Midnight by the Ocean

In this beautiful slow movement, the violins take turns to carry the melody while the other strings supply a gently pulsing portato eighth-note accompaniment.  While I used mainly established Baroque-era chord progressions, the sudden transition from A minor to D flat major at 4:14 was a touch of divine inspiration.

Adagio in F major from String Quartet no. 2

This is the slow movement from my third string quartet.  The opening bars are almost identical to those of Beethoven’s violin concerto, but the feel is quite different.  Subtle chord progressions and melodic lines in all four parts combine in a work that is complex and emotional.

Adagio in C major from String Quartet no. 3

This piece was composed and submitted in response to the UND Community Orchestra's 2016 Call for Scores.  It was one of three pieces selected by the committee to be premiered at the Community Orchestra's Spring Concert in April 2016.  It is scored for string orchestra and harp (substituted in this recording by piano).  My goal was to write a musically interesting piece with few technical demands, and with a minimum of accidentals.  The name comes from the way that the material of the march section is reconciled with the gentle feel of the main theme in the coda.

Reconciliation

The name of this piece comes from some of the random words spelled out by the melody note-names.  In the middle section, the violin, cello, and piano present a recitative about three people called Becca, Gabe, and Dad – although the story is rather contrived as I was limited to the seven letters A–G!

Yen Lee Loh - Compositions for Strings

Cabbage, Bad Eggs, and Beef

A classical piece for flute and piano, in the style of a 20th-century (Modern era) composer.  The piece is based on augmented triads that shift up and down chromatically, keeping things edgy and unpredictable.  (Warning: MIDI flute.)

Waltz for Flute and Piano

Sombre undertones permeate this waltz in a minor key, although the middle sections are lighter and even fairy-like.  This was the second piece I wrote for the cello.  It was intended to be musically interesting without requiring virtuoso techniques.  (It needs to be re-recorded some time to fix some off-notes - maybe by a professional cellist?)

Waltz for Cello and Piano

A virtuoso violin piece.  (Needs to be re-recorded by a REAL virtuoso violinist...)

Tango for Violin and Piano

I wrote this concerto for guitar and string orchestra in 2019.  The first movement (Allegro) follows a typical Baroque form.  The slow movement, also in a Baroque style, is a theme with variations that explore the possibilities of this combination of instruments.  One variation demonstrates tremolo technique on unaccompanied guitar.  The final Rondo is closer to the Classical era in style, and ends with a grand finale.  (Recording is a bit rough; needs to be redone.)

Guitar Concerto no. 1

Written for my youngest son's graduation in 2019.

Proud of You

Composer, pianist, violinist, violist, cellist, and guitarist.  Most tracks on this site  are MP3-quality drafts.

Yen Loh