I. Sonata Allegro

	The first movement is a piece of social commentary on the people that attend, and often play, orchestra concerts.  It utilizes relatively strict adherence to the familiar and age-old sonata allegro form that was quite popular in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. The "A" melody is taken from JS Bach's Violin Partita in E, and the "B" theme was inspired by a commercial for lawyer JG Wentworth (877-CASH-NOW). The electric bass solo entrance marks the first true departure from the expected classical concerto-- the rhythmical groupings of 5.  The development section introduces serialism to the piece.  This is the moment when a keen listener may sense that something is very different.  The orchestra desperately clings to traditional form and harmony, but the electric bass continues eschewing the usual pitch relationships that are associated with this style. The recapitulation blends the traditional with the bizarre by incorporating serial pitch patterns along side very traditional elements.   The "cadenza", which is one of the hallmarks of the classical concerto, highlights the soloist's technical prowess. The piece  is similar to traditional classical music in the varied types of musical gestures, but the movement outside the mode, the rhythms, and the destination keys are never heard in this expected style.


Concertino For Electric Bass Mvt. 1

"This piece is another attempt of mine to bridge the significant gap between dance music and concert music.  There are large 12-tone sections, representative of concert music, juxtaposed over a dance club aesthetic.  This is to pay tribute to the clubbing and partying atmosphere that is prevalent at State College.  The title is inspired by a comment that my sister and I overheard at a restaurant.  A young lady,  obviously incredibly angry and perturbed, said to a friend "I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE WEAR  SKIRTS AND FLATS."

01 Skirts And Flats

for bass and looping pedal

Cartesian Dualism is the idea that the body and the mind are two completely distinct entities.  This concept does not account for infinity, and therefore is flawed.  This piece represents that duality by having one section that is primarily bowed and one section that is primarily pizziccato.

Cartesian Dualism

for flute with looping pedal

Binary code, the operating design of all digital devices, is the epitome of dualism.  Zeroes and ones are the only two options in this system.  It's also the principal behind the internet.  

07 The Duality Of Unreality

This will eventually become a bass-harpsichord duo.

Josh Oxford Music