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Josh's Classical Compositions
Piano Sonata in A-Major, Op.1 No.1
Completed 6/2/95, my first piano sonata left much to be desired now that I look back at it. I put it here for historical purposes only.
Piano Sonata in G-Major, Op.1 No.2
This piano sonata was completed 10/18/95. I purposely left it shorter than the next one so it seemed inferior.
Piano Sonata in C-Major, Op.1 No.3
My most important sonata at the time, it was finished 9/8/95. When I look at it now, I realize that the piece is rather lacking.
Originally a set of nine separate Etudes, I put them into midi form and added a tenth. None are particularly difficult, but they're fun to listen to.
This fun work was written some time in early 1995. While it shows its age, the prelude is a lot of fun.
Miniature String Quartet in A-Minor Op.4 No.1
One of my first attempts at orchestral writing, this tiny string quartet just doesn't compare to my later work in the genre. While vaguely entertaining, it's not one of my finest attempts. It was completed 11/8/95
Miniature String Quartet in E-Major Op.4 No.2
My personal favorite in the Opus 4 set, this piece has an excellent beginning, and while the last half falters, it still holds up.
Miniature String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op.4 No.3
The final Miniature string quartet is probably my worst attempt in the genre. That's not to say there aren't good sections, but it's mostly blah.
Piano Sonata in G-Minor, Op.5
Unavailable for now....
Orchestral Warmup in E-Minor, Op.6 No.1
When I first decided that orchestral writing was my passion, I wrote this tiny piece for orchestra. It's fun, but there's not much there.
Orchestral Warmup in C-Major, Op.6 No.2
More of a trio then a warmup, this piece is dull, but it is once again one of my earliest works.
Orchestral Warmup in C-Major, Op.6 No.3
Easily the best out of the set, this warmup starts out bombastically, and ends with a flourish.
14 Preludes, Op.7
Unavailable for now....
9 Feelings, Op.8
Unavailable for now....
Piano Concerto in C-Major, Op.9
Completed 8/16/96, this one-movement work shows off the orchestra and the piano in one swoop. While not my favorite work, the use of the flutes and strings are quite good, and a lot of the middle section is wonderful.
15 Miniature Preludes, Op.10
Not available now....
Piano Concerto in E-Minor, Op.11 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
My first major work and easily the most important at the time, my Piano Concerto, completed 12/5/95 suffers from a weak middle movement, but other than that, the piece is grand, utilizing the orchestral and the piano for my first time ever.
Entirely an experimental work, this piece is mostly for grins.
Piano Sonata in E-Major, Op.13 No.1
Unavailable for now....
Piano Sonata in D-Major, Op.13 No.2
Unavailable for now....
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in G-Major, Op.14 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
This piece is one of my best works to date, with a fabolous first three movements. While the rondo is way too short (I never was good with rondos), the scherzo is delightful and the adagio perfectly somber. Completed 9/12/97
Orchestral Warmup for Large Ensemble, Op.15
This warmup has the honor of using an extremely large orchestra (at least for me). Other than that, there's not much to recommend it. It was completed 7/12/97.
My first song is a deviation from the norm. Titled "Someone is Watching Over You," it has no lyrics (I'm a composer, not a lyricist) but the parts are grand and it was a fun diversion.
"The First" - An Opera in Three Acts, Op.17 - 1. 2. 3.
My first opera and one that took a year to construct, my hour-long opera had its shares of successes and failures. One, I'm not the best storyteller, so I won't bother trying to explain the rather dull story to the opera. Two, the overture is easily the best part of the opera. Clocking in at 9 minutes, it is a delight (for me, at least) to listen to, and I hope that you enjoy it.
Piano Sonata in F-Major, Op.18
Unavailble for now....
Variations on a Theme by Paganini for Piano and Orchestra, Op.19
This unusual set of variations is the only one of my pieces to be written entirely by computer! Now I have to use manuscript paper for some odd reason. The piece isn't terribly long, but it's fun to listen to, and it provided an interesting outlet for my skills.
Symphonic Vocal Piece for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, Op.20
One of my most important vocal works (not counting the opera), my symphonic vocal piece had a troubled beginning. When I had started it four months before it was completed, I didn't have much inspiration for it. Since most of my pieces started from just one page of fragmentary manuscript, this could have been garbage fodder, but as it turned out nicely, I have no complaints. It was completed 8/27/97.
String Quartet in D-Minor, Op.21 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
Easily my most important work at the time, my string quartet was written at the same time as the piano sonata op.18 and the violin sonata op.30. While the piano sonata turned out rather poorly, the string quartet didn't. While my interest in strings has remained high, this piece doesn't seem to show them off as much as I wanted them to. The first movement, in particular, is very odd. The main theme is uninspired, but the chilling second theme is quite nice. I wrote the second movement while being driven to a car race. It turned out even better than expected. The third movement was just intended as a very brief bridge, but it is easily one of the nicest pieces I have ever written. The last movement is just a set of boring variations. There wasn't much I could do to save this one, but at least I can write something! The string quartet was completed 6/28/97.
Symphony in C-Major, "Winter" Op.22 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
My first in my set of "Season" symphonies, this one is probably the least important. While the combination of glockenspiel and bells provides a colder atmoshere, the rest of the piece seems to be brought down by some sloppy orchestration. Still, it was my first, and most important symphony at the time. The first movement has a lovely introduction before moving right into the meat, the first theme. Most of the movement is very different, and there's only so much unique instrumentation can do. The second movement is quite long and boring, but it has a stunning climax. The third movement is routine, but it was a blast to write. The final movement is even odder than the first. This is one of my only movements to be completly sketched out on paper before orchestrated. It was finished 6/22/97.
Changing of the Seasons, Op.23 - 1. 2.
Unavailble for now....
Symphony in C-Minor, "Summer" Op.24 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
Officially the last of my "Season" symphonies, this one was the hardest to write. To start with, I resticted myself with the old fashioned Mozart orchestra (Oboe, French Horn, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello). That made the piece much harder because of the lack of diversity. I wanted to prove to myself that I could write a large scale symphony with very little instruments, and I succeeded quite nicely. The first movement (Completed 1/18/98) is pretty dull overall, but in the last half, it perks up a little bit. The Andante (Completed 3/8/98) was a pain to write, mostly because slow movements have never been my forte. Nevertheless, the main theme is quite pretty, and the oboes get a chance to shine. The Scherzo (Completed 1/20/98) was written very quickly, and it shows. I don't have much more to say about that movement. My pride and joy belongs to the fourth movement. Completed 8/10/98, I had it in a story form. At my aunt's house, I found a manuscript of a pretty piano piece that I thought a little girl had written. It was crude, but I used it as the finale to the work. Little did I know that the theme was actually part of a song called "Born Free." For obvious reasons, I can't include that movement until after I revise the ending.
Symphony in D-Major, "Fall" Op.25 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
My third "Season" symphony, this one had a short history. I wrote it in one short month (9/22/97-10/24/97) and in a lot of places it shows. Still, there is a lot of good stuff here, especially in the first movement. Speaking of the first movement, it is my first piece in which I change the key signiture so drastically. It also has an unusual pizzicato section at the ending. The second movement was supposed to signify a thunderstorm. I don't think I got that across. I used the Trombone in that movement, one of my only times I ever used the intrument. My scherzo is pretty much like the rest of my scherzos. Delightful, but hardly complex. The Rondo is short and sweet. I never was quite good at the Rondos in most of my pieces, but I had a good theme going, so I stuck with it.
Piano Concerto in C-Major, Op.26 - 1. 2. 3.
Out of all of my pieces, my opus 26 Piano Concerto is the most important. Why, you ask? It was a monumental work for me and lightyears ahead of my last attempt into the genre. The first movement (Completed 11/7/97) begins with a somewhat weak introduction, but once the orchestra joins in, the piece gets much livelier. Let us not forget the piano, which gets a few tricky parts, especially in the cadenzas. One thing that I have noticed is that my best parts always seem to be the endings. This work is no exception. The second movement is a beautiful set of variations. I believe that this movement is the best I have produced, and even though a year has passed since I wrote it (12/29/97), I haven't been able to surpass it. The orchestra is slightly trimmed down, as I rely on a larger version of my Op.24 orchestra. One oboe, one french horn, a piano, and two each of the Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Bass. As you can imagine, the work is dominated mostly by the strings, although in my second variation, I give the brass and woodwinds a chance to shine. The Rondo starts out marvelously (Completed 1/12/98) with a great main theme and piano accompaniment. Unfortunately, I then decided about halfway through the piece to add a section in which each instrument has a duet with the piano. Oops!! Needless to say, the piece soon perks up, and after a climatic cadenza, finishes with a flourish!!
Two Odes to Thea, Op.27 - 1. 2.
Unavailable for now....
Piano Concerto in D-Minor, Op.28 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
My current work, the Piano Concerto in D-Minor seems inferior to the Op.26 one, mostly because of lack of ideas. The first movement is delightful (as well as my second work to utilize MIDI volume) but too short. The newly completed slow movement is almost demonic in the way that desonance triumphs. It also uses the Bass Trombone and my first utilization of the Bass Clarinet to add a few shudders. It ends rather poorly, but the swift piano cadenza is worth a look. The scherzo is short, but there are some interesting things in there, especially at the end. The rondo is done, and it's a nice one, especially near the beginning, with that ear-piercing violin high A.
"The Second" - An Opera in ??? Acts, Op.29 - ???
My second opera is still in the preliminary stages. While I had a story made up about a year ago, I decided that it was too cheesy. The overture is finished as well as a section of the introduction, but I won't put it up until I've completed the whole thing. Expect to wait a while.
Sonata for Piano and Violin in E-Minor, Op.30 - 1. 2. 3.
My first attempt at combining the piano with another instrument worked out quite well. The first movement starts out with an upward chord progression with the piano before the violin joins in. Nothing really special. The middle movement is somewhat more important, in that I create my first truly beautiful melody. The last movement is quite fast and very bleak. The whole work was completed 7/3/97.
Beginners Exercises/Introduction to Duets, Op.31 - 1. 2.
These two pieces were used for when I was teaching my Grandma piano lessons. Now, I realize that they weren't the best teaching tools and they are extremely difficult to listen to today.
Symphony in F-Major, "Spring" Op.32 - 1. 2. 3. 4.
My second symphony and the most interesting, my "Spring" symphony was started when I was outdoors camping. The first movement has a unique introduction that soon enters a rather droll main theme. The movement is short, but fascinating. The second movement is quite lovely, using the harp to great advantage. The Scherzo is nothing particularly special, but it was very fun to compose. The final movement was a failed experiment using the Harpsichord. While it still made it into the symphony, it is not one of my finest moments.
Piano Concerto in ?-Major, Op.33 - ???
I only have preliminary sketches on this work, but nothing definite, which is why it doesn't even have a key signiture yet. It was originally going to be in G-Major, but I'm not sure now.
Tone Poem, "Kari" Op.34 - 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
This Tone Poem, based on the adventures of one of my friends, is mostly incomplete, but the movements I have completed are going up. The first one is based on her birth. It is rather short and quite unique. The last one I wrote while at my Dad's cabin. It took me the entire week to write it, and the separate sections are based on the feelings that I had at the time of the writing. When I write more on the piece, I will post them.
This song has the honor of being dedicated to the dearly missed Princess Diana. I wrote it after hearing of her death, and it is still one of my loveliest works.
Incidental Music to "Antigone", Op.36 - 1. 2. 3. 3.5 4. 5. 5.5 6. 7. 8.
I originally composed this piece for my school production of "Antigone," but when I learned that it wouldn't be used, I gathered up all of the scenes and converted it to Incidental Music. Most of the movements concentrate on the different characters of the play. Movement two is about Antigone, for example. My personal favorite is the death march part of the last movement. It uses the trumpet to great effect, and when the finale starts to play, you can't help but cheer.
The Smith Family: Fantasy in D-Minor, Op.37
I have only one page of this piece completed, so it's on my "To Do" list.
Trio in F-Major for Piano, Violin and Cello, "Patrick Summers" Op.38 - 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
One of my recent works, this Trio started because I wanted something to do, and I met a conductor at a Seattle Opera production by the name of Patrick Summers. While the first five movements are excellent, especially the fifth movement death dirge, the sixth failed miserably. I had started a page or two of it, but then I discarded the papers and started over. By the time I got through most of it, I made the foolish decision of combining the two together. Oops.
Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op.39 - 1. 2. 3. ??
As of yet incomplete, I started this for the play of the same name that my school will be performing at the end of the year. Once again, the music won't be used, so I literally forced myself to get past the first movement, which is interesting. The second movement is just a short string section used for stage purposes only. The third movement was meant to signify the flight of the ferries, but I think I lost the translation somewhere. Nevertheless, it is still enjoyable, albeit short.
Email to: jb1980@email.msn.com
