Paul Biss conducts the New England Conservatory Symphony in a performance of Sibelius: Symphony no 2 in D major, Op. 43. Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston, April 9, 2014.

Sibelius: Symphony no 2 in D major, Op. 43 Allegretto

This piece moves gently, carrying a subtle sadness, but never sinking into despair. Its mood feels like quiet reflection — tinged with melancholy but also with warmth and dignity.
The music opens with a French horn solo, soft and resonant, its tone suggesting both distance and intimacy, like a voice calling from memory. The horn’s melodic line is simple yet noble, setting the reflective character of the work.
As the clarinet enters, it answers the horn in a lighter, more lyrical voice, bringing a hint of comfort and movement. The bassoon follows with a deeper, more grounded timbre, adding weight and gentle sorrow to the texture. Underneath, the cello provides sustained tones and subtle, pulsing rhythms — not heavy, but steady, anchoring the ensemble.
Through the middle section, the four instruments weave together in a chamber-like conversation: the horn’s phrases stretching long and noble, the clarinet offering sigh-like responses, the bassoon coloring the harmony with a touch of gravity, and the cello carrying a quiet undercurrent of resilience.
The piece gradually thins out near the close, leaving the French horn once again in solitude. The final horn solo mirrors the opening, but softer, as if the memory has faded — not with sorrow, but with acceptance.
The overall impression is of a slightly sad but tender piece, evoking reflection, farewell, or the quiet turning of a page.


Echoes of Tomorrow

M002-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Allegro Maestoso

18. Oboe sonata in C minor - Allegro assai

20. Oboe sonata in C minor - Giga-Presto

Alone was recorded in December 2008 by Robert Ian Winstin and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra on the ERMMedia label, which ceased to exist following the untimely death of Maestro Winstin. The recording was set to be released on the Masterworks of the New Era series that was in its sixteenth volume at the time of Winstin’s death in 2010. After securing the recording masters from Susan Winstin, I was approached by PARMA Recordings with an offer to release the recording on their label. I am excited about the opportunity to work with PARMA on this, my first release with them.

Alone: Suite for Orchestra

Recorded August 8, 2012 by members of the Callithumpian Consort at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT.

String Quartet No. 3: IV. Presto

String Quartet No. 3: II. Allegro

String Quartet No. 3: I. Intro

Selection of traditional Irish tunes played on piano, accompanied by a string trio (two violins and one viola).
Played by Paul Clesham and Matthew Stein.
Recorded and mixed at Wesleyan University Experimental Music Recording Studio by Jose Maria Buendia.

Jigs: “Bobby Casey’s” , “The Spotted Dog”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Oboe Quartet in F major, K. 370 II. Adagio

Timothy Lee Miller is an American composer, orchestrator, arranger, and publisher writing contemporary classical and jazz music, as well as film and video game music.