Although chaos and destruction often poison our view of this world, there is a hidden order to all things. Every person, being, or entity has its own idiosyncratic place in the universe. This is the message I take away from Jewish-Polish poet Yisroel Shtern’s 1934 poem "Every Sunbeam is a Compass Point," in which the last two verses say, “In a flooded field, in the ruined world / Here your place is – cherish it!” The word “tzirklshpitz,” which appears in the first line of the poem, is interpreted to mean “compass point,” though it literally translates to “tip of a circle,” a rather oxymoronic concept. This idea reminded me of the 1905 painting by Henri Matisse entitled "Le Bonheur de Vivre" (“the joy of life”), in which the human figures are static on the canvas yet, in the center of the painting, are frozen in a circular celebratory motion. "Tzirklshpitz", for orchestra, is my own musical synthesis of these two works. 

Copyright © 2021 by Elliot Roman. All rights reserved.

"Tzirklshpitz" for orchestra

"Ten One T" is a piece for nine players, or nonet, in three contrasting movements. The first movement explores stasis, the second movement explores time, and the third movement explores motion. Each of the titles provides clues regarding the inherent function and hierarchy of the movement within the whole work.

Premiered February 25, 2022 at the Manhattan School of Music, Ades Performance Space.

Glenn Alexander II, conductor
Jonah Murphy, flute/piccolo
Thomas Shermulis, clarinet/bass clarinet
Nicolas Farmer, horn
Hwanee Pak, percussion
Arthur Li, piano
Daniel McCaffrey, violin
Oryann Tsaig, viola
Clara Cho, cello
Sienna George, bass

Ten One T, III. Ten.On

Ten One T, II. N.One.t

Ten One T, I. None.T

When four jazz cats play Messiaen…

Copyright © 2021 by Elliot Roman. All rights reserved.

"En Masse" – for chamber quartet

go: even further is a companion piece to a short solo-violin encore I had previously composed entitled go. go was a quick “in-and-out” in every respect; despite the piece being composed within one (inspiration-struck) day, the two-minute work itself started with a bang and ended before a distracted listener might even realize the piece had begun. However, its material, especially the unexpected quality of sustain which emerged from its relentless sixteenth notes, demanded I explore the piece at greater length and reconfigure it into a new formation. go had thus become the backbone of go: even further, in which additional compositional dimensions magnify and bring new life to the unlocked potential of go’s original material. 

Copyright © 2024 by Elliot Roman. All rights reserved.

"go: even further" for bassoon and string quintet

Recording of the Phoenix Quartet's performance from the finals of the Bruno Maderna Competition and Composers' Forum in Lviv, Ukraine.

Music by Elliot Roman.
©2016

I. Opening

MSM’s founder established a quote from Virgil’s Aeneid as the School’s motto: Macte virtute sic itur ad astra. This Latin phrase is inscribed on a stone seal, originally part of the façade of the School’s first building on East 105th Street, and now found in our 122nd Street lobby. It has been translated as “persevere in courage – such is the way to the stars” or, more simply and succinctly, “those who excel reach the stars.” In setting this phrase, I separated the six words into three separate parts, the basis for the sections of my piece: “Macte virtute” (Those who excel), “sic itur” (thus go), and “ad astra” (to the stars). At the climax of the piece, when the chorus sings the last two words of the phrase, I wanted to create a different, more celestial sound. In the orchestral arrangement of the piece, a special group of instruments that had not previously been playing are finally employed.

Performed on September 28, 2018, by the MSM Chamber Choir, conducted by Ronnie Oliver. 

Jennifer Ahn, violin
Hazel Yeung, violin
Dudley Raine, viola
Nick Burkel, cello
Bennett Norris, bass
Vanessa May-lok Lee, piano

"Ad Astra" for chorus and chamber ensemble

Elliot Roman (b. 1999) is a multifaceted composer, pianist, flutist, and conductor. His compositions have won prizes around the world, and he has received commissions from ensembles such as the American String Quartet. Elliot played in the New York Youth Symphony on both flute and piano, performing at Carnegie Hall and touring in Spain. He has premiered works by other composers in programs such as the Carnegie Hall 2019 “Migrations” Festival. Elliot is a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music, where he also received his undergraduate degree and was a recipient of the Jay Rubinton Scholarship.

www.elliotromanmusic.com

Elliot Roman

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