Hypnagogic Polka [original instrumental]

Depressive Suicidal Mariachi [original instrumental]

Please visit www.themusicofalexthode.com for more information.

Repertoire:
"Pictures at an Exhibition" — Modest Mussorgsky
"Little Fugue in G Minor" — J.S. Bach
"Short Ride in a Fast Machine" — John Adams
"Hymn to a Blue Hour" — John Mackey
"Blow it Up, Start Again" — Jonathan Newman

Commissioned by the Alvin High School Marching Band (Alvin, TX)

For Art's Sake

Symphony No. 3, Mvt. III [original instrumental]

Recordings heard on this track: 

Mussorgsky, Pictures from an Exhibition
Rodzinski, New York Philharmonic 

Ravel, “Daphnis & Chloe: Suite No. 2”
Rodzinski, Cleveland Orchestra

Falla, “El Sombrero de Tres Picos” (“The Three Cornered Hat”): Danza Finale
Rodzinski, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Albeniz, El Corpus en Sevilla (arr. Arbos)
Rodzinski, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Rozinski, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Arthur Wilensky Talk About Artur Rodzinski

Enjoy the journey not the destination. The inspiration came from Mussorgskys Pictures of an exhibition

Promenade1

Enjoy the journey not the destination. The inspiration came from Mussorgskys Pictures of an exhibition.

Promenade2

Frank's Interlude

Composer: Modest Mussorgsky
Title: Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade I
Composed: 1874
Performer: Justin Towson – piano

The opening Promenade sets the stage for Mussorgsky’s musical gallery tour, representing the composer himself walking between paintings. Bold and stately, yet rhythmically irregular, the theme captures the uneven pace of footsteps and the weight of contemplation. This motif recurs throughout the suite in varying moods, grounding the listener as each new “picture” is revealed.

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade I

Composer: Modest Mussorgsky
Title: Pictures at an Exhibition: I. Gnomus
Composed: 1874
Performer: Justin Towson – piano

Gnomus creeps across the stage like a figure from a forgotten folktale — small in stature but casting an enormous, unsettling shadow. Inspired by a sketch of a deformed toy, this gnome doesn’t dance so much as stagger, his crooked gait echoed in Mussorgsky’s jarring rhythms and sudden silences. The music teeters between menace and mischief, capturing the uncanny sense that something tiny and odd might still hold strange power in the dark. Equal parts eerie and entrancing, this piece sets the tone for a gallery where nothing is quite what it seems.

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition: I. Gnomus

Message to collab for free 🌸 Lmao, capybaras can't type. Ballin', but at what cost? Eclectic #lofi #hip-hop and other stuff 🧐

A lifelong student of the piano, I started this project as a way to capture nice recordings of songs I played as a child while finding new material and continuing to grow and challenge myself as a musician while working and studying for my PhD. I hope to share with you what AI cannot—the human element and emotional range of the piano.

New track every Sunday @ 3:15am ET

Please stay tuned for further developments and enjoy!

Alex Thode (he/him/they) would first and foremost like you to know that not only is the “e” at the end of his last name not silent, but that he is also a composer and arranger most known for his work in the pageantry arts. He resides in Waukesha, Wisconsin with his cat, Buzz. An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Alex composes and arranges for marching bands across the continental United States. Always aiming to infuse contemporary music with the classics and the mainstream with the obscure, his marching band arrangements are known to stand out for their eclectic musical diversity and creative sonic environments.

Alex's clientele have been Bands of America (BOA) Regional Finalists and Class Champions, BOA Super Regional Class Champions, UIL Area Champions and State Finalists, WGI Winds Class Champions, and also make regular appearances at BOA Grand Nationals. He has also had the privilege of having his arrangements performed in the 2016 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2020 Tournament of Roses Bandfest.

Along with his compositions and arrangements for the pageantry arts, Alex also has been commissioned to write middle school and high school concert band works, and enjoys composing chamber percussion music. Alex recently completed his new piece for 8-piece percussion ensemble, “the carving of canyons,” which premiered in January 2022.

In his free time, Alex enjoys watching movies and believing he’s a professional film critic, hiking and pretending that he’s athletic, traveling and acting like he’s Marco Polo, playing piano, guitar and a variety of kalimbas, and being with good company.

Solo artist.  Song and dance man.  Folk.  Blues.  Contact:  desertersongs@yahoo.com Film critic at https://paulydeathwish.com/

New tracks tagged #Mussorgsky