Music and lyrics by Justin Torzala
Concept and additional lyrics by Macy Berendsen 

Two Faces (2021-22)
I. A Cloudless Sky
II. Two Faces
III. The World Falls Apart
IV. Distance
V. Looking In

Corinne Klein, mezzo-soprano
Dominic Reyes, tenor
Sam Kudra, piano

Duration: 16 minutes
Two Faces is a five-number and 16-minute continuous piece written in the style of musical theatre. The show follows a proposed marriage between a young couple, a woman’s mental turmoil and self-doubt, and their relationship’s ultimate end. The story explores love between characters who are fundamentally unaligned and the process of growth from heartbreak. “Distance” takes place over the course of approximately one year, as each character grows out of their failed relationship. I intend to fully realize the piano reduction into a quintet, adding a string quartet to the instrumentation. Two Faces utilizes a calculated key scheme and deliberate harmonic language, all of which reacts to the narrative supporting the large-scale form of the piece. Motives are used throughout the music and respond to plot events within the story, including a theme that is set to mimic the sound of a music box of a snow globe. Repetition and variation is very intentional, as I attempt to avoid a traditional song form with verse and chorus in each number. Thank you to Macy Berendsen for conceiving the storyline and providing lyrical outlines, Corinne Klein for lots of vocal workshopping, and Fredrick Gifford for guidance and clarity throughout the entire process.

Looking In

Two Faces

Distance

The World Falls Apart

A Cloudless Sky

ABOUT THE QUARTET:
http://claudialm.com/html_files/Chamber-Ensembles.html

ABOUT THE PIECE:
Looking In is a string quartet arrangement of a piece from a larger, five-movement musical theater work titled Two Faces. The show follows a proposed marriage between a young couple, a woman’s mental turmoil and self-doubt, and their relationship’s ultimate end. The story explores love between characters who are fundamentally unaligned and the process of growth from heartbreak. When the woman returns to her ex-partner in Looking In, she learns he has already moved on with a new person. Looking In is the last song of Two Faces and is my first draft of orchestration for the show.

Looking In (for string quartet)

Premiered by ~Nois Saxophone Quartet at DePaul University Series for Contemporary Music (05/10/2023).

Edmonds To Kingston

Premiered by Ensemble 20+ and students from The Theatre School at DePaul University School of Music (11/04/2024).

Silent Reckoning was conceived as a multimedia experience, blending music and live theatrical components. In collaboration with incredible students at The Theatre School at DePaul, we sought to evoke the atmosphere of a silent film brought to life on stage. Through muted, exaggerated gestural movement and expressive acting, the performers tell the story of a turbulent and violent night within a family-owned silent movie theater.

While composing the music, I constructed the narrative alongside, ensuring every component—from the lighting and intertitle projections to the onstage action—was meticulously crafted to enhance the storytelling. The narrative unfolds without spoken dialogue, relying instead on the powerful synergy between music, movement, and visual elements.

Ensemble 20:
Conductor: Michael Lewanski
Flute: Elena Rubin
Clarinet: Rachel Beil
Horn: Eli Hoffmann
Trombone: Ryan Saladin
Piano: Amarin Wexler
Percussion: Lydea King & Milo Paperman
Violin: Joanne Lin
Viola: David Phetmanysay
Cello: Julianna Bray
Bass: Walker Dean