SKU: BT.PMC3865
The Two Songs on American Poems were composed in late May and early June of 2011 by candlelight at my rustic waterfront cabin on a remote island off the northwest coast of Washington State. It was in this locale that I havecompleted a number of works over the years, including the Lux Aeterna, O Magnum Mysterium, Nocturnes, Canticle/O Vos Omnes and others. Prayer was written in memory of Michael Jasper Gioia, Dana and Mary Gioia's infant son, whosebrief life was tragically ended by SIDS.Mr. Gioia served as Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003-2010 and has authored several books of poems, numerous anthologies, articles, essays and two opera libretti. Amonghis many awards are the American Book Award and Presidential Citizens Medal. He currently holds the Judge Widney Chair of Poetry and Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Sure on this Shining Night was originallycomposed as a choral piece, the third movement of my Nocturnes on poems by Rilke, Neruda and Agee. Rod Gilfry, an international star of opera, recital and musical theater, premiered the mixed duet version with his daughter, Carin,in 2009. He is Professor of Vocal Studies at the USC Thornton School of Music. Both he and Mr. Gioia are national treasures. The Two Songs are designed as a pair but may be sung independently - when paired, Sure On This ShiningNight should begin immediatelyfollowing the final, sustained chord of Prayer with no break in between the songs. Both of these songs, premiered by Mr. Gilfry accompanied by the composer at a USC Visions & Voices tribute to DanaGioia on September 27, 2011, have their roots in the American musical theater and should be sung as such.
SKU: FG.55009-539-7
ISBN 979-0-55009-539-7.
One of the finest Finnish chamber works of recent years involving a clarinet is Mikko Heinio's Treno della notte for clarinet, cello and piano (2000). The composer says of his work: I wanted to write a long, fairly fast-moving composition proceeding without a break in which the moods are at least to some extent dream-like, nocturnal. May 'Treno della notte', the term for a night train in Italian, be a tribute to my much-admired Federico Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni, who in the film Citta della donne (City of Women) falls asleep on a train and is led by a representative of the stronger sex along the most fantastic paths. During a journey lasting a good 17 minutes the listener has time to proceed through 12 connected carriages: the composition has five calm, melodic sequences and four rhythmically dashing dances. It begins with an Introduzione, has a Transitio in the middle and ends with a Coda. In addition to its nocturnal shades, the Heinio work is of sizzling virtuosity, hot Latin rhythms and glowing, sustained melody. The clarinettist plays both a normal B flat instrument and a bass clarinet, thus enriching the timbral scale even further. Heinio does not expect the clarinettist to improvise or to master novel techniques, but otherwise the clarinet part is as challenging as many a concerto.
SKU: HL.49045006
ISBN 9790220136788. UPC: 841886027428.
Originally scored for ensemble (10 players), Mr Anderson's Pavane was written in response to the death of the British film and theatre director Lindsay Anderson whom I knew. Although composed without a choreographic collaborator, I imagined the music as a work for the theatre - a slow and stately, ritualistic dance. The title refers to similarly named works of the Renaissance - Lord Salisbury's Pavane etc.- Steve Martland.
SKU: PR.114415260
UPC: 680160605057. 8.5 x 11 inches.
Theme and Variations was written for trombonist Rebecca Bower Cherian, who has recently released her recording Water Awakening (listen to a preview here). Cherian describes the work: begins with a very powerful and driving theme in the trombone, supported by blocks of chords from the piano, and continues with an overview of the variations. In sum, Cherian says, It is a beautiful and challenging work which I hope becomes a new standard in the solo trombone repertoire. For advanced performers. Duration: 9'.
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