Category: Art Music

Just in time for Halloween, here’s some scary monster music. Even scarier than the music itself is the story behind the music:

When I arrived at the University of Pittsburgh, I had already spent four years experimenting with a variety of compositional techniques–12 tone, aleatoric, set theory–and I thought I was ready to “find my voice.” My comp teacher felt the same way. But when I brought some drafts to my first lesson he played through them and told me, “these could be really great as, like, comic relief to something more substantial.” Little did he know, these were my actual ideas.

In any case, I knew it was going to be a long semester, grad program, and possibly life. I realized that nothing but the most off-the-wall musical offerings would satisfy this particular prof, so I invented a non-repeating scale and wrote a page or two of uninspired, non-committal, but forward-thinking music each week before my lesson.

He loved it.

However, the ensemble that was contracted to perform the piece at the end of the semester was not as convinced. The percussion player said “I don’t want to embarrass myself,” and the flutist, who was Amy Phillips-soon-to-be-Scheer’s teacher said, “Greg needs to learn to write for the flute.”

However, the following year an ensemble, led by Rachel Rudich, read the piece beautifully. The result is Tavala, MP3.

By the way, “Tavala” is a word that came to me while I was sleeping. Little did I know it was a Polynesian island.

The third movement of Inventions for Orchestra is less subtle than the first two. It’s an all out assault in 10/8 time. While I like the visceral excitement of this final movement and the way it churns through various harmonic regions, it bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the Hawaii Five-O theme. There I’ve said it.

Sadly, that momentary similarity may doom the entire composition for ever. But I’ll let you decide: Inv for Orch, movt 3, MP3.

Inventions for Orchestra, movement 2, began its life as a song called “Raining in Pittsburgh.” One day I’ll record that wistful take off on Bruce Cockburn’s “Thoughts on a Rainy Afternoon.” But in this case, its ever ascending chord sequence became the basis for an orchestral passacaglia: Inv for Orch, movt 2, MP3.

I’m slowly trying to digitize my collection of cassette recordings. Here is the first fruit:

For a long time I’ve been obsessed with M.C. Escher. My question has always been, “what would Escher have created were he a musician?” Well, he would have been J.S. Bach, of course. But what would Escher/Bach have created today, specifically if they were me?

I set about answering that question with a year of counterpoint lessons in 1993 and lots of piano sketches. Three of those sketches became Inventions for Orchestra. Movement #1 begins with the marking “Haydnesque,” but it soon morphs into something entirely different. And that’s the point. It continues to morph–like a fugue, but a fugue adrift at sea.

Special thanks to Roger Zahab for having the vision and fortitude (and lack of discretion?) to program music by unknown composers before it has even been composed.

Inventions for Orchestra, movt 1 (MP3)