Sonata for Bassoon and Piano
Duration: 15'
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_137&products_id=1302
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/sonata-for-bassoon-and-piano

PROGRAM NOTES (SHORT VERSION FOR PROGRAMS) 
When I first began to plan this sonata for bassoon and piano, I had no idea that I would be inspired by something so overtly programmatic, let alone by an American, historical figure who was alive well before I was born. I knew that the premiere would take place at the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron, Michigan, and my curiosity eventually took hold and I started reading up on Thomas Edison’s inventions and his life. I was immediately hooked: many of his experiences and beliefs resonated with me. I could not stop thinking about him or his inventions and they ended up providing a Romantic and technical inspiration for this piece.

The first movement, Edison’s Ears, is inspired by a legendary story about the ear problems Edison suffered from throughout his childhood in Port Huron. According to this tale, when he was 15, a train accident further injured his ears. When he tried to jump on the moving train, the conductor grabbed him by his ears to help pull him up. The young Edison said he felt something snap inside his head, and he soon began to lose much of his hearing. The thought of something “snapping inside his head” made me think how, as morbid as this is, inventing something musical from this story might have humored him. The middle of the movement reaches its peak with a loud, staccato “snapping” chord. The beginning of this movement sounds somewhat mechanical and is the first of three locomotive sections (based on three musical quotes) that progressively increase in tempo. The end of the movement gradually descends in register and dies away, much like a hyper-speed, fast-forward toward his eventual and inevitable hearing loss.

The second movement, Mina’s Tapping, draws its inspiration from a story about Edison’s second wife, Mina Miller. The story goes that they were introduced to each other by his life-long friend Ezra Gilliland: “Their courtship ended when Edison tapped out a proposal for marriage on Mina’s hand. In their many years together the pair communicated via Morse code. When attending meetings or at gatherings with friends, Mina would tap out the discussions in Morse code on her deaf husband’s hand. Despite his long hours away from home, Thomas and Mina were totally devoted to each other and profoundly in love.” In this movement, Edison is represented by long melodic lines; Mina is represented by heartbeat-like, pulsed chords derived from the dots, dashes and spaces of Morse code.

Edison is also responsible for creating a revolutionary business model, the world’s first “invention factory.” The final movement,Invention Factory Eureka, is inspired by this, and the one invention that is said to have been Edison’s only true “Eureka!” invention, the cylinder phonograph. The opening motivic material in this movement is derived from the word “Eureka!” The many bright ‘dings’ throughout the middle of the movement represent the cliché of a light bulb appearing above someone’s head when they have a bright idea. This image ties in nicely to Edison, his inventions and his one “eureka” moment.

Cornucopia

Sonata for Bassoon and Piano - II. Mina's Tapping

Thanks for visiting. 
What's new:  I have completed my violin sonata. It is posted first in line to your left.  My new symphony, "Symphony for Chamber Orchestra," is posted and waiting for you.  rjb

Scores and parts for many of my works are available from my publisher Creative Spirit Music Publications. Go to  https://www.creativespiritonline.com and select "Robert John Brooks." There, you can also follow the score while listening to a recording.

My music is fully notated and is intended for live performance by live musicians.

After completing my doctorate in composition in 1979 from UNT, I took 30 years off from composing to join the computer software revolution as a software engineer.  In 2010 I began composing again and have not stopped. So, I find myself beginning (restarting?) a composition career rather late in life...but that's OK.  Most of the works posted here were written since 2010. 

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Igor Iofe is a
composer whose musical
paths lead to diverse stylistic destinations. Currently Igor's focus in music is Armenian traditional duduk repertoire which he performs on trumpet. He brings the beauty and warmth of the duduk into his trumpet playing.

At the Conservatorium van Amsterdam he studied with  Wim Hendrickx,Richard Ayres,  Fabio Nieder,Willem Jeths and Jorrit Tamminga. Igor attended masterclasses with Misato Mochizuki, Dmitry Kourliandski, Tristan Murail andTan Dun. His music was performed at the Composers’ Festival Amsterdam (2012 and 2013), Atlas Academy (2010-12),  Looptail XXX and at such venues as De Link, De Duif, Het Bethaniënklooster, Het Veem, STEIM, Muziekgebouw aan 't Ij and CvA in Amsterdam and other cities of the Netherlands. His piece Y+Ywas performed by the Joint Venture Percussion Duo at several venues in the USA and Europe.

Parallel to his Classical Composition studies Igor studied Composing Music for Film with Jurre Haanstra and graduated as a Master in Composing for FIlm at the CvA. During his studies he wrote music for several movies which were shown at the Beeldbuis Filmfestival, Keep an Eye Film Festival, VERS Awards, Cinekid Filmfestival, M2M Filmfestival and Pleinbioscoop Rotterdam.

Igor is one of the organisers of the Toets des Tijds Concert Series

These Guitars Say Sorry is the banner for a diverse range of artists, from UK singer-songwriter These Guitars Say Sorry to classical composer Jeremias Langsämmer along with his ensemble, Icelandic post-rock band Laxá with the Heima Kvartett, ambient artist Siegfried Jünger, and Doom Jazz ensemble The Dark Messiahs. Founded by Jez Stephen, who incepted all the projects, the label has released over 30 albums, crafting a unique sonic identity across genres.

Since 2021, These Guitars Say Sorry has released a track every week, later compiling them into albums available on all major platforms. Explore the catalog on Bandcamp: https://theseguitarssaysorry.bandcamp.com/ and support the work for as little as $1 a month on Patreon: www.patreon.com/tgss.

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.

Magdalena Meisel is a singer from Katowice, Poland. 

Magdalena took part in the Polish entertainment show, „Bitwa na Głosy”, where she performed along with the winning group led by the lead vocalist of the band FEEL. During the series, she brilliantly sang “Time To Say Goodby”, and she gained the judge’s recognition for giving a memorable performance of Bajm’s “Biała armia” in the final show. 

Magdalena exhibited her talent in the Polish talent show, “Szansa na sukces”, as well as the second edition of the music competition show, X-Factor. She also appeared in the 3rd edition of “The Voice of Poland”, where she sang with the group of other contestants coached by Marek Piekarczyk, the lead vocalist of the rock band TSA. Magda performed three songs winning the battle and the knockout stages of the competition and advanced to the live playoff along with the other three finalists, selected by Marek Piekarczyk.

She continues to perform as a solo singer partaking in a variety of music events. She hosts live concerts as well as business parties and events. 

Magdalena graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice with Master’s Degree in Violin Performance, and she is a member of the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra. She also teaches violin and she conducts educational activities.

Artist and Composer working in TV music, looking to move into other areas - game soundtracks, Movie scoring.

For the refreshment of the soul and the glory of God........My name is Alejandro González M. Born November 28   1970.  I am a  Self taught composer  from Xalapa, Veracruz, México,  and my   orquestra project   "Sabine Alexander".   
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My name is Rich Davis, a musician and composer from Lincolnshire in England. I am primarily a pianist but also play electronic keyboards and enjoy singing. I have played the piano since the age of 12  when I first started having lessons.  Over the past few years I have been entertaining elderly residents in care homes, providing a mix of classical and easy listening piano with singalong and wartime songs. I have found this really rewarding as it makes such a difference to elderly people to have music in their lives especially those suffering with dementia. More recently I have been composing original piano solo compositions resulting in the completion of my first album called 'Piano Chillout'. I have really enjoyed making this album as all the pieces on it are inspired by personal experiences and life events. I would describe the album as easy listening and  hope it will provide relaxation and comfort to many. Since completing 'Piano Chillout' I have composed a number of new piano solo compositions all based on different themes. One of my most recent pieces 'Flowing Stream' was inspired by the beauty of water running down a mountain side. Prior to that 'Northern Lights' was inspired by the beautiful Aurora Borealis which is totally unique and something I wanted to put into music. The compositions 'Thankyou' and 'Now I Understand' are both piano and vocal tracks with lyrics that are very close to my heart. I hope you enjoy my music.

Sonata for Bassoon and Piano - II. Mina's Tapping

Robert Paterson Composer