Archive for the ‘Composition’ Category

Open Ended: Mark Alburger Variation

Saturday, November 4th, 2023

Open Ended is a dynamic performance crafted live for the audience. Inspired by Rova’s Radar techniques, Open Ended is more of a vibrant palette than a fixed composition. It’s an expanding set of guidelines and games for the musicians, directed by the conductor’s hand signals. Rather than following a predetermined script, the conductor composes on the spot, responding to the present moment and guiding the performers with these signals. This concept mirrors the “Soundpainting” language, a pioneering creation by Walter Thompson in Woodstock, New York, 1974. The beauty of Open Ended lies in its adaptability. With no fixed instrumentation, any number of musicians can partake. The duration is equally fluid, ranging from a brisk 5 minutes to a marathon 24 hours. Though it has been showcased several times, with memorable renditions in 2005, 2009, and 2018 by the SFCCO, each performance is a unique, unrepeatable world première. This rendition of Open Ended includes a special homage to SFCCO founder, Mark Alburger. I have crafted two variations of three phrases, each inspired by the Morse code sequence for ‘Mark George Alburger.’

– – .- .-. -.- / – -. . – – – .-. – -. . / .- .-.. -… ..- – -. . .-.

Rhythm is created by assigning the dashes, or long signals in Morse code, twice the note value of the dots, which represent the short signals. The audience was then given the opportunity to choose which version they wanted to hear incorporated into this performance of Open Ended.

Open Ended: Mark Alburger Variation

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10 Circles

Saturday, October 22nd, 2022

10 Circles

While most are familiar with abstract art and dance, how does that translate to music? Imagine if music were not bound by a linear sequence but played in a random order, resulting in a unique experience every time. Or consider music performed in multiple tempos simultaneously, embracing Albert Einstein’s theory that time is relative and varies based on your perspective.

10 Circles delves into these fascinating ideas through the lens of circle-music, a form I discovered through my composition teacher Dr. Cindy McTee. McTee’s own circle-music composition for my bassoon teacher, Sue Schrier, inspired this exploration. This piece is composed of ten distinct sections, each containing musical phrases that can be played in any sequence at any time. This fluid approach to composition requires a novel style of conducting. Here, the conductor is more than a timekeeper; they sculpt the piece in real-time, influencing its orchestration.

The musicians navigate their own routes through the sections, guided by the surrounding sonic landscape. While themes may reappear, their occurrence and interpreter are entirely unpredictable. 10 Circles employs quartal chords and octatonic scales, creating a sense of tonality that is tangible yet abstract. The result is a work that challenges and redefines our understanding of musical time and structure.

10 Circles

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No. 95

Saturday, September 24th, 2022

No. 95


Recently, I’ve been developing a solo bassoon piece, experimenting with several motifs that ultimately inspired the improvisation you can hear above. This improvisation showcases my approach to composition, where I explore and expand upon themes through improvisation. The central theme of this work is rooted in an octatonic scale, enriched with microtones to add depth and texture.

The recording is from a live performance at the September 24th Opus Project concert, held at the Center for New Music in San Francisco. It’s a vivid example of how spontaneous creation can lead to the discovery and refinement of musical ideas.

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2nd Movement of Symphony No. 4 “Deconstructing Beethoven”

Saturday, May 28th, 2022

Symphony No. 4 “Deconstructing Beethoven” is an exploration into the hypothetical: what if Beethoven were to time-travel to the present and assimilate over 200+ years of musical advancements? How would his compositions sound in this new context? In the second movement, I draw inspiration from the Allegretto of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, a personal favorite as a bassoonist, particularly for the character of an anguished lament.

In this movement, I employ techniques introduced in the first movement, such as conflicting rhythms that create a palpable tension. The idea was to deconstruct Beethoven’s original piece, distilling the melody to its core and infusing it with an aleatoric character, consistent with the overarching themes of the symphony.

Heart beat rhythm

Heart beat rhythm


A key element from Beethoven’s Allegretto, the march rhythm of one long note followed by two short ones, is occasionally referenced. However, I predominantly utilize a heartbeat rhythm, prominently featured in the timpani and bass drum following the opening chord.

Inverted five notes






The five-note rhythm from the first movement is inverted and slowed down, adding a subtly unbalanced rhythmic feel as it morphs into a 3 against 2 pattern. Time manipulation is another technique used, with instruments echoing similar phrases asynchronously. The harmonic language is expanded through the use of whole tone and octatonic scales, along with the addition of “extra” tones to chords for a more modern, richer sound. Beethoven kindly provided me a fugue section, which helps to link this movement with the 4th and some rhythms appear in the 2 moment that reappear in the 3rd. Despite these innovations, Beethoven’s original genius periodically emerges, maintaining a link to the classical source while reimagined in a contemporary light.

II. Allegretto

The SFCCO premièred this movement on May, 28th 2022.

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Zelenskyy says, “Slava Ukraini”

Saturday, April 23rd, 2022

Zelenskyy says, "Slava Ukraini"

In the early stages of Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine, as Russian missiles rained down on Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was rumored to have vanished, a falsehood spread by Russian propaganda claiming he had fled the country. Defying these rumors, Zelenskyy appeared in a powerful recorded video. Standing resolutely in front of the presidential building, flanked by his senior advisors, he delivered a simple yet profound message:

“We’re all here,” he affirmed, “defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way… Glory to Ukraine.”

This display of unwavering courage and resilience deeply moved me, inspiring the creation of a musical piece performed at the April 23rd Opus Project concert at the Center for New Music in San Francisco. The composition draws inspiration from the way President Zelenskyy concludes his speeches, especially on social media, with the stirring phrase, “Slava Ukraini” – “Glory to Ukraine.”

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Sunset Shapes

Saturday, November 13th, 2021

Sunset Shapes

Sunset Shapes is a unique musical collaboration with artist Ian Fink, featuring bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, and Chinese meditation chimes. This piece draws its inspiration from Fink’s painting “Houses,” known for its surrealistic portrayal of three-dimensional shapes and a captivating sky, which I envisioned as a sunset. The painting’s vivid imagery sparked a bass clarinet line in my mind, leading to the birth of this composition.

Influenced partly by Eric Dolphy’s Hat and Beard, the structure of Sunset Shapes is intriguingly unconventional, with every alternate repetition of the form extending by an additional measure. Different segments of the music are reflections of various elements within the painting, creating a rich tapestry of sound that mirrors the visual complexity of Fink’s work.

The world première of Sunset Shapes took place at the SFCCO virtual concert on November 13, 2021. It was also well-received during its showcase at an art and music event hosted by MENSA later in the same month.

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Iberian Impressions

Saturday, November 13th, 2021

Iberian Impressions

Iberian Impressions is an evocative collaboration between myself and artist Ian Fink, culminating in a solo flute piece steeped in the rich musical heritage of Spain. This composition was born out of a reflective conversation with friends about a concert tour in Spain back in 1992. It prominently features the Spanish Gypsy scale, also known as the Phrygian dominant scale, and draws inspiration from the distinctive performances of Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders in John Coltrane’s Olé.

As the music of Iberian Impressions came to life, it spurred Ian Fink’s artistic creativity, leading him to create a painting titled “August 17, 2020.” This painting, featured in the accompanying video, captures the surreal day when San Francisco’s skies were shrouded in orange, a vivid reminder of the wildfires raging in the surrounding areas. The intersection of music and visual art in this project offers a profound and multi-sensory experience, encapsulating a moment in time marked by both cultural richness and environmental poignancy.

The world premiere of Iberian Impressions took place at the SFCCO virtual concert on November 13, 2021 . It was also well-received during its showcase at an art and music event hosted by MENSA later in the same month.

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Light & Water

Saturday, May 15th, 2021

Light & Water

Light & Water is a collaborative multimedia project with my wife, Lisa, seamlessly blending music and video. Conceived as an inseparable pairing, the video, crafted by Lisa, serves as the foundation of the work. It is a montage of footage from our travels, capturing moments in Taiwan, Japan, Las Vegas, and the San Francisco Bay area.

This piece is structured into three movements, each characterized by distinct mood and color changes, yet unified through a continuous landscape theme. A key component of the piece is the Musique concrète sound bed crafted by Lisa. Musique concrète is a pioneering technique in electronic music where various recorded natural sounds are manipulated and mixed to create an auditory collage. This forms a unique sonic tapestry that blends real-world sounds with musical qualities.

Over this innovative sound bed, I layered my composition using multiple bassoons, prominently featuring multiphonics. This advanced technique enables the production of multiple pitches simultaneously on the bassoon, creating a spectrum of sounds ranging from harmonious chords to dissonant echoes. Achieving this rich auditory tapestry involves employing unconventional fingerings and intricate embouchure adjustments, which significantly extend the expressive range of the bassoon in this avant-garde context.

The transitions between each section are fluid, with a slight overlap, giving each movement its unique character while maintaining a cohesive narrative. Light & Water made its debut at the SFCCO virtual concert on May 8, 2021, and was well-received during at a MENSA event in November the same year.

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Symphony No. 4 “Deconstructing Beethoven”

Monday, June 3rd, 2019

Most American orchestras predominantly feature European composers from the 18th and 19th centuries, with American compositions, especially contemporary ones, being a rarity. In response, I composed Symphony No. 2 “Mozart ist Tot!” in 2003, expressing my desire for reinvention rather than repetition in classical music performances. Similarly, Symphony No. 4 “Deconstructing Beethoven” is a continuation of this concept, aimed at reinvigorating the works of Beethoven for modern audiences. Currently, Amazon lists hundreds of recordings of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Yet, upon listening, one might find strikingly minimal variation in the interpretation and execution across these numerous versions. This symphony imagines Beethoven time-traveling to the present, absorbing over 200+ years of musical advancements.

I. Allegro con brio


The first movement, inspired by Beethoven’s iconic 5th Symphony, follows its original form and orchestration but drifts towards a sound reminiscent of Carl Ruggles. It incorporates a decaphonic series for themes but eschews a serial approach. I expanded the famous four-note motif to five or ten notes and introduced complex rhythms to restore the original’s element of surprise, now diminished by its familiarity. This movement strikes a balance between echoing the original and standing as a new, distinct piece.


III. Tempo di Menuetto



The third movement reimagines Beethoven’s 8th Symphony’s Minuetto. Using a computer program, I performed a sonic reduction of Bernstein’s live performance of this movement, distilling the music to its essential lines and rhythms. In places where the reduction left gaps, I inserted Beethoven’s original parts. This foundation was then orchestrated in a Webern-like fragmented style, with modernist percussion influenced by Varese, creating a mosaic of sonic textures blending the familiar with the new.

Currently, the symphony is a work in progress, with the second and fourth movements under development. The second will draw on Beethoven’s 7th Symphony’s Allegretto, approached aleatorically, while the fourth is planned to be a fusion of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony’s finale and Hindemith’s style. The SFCCO premiered the first and third movements at its concert on May 4, 2019.

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Impromptu M/M

Sunday, June 2nd, 2019

Impromptu M/M


The art of multiphonics on the bassoon has always captivated me. This technique allows for the simultaneous production of multiple pitches, creating an array of sounds from harmonious chords to dissonant echoes. Achieving such a rich auditory landscape requires unconventional fingerings and precise control over the embouchure, significantly broadening the expressive capabilities of the bassoon in avant-garde music.
This fascination led to an unexpected opportunity with the SFCCO. In May 2019, when a performer unexpectedly dropped out of a concert, I seized the chance to step in. The original piece was set for oboe and electronics, and I envisioned replacing it with a piece centered on bassoon multiphonics, believing it explore new sonic territories.
I approached another “Michael” in the orchestra, Michael Cox — a fellow Texas school alumnus known for his adventurous spirit in music — to see if he was interested in a duet. We quickly formulated a plan where, initially, I would create a foundational layer of multiphonic textures for Michael to play over. This collaborative effort evolved into what we now know as Impromptu M/M, a testament to the creative synergy and spontaneity that defines improvised music.

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