Dramatic Music

Pierre, a lyric drama in three acts and seven scenes (2007-present, approx. 100 minutes)
For six voices and orchestra (Pierre, tenor; Isabel, soprano; Lucy; soprano; Mother, mezzo-soprano; Glen, tenor; Falsgrave/Plinlimmon, baritone)
Cast of the staged prodution of Act I at the Arcola Theatre, London, 22 August 2007:

  • Joseph Kaiser as Pierre
  • Annette Dasch as Isabel
  • Abigail Fischer as Mother
  • Rachel Nicholls as Lucy
  • Christopher Ward, conductor
  • Constantine Finehouse, pianist
  • Andrew Steggall, director

Himmelfahrt, Satire in einem Bild nach einem Gedicht von Heinrich Heine (2007, ca. 20')
For five voices and orchestra (Sankt Peter, tenor; Seele, bariton; Erzengel, sopran; Erster Engel, mezzosopran (oder Chor); Zweiter Engel, tenor (oder Chor)
Cast of the Uraufführung at the Staatstheater, Kassel, April 2008:

  • Mark Bowman-Hester as Sankt Peter
    Stefan Adam as Seele
    Annika Sophie Ritlewski as Erzengel
    Kinderchor CANTAMUS
    Christopher Ward conducting the Theaterjugendorchester
    Photographs from the production may be seen here.

Vocal Music

Nach-Fragen, Gesangszyklus nach Christa Wolf für Sopran und Klavier (2008)
Dedicated to Annette Dasch, based on passages from Wolf’s 1968 novel, Nachdenken über Christa T

Cedimus? Cedamus., a concert aria for soprano, text by Ovid (2008)
Written for and dedicated to Annika Sophie Ritlewski

Herbsthauch, for voice and piano, poem by Friedrich Rückert (2008, 3’)
Dedicated to Christian Rogowski

Romanzero Lieder, Sieben Lieder nach Heinrich Heine für Tenor und Klavier (2007, 15')
Dedicated to Joseph Kaiser

  • Prolog. In Mathildens Stammbuch
  • I. An die Jungen
  • II. Das Hohelied
  • III. K.-Jammer
  • IV. Die Gestalt der wahren Sphynx
  • V. Jetzt wohin?
  • Epilog. Die Eine und die Andere

Medlitel’no vlekutsja dni moji, for mezzo-soprano and piano, poem by Pushkin (2007, 2’)
Dedicated to Ekaterina Gubanova

Eunoia Songs, for tenor and piano, poems by Christian Bök (2005, 14’)
Written for Joseph Kaiser. Dedicated to Finnissy, Spratlan, Bök, Genet and Glück
Also arranged for tenor, flute, clarinet, mallet percussion, violin and violoncello

  • I. I—A nautical voyage
  • II. A—a culinary banquet
  • III. O—a prurient debauch
  • IV. E—the art of writing
  • V. U—a pastoral tableau

She’s like the swallow, traditional, arranged for high voice and piano (2004, 3’)
Dedicated to Joseph Kaiser

Light Verse, for voice and piano, poems by John Updike (2002, 8’)
Dedicated to Joseph Kaiser

  • I. Why the Telephone Wires Dip and the Poles are Cracked and Crooked
  • II. Sunday Rain
  • III. Recital
  • IV. Shipbored
  • V. Courtesy Call
  • VI. Déjà, Indeed
  • VII. V. B. Nimble, V. B. Quick

J’écris dans ce pays où l’on parque les hommes, for baritone and piano, poems of Paul Éluard (1999, 19’)
Dedicated to Joseph Kaiser, withdrawn due to copyright

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Choral Music

A stand of people, for choir a cappella (2001, 6’)
Premièred in a public reading by the BBC Singers

Duodecim Versus ex Libro Iob, for choir SATB and piano (1998, 6’)
Première conducted by Lanfranco Marcelletti

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Orchestra & Large Ensemble Music

Isabel’s Guitar Music, for ensemble (2007, 7’)
A transcription from Act II of the opera-in-progress, Pierre
Premièred by the Xanthos Ensemble

Three Dreams, for orchestra (2005, 5’)
Dedicated to Lewis Spratlan

  • I. ‘Time is the echo of an axe’
  • II. ‘A white girl lay in the grass’
  • III. ‘As bad as a mile’

Love Affairs and Tales of Atrocity, for ensemble (2005, 8’)
Premièred by the New York New Music Ensemble

I Hear America Singing, for ensemble (2001, 6’)
Premièred by members of the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins

Arcangelo, for string orchestra, or double string quartet and doublebass (2000, 11’)
Dedicated to Clio Gould and the Royal Academy Soloists

Two Women, for orchestra (1999, 12’)
Dedicated to Deborah Sherr and Dorothy Fay “Bunny” Little

Spring and All, for ensemble (1998, 5’)
Première conducted by the composer

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Chamber Music & Solo Music

String Quartet: Memor fui nocte nominis tui (2007, 16’)
Premièred by the Lydian String Quartet

  • I. Praeludium
  • II. Memor fui nocte nominis tui
  • III. Postludium

Alors qu'il rêvait, Vladimir vit Modest qui s'approchait du tombeau d'Igor sur l'île de San Michele, for flute and electronics (2007, 5’)
Dedicated to Orlando Cela

Sonata No. 2 for Solo Violin: ‘Ysaÿe est ici, et Debussy aussi’ (2006, 8’)
Dedicated to Yohanan Chendler

  • I. ad libitum, sans lenteur
  • II. vif
  • III. rapide
  • IV. extrêmement lent

Nascita e codetta, for flute and vibraphone (2006, 2’)
Dedicated to Jonathan Malek Woodruff

In höchster Not, for violin and piano (2005, 15’)
Dedicated to Jesse Holstein

Three Dreams, version for oboe and piano (2005/7, 5’)
Dedicated to Fredric Cohen

Miniature Portraits, for violin and violoncello (2002, 14’)
Premièred by Daniel Stepner and Joshua Gordon

  • I. A miniature portrait of mother and child
  • II. Asleep, Messrs. Szymanowski and Ravel dream simultaneously of Chopin
  • III. Self-portrait reading Shakespeare’s Cymbeline

The Black Swan, for string quartet (2001, 6’)

Sonata No. 1 for Solo Violin (or Viola): William Carlos Williams (1998, 11’)
Dedicated to Samuel Bergman

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Organ Music

Summer Canons (2008, 8’)
Canonic Perspectives on György Ligeti’s setting of Friedrich Hölderlin’s ‘Der Sommer’.
Commissioned by Choir & Organ magazine (UK) and available free via their website
I. Canon at the Twelfth
II. Canon at the Eleventh—Per Arsin et Thesin
III. Double Canon (Four-in-Two) in Inversion at the Sixth
IV. Double Canon (Four-in-Two) in Inversion at the Second
V. Epilogue—L’altra sorte del canone all’unisonoback to top

Pavane d’Isabelle (2007, 3’)
A transcription from the opera-in-progress, Pierre.

Five Counterpoints (2005, 4’)
Dedicated to Christian Wilson

Virga Jesse floruit (2005, 6’)
Premièred by Christian Wilson

Piano Music

Still Lifes (2008, 8’)
I. Still life with Limes and Pomegranates
II. Young man holding a skull—Vanitas (dedicated to Constantine Finehouse)
III. So now the day moves on through hill and valley, with its inevitability and its radiance
IV. Still life with Books, Papers and Inkwell—Vanitas (dedicated to Ulrich Naudé)

Purple Fifths, Étude on scurrying left hand and bruised fifths (2008, 2')
A piece of eye-music dedicated to Davy Rakowski on his 50th Birthday as "Étude #36 1/2"

Étude: The world itself might be vague (2006, 2’)
Written for Marilyn Nonken, dedicated to Joseph Moore

Les signes de ma faiblesse (2006, 12’)
Dedicated to Martha Agostini

La bella confusione (2005, 18’)
Dedicated to Marilyn Nonken

Qui Tollis (2004, 5’)
Dedicated to Michael Finnissy

  • I. Serenade
  • II. Movement
  • III. Serenade
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