The College Music Society’s 32nd

Great Lakes Regional Conference

North Dakota State University, Fargo

March 28-29, 2014

ABSTRACTS & PROGRAM NOTES

SESSION 1A

From the early Christian era, the question of appropriate music for worship has occupied the

private reflections and public debates of both devout clergy and unlearned laymen. The central

issue of much of the debate is the ability of music either to transport believers out of the secular

world and into a heavenly state of worship or to bring the secular world into a perceived

sanctified arena. The questions have never been conclusively answered but two facts are clearly

evident: music has the power to convey meaning well beyond the acoustical physics of ordered

sound, and music for worship changes in every era. This paper examines the second of these

facts by means of an archival study of video footage of daily chapels at Cedarville University

between 1988 and 2000. Evidence from these years reveals a shift from traditional

congregational hymn singing to contemporary praise band performances reflective of

commercialized Christian worship music created in studios and meant to be sold for profit. This

study is the first stage of a larger study that will look at factors of change in Christian music for

worship throughout the centuries as well as major debates concerning what is and what is not

appropriate as worship music. In addition to the archival findings, this paper examines the

history of Christian radio both in general and in particular at Cedarville University, along with

other influences in the contemporary music industry and in administrative changes to policy

governing permissible music for worship.

Small show choirs in higher education must overcome many obstacles. For one, the high school

show choir world is much more competitive, often running on larger budgets with much more

parental support than offered at the collegiate level. College students are often scrapped for cash

when it comes to purchasing outfits. Many schools cannot provide the necessary equipment that

one would expect to see when viewing some of the nation's top high school show choirs. So what

does the small college show choir do to "compete" with these other programs? The good news:

They do not have to do so! We can make each of our choirs unique to fit our students. This is the

overall goal for all education, and our show choirs should be no different. Here, I will describe

problems I have encountered starting a show choir in a small town, immediately followed by

directing a show choir that has existed for 40 years in an even smaller town. I will give hints and

suggestions for success, low budget restrictions, and how to be successful without falling trap to

all of the highly competitive high school phenomenon. Yet still, we CAN recruit these students.

Let's talk small school collegiate show choir!

The history of westernized music education in Japan begins in 1853 with the arrival of the U.S.

Naval fleet led by Commodore Matthew Perry. He delivered the U.S. ultimatum that Japan must

allow foreign powers access to trade. There followed a period of civil unrest, which ended in

1867 with the restoration of imperial rule. A number of changes in education were made with the

modernization of Japan being the guiding principle. Diplomatic expeditions, which included

educators, were sent to Europe and North America to observe how virtually all things were done

in the west. Among the early changes that resulted from these expeditions was eight years of

universal education for all children. Further, more advanced students were sent to study in

Europe and the U.S. In terms of music education, the most important person was Shuji Izawa

who studied music in the United States under Luther Whiting Mason. This lead to Mason being

invited to Japan to help develop plans for Japanese music education. The direct outcome was that

Izawa proposed the three projects to westernize the Japanese music curriculum. Music would be

taught in the schools with careful observation to see if it could be successfully integrated. There

was to be care taken that Japanese National music would be promoted in the future, an idea that

placed a heavy workload on the traditional Gagaku musicians, but the reformers also wanted to

attempt a synthesis of Japanese and Western music.

SESSION 1B

The purpose of this lecture recital is to offer a performer’s guide to enhance practice technique

for teaching advanced musicians. At collegiate level, continuous training of pure technique is

often neglected, and large-scale repertoire is often assigned instead. In this lecture, I will

demonstrate the implication of finger-exercises in learning concert etudes.

by Rudolph Ganz will be overviewed, and the practical application

of these exercises will be discussed using four piano etudes by Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Earl

Wild. This lecture will go through the following stages briefly: Background, Literature Review,

Introduction of Ganz’s Exercises, practical application of these exercises in learning etudes by

Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Earl Wild, and the performance of these works:

Debussy Etude No. 1 for Five Fingers, “after Monsieur Czerny” 4 minutes

Debussy Etude No. 2 for Thirds 4 minutes

Earl Wild’s Concert Etude based on Gershwin’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” 2 minutes

Rachmaninoff Etude-tableaux, Op. 39, No. 9

Scott McAllister -- Crazy (2012) 4:30”

Daniel Dorff -- Dance Music for Mr. Mouse (1981) 9:30”

Ernesto Cavallini -- Canzona popolare Napolitana (1849) 7:00”

Many musicians are unfamiliar with the numerous solo works for E-flat clarinet. Some of the

most important works are out of print operatic gems from 19th century Italy, of which several

were composed for the virtuoso Ernesto Cavallini. I am on a mission to educate teachers and

students about this genre of music. My program introduces three works from different centuries

by important clarinetist/composers. Composer Scott McAllister began his career as a clarinetist

until an accident changed the direction of his life. Crazy is a virtuosic work based on the popular

song of the same name by Patsy Cline. It was premiered at the 2013 International Clarinet

Association conference in Assisi, Italy. The E-flat clarinetist of the Haddonfield Symphony

commissioned Daniel Dorff’s Dance Music in 1981, when Dorff was bass clarinetist of the

orchestra. Now composer in residence, he says that the e-flat solos of Til Eulenspiegel were the

inspiration for Mr. Mouse, but the work also was strongly influenced by the music of Chuck

Berry and Led Zeppelin. Ernesto Cavallini was a prolific composer as well as a virtuoso

clarinetist. Very few of his clarinet compositions are in the mainstream repertoire for the

instrument and most musicians are unaware of his works for E-flat clarinet, of which the

Canzona popolare Napolitana is one of only two works he composed for the instrument.

The purpose of this proposal is to request a collaborative performance at the College Music

Society's 32nd Great Lakes Regional Conference at North Dakota State University in Fargo,

ND. The quartet of performers will play pieces for saxophone, clarinet, flute and percussion

each in pair and/or trio. A short introduction will be communicated for each piece explaining the

background of the composition offering a better understanding of the work. The performers are

strong advocates of new music and it is their intention to bring insight into music of this medium

in hopes that more works may be composed for this genre. These pieces were chosen

specifically for their variety and include works by French, American and Egyptian composers.

Pieces will be chosen from this list of works:

1. Divertissement by Aubert Lemeland for flute, clarinet and saxophone (9:00 minutes)

2. Dual Monologue by Daniel Bimbi for clarinet and djembe (5:25)

3. Talking Pictures by Amy Quate for clarinet and soprano saxophone.

The 2 movements performed from this work are Whirligig (2:00) and Blues (4:00)

4. A Little Gift by Joan Tower for flute and clarinet (2:54)

SESSION 2A

Score reduction is a valuable tool in the study of jazz composition and orchestration. Through the

process of reduction one can observe the various techniques employed by successful arrangers

and orchestrators including but not limited to the use of harmonization, voicing, melodic

permutation, counterpoint and accompaniment (background figures, etc.). Additionally, the use

of formal elements - introductions, interludes, solis, shout choruses, endings, etc. - are made

plain for study. The procedure involves a sequence of steps that, in addition to granting the

benefits previously listed, provides a small ensemble arrangement that preserves the

characteristics of the original big band version, that is full sounding and satisfying to perform -

one that can make a welcome addition to the small ensemble library. The steps included in the

procedure include: transfering all lead lines to grand staff (concert key); transfering rhythm

section parts to grand staff; checking harmony, voicings and ranges; determining importance of

the harmony to the score and the individual sections; reassigning the voices (taking into

consideration chord voicings, unisons, octaves, the grouping of instruments by register, doubling

and essential background materials); creating a concert key version on the grand staff; creating a

final transposed version of the score. The score reduction should be used to study and analyze

how arrangers achieve the desired result for a particular arrangement. One can then imitate or

borrow those techiniques and use them in their own writing. This is an important tool for

developing skill and competence as an arranger/orchestrator.

Though he was active in ASCAP and had a lengthy compositional career (including the Kennedy

Center Honors, the Pulitzer Prize and several works for radio and television), the music of

Morton Gould (1913 – 1996) is not as widely performed today as the music of his

contemporaries Copland and Bernstein. One possible exception to this omission is his wind band

music. His output for this ensemble was prodigious, and it has remained in the repertoire.

However, very little serious scholarly study has been done of Gould’s music, with most

dissertations and articles focusing on biographical aspects or basic style of the works.This project

draws upon work by Lewin (1985), Roig-Francolí (2001), and Rogers and Buchler (2003) to

argue that military and marching band drill moves can explain the motivic transformations in the

West Point Symphony (1952) and Formations Suite (1964). I will chart linear and operational

transformations of the initial motive in the first movement of the West Point Symphony, and

explore the transformational relationships between tonal regions in the second movement of

West Point and in the Formations Suite for marching band.

Marching music traditions outside of military contexts are ubiquitous in the United States

especially in educational settings, and represent a significant component of American musical

culture. Unfortunately, there are few sources that discuss this tradition critically. This

presentation represents an early step in a project to place American non-military marching

musical traditions in the proper historical and cultural context, and to understand how these

circumstances shaped each tradition's performance practices, values and aesthetics. While all

non-military marching musical styles are derived from military marching traditions, there are

several performance styles that vary with regards to repertoire, formations, movement on the

field, dance, audience and performer accessibility, etc. My presentation will discuss three main

marching styles--traditional or show style, the style associated with historically black colleges

and universities, and the style associated with drum corps--and examine performance practices

and the historical/cultural circumstances that led to differences between styles. These stylistic

categories are useful to help identify different influences, but many performing groups have

begun to incorporate stylistic aspects from different traditions in their performances. We will

discuss specific performance examples to illustrate how performing groups utilize these styles.

William Albright’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano stands as one of the most important

pieces in the burgeoning classical saxophone-piano repertoire. The work, an important

contribution and indeed a crowning achievement of the saxophone-piano duo genre, celebrates

the 30-year anniversary of its commission and premiere in April of 2014. Evident throughout is

the polystylism that characterizes much of Albright’s work: references to various historical

traditions include use of the two-part invention, la follia, recitative, and bebop, masterfully

fusing together varied styles and textures to create a work both lively and sensitive. The result is

a work that combines alternately shimmering kaleidoscopic lines, a deeply personal sorrow, and

a relentless drive bordering on rage – a work that is at once powerful and intimate. This lecture-

recital will give a brief overview of the most salient features of the piece, followed by a

performance of the complete sonata (20 min).

Charles Ives was one of the most innovative and versatile composers of his generation, writing

for a variety of media including orchestra, chamber groups, band, solo instruments, chorus, and

solo voice. Ives arranged many of his instrumental works for solo voice and piano in order to

share this music more publicly. His plethora of compositional techniques reflected the diverse

subject matter he expressed as he often drew upon his own beliefs and numerous personal life

experiences for inspiration. Teachers and performers are often unaware of these aspects of the

songs, and fail to fully access the wide range of dramatic nuances in the literature's text, melody,

and accompaniment when preparing recitals or classroom programs. This lecture/recital will

show how the variety of styles and subject content within this literature directly relates to Ives's

method of drawing upon personal beliefs and experiences for inspiration, and his insistence upon

letting the substance of each subject guide his intuitive talent for finding unique manners for its

expression. Program notes provide key information pertaining to each work, and illustrate the

diverse nature of the songs' instrumental parent works. I demonstrate the deeper level of musical

understanding to be attained by researching the composer's life and the parent works, and how

that enables the performer/teacher and listener/student to better grasp and appreciate the

messages within this extraordinary body of American song literature, making the songs excellent

vehicles for use on stage and in the classroom. Duration: 25 or 40 min. total (songs-15 min.)

Vincent Persichetti, revered as an important 20th-century American composer and teacher, has

influenced many successful pupils, including Philip Glass, Leonardo Balada, and Richard

Danielpour. These composers exhibit a diversity of styles, and yet, they do not completely

abandon triadic harmonies in many of their works. Since the early years of Charles Ives and

Aaron Copland, American composers have struggled with the stigma of accessibility. Was it an

act of rebellion, or self-conscious naiveté, for Persichetti to perpetuate a legacy of so-called

“neo-classic” or “neo-romantic” American music? How did Persichetti nurture unique

compositional voices in his students, and also, implicitly communicate a permission to build on

traditional models? This lecture-recital will discuss perspectives on Persichetti’s teaching, and

examine his Sonata No. 3, a relatively early work from 1943, along with selected preludes from

Richard Danielpour’s The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book I, written in 1992), both for piano

solo. Various research, such as Jen-Yi Wang’s extensive theoretical analysis of the Enchanted

Garden, will provide a starting point for discussing stylistic elements that are reminiscent and yet

divert from Persichetti’s model. This analysis utilizes set theory, a discussion of diatonic and

octatonic collections, tonal functionality and the interplay of these various strategies to convey

poetic content. This presentation will reveal that both Persichetti and Danielpour wrote music

with a lush pianism, a penchant for bell-like textures, a kind of “French” clarity, and a lyrical,

intimate expressivity.

SESSION 3A

During the last few decades, there has been growing concern regarding students' readiness to

meet the increasingly complex challenges of our time. In partial response to this situation, the

Partnership for 21st Century Skills called for an emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving,

communication, creativity, and innovation, acknowledging, "the arts are among society's most

compelling and effective paths for developing 21st century skills" (P21, 2011). The current

National Standards for Music Education incorporate interdisciplinary connections, and the new

National Core Music Standards, set to be released in March 2014, call for students to

"understand and identify patterns and relationships between the arts and other knowledge"

(NCCAS, 2013). Similar standards from other disciplines also embrace integrated learning.

Additional rationales for incorporating music in interdisciplinary lessons will be discussed,

including student centered learning, non-academic outcomes, and collaboration. Problems related

to the interdisciplinary method will also be addressed. These include a lack of data regarding

student achievement in interdisciplinary settings, time constraints, inadequate teacher

preparation, and the trivial or superficial use of music. Following an active

discussion/demonstration of both positive and negative exemplars of interdisciplinary lessons

involving music and other areas of the curriculum, workshop participants will develop small-

scale interdisciplinary lessons, based on the interests of the group. We will first focus on

integrity for each discipline, using the skills and understandings specific to each discipline, so

that each discipline maintains curricular integrity. We will next focus on integrity between

disciplines, finding a valid connection by addressing a central theme, concept, or idea.

Piano teachers often include a creative component in their lesson plans that reinforce primary

concepts being studied. These activities are often loosely structured and not crafted in the

manner of a refined composition. This presentation will demonstrate a method of teaching

structural composition in the piano lesson using as its basis Schenkerian analysis. Schenker

found that much of the music from the common practice period has the same basic “core”.

Melodies, despite their incredible variety, generally descend through a scale to the tonic. The

harmonic progressions primarily emphasize tonic, subdominant and dominant. This basic model,

or “skeleton,” serves as the starting point for our compositional exercises. Using this method, the

teacher introduces a “skeleton” that consists of a descending melody harmonized with primary

chords. This structure is then elaborated using rhythmic and melodic motives. This “skeleton” is

essentially a Schenkerian background structure, upon which an incredible variety of layers of

musical expression may be added. The presenters will give a brief overview of Schenkerian

analysis and show video clips of this method in practice with beginning- and intermediate-level

piano students. Students and teachers both benefit from this approach: 1) students create

musically satisfying compositions; and 2) teachers are provided a means of showing immediate

relationships between student-created music and the repertoire of their lessons, allowing for

reinforcement of concepts in an authentic, musical context.

SESSION 3B

This lecture recital reports on the chamber works for string instruments by Ecuadorian composer

Luis Humberto Salgado (1903-1977). Though recent scholarship recognizes the value of

Salgado's music, his compositions are mostly unknown outside of Ecuador. In fact, the works

featured in this project remain unpublished. This study began three years ago with a series of

visits to the Historical Archive of the Central Bank of Ecuador which houses Salgado's

holograph manuscripts. The fourteen pieces that comprise this project were written between

1943 and 1973 and include sonatas for string instruments, string quartets, a piano quintet, and a

group of smaller works for violin and piano. Salgado's chamber music is a true sample of his

diverse compositional style and his love for the folk music of his native land. This presentation

will contextualize Salgado within Ecuador and Latin America and will then focus on the aspects

that make his chamber music unique such as his use of Ecuadorian folk music references.

Representative pieces will be performed. Luis Humberto Salgado has been regarded as one of the

leading Ecuadorian composers of the twentieth century. He explored a wide variety of genres

from solo to orchestral works, and favored an eclectic style of composition that highlights his

affiliation with nationalist and avant-garde approaches. Salgado's production remained

unsurpassed by his national predecessors and contemporaries, and the extent and variety of his

output solidifies his position among some of the most notable Latin American composers of his

generation.

Throughout history, Music has been frequently utilized to strengthen relations among nations.

An insightful perspective on North Korea’s cultural diplomacy can be examined by observing

two case studies of international musicians who have been granted entry into North Korea. South

Korean composer Isang Yun (1917-1995) has made a deep impact as a pioneer cultural advocate

in his reunification efforts of Korea through his Music. Moreover, the New York Philharmonic’s

epic tour to Pyongyang, North Korea in 2008 was an unprecedented event on both cultural and

political levels as the ensemble not only represented the first international orchestra to perform in

North Korea, but also the largest contingent of Americans to visit the country since the years of

the Korean War (1950-1953). This lecture-recital supported by personal interviews with

clarinetist Eduard Brunner, one of Isang Yun’s protégés as well as musicians of the New York

Philharmonic will address the premises of the invitations to North Korea, the musicians’

activities throughout their visit, and their personal reflections. This presentation will include a

performance of Isang Yun’s “Piri,” (1971) a solo piece on the clarinet, written shortly after the

composer’s release from abduction by the South Korea Central Intelligence Agency in 1967.

Another featured piece on the presentation will be excerpts from Mary Simoni's Arme Arirang

for clarinet and iPad (2011), a work inspired by cultural diplomacy and commissioned and

premiered by clarinetist Cecilia Kang.

SESSION 4A

In numerous studies, the active learning concept reveals both increased conceptual understanding

and long-term retention among students. As a result of these findings, a renewed emphasis upon

active learning on campuses across the country has ensued. By their nature, choral ensembles

facilitate an active learning environment. Choral singing creates the opportunity to experience

and refine cross-curricula concepts relating to vocal technique, aural skills, music theory,

composition, diction and foreign language proficiencies, performance practice, music history,

and world music. All too often, these opportunities are marginalized by compartmental thinking

and inadequate communication. This discussion will explore ideas to improve the effectiveness

of choral ensembles through strategic planning, intradepartmental communication, and the

resultant intentional programming. The panel consists of three collegiate choral conductors with

extensive experience teaching applied voice, music history, aural skills, music theory, music

education methods, music appreciation, and world music; in addition to conducting and choral

ensembles. The discussion bears relevance to CMS members in myriad disciplines.

SESSION 5A

Compositions for snare drum ensemble comprise a small subgroup within the vast percussion

ensemble genre. Although the snare drum ensemble medium is devoid of definite pitch and

limited in sonic variety, a few recent snare drum ensemble compositions demonstrate an

atypically wide range of sonic, visual and spatial resources. Some composers have interspersed

brief indeterminate or improvisational passages into the precisely notated and rhythmically

homogeneous textures characteristic of much snare drum ensemble literature. The three

compositions discussed in this study are Quartet for Four Snare Drums (2000) by Kevin Bobo,

Chamade the first movement of Chamade Suite for snare drum quartet (1996) by Igor Lesnik,

and Casey Cangelosi and Tom Hilliker's Metavita (2011), a snare drum trio played entirely using

brushes illuminated by small attached light emitting diodes. All three pieces include contrasting

sonic resources and a variety of specified performance techniques. Additionally, each piece

includes one or more brief indeterminate passages that utilize sound, spatial motion, or a

combination thereof. Most importantly, the indeterminate musical passages bear a clear

relationship to the overall structural basis of all three compositions. Individually, each piece

represents a contrasting approach to the challenge of judiciously incorporating indeterminate

passages into otherwise precisely notated compositions. Score excerpts will support a discussion

and comparison of the works and video clips from all three pieces will demonstrate the

performers' approaches to interactively and individually interpreting the written instructions

articulating the permissible gamut of sonic, spatial, and visual gestures included in the

indeterminate musical passages of each composition.

Ernö Lendvai was the first theorist to uncover the presence of Golden Section (GS) and

Fibonacci numbers in the music of Bartók. These well-known mathematical concepts are

presumed to provide balance within works of art. Such structures were very appealing to many

artists in the Twentieth Century, in part because of their occurrence in nature. Lendvai’s analyses

of GS structure met with controversy due to several inaccuracies in his counting and

calculations. As a result, current theorists often view Lendvai’s claims with skepticism and many

do not appear to believe that Bartók actually used GS in his works. In response to his critics,

Lendvai wrote that his inaccuracies were: “the "breadth of a pencil"; as L. Birdos explained:

“with a pencil, nobody can draw a perfect line”. In this lecture, it will be shown that the op. 14

Suite and op. 20 Improvisations incorporate complex and precise GS structures. These structures

are sufficiently elaborate to dispel the myth that coincidence leads to GS in Bartók’s works. It

also appears likely that Bartók planned some structures involving Fibonacci sequences to

conclude with a measure of rest, a situation that also famously occurs in the first movement of

Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste. One of Lendvai’s more famous errors was to

miscount the number of measures in this work, claiming that there were 89 (a Fibonacci number)

where in fact there were 88. It seems that hidden in and amongst Ernö Lendvai’s pencil marks,

those of Bartók may also be discerned.

SESSION 5B

While the keyboard music of J. S. Bach, Handel, and Scarlatti draws the attention of modern

pianists, that of their French contemporary Jean-Philippe Rameau is rarely heard today on the

piano. The author believes that with proper understanding of the performance practices of

Rameau's day, his harpsichord works can successfully be adopted for the piano. This lecture

recital discusses Rameau's suite in A minor from the Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin

(1726/7) and includes a piano performance of this work. In contrast to the Baroque keyboard

repertoire that is familiar to many pianists, Rameau uses hooks and other symbols to indicate

ornaments. His music is most definitely played with notes inégales, a rhythmic alternation of

notes with equal length used almost exclusively in France. In addition to dance movements,

Rameau includes a number of curious and interesting character pieces in the A minor suite.

When the piece is played on the piano, adjustments must be made accordingly with pedals,

touch, articulation, and arm and body weight. While utilizing the capacities of the piano, pianists

must maintain the composer's intentions as well as the integrity of the work.

Rapsodia, Op. 83 by Argentine composer Pompeyo Camps (1924-1997) is one of the rare gems

in the solo violin literature that is not yet widely known or performed outside of Argentina or the

South American continent. Composed in 1982 for a then young Argentine virtuoso violinist

Daniel Zisman who is now most well-known for Nuevo Tango, Camps’ Rapsodia is

characterized by stylization of the popular urban music of the Piata River, including the standard

tango rhythm (3-3-2) near the end. Even though the violin writing is strikingly idiomatic and

therefore gratifying to play and very effective in performance, Rapsodia has not become a

standard favorite of violinists probably due to limited exposure and understanding among

classical musicians. Having spent a month interacting and working closely with composers in

Argentina, Colombia and Brazil this past summer, I find myself interpreting the scores and music

of these contemporary Latin American classical composers rather differently than before this

immersion in their culture. Similar to interpreting Bach or Mozart where the conventions are

universally understood by the educated musicians (and audiences) of their time and place, one

has to be aware of notational and musical conventions used by Latin American composers that

may differ from living American or European composers. I shall present my new understanding

of tempo indications, rhythm and rubato, phrasing, vibrato, bowing and timbre choices etc. in

contemporary Latin American violin music and demonstrate their application in a performance

(10’) of Camps’ Rapsodia.

POSTER SESSION

The poster paper will examine Dove Sta Amore…, a contemporary American song cycle by John

Musto. Highly complex with popular song and jazz influences, Dove Sta Amore… is linked

through a series of relationships, which details facets of love. Singer and pianist must be

conversant in both classical and jazz styles. Musto’s choice of poetry, arrangement of each

poem, and subsequent composition creates a cohesive cycle. His style is comprised of popular

idioms, ambiguous key structures, irregular rhythms and meters, unpredictable intervallic

movements, and large vocal ranges. Dove Sta Amore... was commissioned by the Concert Artists

Guild in 1991 and premiered in 1993 by Cyndia Sieden. The cycle was then rescored for voice

and orchestra and premiered by Dominique Labelle and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in

Jacksonville, Florida in 1996. The orchestral version was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music

in 1997. Peer Music Classical published the piano/vocal format of Dove Sta Amore... in 1998,

and recently released a new edition of the cycle found in John Musto: Collected Songs. The

poster paper will address Dove Sta Amore… through compositional and stylistic analysis,

performance practice, vocal and dramatic issues, as well as pedagogical aspects.

COMPOSERS’ CONCERT I

The title of this work is derived from combining the initials of the violinist for whom it was

written (im) with the German word for mouse (maus). This combination of syllables and imagery

was the inspiration for my work. Small, scurrying fragments run this way and that. With frequent

outbursts, their directions are at once frenzied and shy. Just as the opening gestures lead in every

which way, the larger sections of the work are both frantic and singing, both contemplative and

decisive. While the sections seek to explore great contrast, they are always linked by concise

gestural and registeral relationships. What seems yearning in the middle of the piece is fleeting at

the end. immaus is dedicated to Irina Mueller.

This piece is a study in contrasts between the very different registers and timbres of the flute and

tuba. The piece features staccato musical lines traded off between the two parts, alternating with

passages where one instruments will play a legato line against the other's staccato line. Also

included is a section imitating the sound of a friendly debate between two people. Primarily, the

overall effect is to represent a collaborative effort between the instruments, where they both play

off each other and complete each other's ideas. This composition was premiered at the National

Flute Association Convention in 2013 by the Extreme Duo: Sarah Miles, flute, and Ben Miles,

tuba.

The composer was inspired to compose Meditation and Dance after hearing a performance of the

shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), an instrument that is traditionally performed with

considerable flexibility in pitch, timbre and tempo, resulting in a very meditative and somber

style. The piece begins with a flute cadenza that suggests this style, followed by a standard arch

form. The piece was awarded an ASCAP Young Composers competition as well as first prize

and performance at the Dimensions New Music Festival at Austin Peay State University in

Tennessee. It has also been performed at the Dvorak Museum in the Czech Republic and at the

Florida State University New Music Festival.

In writing this work, I was interested in providing for myself a compositional constraint – the

challenge of limitation – by using a limited set of harmonic intervals that move in precise cycles

as sorts of isorhythms that helped me define the lengths of certain materials. The musical result

of such constraint offers a degree of repetition and motion between active and (seemingly)

inactive sections that challenge my definition of the word interval. Thus, I use the word interval

in describing this work when I wish to speak of measurements of distance both vertically

(harmonic), horizontally (temporal), or both at once (which I consider to be timbral).

The Imagist poems of the early twentieth century easily lend themselves to Dr. Lombardi’s

composition. Imagism uses clear, striking images rather than long, drawn-out metaphor, and

seeks to expose the essence of objects as singularly concrete through brevity and free verse

forms. The exploration of textual objects through these means is particularly suited to

Lombardi’s music, which avoids programmatic relationships and seeks the music itself. Both

poetically and musically, these songs move from innocence to sober maturity. “Alba” by Ezra

Pound typifies the ideals of Imagism, as Pound himself was seeking definition of the new style.

The poem conjures up a man’s love for the woman in his bed, although we know no details about

him, her, or their relationship. Musically, the interplay of the voice and piano figures is

rhythmically ambiguous, and culminates in a dramatic dissonance at the moment the sun rises.

“New Love” (the last of three Epigrams by Richard Aldington) utilizes some metaphor as it

relates the struggles of heartbreak and renewal to a tree whose blossoms were killed by the frost.

In this setting, the voice’s folk-like style outlines intervallic figures that betray the deeper

sophistication of the words. “Triad” by Adelaide Crapsey is a Cinquain—a 5-line arrangement of

22 syllables created by Crapsey herself and used for many of her poems. In “Triad,” three ideas

are presented in the text and as corresponding musical gestures in the piano. This song is the

most emotionally complex of the three, with the soprano’s frantic crescendo giving way to an

ethereal ending that serves as a coda-like conclusion to all three songs.

The basic idea in Setting Out is that the violin and piano start with slow, sustained gestures with

significant pitch variety, then gradually move toward a registral middle while increasing their

rhythmic activity and simplifying their pitch content. The violin undergoes this journey at a

faster pace than the piano, dragging the piano along with it until it catches up. Three-member

pitch and rhythmic cells are the foundation of the piece, with the content of those cells changing

over the course of the work.

I have been a great admirer of Shel Silverstein’s work ever since I was given one of his books of

poems and drawings as a child. Recently, my interest in writing programmatic compositions has

led me to the use of a variety of literary sources as my muse. This is the first of several pieces

based on Silverstein’s poetry, which I have found to be very inspirational. The three poems for

which the movements of this work are titled are taken from Where the Sidewalk Ends. While I

do not pretend that the following summaries could ever do Silverstein’s poetry justice, they may

help the listener to better understand the programmatic nature of the movements. The Yipiyuk is

a small, slimy swamp creature that has latched onto the toe of a poor, unsuspecting man. No

matter how hard he tries, he cannot get it to let go. For sixteen years he’s been dragging the

Yipiyuk around with him everywhere he goes. The Worst is a poem describing a giant, ferocious

monster. It ends by informing the reader that the beast is standing right behind them. In my

musical interpretation, I imagine the reader taking flight and the lumbering creature in pursuit.

Dancing Pants is written in an introductory format like an MC introducing the next act of a show.

In this case, it is a “Super sensational, utterly fabulous” pair of pants that seems to have come to

life and dances all on its own.The music depicts the pants.

COMPOSERS’ CONCERT II

Spectrum for Brass Quintet was completed in 2012 and consists of a single movement with three

basic sections: Allegro, Andante Expressivo and Allegro. The work is built around the intervals

of major and minor seconds and coloristic chordal shapes that function as points of arrival. The

term spectrum has a variety of meanings. In this context the composer’s view regarded it as “the

band of colors, as seen in a rainbow” (Oxford Dictionary). The work emphasizes a constantly

changing surface of textures, timbres and rhythmically contrasting moments.

This work gets it name from the alternation of metered and non-metered sections. It is also a

study in the use of tone clusters. The musical material either evolves out of a tone cluster or

moves toward one.

Joy Rising, for solo violin, is a five-movement work dealing with the concept of five types of

chi, or wu xing, central to all elements of Chinese thought, including philosophy, music, science,

medicine, astrology, and feng shui. The sequencing of the elements in this particular order

(wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) represents a creative or enhancing cycle. Each element can

be seen as a necessity for the next. In Joy Rising, there are internal connections among the

movements. “Wood” begins the cycle with various extended techniques to allow the woodiness

of the violin to resonate as the musical gesture grows organically. “Fire” contrasts the mood with

a driving movement as flames burn. In “Earth” there is a sense of duality – as man and nature

occupy a shared space, two musical lines intertwine. After a brief pizzicato interlude, “Metal”

continues with a shiny sheen to its florid movement, while “Water” is still and contemplative.

This evening's performance will feature movements: "Fire," "Earth," and "Metal."

This final movement from a 19-minute cycle of Poe poems imagines all human endeavors as a

grotesque theatrical production for an angelic audience:

LO! 't is a gala night

Within the lonesome latter years!

An angel throng, bewinged, bedight

In veils, and drowned in tears,

Sit in a theatre, to see

A play of hopes and fears,

While the orchestra breathes fitfully

The music of the spheres.

Mimes, in the form of God on high,

Mutter and mumble low,

And hither and thither fly—

Mere puppets they, who come and go

At bidding of vast formless things

That shift the scenery to and fro,

Flapping from out their Condor wings

Invisible Woe!

That motley drama!—oh, be sure

It shall not be forgot!

With its Phantom chased for evermore,

By a crowd that seize it not,

Through a circle that ever returneth in

To the self-same spot,

And much of Madness, and more of Sin

And Horror the soul of the plot.

But see, amid the mimic rout,

A crawling shape intrude!

A blood-red thing that writhes from out

The scenic solitude!

It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs

The mimes become its food,

And seraphs sob at vermin fangs

In human gore imbued.

Out—out are the lights—out all!

And over each quivering form,

The curtain, a funeral pall,

Comes down with the rush of a storm,

While angels, all pallid and wan,

Uprising, unveiling, affirm

That the play is the tragedy "Man,"

And its hero the Conqueror Worm.

This fanfare-like piece was commissioned by the University of North Dakota Trumpet

Ensemble, and was premiered by that group in the spring of 2013. Its title recalls the tradition of

medieval organum, which was sometimes performed with 3 voices: cantus (the chant melody),

the altus (meaning "high"), and the triplum (the "third" voice). The word triplum is also the

ancestor of the word "treble", the clef that all trumpets read. Within the piece there are also

things that happen in threes: three-part accompaniment, phrases that are in threes, triple meter

(sometimes). Moreover, the ensemble is divided into 2 choirs of 3 parts each. I wanted to explore

the antiphonal nature of these two groups, who sometimes clash and sometimes do not. The last

chord was chosen to display the entire range of the ensemble.

In 2004 I composed my Lux aeterna for Scott Macpherson and the Trinity University choir. After

hearing a performance in the Cologne Cathedral, I started to think about making a larger cycle

that would address the subject of light from different religious perspectives. Lux Caelestis

(Celestial Light) is the final result of that process, completed in 2011. There are five movements

in this cycle. The first and third will be presented on this program. The cycle begins with the

creation of light (Genesis) and the words “Yehi-or” - let there be light. This piece opens with a

solo reflecting Jewish cantillation and the choir enters on the creation of light. The third text

comes from Theravada Buddhism and the Pali canon. Here it is the mind that is luminous, not

defiled by incoming thoughts. In this piece I played with the sound of the syllables as much as

the words themselves.

no program notes for this work...