"2020: A Symphonic Poem in Five Movements" is scored for full orchestra. The First Movement, “The Golden Age of Pyrite” begins with a lively Americana landscape and ends with a quiet solo flute playing the 13th Century Chant, “Dies Irae” (Day of Wrath).  The second movement, “Covid-19” depicts the horror of the pandemic virus as it violently mutates and spreads across the nation and the world. The movement ends with the full orchestra playing the chant first heard at the end of the first movement. The third movement, “Hail to the …?” paints a portrait of a confused leader as the virus continues to spread out of control. The music combines “Hail to the Chief” with short quotes from Liszt’s “Les Prelude” and Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” The fourth movement, “Threnody”, is an elegy for the many victims of the virus. It features a solo cello accompanied by strings, harp and timpani. The last part of the movement includes a set of variations over the famous harmonic progression from Mozart’s “Lacrimosa”.  The last movement, “Surviving the Pandemic”, returns to the thematic material of the first movement, plus a march and anthem celebrating the bravery of the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. The composition ends with a statement of hope and of liberation from the pain and suffering of the 2020 pandemic.

Copyright 2020 by Frank W. Becker and Becker Ditto Music

2020: A Symphonic Poem in Five Movements

"Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra" is a three-movement work featuring two solo pianos accompanied by a full symphonic orchestra. Each movement is a contrapuntal dialogue between two solo pianos. The first and third movements are Allegros while the second is an Adagio (Pas de deux). The new work was completed in May 2018. 

The studio recording of the Concerto was performed, recorded and mixed on MOTU’s Digital Performer 9.5 Sequencer, Native Instruments Kontakt 5 plugin, Audio Ease's Altiverb 7 Convolution Reverb and Izotope's Ozone 8 Mastering Suite. 

The solo piano parts were performed on two Synthogy Steinway Pianos while the orchestra parts were recorded on Cinesamples’ Woodwinds and Brass instruments, Native Instruments Orchestral Percussion and Cinematic Studio Strings.

copyright 2018 by Frank William Becker

Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra

“Canticle: To Do No Harm” for ‘Cello and Orchestra was composed to honor Dr. Anthony Fauci and the many doctors, nurses, scientists and healthcare workers who worked diligently for more than a year to create, develop and distribute the vaccines for Covid-19.

The twenty-minute orchestra work was composed in 2020 and recorded in 2021. It begins with a quiet “Hymn of Praise” for Dr. Fauci. This is followed by a longer passage describing the discovery of the virus and the struggle to create a vaccine to combat and eventually destroy the deadly disease. Throughout the work the themes representing Dr. Fauci and his colleagues are interwoven in the counterpoint of the score with fugues and counter themes representing the numerous mutations of the virulent and lethal virus as it relentlessly spreads throughout the United States and the entire world.

The Fauci theme that is first heard as a quiet hymn in the beginning of the composition gradually transforms into a series of variations symbolizing the extent of the war against the insidious virus and concludes with the full orchestra triumphantly playing the Fauci theme affirming the amazing victory of the vaccines over the Covid-19 virus and the affirmation of science and medicine over superstition and rumors.

Canticle: To Do No Harm for Cello and Orchestra

The third moment (Allegro con motto) returns to the fast tempo of the first movement. It incorporates several of the themes plus rhythmic, harmonic and contrapuntal elements that were first introduced in the opening Allegro.

copyright 2018 by Frank William Becker

Allegro con brio

The second moment (Adagio-pas de deux) continues the dialogue between the two pianos. The movement begins with a lyrical theme played quietly by the string section that is followed by the pianos performing contrapuntal variations on that theme. The form, character and style of this lyrical moment depicts a romantic dance of a traditional ballet duet.

copyright 2018 by Frank William Becker

Adagio

The Concerto begins with an Allegro dialogue between the two solo pianos accompanied by the orchestra. A modified "Sonata-Allegro" form introduces the various themes in the Exposition, varies those elements in the Development section and then restates those elements in the Recapitulation.

copyright 2018 by Frank William Becker

Allegro

"A Moment of Calm in a Time of Anxiety" is a short composition scored for piano, harp, cello and strings. It is a quiet, meditative work composed to honor the doctors, nurses, medical workers, journalists, truck and delivery drivers, grocery store, restaurant and government employees who continue to bravely and unselfishly work to serve people around the globe in this time of tragedy and anxiety.

Copyright 2020 by Frank W. Becker and Becker Ditto Music

A Moment of Calm in a Time of Anxiety

This original work is based on a four voice canon "When Jesus Wept" by William Billings that was composed during the American Revolution Era. 

The text of the original canon was written by Billings:

“When Jesus wept, the falling tear
in mercy flowed beyond all bound;
when Jesus mourned, a trembling fear
seized all the guilty world around.”

The form and structure of the score is a set of variations on the Billings theme first introduced by the solo violin and then developed by the solo violin and the string orchestra in 12 variations.

Copyright 2020 by Frank W. Becker and Becker Ditto Music

Variations on a Theme by William Billings for Solo Violin and String Orchestra

"2020: A Symphonic Poem in Five Movements" is scored for full orchestra. The First Movement, “The Golden Age of Pyrite” begins with a lively Americana landscape and ends with a quiet solo flute playing the 13th Century Chant, “Dies Irae” (Day of Wrath).  The second movement, “Covid-19” depicts the horror of the pandemic virus as it violently mutates and spreads across the nation and the world. The movement ends with the full orchestra playing the chant first heard at the end of the first movement. The third movement, “Hail to the …?” paints a portrait of a confused leader as the virus continues to spread out of control. The music combines “Hail to the Chief” with short quotes from Liszt’s “Les Prelude” and Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” The fourth movement, “Threnody”, is an elegy for the many victims of the virus. It features a solo cello accompanied by strings, harp and timpani. The last part of the movement includes a set of variations over the famous harmonic progression from Mozart’s “Lacrimosa”.  The last movement, “Surviving the Pandemic”, returns to the thematic material of the first movement, plus a march and anthem celebrating the bravery of the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. The composition ends with a statement of hope and of liberation from the pain and suffering of the 2020 pandemic.

Surviving the Pandemic

Threnody

Hail to the...?

Covid-19

Golden Age of Pyrite

After graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Frank William Becker received two consecutive Ford Foundation Composer in Residence Fellowships. Later he was awarded the prestigious "Prix Francis Salabert" for his avant-garde orchestral music. He also composed music for television and film and recorded his music on EMI and Universal with Ransom Wilson and Lee Ritenour. Today he divides his time composing for orchestra, theater, chorus and electronics.

Frank William Becker

Pinned to spotlight

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