Six Pieces For Piano

Traces 1

Woodwinds

Erste Amsel 2023, aktiv noch bei Dunkelheit c. 05 Uhr 20, Aufnahme 06 Uhr 50 Esszimmerfenster

20230204 Erste Amsel 2023, 06 Uhr 50 Esszimmerfenster KK16 Cannstatt

Recollections was composed for Susan Fancher and the Ciompi Quartet.  It is a prelude to a longer work for the same musicians called Schley Road.  Recollections was premiered on April 7, 2023.

Recollections

"Souvenirs" is scored for flute, violin, viola, and cello and is cast in three movements.  The first and third movements take a fragment another piece of music as a seed around which I compose another piece of music.  Don't be fooled, the "source" piece is not obvious.  The middle movement uses a pattern of permutations based on "Queneau numbers" to structure phrase lengths.  

"Souvenirs" was commissioned by Electric Earth Concerts and was premiered by Laura Gilbert (fl), Nicholas DiEugenion (vln), Jonathan Bagg (vla), and Raman Ramakrishnan (cello).

"Souvenirs" for Flute Quartet

20230514 162711 aisthesis combo warmup

Hoson zês, phainou, mêden holôs su lupou;
pros oligon esti to zên, to telos ho chronos apaitei.

[For as long as you live, be happy and do not be distressed in any way.  
Life exists for a short while, and Time demands its due.]

Ancient Greek text from the Epitaph of Seikilos, ca. 1st century C.E.
English translation by Randall McNeil


Seikilos

Vishnu Sahasranam

Vishnu Sahasranamam: Maharishi Vedic Pandits

"Snap" for Orchestra; originally "Snap" for piano from "Show of Hands," winner of the 2020 Jeffrey Jacobs Piano Composition Award

Snap for Orchestra

A short and spontaneous reaction to the appalling events of Jan 6th, 2021 aka the storming of the United States Capitol, contextualized here by both humorous and idealistic statements/sayings of  "Sophia", an allegedly female and allegedly artificially intelligent robot and the "Governator", a former athlete, action hero and retired politician.
Includes some uncredited patriotic samples and footage from live streams and web.

(originally intended as part 1 of a collaborative "Work in 26 progressions" to be put together during the first 26 weeks of 2021; unsuccessfully handed in for Berliner Hörspielfestival BMF 2021 as "what can be lost ...")

Pandemonium, formerly: what can be lost... formerly: Wi26p_pt1

The music of Joanne Metcalf, critically acclaimed as “music of great beauty” (Klassik-Heute) and “extraordinarily beautiful” (International Record Review), is known for its evocative lyricism, rhythmic extravagance, and “beautiful use of vocal colours and texture” (Glasgow Herald). Ms. Metcalf has received commissions from the Hilliard Ensemble; Singer Pur, Germany’s pre-eminent vocal ensemble; Cappella Nova; and Canty, Scotland’s premiere vocal quartet. Her choral compositions have been performed by Variant 6, the Gothic Voices, and The Crossing.

Seikilos

Joanne Metcalf

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