"Rondo" by David Kenstad is an orchestral composition loosely modeled after the classic rondo form. The opening brass and percussion fanfare presents a simple motif with the bass going the opposite direction from the melody. The contrasting theme hints at James P. Johnson's stride piano.  The next theme, using the same motif as the first, shifts to a 5/8 meter, then it's back to 4/4. Have fun keeping the beat. It's a bitch to conduct, but really not that hard to perform.

Rondo

French horn and electric piano duet written in classical form with a jazz feel.
©2021 David Kenstad Compositions, All Rights Reserved

Impromptu for Double French Horn and Vintage Electric Piano

Duet for French Horn and Vintage Electric Piano

Blues For Dbl French Horn And Vintage Electric Piano

The 3rd movement of David Kenstad's "Duet for Double French Horn and Keyboard" is titled "Dance" and the tempo is Vivace. There is a feeling of excitement from beginning to end.

Dance Duet For Dbl French Horn And Vintage Electric Piano Playback

By American composer, David Kenstad, this piano piece conveys poignant, expressive, and reflective treatment of themes going through development including inversion and augmentation. Although sounding very challenging to perform, it lies very well and comfortably, making use of cross-over hands where appropriate. For more information please visit davidkenstad.com. Copyright ©2021 David Kenstad Compositions All Rights Reserved

Fantasia For Piano

To be performed on any keyboard instrument, this recording uses the traditional concert grand piano in a recital hall. The tempo is marked Vivace and the composition includes walking bass as well as upbeats lending a feeling of forward motion and improvisation. The interval of a major ninth prevails throughout along with fourths, and a minor key until the coda, in which the main theme is transformed with the feel of down-home gospel.
Copyright ©2021 David Kenstad Compositions All Rights Reserved

Impromptu No. 1 for Keyboard

Impromptu No. 1 For Piano

A piano quintet, a string quartet with piano, by David Kenstad, this piece is written in 2 parts. Section I is marked Largo and Section II is marked Allegro Vivace. The Largo section is reflective, contemplative, but with hopeful optimism, and seems to be telling a story, which is passed along among the inner voices, 2nd violin and viola, as well. Section I. doesn’t quite end but rather leaves the listener hanging with a question. Section II, Allegro Vivace, then takes over and seems to say, “Right then. That’s quite enough day-dreaming. Now let’s get cracking.” Its form is just one lively development section, turning the motifs upside-down, using them in a walking bass, mirroring them. ©2022 David Kenstad Compositions.

Piano Quintet by David Kenstad

“Dawn” is a composition for full orchestra representing a reawakening after more than a 6 month creative drought for the composer. The mood is optimistic, contemplative, and determined, making use of rich harmonies found in both early 20th century European and African-American classical (jazz) music. The initial theme is based on a repeated or sustained tone in one voice while the other voices change, creating a chord progression over a pedal tone. The orchestration includes 2 harps so the harpists might more easily handle key changes. The rhythmic meters are 3/2 and 3/4 throughout, often juxtaposing 3 against 2, sometimes accelerating the tempo, other times slowing down. ©2023 David Kenstad Compositions

Dawn

The 3rd movement to David Kenstad's "String Quartet No. 1" is a light brisk contrast to the slow 2nd movement. This jazz waltz dances by quickly, often 2 beats against 3, until, with an open pizzicato 'cello C string followed by a C7 #9 chord played on false harmonics (shades of Jaco Pastorius?), it seems to pause, but that was an illusion. The beat never really stopped and the dance continues to the final step.

String Quartet No.1 - 3rd Movement

The 4th movement of David Kenstad's String Quartet No.1 takes off where the 3rd movement ended, and we do mean "takes off". It is a high energy piece that moves along very quickly, even frenetically, demanding great rhythmic skill from the performers, while maintaining excitement to the end. Copyright © 2020 David Kenstad Compositions - All Rights Reserved.

String Quartet No.1 - 4th Movement

A graduate of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin, David Kenstad studied with Les Thimmig, who was a student of Mel Powell, who studied under Paul Hindemith, who was a student of Bernhard Sekles, who studied under Engelbert Humperdinck, who studied under Ferdinand Hiller, who studied under Johann Nepomuk Hummel, who studied under Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as Ignaz Moscheles, who studied under Ludwig von Beethoven.  Mr. Kenstad brings those traditions of aesthetics, expression, and variation, along with African American musical influences, to his imaginative and complex film scores, piano works, and orchestral compositions.
​​​​​The audio player demos are made possible courtesy of Garritan Personal Orchestra 4.

David Kenstad - Composer