Wisteria for flute and clarinet

Feathers of Burgundy and Gold features the vibrancy of a solo alto saxophone with the diverse range of characters in the symphonic band. As the title suggests, this piece illustrates the red and yellow tones of the mythical phoenix — a symbol of rebirth. The burgundy flames of the lamentful beginning lift the phoenix out of its smoldering ashes as an upbeat ostinato with call and response sounds between mallet percussion, saxophone, and band. Unexpected transitions and bright flashes of sound detail glimpses of the phoenix’s gold feathers as it takes flight once again. As an exploration of color, Parrish utilizes both classical and experimental performance techniques from the soloist and band. Growling, air trills, and glissandi decorate the saxophone’s voice as the symphonic band juxtaposes instrumental choirs in distinct harmonies.
This premier features esteemed Emory saxophone artist Gary Paulo, as the soloist. A regular with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and other orchestras in the southeastern United States, Paulo has toured, performed, and taught a wide range of music genres nationwide.

Eli Parrish (b. 2001) began his compositional career with a niche for wind instruments and wind ensembles. As a Georgia native, Eli has had his works performed at Emory University, Bremen High School, and Mill Town Music Hall. His works explore the musical intersection of storytelling, environmentalism, and sound-to-color.

Feathers Of Burgundy & Gold for Solo Alto Saxophone & Symphonic Band

The Darkling Thrush, for orchestra
Composed in 2017. 
Revised in 2022. 

This tone poem for orchestra was composed in 2017, after being fascinated by the vivid imagery of the barren, English winter landscape captured in the eponymous poem by Thomas Hardy. Some of the orchestration was revised in December, 2022. 

Here is the poem:

I leant upon a coppice gate
      When Frost was spectre-grey,
And Winter's dregs made desolate
      The weakening eye of day.
The tangled bine-stems scored the sky
      Like strings of broken lyres,
And all mankind that haunted nigh
      Had sought their household fires.

The land's sharp features seemed to be
      The Century's corpse outleant,
His crypt the cloudy canopy,
      The wind his death-lament.
The ancient pulse of germ and birth
      Was shrunken hard and dry,
And every spirit upon earth
      Seemed fervourless as I.

At once a voice arose among
      The bleak twigs overhead
In a full-hearted evensong
      Of joy illimited;
An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,
      In blast-beruffled plume,
Had chosen thus to fling his soul
      Upon the growing gloom.

So little cause for carolings
      Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
      Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
      His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
      And I was unaware.

(https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44325/the-darkling-thrush)

The Darkling Thrush, a poem for orchestra (2017, rev. 2022)

AI Cover-art generated from “Titan of Fire” 

Prometheus’ Prelude was composed in July 2022 at the 65th Sewanee Summer Music Festival

The prelude has been read by the Sewanee Symphony (July 2022) and the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra (October 2022)

Prometheus' Prelude

Waltz in Vanilla
for piano
Composed on 27th April, 2023. 



Waltz in Vanilla, for piano (2023)

you asked me to come
for electronics (2023)

This piece began life as a song for voice and piano based on E.E. Cummings' eponymous poem. However, I decided to subject my entire setting to a sort of cubist treatment and it resulted in a piece for fixed electronics with percussion sounds. 

Here is the poem:

you asked me to come:it was raining a little,
and the spring;a clumsy brightness of air
wonderfully stumbled above the square,
little amorous-tadpole people wiggled

battered by stuttering pearl,
                                leaves jiggled
to the jigging fragrance of newness
—and then.  My crazy fingers liked your dress
….your kiss,your kiss was a distinct brittle

flower,and the flesh crisp set
my love-tooth on edge.  So until light
each having each we promised to forget—

wherefore is there nothing left to guess:
the cheap intelligent thighs,the electric trite
thighs;the hair stupidly priceless.

you asked me to come, for electronics (2023)

All That Jazz was composed as a piece for a cycle of Nocturnes which eventually became 'Facing the Night'. On reviewing the piece, I considered it to be sufficient as a standalone piece and as an exploration of highly chromatic jazz. Listen in for a quotation of a jazz standard! 

Cover Art: All That Jazz, M.Sani.

All That Jazz, for MIDI (2021-22)

Composed in memory of Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)

Prolifération, in memory of Pierre Boulez (2019)

Schoenberg Op 19/1 - Thomas P

Schoenberg Op 19/1

Alban Berg's Piano Sonata in a single movement, Opus 1, was published in 1910.

Berg, Piano Sonata

BARTOK: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 - Five Fragments from a live performance, Bela Bartok, piano, Ernest Ansermet, conductor.  1938-03-22.

BARTOK PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2, BELA BARTOK, PIANIST - LIVE PERFORMANCE

Daniel Plante

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