Without Warning for solo piano was written in 1993 on commission from Ron Levy. The ten-minute work begins with a contemplative introduction which reappears in different guises throughout. It is followed by a long dream-like section eventually interrupted by a violent outburst. The energy dissipates and the introduction is brought back in a shorter form leading to a development of the ideas heard so far. The introduction material returns once more, this time extended, and the work ends with an introspective question.
Three Sides for trumpet/flügelhorn, vibraphone and piano was written in 2010 for Raymond Mase, a prominent New York trumpeter. Three Sides, presented in three movements, is an amalgam of pointillism and lyricism. In addition, to add to the sound palette, the trumpet uses a metal straight mute to add bite to louder, more heavily articulated sections and silvery lines to lyrical passages. Also, the 2nd Movement is played entirely on the flügelhorn, which adds a warmer more intimate quality to the texture. This is accentuated by the vibraphone bowing the soundbars which creates beautiful, sustained pitches.
The Figured Wheel is a cycle of four songs for soprano, oboe/English horn, bassoon and piano written in 1987-88 for the Fiati Chamber Players. The title alludes to the ancient “wheel of fate” and more specifically to the inexorable passage of time. The work begins with a poem by Pablo Neruda titled “Slow Lament” which deals with the death of a friend. Notice the line, “The thick wheel of the earth its tire moist with oblivion spins, cutting time into inaccessible halves.” The next poem, “How Gently You Rock My Child To Sleep” by Pedro Salinas, is a tender, spiritual lullaby that expresses the deep desire of most of us to create and protect life. The third poem is “The Birthday” by Philip Dacey. Here we have a young woman celebrating her thirtieth birthday with her husband and son, as she contemplates past dreams, present reality and future “wishes”. The last poem is “Nocturne” by Eugenio Florit and is a poignant portrait of one poet’s imagined death. We end the cycle as we began with a solo voice, this time the poet’s own.