This is a bare little song, on a text I found in an old children’s encyclopedia, The Book of Wonders (1915): Why do we have to die? Death must come to all things that have life. All matter in the world is either living or dead. Inanimate things do not change. They remain always the […]
Entries Tagged as '*Music'
Why Do We Have To Die?
August 11th, 2011 · Comments Off on Why Do We Have To Die?
Anecdote
August 10th, 2011 · Comments Off on Anecdote
A setting of my translation of a poem by La Fontaine (one of his tales, not one of his fables), for voice and ‘cello. Once Sister Jean had borne a child, Her piety was unexcelled. The other nuns, though undefiled, Had cravings they had not dispelled. “Our Jean,” the Abbess said with pride, “Has set […]
The Inchworm
August 10th, 2011 · Comments Off on The Inchworm
Do you want to be like the inchworm? We have a rather glum song here, as befits the subject. The inchworm’s life is mild and meek; His prospects look a little bleak. All day he creeps, and creeps, and creeps, And creeps, and creeps, and then he sleeps. When morning comes, he wakes and eats […]
The Oatmeal Song
August 9th, 2011 · Comments Off on The Oatmeal Song
This is taken from my 1993 show, Eddie Unchained. In this selection, Victoria, a caterer, is preparing refreshments for Eddie’s birthday party. Victoria was played by Ivy Austin; she was accompanied by a string quartet of Robert Zubrycki, Cenovia Cummins, Carol Benner, and Benjamin Whittenburg.
Epitaph
August 9th, 2011 · Comments Off on Epitaph
A setting of a curious nonsense poem, attributed to Richard Corbett (1582-1635). The accompaniment can be played either by piano or by violin and ‘cello. Here’s the first bit.
Guesstimate
August 8th, 2011 · Comments Off on Guesstimate
A querulous little rumination, that begins like this.
Infix
August 7th, 2011 · Comments Off on Infix
An insistent number, written as I was enjoying a new piano.
Six Violin Duets
August 6th, 2011 · Comments Off on Six Violin Duets
Ah, there’s nothing like a violin duet. I wrote six of them in 1990; here’s how the first begins.
When I Sleep
August 5th, 2011 · Comments Off on When I Sleep
En Route
August 5th, 2011 · Comments Off on En Route
“En Route” sets my adaptations of three poems by Blaise Cendrars. The piano part is based on 4-pitch diatonic chords, which are manipulated in various ways. In this first one, chance procedures determined the direction, duration, and key of each arpeggio. The violin and voice parts were written over that, using the three pitches left […]