Robert Patersons The Four Seasons consists of four song cycles, with a total of twenty-one songs, for four different voice types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass-baritone. Each voice type represents a different season: Summer Songs (soprano), Autumn Songs (mezzo-soprano), Winter Songs (bass-baritone), and Spring Songs (tenor). The four critically-acclaimed singers on this album, soprano, Marnie Breckenridge, mezzo-soprano, Blythe Gaissert, tenor Alok Kumar, and bass-baritone David Neal have worked closely with Paterson, and gave the world premieres of these works with American Modern Ensemble, one of Americas most beloved new music ensembles. The songs on this album are all settings of poems by various poets (listed below in the track listings), and each cycle is for voice and chamber ensemble consisting of flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello. This ensemble is commonly called a Pierrot ensemble, named after the ensemble that Arnold Schoenberg used for his work Pierrot Lunaire. To date, Paterson has composed more works for this type of ensemble than anyone in the world. The Four Seasons was produced by Grammy® winning producer and engineer Adam Abeshouse, and recorded at The DiMenna Center for Classical Musics Mary Flagler Cary Hall (Summer Songs and Autumn Songs), the American Academy of Arts and Letters (Winter Songs), and in the Ladd Concert Hall Skidmore Colleges Arthur Zankel Music Center (Spring Songs).

Buy Album

The Four Seasons

The Winds of Time for Wind Ensemble
Duration: 14'
Performers: Eastman Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, Conductor, Eastman School of Music, Kodak Theater, April 15, 2022
Publisher: https://www.billholabmusic.com/composers/robert-paterson/
Buy Score/Rent Parts: https://billholabmusic.com/product/the-winds-of-time/
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/
Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4CRnLcpvBY
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4CRnLcpvBY

Commissioned by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, Conductor, and a consortium of wind ensembles in honor of the Eastman School of Music’s Centennial Anniversary. Consortium members include Carthage Wind Orchestra (Carthage College), CCM Wind Ensemble (University of Cincinnati), Eastman Wind Ensemble (Eastman School of Music), Nevada Wind Ensemble (University of Nevada, Reno), Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Northwestern University), TCNJ Wind Ensemble (The College of New Jersey), Wind Symphony (Ohio University), and the UNC Wind Ensemble (The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

PROGRAM NOTE
The Winds of Time was inspired by the title and content of the poem of the same name by Tanzanian poet and novelist Euphrase Kezilahabi. I created musical elements from the various words, phrases and metaphors in his poem, especially those related to wind and water: watching the waves rising, falling, swelling, surging, and waves being driven by winds. The passage of time, inevitability, darkness, and the poem’s overall despair are represented throughout the ensemble with various bells, drums, winds, exotic instruments, and a few non-standard playing techniques.

Although this work is divided into three connected movements, Waves rising, falling, swelling, surging, Bending space/time, and Colossal chimes, fading light, it is more a rhapsody than narrative in structure. Various themes and motives gradually come into the foreground and recede into the background throughout the entire work, similar to how shells wash up on a shore and then become lost to the sand.

The Winds of Time was commissioned by the Eastman School of Music Wind Ensemble, Mark Davis Scatterday, Conductor, and a consortium of wind ensembles in honor of Eastman’s 100th anniversary.

The Winds Of Time for Wind Ensemble (World Premiere)

Deep Blue Ocean for two pianos
Duration: 12'
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=938
Online Perusal Score: https://issuu.com/robertpaterson/docs/deep_blue_ocean_-_fs-bound
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/deep-blue-ocean

PROGRAM NOTES
Although Deep Blue Ocean is not meant to be overtly programmatic, I thought it would be wonderful to explore the oceanic depths, so during a trip to the Gulf of Mexico I became a certified scuba diver. I was truly inspired, whether by the large rolling waves on the open sea, the delicate back and forth of beds of seaweed, the vibrant colors of fish clustering around cities of coral, or the beams of sunlight that cascade over the ocean’s surface.

I was also inspired by my four year old son Dylan: his name means ocean or god of the seas in Welsh; he is an Aquarius, which means the water bearer; he is an excellent swimmer, and he loves listening to a movement of one of my choral works entitled Infinite Oceans.

While writing this piece, I could not have known that the worst oil spill in U.S. history would occur just north of where I visited. The darker moments in this work are the result of this tragedy. It is in three connected movements: The Darkness Below, Sunbeams and Waterfalls, and Accents and Waves.

Deep Blue Ocean is written for Steven Gosling and Blair McMillen of the American Modern Ensemble and is dedicated to my son Dylan.

Powerhouse Pianists II

Deep Blue Ocean - II. Sunbeams And Waterfalls

Written: 2021-22
Duration: 20'
Video: https://youtu.be/X107ODtr54s
for SATB choir (3 choir members each playing a single crotale or Tingshas) and instrumental sextet (flute [doubling alto flute], clarinet, violin, cello, percussion [vibraphone, concert bass drum, four concert tom-toms, large tam-tam, medium suspended cymbal, medium and small triangles, Mark tree, medium and large wood blocks], and piano).
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: https://billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?cPath=103_137&main_page=product_info&products_id=4349
For More Information, Text, and Perusal Score: https://robertpaterson.com/listen

PROGRAM NOTE
Most people want to be heard and want to be loved, and we are usually better at talking than listening. We are often so immersed in ourselves that we not only forget to listen to others in a meaningful, effective way but also to the world around us. With that in mind, Listen is about listening to each other and the world around us more deeply, especially concerning our environment. In that sense, this piece could have been titled “Deep Listening,” but since this work is meant to be more a call to action than an alliteration of a musical concept, I felt that Listen was a more appropriate title. Listen uses a tapestry of quotes from various well-known sources, both ancient and contemporary, that are about or related to the environment. My main goal through this piece is to create a musical call to action, encourage listening, and help to raise awareness about our environment and the natural world around us.

Listen is scored for choir (3 members playing Tingshas or crotales) and chamber ensemble, consisting of a flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, and piano, and was commissioned by and is dedicated to Ember, Deborah Simpkin King, music director, and conductor, in honor of their 25th anniversary.

Listen (for SATB Choir and Chamber Ensemble)

Written: 2016
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: solo five-octave marimba (four mallets)
Commissioned by Micheal Barnes
Performed by Michael Barnes
Performance: Temple University Klein Recital Hall
North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, April, 224
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: 
For More Info: https://robertpaterson.com/binary-hearts
Buy Sheet Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=1343

PROGRAM NOTE
Couples who are in love often share the same interests, finish each other sentences, and laugh at the same jokes. In fact, Scientists at the University of California, Davis discovered that a couple’s breathing patterns and heart rates match up if they sit close to each other or look into each other’s eyes. They don’t even have to hold hands or talk for this to happen. However, a similar effect apparently does not occur among strangers, only couples in love. Coupled with this idea, I have always been fascinated by binary stars, which are two stars that rotate together, on the same axis. Binary Hearts for solo marimba is inspired by these phenomena. In this piece, I use heartbeat-like motives and ostinati, fast moto-perpetuo rhythmic sections and choral-like episodes, creating a joyous, gently shifting tapestry that is meant to reflect how two people feel when they are in love. Binary Hearts was commissioned by Micheal Barnes in honor of his marriage to Carly Prince.

Binary Hearts for Solo Marimba

Written: 2021
Duration: ca. 5'
Instrumentation: solo five-octave marimba (four mallets)
Commissioned by Micheal Barnes
Performed by Michael Barnes (World Premiere)
Upcoming World Premiere: Recital, Michael Barnes, marimba, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, April 4, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: https://billholabmusic.com/product/pyro/

PROGRAM NOTES
The word ‘pyro' has a few different meanings. It can denote fire, heat, or temperature, but the meaning that most inspired this piece comes from the word 'pyromaniac', which is used to describe someone who has a compulsion to set things on fire. In particular, I was most influenced by a by a surreal, somewhat grotesque artwork by David Lynch called Boy Lights Fire (2010), in which a boy holds a book of matches in his left hand and a lit match in his right hand, while someone (perhaps his mother) appears in the distance, arms stretched out, seemingly in shock. I imagined the boy lighting their house on fire, and the house gradually burning to the ground. Pyro was commissioned by Michael Barnes.

Pyro for Solo Marimba

Written: 2022-23
Duration: 30'
for piano trio (violin, cello, and piano) and orchestra (2-2-2-2 / 4-2-3-1 / 3 percussion, timpani, strings)
Commissioned by Neave Trio
World Premiere: Mostly Modern Orchestra with Neave Trio, JoAnn Falletta, conductor, Mostly Modern Festival, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 17, 2023.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music

As we live through a sixth mass extinction, it is not difficult to question whether we can act as good stewards of our earth. While I often feel a sense of despair — how could we have messed this up so badly? — my thoughts are often, perhaps irrationally, tempered by a sense of optimism. Maybe we can fix this, or at least that’s what I tell myself. Triple Concerto is essentially an exploration of these emotions. As a scenic point of departure, the entire work also uses three types of geographical regions as inspiration.

Triple Concerto is structured a bit differently than a traditional concerto. An introduction and three larger movements are interspersed with three small trio-centric movements that loosely function as either a prelude, interlude, or cadenza. These three smaller movements also exist as a stand-alone version for the piano trio that may be performed as a sort of “teaser” for the concerto on a chamber music concert.

The first movement, Introduction, loosely evokes a sunrise. Toward the end of the movement, bird song melodies from around the world are incorporated and performed by the winds. This leads to a movement entitled Chorale Prelude, focusing on the piano trio, leading to a joyful third movement, Bright Pastorale, filled with bright, sunlit bell-like chords and sounds reminiscent of birdsong. Moments of despair begin to appear as the movement progresses. The movement ends darkly, like an overcast sky before a storm. The fourth movement, Interlude, echoes the beginning, focusing on the trio once again and evoking a sense of longing, the sound of a more innocent time. Tundra, the fifth movement, is cold, dark, and bleak but with swaths of color. A sense of sadness and loneliness permeates this movement, at times represented by various mournful effects such as bent notes created by dipping tubular bells in water and glissandi in the strings and brass.

After the fifth movement, the trio performs a virtuosic Cadenza, full of grief and rage but with signs of hope. This leads to the final movement, entitled Summit. Ascending lines suggest climbing a mountain, both literally and figuratively. After a brief climax, eleven bell-like chords sound one after the other, symbolizing the chimes of the Doomsday Clock. The winds perform birdsong once again, perhaps of songbirds that may soon become endangered or even extinct. In a nod to Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 (his “Farewell Symphony”), the players leave the stage one by one until all that is left are the trio and conductor.

Triple Concerto was commissioned by the Neave Trio and premiered by the trio and Mostly Modern Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta, conductor, at Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY.

– RP

Movements:
I. Introduction
II. Chorale Prelude
III. Bright Pastorale
IV. Interlude
V. Tundra
VI. Cadenza
VII. Summit

Triple Concerto, "Summit" for Piano Trio and Orchestra (World Premiere)

Written: 2005-06/2023-25 (In-Progress)
Duration: ca. 30'
for orchestra (3 (dbl Pic.), 3 (dbl Eng. Hn.), 3 (dbl Bass Cl.), 3 (dbl C-bsn.); 4,3,3,1; timp +3; hp; kybd (dbl celeste); strings)
Written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/journey-of-a-dragonfly
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRSlunQRBm4&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Frobertpaterson.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY

PROGRAM NOTE (IN PROGRESS)
As a child, my parents vacationed at a summer cottage in Maine by a small lake. Often by myself, I would sit on a giant boulder and watch the lake and the wildlife for hours.

One day, a beautiful bright-winged dragonfly flew across the lake and hovered before me. I was startled and intrigued: its long, slender blue body glistened in the sunlight. Finally, it began to fly around the perimeter of the lake. It stopped every few minutes and hovered in place, almost as if waiting for me to follow it. I followed the dragonfly until sunset, imagining a world in which only the dragonfly existed, on its own terms, within its own world.

Years later, I hiked around the Niagara Gorge near Niagara Falls and explored Devil’s Hole Park. There is an opening on the side of a cliff called Devil’s Hole Cave. Interestingly, early Native Americans called it the Cave of the Evil Spirit and foretold subsequent disaster to anyone who dared enter the cave. The combination of the lake, the dragonfly, and Devil’s Hole Cave all came together and helped crystalize the idea for this work.

Journey of a Dragonfly begins as the sun rises; a foreboding darkness looms in the background, contrasting the Dragonfly’s graceful entrance into a world filled with the excitement of being alive. A gust of wind carries dandelion seeds skyward alongside butterflies and rainbow-colored wildflowers. Butterflies land on flowers before the Dragonfly ventures through a dark forest and emerges, only to be chased by five blackbirds. Weaving back and forth to try and escape, the Dragonfly flies into a narrow crevice as two of the blackbirds collide with trees. While still being chased, the three remaining birds retreat as the Dragonfly discovers a dark hole leading to a tunnel. The dragonfly speeds down the ghoulish tunnel and emerges at the end of the tunnel at the side of a cliff, hovering in place. It looks around in horror and sees a gigantic cavern and then Devil Town. After flying through Devil Town and witnessing tortured souls, a bomb factory, Attorney Alley, and the Devil’s Saloon, off in the distance, the Dragonfly sees Satan’s House on a hill and decides to explore. The Dragonfly enters the house and sees the Devil Child, the Devil Mother, and the Devil himself. Suddenly, the Devil Child catches the Dragonfly in a glass jar as the parents prepare dinner in the kitchen. The Dragonfly eventually manages to escape, only to be chased by the Devil Child and then by a group of hellish bats. After a chaotic chase, the Dragonfly finds the tunnel and speeds back toward the world above. Finally free, the Dragonfly finds a flat rock to rest. The tale concludes as the Dragonfly falls asleep, the sun sets by the lake, and the evening fades to black.

Journey of a Dragonfly was written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season.

– RP

Journey of a Dragonfly for Orchestra (Part I)

New York Stories (Chamber Version) - Extraordinary
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by David Cote
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

PROGRAM NOTE
New York Stories began as a song for soprano, baritone, and piano called Crossing The Hudson with text by Mark Campbell, which the Five Boroughs Music Festival commissioned. A few years later, David Cote wrote lyrics for a duet with the same instrumentation called Extraordinary as a concert ender for two song cycles we created: In Real Life I and In Real Life II. After these two pieces, I sensed a pattern emerging, or at least a potential project. Since both of these pieces take place in and contain texts by writers based in New York City, I thought it would be fun to ask four other talented New York City-based writers to write short libretti, with the only stipulation that each piece be inspired by or take place in the five boroughs. The other writers I chose for this project include Margot Connolly, Briana Elyse Hunter, John de los Santos, and Sokunthary Svay.

New York Stories - Extraordinary

New York Stories (Chamber Version) - Rules in Effect
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Briana Elyse Hunter
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

PROGRAM NOTE
New York Stories began as a song for soprano, baritone, and piano called Crossing The Hudson with text by Mark Campbell, which the Five Boroughs Music Festival commissioned. A few years later, David Cote wrote lyrics for a duet with the same instrumentation called Extraordinary as a concert ender for two song cycles we created: In Real Life I and In Real Life II. After these two pieces, I sensed a pattern emerging, or at least a potential project. Since both of these pieces take place in and contain texts by writers based in New York City, I thought it would be fun to ask four other talented New York City-based writers to write short libretti, with the only stipulation that each piece be inspired by or take place in the five boroughs. The other writers I chose for this project include Margot Connolly, Briana Elyse Hunter, John de los Santos, and Sokunthary Svay.

New York Stories: Rules in Effect

New York Stories (Chamber Version) - River Park
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Sokunthary Svay
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

PROGRAM NOTE
New York Stories began as a song for soprano, baritone, and piano called Crossing The Hudson with text by Mark Campbell, which the Five Boroughs Music Festival commissioned. A few years later, David Cote wrote lyrics for a duet with the same instrumentation called Extraordinary as a concert ender for two song cycles we created: In Real Life I and In Real Life II. After these two pieces, I sensed a pattern emerging, or at least a potential project. Since both of these pieces take place in and contain texts by writers based in New York City, I thought it would be fun to ask four other talented New York City-based writers to write short libretti, with the only stipulation that each piece be inspired by or take place in the five boroughs. The other writers I chose for this project include Margot Connolly, Briana Elyse Hunter, John de los Santos, and Sokunthary Svay.

New York Stories - River Park

New York Stories (Chamber Version) - Shallow Wishes
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by John de los Santos
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

PROGRAM NOTE
New York Stories began as a song for soprano, baritone, and piano called Crossing The Hudson with text by Mark Campbell, which the Five Boroughs Music Festival commissioned. A few years later, David Cote wrote lyrics for a duet with the same instrumentation called Extraordinary as a concert ender for two song cycles we created: In Real Life I and In Real Life II. After these two pieces, I sensed a pattern emerging, or at least a potential project. Since both of these pieces take place in and contain texts by writers based in New York City, I thought it would be fun to ask four other talented New York City-based writers to write short libretti, with the only stipulation that each piece be inspired by or take place in the five boroughs. The other writers I chose for this project include Margot Connolly, Briana Elyse Hunter, John de los Santos, and Sokunthary Svay.

New York Stories - Shallow Wishes

New York Stories (Chamber Version) (2024)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Margot Connolly
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Original And Only

New York Stories (Chamber Version) - Crossing The Hudson
Music by Robert Paterson | Lyrics by Mark Campbell
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or  soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbmEubaaDPFTmiymAlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Crossing The Hudson

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Lyrics by Mark Campbell
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Crossing The Hudson (Piano/vocal)

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Briana Elyse Hunter
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Rules In Effect (Piano/vocal)

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by David Cote
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Extraordinary (Piano/vocal)

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Sokunthary Svay
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - River Park (Piano/vocal)

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by John de Los Santos
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Shallow Wishes (Piano/vocal)

New York Stories (Piano/vocal)
Music by Robert Paterson | Libretto by Margot Connolly
Written: 2024
New York Stories Duration: ca. 60'
Chamber Ensemble Version Instrumentation: soprano, baritone, and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello), or soprano, baritone, and piano
Percussion Instruments Needed for Chamber Ensemble Version: small drum set (snare drum, bass drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal) vibraphone, glockenspiel, bar chimes, temple blocks, medium wood block, high wood block, medium triangle, small triangle
Librettos for five scenes commissioned by Robert Paterson. Crossing The Hudson (lyrics and piano/vocal score) commissioned by the Five Boroughs Music Festival
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): 
World Premiere (Chamber Version): Mostly Modern Festival, Modern Vocal Projects, Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 16, 2024.
World Premiere (Piano/vocal Version): American Modern Ensemble, Opera America, Marc A. Scorca Hall, New York, NY, May 24, 2024.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Piano/vocal Version Video Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOHtooUK6OjL8UP6SAsfZhKWhxYS3mKO&si=0c5BaBXoShH1zVvY
Chamber Version Video Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb…AlaPLl69TU_ffF2cd
For More Information: robertpaterson.com/new-york-stories

New York Stories - Original And Only (Piano/vocal)

Written: 1992
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: keyboard percussion ensemble
Written For John Beck and the Eastman Marimba Ensemble
Premiere: Eastman Marimba Ensemble, John Beck, conductor, Eastman School of Music, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, 1992.  

PROGRAM NOTE
I’ve always been a fan of Dean Martin’s songs. During my first few years of college, a disc that was always in my CD player was a CD of Dean Martin's Greatest Hits. It was interesting to me that some of his songs were orchestrated with marimbas and other non-standard percussion instruments. It seemed like a perfect fit to arrange That’s Amore for keyboard percussion ensemble. This work was originally written for and premiered by the Eastman Marimba Ensemble directed by John Beck.

That's Amore

That's Amore (World Premiere)
Introduction by John Beck
Composed by Harry Warren; Arranged by Robert Paterson, 1992
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: keyboard percussion ensemble
Written For John Beck and the Eastman Percussion Ensemble
Premiere: Eastman Percussion Ensemble, John Beck, conductor; Robert Paterson, marimba soloist; Eastman School of Music, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, 1992

PROGRAM NOTE
I’ve always been a fan of Dean Martin’s songs. During my first few years of college, a disc that was always in my CD player was a CD of Dean Martin's Greatest Hits. It was interesting to me that some of his songs were orchestrated with marimbas and other non-standard percussion instruments. It seemed like a perfect fit to arrange That’s Amore for keyboard percussion ensemble. This work was originally written for and premiered by the Eastman Percussion Ensemble directed by John Beck.

That's Amore (Arrangement)

The Biographies of Solitude
Text by Irving Feldman
Written: 1990
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: soprano, viola and cello
Text by Irving Feldman
Premiere: Composer’s Forum, Eastman School of Music, Kilbourn Hall, Rochester, NY, July 1, 1992.
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/the-biographies-of-solitude

PROGRAM NOTE
When I was growing up in Buffalo, NY, my parents had a great collection poetry books. My father taught at the same university as Irving Feldman, and my parents had a few of his books of his poetry—some of them given as gifts from Feldman. The poem The Biographies of Solitude struck me as being a very good poem to set to music.

The Biographies of Solitude

Written: 1991-93
Duration: ca. 3'
Instrumentation: 4 1/3 octave marimba (six-mallets)
Premiere: various locations, Robert Paterson, marimba.
More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/three-postludes

PROGRAM NOTE
Postlude No. 1 was written at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences where I was in residence during the summer of 1991. I stayed in a cabin in the middle of the woods, approximately one mile away from any people. There was a cool, clear, spring-water brook running near my cabin, and a smooth, falling-water creek named Patterson Creek about a half mile away; I would visit these small streams every day. These calm memories, the beautiful mountains (this center is located in the Appalachian Mountains), the beautiful scenery and the generally friendly aura of Georgia I experienced are what influenced me to start writing these Postludes, specifically Postlude No. 1.

Postlude No. 1

Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: mixed SATB choir
Commissioned by Musica Sacra, Kent Tritle, director and conductor
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/ensembles/satb/robert-paterson/500040+1823727
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/lux-aeterna
View Score: https://issuu.com/robertpaterson/docs/paterson_lux_aeterna__vocal_score__

Eternal Reflections

Lux Aeterna

Suite of choral movements from A New Eaarth for orchestra, chorus and narrator. This version for voice and piano
Duration (all movements): 14'
Text by James Joyce

Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=1837
For more information: http://robertpaterson.com/a-new-eaarth

PROGRAM NOTE
Although I have lived in cities most of my life, I do not think of myself as a city person and have always felt more connected to the outdoors rather than to asphalt and tall buildings. Many of my works are inspired by nature, and I am deeply concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change.

Of the many excellent books on the environment, one of the best and the one that moves me most is Eaarth by Bill McKibben, a famed author, educator and environmentalist. McKibben’s assertion is that we have waited too long, and that massive climate change is not only unavoidable, but already underway. He states that we may as well call this new planet Eaarth, because it is still recognizable, but fundamentally different. I feel strongly that he is correct, and wanted to express this in a musical way. A work for orchestra, chorus and narrator seemed like the ideal vehicle for reflecting on this critical issue.

Choral Suite from A New Eaarth consists of the four choral movements from A New Eaarth for orchestra, but with piano rather than orchestra. I designed these movements so they could be performed as a stand-alone suite, and in fact, for the purpose of rehearsals, I composed the choir and piano versions first, and then orchestrated them so they could be integrated into the whole orchestral work.

The suite includes texts by Wendell Berry, James Joyce, Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Wordsworth. The poems, at least as part of the entire orchestral version, allude to the four ancient classical elements—earth, air, fire and water—a theme that permeates many of my other works.

A New Eaarth was commissioned by the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association through a Music Alive! residency grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras.

Choral Suite from A New Eaarth - I. Rough Wind (Percy Bysshe Shelley)

Suite of choral movements from A New Eaarth for orchestra, chorus and narrator. This version for chorus and piano.

Publisher: Bill Holab Music:
http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=1837

View Score:
https://issuu.com/robertpaterson/docs/paterson_choral_suite_from_a_new_ea

For more information:
https://robertpaterson.com/choral-suite-from-a-new-eaarthh
http://robertpaterson.com/a-new-eaarth

PROGRAM NOTE
Although I have lived in cities most of my life, I do not think of myself as a city person and have always felt more connected to the outdoors rather than to asphalt and tall buildings. Many of my works are inspired by nature, and I am deeply concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change.

Of the many excellent books on the environment, one of the best and the one that moves me most is Eaarth by Bill McKibben, a famed author, educator and environmentalist. McKibben’s assertion is that we have waited too long, and that massive climate change is not only unavoidable, but already underway. He states that we may as well call this new planet Eaarth, because it is still recognizable, but fundamentally different. I feel strongly that he is correct, and wanted to express this in a musical way. A work for orchestra, chorus and narrator seemed like the ideal vehicle for reflecting on this critical issue.

Choral Suite from A New Eaarth consists of the four choral movements from A New Eaarth for orchestra, but with piano rather than orchestra. I designed these movements so they could be performed as a stand-alone suite, and in fact, for the purpose of rehearsals, I composed the choir and piano versions first, and then orchestrated them so they could be integrated into the whole orchestral work.

The suite includes texts by Wendell Berry, James Joyce, Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Wordsworth. The poems, at least as part of the entire orchestral version, allude to the four ancient classical elements—earth, air, fire and water—a theme that permeates many of my other works.

A New Eaarth was commissioned by the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association through a Music Alive! residency grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras.

Choral Suite from A New Eaarth - IV. There Was A Time (William Wordsworth)

Duration: ca. 7'
Performed by U.S. Coast Guard Band (Live Performance), Richard Wyman, Conductor
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/firecracker-alley
Publisher - Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=firecracker

PROGRAM NOTES
Growing up, one of my favorite pastimes was setting off firecrackers with friends. We knew our parents wouldn't approve and would punish us if they found out—which made it all the more exciting—so we would meet in a secluded neighborhood alley. We had all sorts of firecrackers with crazy sounding names like Thunder Bombs, Crrackfires, Cherry Bombs, Sonic Booms, and so on, not to mention bottle rockets.

Setting off firecrackers made us feel empowered. We were literally playing with fire and knew we were doing something dangerous—after all, we could lose a finger, or even an eye—but it was exciting all the same. We would purchase fireworks from shops across the Canadian border where they were legal. Or, more accurately, we would find teenagers with cars and a penchant for mischief; they had quite a racket selling fireworks on the sly to younger kids in the neighborhood.

Part of the fun in creating Firecracker Alley was figuring out which effects sound firecracker-like. Of course, I call for multiple slapsticks, but there are also loud drums, rim shots, whistles, lines in the winds that are reminiscent of bottle rockets. Through it all, there are fanfare-like brass passages that capture the excitement and joy of setting off firecrackers.

Firecracker Alley for Wind Band (Live)

For SATB A Cappella Choir and Optional Projected Images
Duration: ca. 11'
Performed by Musica Sacra, Kent Tritle, conductor
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5g_3kPjU4

To read more and see the graffiti images, visit this page: http://robertpaterson.com/graffiti-canons

Commissioned by Volti, Robert A. Geary, Artistic Director. The commissioning of this work by Volti was made possible by the support of the Ann Stookey Fund for New Music.

Publisher: Bill Holab Music

PROGRAM NOTES

Although I have based many choral works on settings of poems, I also enjoy setting unusual texts. In many ways. graffiti is ideal as a source of inspiration. It is unpretentious, extremely varied and can be found almost anywhere: under bridges, in alleyways, on the sides of vans, in subway stations, and even in bathroom stalls. It may be illegal or sanctioned, artistic, text based, aphoristic, philosophical or purely graphic. It can be humorous, innocent and childlike, or very serious and meant to provoke. Graffiti may be of our time or ancient. Certain cave paintings, for example, could be considered predecessors to modern graffiti. Through graffiti, gangs, tribes or individuals can hide behind anonymity; it is the voice of the voiceless.

In Graffiti Canons , I appropriate positive aphoristic sayings, sentences and phrases found in graffiti from various parts of the world. My goal is to create a musical tapestry that flows from one thought to the next and spans time and place, using canonic technique and chorale-like transitions.

Although I found many of the graffiti images online, others I use in this piece were obtained via a Graffiti Photo Contest that I posted online. Approximately eighty images were submitted, and viewers were allowed to vote for their favorites, which played a part in which images were chosen. A handful of the most inspirational photos were used for this piece. An optional slideshow containing these images may be shown during performances of this piece.

Graffiti Canons was commissioned by Volti, Robert Geary, Artistic Director. The commissioning of this work by Volti was made possible by the support of the Ann Stookey Fund for New Music (annstookeyfund.org).

– Robert Paterson

Graffiti Canons (For Choir)

Summer Songs (for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble)
Duration: ca. 24'

MOVEMENTS:
I. Summer Music (May Sarton)
II. The KIte (Anne Sexton)
III. Childhood (Sharan Strange)
IV. Moths (Jennifer O'Grady)
V. Summer Night, Riverside (Sara Teasdale)

Performers: American Modern Ensemble; Marnie Breckenridge, Soprano
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/summer-songs
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=2333
Online Perusal Score: https://issuu.com/robertpaterson/docs/paterson_summer_songs__score-chambe
Also available as a version for soprano and piano: https://robertpaterson.com/summer-songs-piano-vocal-version

PROGRAM NOTE
There is a seemingly endless supply of poems about summer. After writing Winter Songs for bass-baritone and chamber ensemble or piano, I realized that I had inadvertently only set poems by male poets, so I decided to restrict myself to female poets for this cycle. I am well-aware that this could emphasize a potential cliché: woman can be viewed as more "summery" and men more "wintery,” but more than anything, this is merely a way to offer a course correction, so to speak, or even a yin and yang, as well as a way to create a balance between these two works.

Summer Songs begins with a setting of Summer Music by May Sarton, a light, happy, playfully musical poem filled with allusions to nature. The second movement is a setting of The Kite by Anne Sexton, a poem about honoring and enjoying the moment, and the simple things in life such as flying kites with children. Childhood, the third movement, is a setting of a poem by Sharan Strange about children capturing fireflies. The fourth movement, Moths, is a setting of a poem by Jennifer O’Grady about moths, but relating to late night conversation on a front porch. The cycle ends with a setting of Summer Night, Riverside, by Sara Teasdale, a passionate, warm, optimistic poem that muses on the timelessness of summer.

Summer Songs was commissioned by The ASCAP Foundation via the Charles Kingsford Fund, for Marnie Breckenridge and the American Modern Ensemble. Special thanks to Marnie Breckenridge for her assistance in selecting the poems for this cycle.

Commissioned by The ASCAP Foundation via the Charles Kingsford Fund, for Marnie Breckenridge and the American Modern Ensemble

ARTISTS
Robert Paterson, Conductor
Marnie Breckenridge, soprano
Sato Moughalian, flute
Pascal Archer, clarinet
Matthew Ward, percussion
Geoffrey Burleson, piano
Esther Noh, violin
Dave Eggar, cello

Summer Songs - V. Summer Night: Riverside (Text: Sara Teasdale)

Summer Songs - IV. Moths (Text: Jennifer O'Grady)

Summer Songs - III. Childhood (Text: Sharan Strange)

Summer Songs - II. The Kite (Text: Anne Sexton)

Summer Songs - I. Summer Music (Text: May Sarton)

Written: 2012
Duration: 38'
Instrumentation: orchestra, SATB chorus and narrator
Performed by the American Modern Orchestra and Albany Pro Musica, Mostly Modern Festival, Kent Tritle, conductor, Larry Pine, Narrator. Special thanks to Jose Daniel Flores Caraballo for preparing the choir for this performance.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/composers/robert-paterson/

Also Available: Choral Suite from A New Eaarth consisting of the choral movements from the orchestral work re-scored for SATB choir and piano. The choral suite may be performed as a stand-alone work.
For more information on this work: http://robertpaterson.com/a-new-eaarth. http://robertpaterson.com/choral-suite-from-a-new-eaarth

A New Eaarth for Orchestra, Chorus and Narrator

Fanfare for Trumpet Sextet
Duration ca. 5'
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Purchase Sheet Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=940

PROGRAM NOTE
I wrote this fanfare for my wedding. It was designed to take advantage of the surrounding balcony and resonant acoustics of Middlebury College’s Mead Chapel in Middlebury, Vermont, where we were married. The title of this piece was originally Wedding Fanfare. Since I think this piece could work well for concerts or other types of events, I shortened the title to Fanfare.

Fanfare for Trumpet Sextet

Komodo for Solo Marimba (Six-Mallets). Duration: ca. 7'.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=900

For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/komodo

PROGRAM NOTES
Komodo is not only inspired by Komodo Dragons, the famous monster lizards that live on the island of Komodo, but also by the surrounding ocean which contains one of the world’s richest marine environments. Komodo begins and ends with sections that evoke the magnitude and ferocity of the Komodo Dragon while the middle section is calm and a little wavy, reminiscent of the placid ocean and colorful marine life found in these waters.

Sometimes I am inspired to write a new work by something as simple as a title, a phrase or even a single word. In this case, the word ‘Komodo’ made me think of the Italian word ‘modo’ which means mode. In its most common sense, a mode is a type of scale. Sections of this piece are made up of Westernized Balinese scale patterns and arpeggios that are transposed up or down in a somewhat "modal" fashion.

Aside from any sort of programmatic or technical inspiration, I wrote this flashy, six-mallet piece to show off the bottom end of my five-octave marimba and to have something fun to play.

Six Mallet Marimba

Komodo (Solo Six-Mallet Marimba)

Symphony in Three Movements for Orchestra
Duration: 19’
Mostly Modern Festival, American Modern Orchestra, Chris Rountree, 2018 Faculty Conductor
Skidmore College, Arthur Zankel Music Hall, Saratoga Springs, New York (USA), 6/10/2018
Commissioned by the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra for their 25th Anniversary Concert, Kimbo Ishii-Eto, conductor
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=1339
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/symphony-in-three-movements

PROGRAM NOTES
The first movement, Bright and jubilant, is generally cheerful and upbeat, but occasional clouds of gray cast shadows over the musical surface. I associate this movement with traveling to a lover, and particularly over great distances. The brightness of this movement also subtly reflects the "silver anniversary" occasion for which this work was originally commissioned.

The slow second movement, Serenade, represents the unique intimacy that lovers share. Most string players in a chamber orchestra—even the first stands—never have a chance to play exposed material. This is interesting because although the string sections most often play as homogenous groups, the first stands of the string section are in an arc have an intimate view of each other. In this movement, the first stands of the violins, violas and cellos all have solo material whereas the rest of the strings often play gentle, long trills. My goal in to give all of the string players in the first stands an opportunity to shine.

The third movement, entitled Dancing games, is the most energetic of the three. It is has quirky, dance-like rhythms and a strong sense of pulse. In this movement, I imagine two lovers engaging in a bickering, yet friendly verbal dance match, their playful sentences bantered and volleyed back and forth like some sort of demented game of badminton in fast-forward mode. I suppose this would mean that the kind of dance I am imagining here is not one that you would necessarily move your feet to, but one meant for listening and that makes your insides want to move and shake.

Symphony in Three Movements - I. Bright and Jubilant

American composer Robert Paterson is a true New Yorker—born and bred in Buffalo, he lived in Rochester and Ithaca for over ten years, in New York City for over twenty years, and now lives in Saratoga Springs, near the Adirondacks. Paterson’s colorful music embraces a wide variety of themes, everything from goddesses and online dating to mathematics and the environment. His music is filled with emotion and fierce rhythmic energy, marked by elegance, wit, and meticulous craftsmanship. Named Composer of The Year by the Classical Recording Foundation at Carnegie Hall, Paterson is the winner of the Alfred I. DuPont Award, and his opera Three Way won the Grammy® under Best Classical Producer of the Year. His music is often a Best of the Year pick on National Public Radio. His orchestral tone poem, Dark Mountains, regularly airs on NPR’s Performance Today. Three Way premiered with Nashville Opera, then BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and across the United States. Minnesota Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, The Oratorio Society of New York, Buffalo Philharmonic, Albany Pro Musica, Albany Symphony, Musica Sacra, Austin Symphony, Vermont Symphony, and ensembles worldwide perform his works. Paterson gives masterclasses at the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and more. He is the Artistic Director and house composer for Mostly Modern Projects. Robert is a lifelong vegan and advocates for animals and the environment, celebrating the natural world with ground-breaking works such as his Triple Concerto, A New Eaarth, Listen, and I Go Among Trees.

Robert Paterson Composer

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks