"Elegy for the Tonality of Music" is a composition by Brian M. O'Donnell, currently a student at the University of California Santa Barbara.  The piece was chosen in a composition competition to be performed.  O'Donnell's message through the piece is that tonality is not dead, despite a drastic turn towards atonality and polytonality during the 20th and 21st centuries.  "The piece is an attempt at embodying the sensitivity and heroism that 19th century romantic and 20th century neo-romantic music encompasses," O'Donnell says about his work.

03 Elegy for the Tonality of Music

The piece reflects the feelings of any relationship.  The slow start shows the couple first finding love, which then develops into pure ecstasy in C Major.  Later, the piece moves through discords that occur within the relationship, until the inevitable end, whether it is death, a breakup, or just moving on.  The piece ends on the unresolved V chord to create the feeling that there is much more to come.

Serenade for Piano in C Major

Here is the first movement of my Sonata for Horn and Piano.  It is performed by myself on French horn, and Jen Radisch on piano. Radisch is currently a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara studying the art of piano accompaniment.

The sonata is comprised of 3 character pieces, the first of which is entitled W. B. Masterson.  "Bat" Masterson was a wild west hero and lawman who triumphed in many gunfights, took a bullet for the woman he loved, and ultimately lives on in American history to this day.  The piece follows Masterson throughout his restless, painful, and glorious life.

Please enjoy.

Sonata for Horn and Piano I: W. B. Masterson

Brian O'Donnell performs the 3rd movement of his sonata for horn and piano.

Sonata for Horn and Piano; III. Hoedown! - Brian O'Donnell

The most recent performance by Brian O'Donnell of the second movement of his horn sonata!