Neo-baroque little romp written forJalen Baraoidan (clarinet) and Yingqi Zhao (keyboard). Enjoy.

Score video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2k2p63JXoQ

"Pineapple Toccato" for soprano clarinet and (electric) harpsichord

“Twice Told Tale” is the name of a series of paintings by American artist David Shapiro (1944-2014). This piece of music is based on the 18th painting in the series, which I spent a lot of time looking at while working at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in my 20’s. In Shapiro’s painting, the top half is occupied by dark concentric circles on a dark background, with a lighter, tightly wound spiral in the center of the smallest circle. The bottom half of the rectangular piece is an 11x11 field of squares painted in muted colors. Some of the squares are the same color, and some are of a similar enough color that they are hard to distinguish from a distance.

While I do not believe a 1:1 translation of visual art to music is interesting, or even possible, I have used this painting, and the atmosphere it creates in a gallery space as a point of reflection for this piece of music. The first movement “Spirals,” consists of the two instruments playing unsynchronized musical spirals; one getting longer while the other gets shorter. The second movement “Cells,” is a series of subdued, isolated musical events, some being identical or very nearly so to others.

"Twice Told Tale" was written for Tsun-Hui Hung and Yi-Chieh Jay Lai. It was premiered at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Orvis auditorium on March 4, 2022.

"Twice Told Tale" for erhu and guzhēng

Three Collaborations:
for solo piano
1. Summer Stasis
2. The Queen of Spades (was left alone in her castle)
3. Another Island

Each of these pieces was written for and premiered by a different pianist in the fall of 2022. This recording is from a live performance by McCallen Choy in January 2023.

Score video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSGDNDbntyw

"Three Collaborations" for solo piano

Composed 2021

This recording is from a live performance from January 2023. The performers are Conner Yoshimoto, Harley Beltran, Hoku Matsushita, and Charles Whitaker.
 
Score video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVa-JyIgu4

"Homecoming" for saxophone quartet

Solo saxophone improv. Recorded 8.20.18 on iPhone.

Solo saxophone improvisation 8.20.18

Solo sopranino saxophone improv 9.10.18

Alto saxophone - Dalen Wuest
Guitar - Kurt Roembke
Meow - Kurt's cat

Improv with Kurt

"Kunmeto" (2016) performed by Carter Vernon at PFW, 2.28.19

Program note:
The word “kunmeto” translates to “composition” defined (by the Oxford English Dictionary) as “a combination of various elements, parts, or ingredients.” The elements, parts, and ingredients in question are the pitch material, which is constructed from a cycle of five unique four-octave arrays made from repeating interval patterns; and the form, which is a loose AB construction with a brief coda. Kunmeto was commissioned by and is dedicated to saxophonist Nick Zoulek.

"Kunmeto" for bass saxophone

Improvisation, alto saxophone solo

Recorded by Ginevra Petrucci

Score video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skxetIxmFzM

Full album available for purchase here: https://flautodamoreproject.bandcamp.com/album/creativity-quarantine

Score available for purchase here: https://www.flautodamore.com/store/creativity-quarantine-solo-flute-collection

Creativity Quarantine

"Toccata Sunrise" for flauto d'amore

Recorded by Natalie Magana as a part of her digital concert "...in all but name"

Full concert available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpBoe-_zKPw&t=851s

Score video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFxtRJnUJLo

Program note:
At the time of this writing (March 2020), I am staying home. My wife and I aren’t quarantined, per se, but we work from home, have meals delivered occasionally, and only go out about once a week to buy food and check the mail. We’re very lucky that the biggest problem we face is our boredom. We’re also very lucky to still find ourselves not only enjoying each other’s company, but recognizing how much worse off we would be without the other. This piece is a meditation on the many moods living separated from society can force us to feel. Boredom, longing, anxiety, etc. Every email ends with “stay safe” now, but it stops feeling weird after the first dozen.

This piece was written for Natalie Magana as part of a call for scores she posted on social media in mid-March of 2020.

"Recycled Air" for solo piccolo

PhD candidate affiliated with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Composition and East Asian instruments. Currently based in northern Japan.

https://dalenwuest.com/
https://linktr.ee/dalenwuest

DalenWuest

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