Merry Christmas

Christmas is a magical time of the year.  It doesn't matter if you are young, old or somewhere in between, Christmas always casts a magical spell on people.  Christmas is a time to spend with your family and friends.  Christmas is a time for giving.  My gift to you, my friends and colleagues, is music.  I have posted some recordings of my compositions at newmusicforum.com.  From now until the end of the year these pieces will be available as a free download from the homepage.

To see what compositions are available for the free download go to www.newmusicforum.com.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Listening Journal: December 15-21, 2008

Iannis Xenakis - Antikhthon (1971) for orchestra

Olivier Messiaen - Les Offrandes Oubliées (1930) for piano

Olivier Messiaen - Fantaisie Burlesque (1932) for piano

Olivier Messiaen - Piece pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas (1953) for piano

Olivier Messiaen - Rondeau (1943) for piano

Olivier Messiaen - Prelude (1964) for piano

Olivier Messiaen - La Fauvette des Jardins (1972) for piano

György Ligeti - Chamber Concerto (1970) for 13 instrumentalists: 5 strings, 4 woodwind, 2 brass and 2 keyboard instruments

Iannis Xenakis - Enbellie (1981) for solo viola

Anton Webern - Fünf Lieder, op. 3 (1909) for soprano and piano

Anton Webern - Zwei Lieder, op. 8 (1910) for soprano and 8 instruments 

Listening Journal: December 8-14, 2008

Karol Szymanowski - Nocturne and Tarantella, op. 28 (1915) for violin and orchestra

Luciano Berio - O King (1970) for voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Luciano Berio - Points on a Curve to Find... (1974) for piano and 22 instrumentalists

Edgard Varèse - Hyperprism (1923) for winds and percussion

Pascal Dusapin - Celo (2003) for cello and orchestra

Iannis Xenakis - Jonchaies (1977) for orchestra

Iannis Xenakis - Shaar (1983) for orchestra

Iannis Xenakis - Lichens (1983) for orchestra

Audio Archive

I was recently checking out the Society of Composers, Inc. website and I found a link to a fascinating audio archive.  The original 10 American Society of University Composers (ASUC)/SCI albums have been digitized and posted on the website.  The collection is quite interesting and the recordings seem vary diverse in style and ensemble.

I have not listened to all of the albums yet.  Currently, I have listened to three albums (#1, 2, 8).  While the quality of the transfer is not necessarily the best, it is good.  I look forward to making my way through the rest of the recordings.

This is truly an one-of-a-kind archive and is definitely worth checking out.  You can visit the archive by going to the SCI website: www.societyofcomposers.org or through the direct link: anton.som.ohio-state.edu/portal.

Listening Journal: December 1-7, 2008

Gerald Warfield - Variations and Metamorphoses (1973) for 2 cellos and off-stage piano

Alexander Scriabin - Prométhée: Le poème du feu, op. 60 (1910) for orchestra

Witold Lutoslawski - Overture for Strings (1949) for string orchestra

Edgard Varèse -  Ecuatorial (1934) for bass voice, brass, organ, percussion and theremins

Edgard Varèse - Ionisation (1931) for 13 percussion players

Edgard Varèse - Density 21.5 (1936) for solo flute

George Crumb - Pastoral Drone (1982) for organ

Karlheinz Stockhausen - Klavierstücke: Piece 7 (1955) for piano

Bruce Taub - Quintet I (1972) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Joan Tower - Movements (1968) for flute and piano

Joseph Dangerfield - Stone Memories (2004) for clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Robert Stern - Three Chinese Poems (1971) for double women's chorus, viola, piano, celeste, percussion and tape

James Hartway - Three Ways of Looking at a Blackbird (1970) for soprano, flute, prepared piano and percussion

Olivier Messiaen - Illuminations of the Beyond... (1991) for orchestra

Bela Bartók - String Quartet No. 6 (1939)

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Foreign Bodies (2001) for orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Wing on Wing (2004) for 2 sopranos and orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Insomnia (2002) for orchestra

Listening Journal: November 24-30, 2008

About ten days ago a friend of mine, John Bilotta, gave me a recording of a concert he hosted in 2007 as a part of his San Francisco Chamber Wind Festival.  This particular concert featured the ensemble-in-residence, Rarescale.  The members of the ensemble who performed that night include Carla Rees - flutes, David Black - guitar and Michael Oliva - electronics.  I was amazed by the performance from this group.  The whole concert was great and they are an ensemble worth checking out.  Their website is: www.rarescale.org.uk.

Rarescale concert - August 4, 2007

   Daniel Giorgetti - Mantra (2006) for alto flute and tape

   John Thow - Dulcis Aurea (2006) for solo flute

   Bruce MacCombie - Nightshade Rounds (1979) for solo guitar

   Michael Oliva - Moss Garden (2006) for bass flute and electronics

   Toru Takemitsu - Toward the Sea (1981) for alto flute and guitar

   Karen Gourlay - Dreamscape (2004) for quartertone alto flute and guitar

   John Bilotta - Shadow Tree (2004) for alto flute and guitar

   Adam Melvin - Hyperlodic Interpretations (2003) for solo alto flute

   Martha Stoddard - Music for Flutes (1999) for two flutes

   Daniel Kessner - Shades of Pastel (1993) for alto flute and guitar

   Toru Takemitsu - Equinox (1993) for solo guitar

   Michael Oliva - River Drive (2007) for bass flute, guitar and electronics

Priscilla McLean - Interplanes (1970) for two pianos

William Penn - Chamber Music II (1972) for cello and piano

Brian Fennelly - Prelude and Elegy (1973) for brass quintet