
Orange Torches Against the Rain: 4. The Peddler of Flowers A song cycle about flowers and rain after poems by American poet Amy Lowell (1874–1925).
I came from the country
With flowers,
Larkspur and roses,
Fretted lilies
In their leaves,
And long, cool lavender.
I carried them
From house to house,
And cried them
Down hot streets.
The sun fell
Upon my flowers,
And the dust of the streets
Blew over my basket.
Thirteen Tanka—ancient Japanese poems on birds, boats, blossoms and bugs
MUSIC INSPIRED BY CURRENT EVENTS…
The Leader A comic chamber opera based on Eugène Ionesco’s Le Maître, a one-act political satire from 1953. Its characters all worship a buffoonish “great man,” a charlatan they adore despite his ridiculous behavior. Sound familiar?
Lamentation on The Disasters of WarComposed in 2006 as a response to the US invasion of Iraq, a country where members of my extended family still reside. The title of this string sextet references artist Francisco de Goya’s harrowing engravings of Napoleon’s similarly ill-fated incursions into Spain, Los Desastres de la Guerra.
The Prisoner —the tragic story of Adnan Latif, the first man imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay Luctus Profugis—lament reflecting on the 2015–2019 European refugee crisis Songs from the Post Truth Era—song cycle about telling the truth
MUSIC REFLECTING ON OTHER MUSIC…
Pattern Preludes: Book I, no. 1 A gloss on J. S. Bach’s C Major Prelude from the Well Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846. One hand plays the original, the other adds a commentary.
Ignoble Dances: A Distracted Pavan for These Sad Times Composed in 2020, this is a re-imagining of English composer Thomas Tomkins’s (1572–1656) harpsichord lament “A Sad Pavane for These Distracted Times,” written for our own time.
Paganini Reverie —based on Paganini’s famous 24th Caprice Hollows and Dells: II. Fantasy on Repton —fragmentation of “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” City Scenes—a jazz-infused orchestral score that reflect on the tumult of city life
STORIES AND FABLES…
Four Fables: 3. The Lion the Fox and the Fish Short pieces with inspiration drawn from animal fables by authors from near and far.
The Lion appointed the Fox governor of the water. While ruling on the shore, the Fox angled after fish, intent on eating his
constituents. The poor fish were placed in a hot pan over a roaring fire. Seeing their end close at hand, the fish began to fling
themselves about frantically in an attempt to escape. The Lion, hearing rumors of the Fox’s abuse of power, came to investigate.
“What is going on here?” he demanded, motioning toward the springing fish.
“These are carp, inhabitants of the waters.” answered the Fox, “We have all come together to congratulate you, our good king,
on your arrival.” (All the time the fish were leaping about in the pan.)
“But tell me,” asked the Lion, “why do the carp fling themselves about so?”
“O wise Lion,” replied the Fox, “they are dancing for joy at seeing you!” Ivan Krylov (trans. W. R. S. Ralston)
Parizade and the Singing Tree:
I. In which Parizade seeks the Singing Tree and hears the Dervish’s warning. A magical folktale from the “Arabian Nights” stories.
There once was a Singing Tree. Or rather, young Parizade had heard the legends of this singular wonder. Parizade had learned of the famed Singing Tree from her father. And, as the daughter of the palace gardener, she had watched many princes and noblemen venture in search of this most prized possession.
One after another, young men had sought out the Singing Tree, questing for adventure and promising to bring home a branch from its magnificent boughs. But, though many had undertaken the journey, mysteriously none had ever returned.
Parizade too longed to seek the Singing Tree, to bring home a branch to her father and—most of all—to hear its splendid song.
“But it is too dangerous!” some said. “You are too young!” said others. “Too common! And a girl…” But in fact, Parizade was altogether too determined.
So one night, the fearless gardener’s daughter disguised herself as a young man, mounted her horse with conviction and quickly left town on an adventure of her own.
After many days travel, Parizade came upon a stranger crouching at the side of the road. He was very old, or so it seemed. His eyebrows were white like snow, as was also his hair, his moustache and his beard. His moustache quite covered his mouth while his beard fell almost to his feet. He was a Dervish.
As Parizade approached, the man awoke from his recent slumber and began to excitedly beckon her towards him.
Parizade addressed the Dervish nervously: “Please, wise Dervish, I am in search of the Singing Tree. I know this rarity is not far from here. I implore you to show me the way that I may not lose my labor after so long a journey.”
“Ah, yes, the Singing Tree.” replied the Dervish, pointing to a clearing in the woods. “Take this path and follow it to the foot of a mountain. You will find the tree standing at its summit.”
“But wait. A number of brave men—like yourself—have passed this way in search of the Singing Tree. But I can assure you they have all perished, for not one has returned. So mind you heed my warning: While you ascend the mountain, never turn your head to cast a look backwards, for in that instant you will be turned to stone.”
And, no sooner had the Dervish uttered his ominous warning than he was gone.
Leila–a song cycle based on the classical Arabic poems of unrequited love
MUSIC AND LANGUAGE…
The Art of Conversation [String Quartet No. 3], Discursus 3: Dialogues Seven “dialogues” for string quartet, each one representing a different type of “conversation.” Here there are two separate conversations: a quiet duo for two violins and a heartfelt duo for viola and cello.
Songs from the Post Truth Era A song cycle based on a didactic verse “Incorrect Speaking” by Charles Lamb. The text for the following songs preserve the words from the original, but rearrange their order and syntax until they are (almost) meaningless.
Incorrect SpeakingIncorrectness in your speech
Carefully avoid, my Anna;
Study well the sense of each
Sentence, lest in any manner
It misrepresent the truth;
Veracity’s the charm of youth.
You will not, I know, tell lies,
If you know what you are speaking.
Truth is shy, and from us flies;
Unless diligently seeking
Into every word we pry,
Falsehood will her place supply.
Falsehood is not shy, not she—
Ever ready to take place of
Truth, too oft we Falsehood see,
Or at least some latent trace of
Falsehood, in the incorrect
Words of those who Truth respect.
—Charles Lamb
from Poetry for Children (1809)
The Charm of Anna
Unless we are seeking to pry the truth
From my words of youth,
Carefully avoid the charm of Anna:
She is not shy, not shy in any manner.
If you study well your speech,
And diligently misrepresent into each
Sentence, lest it supply
The what, will, who and know,
Incorrectness will take Veracity’s place—you see?
In her place, we sense, flies some latent trace of oft.
Speaking of Truth:
In truth, every word of those you respect is
Falsehood, Falsehood, Falsehood, Falsehood!
(Or is at least incorrect.)
The Supply of Flies
Take carefully each speech
Pry every sense from my sentence
Speaking, seeking
Of youth, of truth,
Or of lies—
We will ready the supply of flies!
I, you, my, we
Study your veracity’s
You see?
Incorrectness
if, of, oft
the will, the well, the words
We respect, incorrect
Truth, shy, truth
(Place into you-know-who)
Falsehood, shy, falsehood
it us, in lest, at least, in some
not word, what know, those are
Not to avoid charm
Truth is she any?
Unless in latent her manner too diligently is…
Of truth tell not ever
Anna
FILM MUSIC…
Cinderella A work written as the accompaniment to the 1922 silent film, Aschenputtel [Cinderella] by the German silhouette artist Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981).
City Scenes—with a film of Houston by Libbie Masterson
FOLK MUSIC INSPIRATIONS…
Fantasy on Bulgarian Rhythms A string quartet inspired by the “irregular” meters of Bulgarian folk traditions, in particular, the Rachenitsa (2+2+3) and the Buchimish (2+2+2+2+3+2+2).
Hollows and Dells: 3. Reel en rondeau [fiddle dance] Bridging the musical traditions of Great Britain and America, a raucous “reel” that draws on old time fiddle traditions and idioms, both Irish and Appalachian.
EXTRA-MUSICAL THEMES…
Quelques Fleurs: 3. JasmineA piece about the fragrance of flowers. Jasmine is an atmospheric nocturne that tries to capture a gradual envelopment by the flower’s potent bouquet.
Studies in Nature: 3. Jellyfish Based on biological illustrations by Ernst Haeckel. The last movement evokes the curlicues of the Jellyfish, rippling through the water, all quivering motion.
Imaginary Scenes—mechanical marionettes, whirling dervish, a love-scene on 2 violin strings Cabinet of Curiosities—still life of a lizard, music in a convex mirror, other musical curiosities.
MUSIC FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES…
Swimmy Based on the Caldecott Award-winning children’s book “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni, presented with narrator and illustrations.
Red Pajamas Theme and variations based on “She’ll be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain. An educational work with narrator, including an introduction to the instruments and to basic musical concepts.
Capriccios, No. 1 Six studies for solo violin; No. 1 is a moto-perpetuo.
El MartilloThree pairs of bongos use “metric modulation” on an Afro-Cuban rhythm.
Pattern Preludes (Books 1-4) —24 short works for solo piano. Toccata—virtuosic prelude for organ
INSTRUMENTAL EVOCATIONS…
Stomping Grounds: 3. Mbira Song The mbira is an indigenous percussion instrument of Central and Southern Africa, its music characterized by interwoven rhythmic layers to create a sort of syncopated “music box.” This piece tries to capture the charming grooves of its musical texture.
String Quartet No. 2 “Etudes” 4. Guitarra Each movement exploits a single string technique and is an evocation of an instrument. This movement suggests the plucked sound of the guitar.
DANCE MUSIC…
Stomping Grounds: 4. Sto(m)p Time Dance “Stop time” is a sparse, punctuated accompaniment, one usually meant to support a showy tap dance routine. Here the ensemble provides both the song and the dance: the players bang out rhythms with their feet.
