I wouldn't call this a band at all. True, most of the things here are an ensemble of instruments, but the focus is not those instrumentalists. What's to be posted here are the various pieces which I've composed. I've been composing for several years, and I'm posting all that I've written that's been recorded here. As a "classical" composer, it's hard to get one's music out nowadays, particularly since one has to compete with any composer who's ever had his music recorded. So this is my attempt to "get out there." The recording quality isn't too good, and for that I apologize, but I sincerely hope that the quality of the music makes up for it.
As for myself, I'm 20 years old and just finishing my junior year at Carnegie Mellon University. I'm studying composition and German language. I've played viola for 12 years, piano for 14 years, I've taken voice for about 5 years, and I've been seriously composing for about 5 years. I'm also a writer, and am expecting my first novel out if the publisher ever stops postponing the meeting on details...I pretend to be able to draw as well, but now that's getting irrelevant.
To date, I have written mostly chamber music; this is a genre that I adore. I've been progressively increasing the size of the ensembles for which I write, and hope to start work on a major piece for full orchestra this summer.
You will probably notice influences of Shostakovich and Mahler on my work. This is usually (though not always) not planned, but as they are my favorite composers, it shouldn't be surprising that their work would be reflected in my own.
To date, my compositions include:
Two string quartets ("Chancellorsville" and "September 11th," for those who like subtitles)
A woodwind quintet
A song cycle for string quartet and mezzo soprano, with text from Brian Jacques' Redwall series
"91102," a setting of my own text for soprano and piano
A bit of incidental music for William Saroyan's one act play "Subway Circus"
An elegy for string quartet in memory of my former viola teacher's late husband
Song cycle for unaccompanied SATB choir with texts from Tolkien (pretty much an abandoned project for now)
Trio for Piano, Viola, and Cello
Two settings for tenor and piano of some of my own Civil War poetry
Movement for Solo Clarinet
"Rose of Old Redwall" for soprano, flute, and viola, on a text by Brian Jacques
"10048," an octet for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two violins, viola, and cello
Violin Concerto
Orchestral movement involving cicadas (I now consider this a draft, and will be substantially rewriting it)
Sonata for English Horn and Piano
The Enemies of Music: A song cycle using texts of very mean reviews that were given to great composers in the newspapers of their day (in progress)
Feel free to email me with any questions you might have about my work.
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dsch
Yep. I'm the only oddity here. In case you're wondering, the username "dsch" comes from Dmitri Shostakovich. The notes D-S-C-H (D-E flat-C-B) made up his musical signature. In case you couldn't tell, Shostakovich is my favorite composer.
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