Catalog

Marthanne Verbit writes, "Long before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2001, I began to think about what role a musician might play in the environmental struggle our planet faces. In choosing to make a recording of five piano works from 1997 to 2007, this may be fiddling while Rome burns. However, it can do no harm to share these very personal musical visions of what is endangered, what is now lost, what needs to be celebrated or preserved, and it may give some pleasure." The noted environmentalist William deBuys, who provides an eloquent essay for the booklet says, "...Each piece tells its own deeply felt, inspired story, each in the language of solo piano, which itself is an endangered form..."

Jeffrey Rathbun has served as assistant principal oboe of The Cleveland Orchestra since 1990 and was the principal oboe from 2001-2003. He was previously a member of the Atlanta, San Francisco, Oakland, and Honolulu symphony orchestras. He has served as guest principal oboe with major orchestras around the United States, including the Boston Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is on the faculty at the Kent/Blossom Chamber Music Festival, the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Rathbun is joined on this recording of works for oboe by Marc Shapiro, a distinguished pianist, who is an acting member of the San Francisco Symphony. He is principal keyboardist with the California Symphony and is active as a recitalist and chamber musician. Shapiro is on the faculty at Mills College. Frank Rosenwein, principal oboist of The Cleveland Orchestra performs with Mr. Rathbun on Rathbun's composition for two oboes.

The compositions on this album range from little-known miniatures to two of the most revered sonatas in the repertoire. From virtuosic flights of fancy to quiet reflection, they explore the gamut of expressive possibilities that the combination of cello and piano has to offer. Cellist Jameson Platte maintains an active career as a performer and teacher. He is principal cellist of The Orchestra of Northern New York, Chelsea Opera, and Bachanalia Virtuosi, among others. On the faculty at Skidmore, Platte works extensively as a clinician, guest conductor, and cello coach. Pianist/composer Matthew Quayle is on the faculty at NYU Abu Dhabi. He has performed widely as a solo pianist and chamber musician and he has received commissions from numerous orchestras and chamber ensembles. This is his second recording for Albany Records.

Leonard Salzedo was born in London and was descended from the Sephardic Jews who left Spain at the end of the 15th century. In 1944, while he was still a student at the Royal College of Music, he was commissioned by Marie Rambert to write his first ballet score "The Fugitive" which, after its first performance in November of that year, was performed more than 400 times by the Ballet Rambert in England and abroad. It was also seen on BBC Television. The most successful of his 17 ballet scores is undoubtedly "The Witch Boy" first produced in Amsterdam in 1956 and subsequently performed more than 700 times in over 30 countries. The world premieres of all the works on this CD were given by Pavel Burda in Milwaukee with the composer in attendance. A common thread for the Salzedo works is the use of over two dozen chromatically tuned gongs in all five works. Burda first encountered gongs made by the Paiste Company while recording with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg and was immediately entranced. This experience led directly to his commissioning the composer. It was Burda's idea to have a series of works in which the compositional focus is the interaction of the unique timbres of these gongs with different ensembles such as string quartet or choir.

Donald Erb, described by Nicolas Slonimsky in the Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians as a "significant American composer," was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1927. His orchestral music has been played by literally every major orchestra in the United States and many in Europe, Asia and Australia as well. He has had commissions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony Orchestra and others. Erb studied at Kent State University, the Cleveland Institute of Music (where he now teaches), and Indiana University. He has received grants and fellowships from the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, and Ford Foundations and has served as composer in residence with the Dallas and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras. Among the many organizations that have honored him are the International Rostrum of Composers, the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Eric Ewazen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He studied at Eastman and the Juilliard School. He has been vice-president of the League-ISCM, Composer-in-Residence with the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, lecturer for the New York Philharmonic's Musical Encounters Series, and is currently a faculty member of The Juilliard School. Eric Ewazen writes: "With its versatility, impressive range and amazing colors, the bass trombone is an instrument capable of such a variety of emotional expression. Having been a friend of David Taylor since 1980, I have long known of his legendary playing in so many different musical styles - from classical to jazz to popular to experimental. With my Concertino, I wanted to write a work for him which captures many of his musical personalities. The piece was premiered in 1996. Ballade for Bass Trombone, Harp and String Orchestra began life as a work for clarinet. I made the arrangements for Charles Vernon, to whom the piece was dedicated in 1996. Stefan Sanders, whom I am proud to count as one of my music theory students at Juilliard, won the low brass competition held at the school in 1997, resulting in his premiere performance of my Concerto for Bass Trombone (or tuba) and Orchestra. Stefan's commanding sonority and his heartfelt expression resulted in a premiere performance both riveting and soulful. John Rojak has been a friend for almost 25 years, since we were students together at Juilliard. As the extraordinary bass trombonist of the American Brass Quintet, he has performed on some of the most celebrated brass chamber music recordings of the 20th, now 21st century. Equally adept as a terrific soloist, John approached me about writing a piece for him in 1996. This resulted in the Rhapsody for Bass Trombone and String Orchestra which he premiered in 1997. The final work on this CD, the Capriccio for Bass Trombone and Trombone Choir was written for David Taylor as a companion piece for his Concertino which opens the CD."

Composer Eric Ewazen is a master at showcasing brass instruments as this collection of works for bass trombone demonstrates. A faculty member at Juilliard, Ewazen has been a guest at more than 100 universities and colleges around the world and is the recipient of numerous composition awards, prizes and commissions. Bass trombonist Yossi Itskovich joined the Haifa Symphony at age 16, attended Juilliard and in 1998 was engaged as the bass trombonist for the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. He is joined by his colleagues from the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in this recording of Ewazen's music.

A stellar lineup of new music ensembles and performers, including the Brentano and Manhattan String Quartets and the percussion ensemble Talujon, are featured on this new disc of chamber works by noted composer Eric Moe. Called "music of winning exuberance," by the New York Times, this disc includes works for string quartet; for percussion ensemble; solo percussion; soprano and string quartet; and a work for viola and cello. Moe, a graduate of Princeton and the University of California at Berkeley, is the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including the Lakond Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recordings of his music appear on the Naxos, Koch, New World and Albany Records labels. He is currently on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Composer Eric Nathan, a 2013 Rome Prize Fellow and 2014 Guggenheim Fellow, has garnered acclaim internationally through performances at the New York Philharmonic's 2014 Biennial, Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Aspen Music Festival, Aldeburgh Music Festival, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, to name but a few. He was composer-in-residence at the 2013 Chelsea Music Festival and Chamber Music Campania. A graduate of Yale and Indiana University, he received his doctorate at Cornell. He is assistant professor of music at Brown University. Nathan's music conveys a compelling and infectious energy--virtuosity in the service of defining musical drama and character. In the seven works in this collection--three solo and four small-ensemble pieces--there's often a thrilling hint of vicarious danger. Performed by some of the most noted performers of contemporary music, including the Momenta Quartet, this recording serves as a fitting introduction to this brilliant young composer's music.

And now something for those who like string chamber music. Eric Sawyer, who has held fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Harvard, was founding director of the critically-acclaimed contemporary ensemble Longitude. His undergraduate training was at Harvard and he completed his graduate studies at Columbia University and the University of California. His teachers included Leon Kirchner, Ross Bauer, Andrew Imbrie and George Edwards. He currently teaches at Amherst College. Composed from 1999 to 2002, this music reflects Sawyer's belief in the expressive power of harmony; as he writes "While new sonorities, textures and physical rhythms that have infused much recent music are all marvelous additions to the musical lexicon, it is the domain of harmony that can most provide a context of emotional resonance." This is a major discovery for listeners who especially enjoy the modern string quartet form.

Composer Erik Lindgren describes the music on this recording as chamber music for the Now Generation. The compositions span a ten-year period of creativity that concludes with the celebration of his 60th birthday. His post-fifty musical life took on a noticeable shift in priorities -- notably his return to writing acoustic music and the influence that Piazzolla and Ginastera had on his aesthetic focus. Every piece on this recording tells a custom-tailored story, and is a unique little microcosm all unto itself. The sense of fun, playfulness and entertainment radiates from each of them. Lindgren studied at Tufts University, the Guildhall School of Music, and the University of Iowa. He is the founder of Sounds Interesting Productions, a commercial recording studio and music production company. He also is a founding member of the new music ensemble Birdsongs of the Mesozoic. His catalog includes more than six dozen works, ranging from solo piano pieces to chamber music to orchestral compositions.

This is a recording for low brass lovers! Eruptions not only displays a good starting point for learning the excerpts on this recording, but it is also a fun listen for anyone who enjoys getting into the trenches of the job and sweating it out with your fellow colleagues. These five internationally acclaimed brass players join together in stunning performances of the acclaimed moments for brass in the orchestral repertoire.

This recording of world premieres commissioned and performed by the Texas Christian University Percussion Ensemble is highlighted by Eric Ewazen's Symphony for Percussion Ñ a joyful celebration of the world of percussion with its kaleidoscope of colors and expressive possibilities. Conductor Brian A. West has developed a percussion program at TCU that is recognized for excellence in performance and education. Under his leadership, the TCU Percussion Ensemble has twice won the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition. A fascinating exploration of new works for percussion ensemble.

Argentine pianist Rosa Antonelli enjoys an active and varied performance career. Hailed by critics as a leading exponent of Spanish and Latin American music, Ms. Antonelli has premiered the works of important Latin American composers including Piazzolla, Ugarte, Gianneo, and Guastavino, among others. She has performed extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas with orchestras, in recital and as a chamber musician. She served as chairwoman of the piano department at the Provincial Conservatory of Music Alberto Ginestera and was professor of piano at the National University of La Plata in Buenos Aires. She currently teaches at Adelphi University.

Composer Frank Lewin has incorporated folk songs and popular music from various ethnic traditions in his scores and films, television programs, and plays, as well as in his opera Burning Bright (Albany Records: TROY 469/71). Each tune was adapted to the expressive requirements of the particular subject. Occasionally original music was composed in a particular style, as "source music," i.e. music heard within the action of a scene. Two eminent performers of the recent past, both now deceased, open and close this collection: violist Walter Trampler and fiddler Johnny Cunningham. In between, artists of equal merit perform music from a variety of sources. Frank Lewin has written scores for films, television programs, plays, and historical outdoor dramas. Among his concert music are song cycles and choral works, including a requiem which was first performed in 1969, during a memorial service for Robert Kennedy in the chapel of Princeton University, and Music for the White House, for which he conducted members of the Westminster Choir and the United States Marine Band. The composer was a member of the faculty of the Yale School of Music from 1971 to 1992, teaching composition for film. During this period he also taught the course Music in Modern Media at Columbia University's School of the Arts.

The extraordinary pianist Donna Amato presents a disc of the piano music of Arnold Rosner that includes five world premiere recordings. Born in 1945 Arnold Rosner has pursued a conservative but highly individual style, and his works have been widely performed, recorded, and reviewed. His music is known for it's gorgeous, long-breathed tunes and its powerful emotional appeal.

In his notes for this disc, Mark Fisher, the euphonium player, writes: "My intent with regard to the literature selection for this recording was simply to present a recital. Included are two of the most important and original works in the repertoire, the Jan Bach and the Gordon Jacob. Combined with other borrowed favorites, this program was designed to, through great variety, take advantage of the euphonium's split personality: not only that of tenor tuba but also tenor horn, as is evident here in the range of J.S. Bach's E-Flat Major Sonata for Flute. Octave differential aside, the style and shape of the musical line make for a perfect fit on the euphonium. The Lieder (originally for two voices) of Brahms were originally and wonderfully transcribed for two horns by Verne Reynolds. His skilled arrangement and the wonder of overdubbing make for a rich sound indeed. The bassoon literature has never escaped low brass thievery and the great f-minor sonata by Telemann lies perfectly in the heart of the euphonium range. I believe the Concert Variations by Jan Bach to be the finest work ever composed for the euphonium and I was so proud that he was in the studio with me when we made this recording. The recording concludes with one of the great park band solos and most recognizable of all cornet tunes, the Carnival of Venice."

With this recording, soprano Michelle Murray Fiertek presents a collection of songs lovingly grown in the American tradition, which audibly draw influence from domestic genres like folk and musical theatre. The diverse selection of poetry channels American landscapes, both great and small, and these images illustrate not only America's unique topography, but also a steadfast cultural appreciation of its singularity. Ms. Fiertek is an active performer and teacher of wide-ranging musical styles. An accomplished recitalist, Fiertek specializes in Spanish and American art song. A member of the faculty at The Hartt School and Manchester Community College, she also serves as executive director of the Hartford Opera Theater. Her collaborator, pianist Michael Korman, performs in opera productions and recitals as well as coaching classical singers and directng music at a church.

The Moores School Percussion Ensemble serves as the cornerstone of the Department of Percussion Studies at the University of Houston. Directed by Dr. Blake M. Wilkins and established in 1997, the ensemble's selection as a winner in the 2003 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition and its appearance at the 2003 Percussive Arts Society International Convention distinguished the ensemble as a premier collegiate percussion ensemble. Winning the competition again in 2006 marked the ensemble's second such success in consecutive opportunities, and its selection once again in 2010 solidified its reputation internationally as a leader in percussion performance. The ensemble has also emerged as a leader in the advancement of new music for the medium. In the fall of 2002, the Moores School Percussion Ensemble initiated a commissioning project to encourage new works for large percussion ensemble. Since the inception of this project, the ensemble has commissioned twelve major works from such composers as Donald Grantham, Pierre Jalbert, Rob Smith, Marcus Karl Maroney, and David Heuser. Their third recording on Albany Records includes a selection of superlative new works for percussion ensemble that surround the classic Ionisation by Edgard Varèse.

As America's premiere writer of classical vocal works states, "...I embarked on the madness of a composer's career by writing songs...My singular reputation, such as it is, has always centered around song..." The present work is based on texts by 24 composers that "seem endemic to this autumnal moment, as I look back to a youth 'which foresaw in the light of a summer day the end of all life.'"

Eric Ewazen's music is influenced by a variety of styles and eras, including the motoric rhythms of the Baroque, the formal clarity of the Classical period, and a harmonic language that uses diatonic and even modal voicings. This disc displays his exceptional talent for brass writing, and makes a perfect companion for the Stentorian Ensemble CD (TROY948) that features his Myths and Legends.

The works heard on this recording were written by composers who are friends of both performers, Tim Gill and David Gompper. Cross-cultural connections extend beyond the two universities represented: Cambridge and Iowa. Both Richard Causton and David Gompper studied with Jeremy Dale Roberts, who taught at the Royal College of Music and at the University of Iowa. Their colleagues — Jeremy Thurlow and Darren Bloom, Jean-François Charles and Zack Stanton — are joined by Zoë Martlew, a cellist/composer who received a commission to write for this duo. The music reflects the diversity of styles being written today on both continents. Tim Gill is recognized as one of the most versatile instrumentalists of his generation, equally at home in the works of Beethoven or Xenakis. He is in demand as a soloist, chamber musician, and principal cellist, having led the cello sections of all the London orchestras. He is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music. David Gompper studied at the Royal College of Music and the University of Michigan. He is on the faculty at the University of Iowa, and directs the Center for New Music. Noted as a composer and pianist, his compositions have been performed around the world.

Robert Starer was born in Vienna and received his musical education at the State Academy in Vienna, the Jerusalem Conservatory and Juilliard. He has lived in New York since 1947 and became a United States citizen in 1957. Among his honors are two Guggenheim Fellowships. He was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1994. In 1996 he was awarded the achievement award by the Music Teachers National Association "in recognition of his distinguished career in music and outstanding contributions to his profession as composer and educator." The pianist, Gerald Berthiaume, is currently as Associate Professor of Music at Washington State University where he serves as coordinator of keyboard studies. Prior to his appointment there in 1989, he served in a similar position at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. This recital of Robert Starer's piano music offers a broad sampling of the music of a wonderful American composer.

Two world premieres — one by Lori Laitman who is known as one of America's most prolific and widely performed composers of vocal music — and the other by Richard Pearson Thomas, who is who is on the faculty at Teachers College/Columbia University and whose operas have been produced nationally — are enhanced by additional song cycles by these two esteemed composers. Soprano Natalie Mann is an active recitalist and champion of contemporary music, whose Carnegie Hall debut received critical acclaim. A recipient of a Metropolitan Opera Encouragement Award, Ms. Mann studied at Indiana University, Butler University and the University of Wollongong in Australia. Her colleague, Jeffrey Panko, has received performed as a solo artist and collaborative pianist throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is a member of the contemporary music group MAVerick Ensemble and on the faculty of the New Music School in Chicago. You can watch a video of Ms. Mann performing Old Tunes by Lori Laitman on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URnMQebyQuQ.

Trio Accento (Limor Toren-Immerman (violin); Garik Terzian (cello); Nora Chiang Wrobel (piano) is known for its advocacy of contemporary compositions. This recording features five varied works, one of which was commissioned by the ensemble. All three members of Trio Accento have distinguished performing and teaching careers and as a trio have performed to critical acclaim. Jeff Beal's Almost Morning is a dance work composed for choreographer Claudia Schreier. Russell Steinberg's Paleface was inspired by the acclaimed paintings of "psychological pop" artist Jerry Kearns, while Gernot Wolfgang's Jazz and Cocktails was inspired by the goings-on of an imaginary cocktail party. Juhi Bansal's Wings evokes a day in the montains and the image of a solitary bird flying through a rain-filled sky. Kenneth Froehlich's Polarized is a study of contrasts, conceived as a response to our ever-increasing polzarized society.

Among composers of so-called serious music over the last 50 years, few have realized the term "serious" as uniquely and powerfully as has Alvin Singleton. With many contemporary composers the seriousness of their work has been concerned with musical structure; Singleton throughout his career has answered the call of allowing his music to address crucial matters of his time. But this has always been accomplished through eloquent crafting of his musical materials. Singleton was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1940, the son of warm, witty, devoutly Christian parents. Abandoning a career as a CPA after falling in love with a Mahler symphony, Singleton studied composition at both New York University and Yale before working with Goffredo Petrassi as a Fulbright Scholar in Rome. He remained in Europe for nearly a decade and a half before returning to the U.S. to serve as composer-in-residence with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Extension of a Dream, written in 1977 and revised in 1987, memorializes the brutal beating death of South African freedom fighter Steve Biko by South African police. Argoru is a word from the Ghanaian Twi language meaning "to play" and both works heard on this disc, ArgoruVII and Argoru VI are scored for solo instruments (vibraphone and marimba). Between Sisters (1990) is a musical setting of "The House Slave," a poem by former U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Rita Dove.

Extensions of Tradition(s) is a collection of works by American composer William C. Banfield. It includes recent recordings of performances that document his current music/art aesthetic as well as an early symphonic choral work. In the past 25 years Banfield has produced a body of compositions, authored eight books, made numerous recordings, and maintained an active teaching career. He has served three times as a judge for the Pulitzer Prize in music and his music has been performed and recording by the foremost orchestras and chamber ensembles in the United States and abroad. With the compositions on this recording, Banfield has shared several of the genres that make up contemporary composition, and in his case, his music embodies the multiple styles of the American musical landscapes of modernist languages, including jazz and American song. Composer Libby Larsen says that "One of my favorite Bill Banfield quotes is "I have often felt that, with my art, I could build a room where everyone can find a friend." This is Bill Banfield.

David Ott's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra was commissioned by the Knoxville Symphony Society immediately after the popular and critical reception of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's premiere in January 1986 of Ott's Water Garden, which the Society had commissioned to commemorate two milestones - the inaugural season of Kirk Trevor as Music Director and the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra. The new Saxophone Concerto was premiered in Knoxville on April 11, 1987 and was written for Debra Richtmeyer. David Ott is currently the Pace Eminent Scholar and Composer-in-Residence at the University of West Florida. He is the composer of four symphonies, one ballet, two oratorios, and, in his words, "overtures too numerous to count." Debra Richtmeyer transcribed the Strauss Oboe Concerto for soprano saxophone solo at the suggestion of Kirk Trevor. The transcription was premiered in November 1996 in the Czech Republic with Kirk Trevor conducting the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Richtmeyer has said: "The transcription was quite easy to do, since the soprano saxophone and the oboe have nearly identical playing ranges. Because the oboe part had to be transposed up a full step (the soprano saxophone is in B flat compared to the oboe which is in C), the concerto's range is slightly above the normal range for soprano saxophone, which results in increased difficulty for the saxophonist. In contrast, the saxophone in general has a larger dynamic range and greater ease of playing long phrases than the oboe."

Extreme Measures is the first project in clarinetist Jean Kopperud's Rated X series. It is seven clarinet and piano works written for Kopperud asking composers to dare to stretch the medium. The Winnipeg Free Press reviewed a past project that Kopperud toured, which might best describe Rated X. "You can expect to have your head bent a little. You will stay awake. You will be fascinated and infuriated . . . and exhilarated by what you have heard." Rated X ("Extreme Measures") premiered in the fall of 2008 on the West Coast and was recorded in the spring of 2009. A graduate of Juilliard and former student of Nadia Boulanger, Kopperud has toured the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, China, the Caribbean and Australia as a concert soloist and chamber musician. She performs with the New York New Music Ensemble and is a professor of music at the University of Buffalo.

The second volume of Jean Kopperud's Rated X series features works by five composers for clarinet and percussion, all of them commissioned by Ms. Kopperud for the series, who asked composers to dare to stretch the medium as they considered what to write. Jean Kopperud is well known for her superhuman performance abilities. She has toured the world as a concert soloist and chamber musician and performs with many new music ensembles such as The New York New Music Ensemble. She is also a performer on the cutting edge of the music-theater genre and received national acclaim for her presentations of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Harlekin. She is joined by the percussionist Tom Kolor, who specializes in 20th and 21st century music. He has given dozens of premieres of music by such composers as Milton Babbitt, John Zorn, Tania Leon and Wayne Peterson and has recorded for the Bridge, New World, Naxos and Albany record labels, among many others. Both performers are on the faculty of the University of Buffalo. Extreme Measures I is a 2-CD set (TROY1217/18) that includes commissioned works for clarinet and piano.

Carl MaultsBy is a contemporary "renaissance artist" whose talents have been utilized both in the commercial realm of musical theatre, film, television, records and in the cultural media as well. A former artist and repertoire staff producer for RCA records, MaultsBy attended Columbia University where he studied with the late Vladimir Ussachevsky and Mario Davidovsky. His credits include liturgical music, music for the Harry Belafonte film Beat Street and the dance music for the Broadway musical "It's So Nice to be Civilized." As he writes, "Eye of the Sparrow" was conceived as a joint installation project between visual artist Karen Fitzgerald and myself...which took place in January 2006, at the Celebration of the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King at St. Bartholomew's Church, New York City. The title was inspired by the evangelical hymn, "His Eye is on the Sparrow," a personal favorite of Dr. King."

Ezra Laderman writes: "I love writing tunes and the pull to a specific key or note. I take pleasure in perpetual variation, creating whole blocks of music derived from small motivic cells. I enjoy putting into motion a number of musical issues and making them work together in a cohesive, symbiotic manner. I find the disjunct note, silence, and space, a powerful metaphor...and most of all I thrill to a long line, an arch that weaves and spins itself out giving a sense of completeness, of wholeness. I do not want to forsake this musical world that I inhabit. The challenge is to make it work, to make the music relevant for our time, for it to be evocative and for the music to engage the heart and the mind. On a different level, there is a personal, emotional, fallible, human level that is within each of us, one that I find not easily verbalized or articulated. The language of music has enabled me to go to that source, to communicate those inner feelings. We have collectively lived through joy, tragedy, uncertainty, determination, to mention but four dimensions of life. Without furling out the banner and showing my stripes, I have been able to express myself. What I have done has given me great satisfaction. Using these disparate tools together has made it possible for me to express these feelings persuasively, consciously, or intuitively. At least, it is my hope that I have done so. It is a life spent composing my way, and trusting that it reaches and speaks to you, and it will stand the test of time...My early works are clearly grounded in tonality, spiked with dissonance. In the middle years, my music is absorbed in atonality and serial techniques. These last years my compositions have embraced all that has been meaningful to me over a lifetime of creativity. And it is very apparent in the works that make up this CD."