Works

Simple Serenades was composed in 2013 for Gabriel Beavers, Professor of Bassoon at the University of Miami. The title reflects the fact that each movement emphasizes the lyrical qualities of the bassoon.

I have long believed that a musical composition is a personal communication between the composer and each individual listener. The composer is saying something specific to the listener that might be interpreted as exciting, dull, engrossing, tedious, moving, or simply anodyne — much like the conversations we have with each other every day. Although the title of each “story” (“Barcelona”, “Berceuse”, “Caracas”) alludes to a different culture, no attempt has been made to evoke local music. Each story has something to say — exactly what that is isn’t important. How each listener responds to the tales is all that matters.

The first movement, “Berceuse pour la Nouvelle-Orléans”, is a lullaby for a damaged New Orleans. The second movement, “Passacaglia”, is a set of variations on a 6-1/2 beat bass line.

A piano reduction of this concerto can be found above under Chamber Music.

The subtitle of this work is “Latin Steps” since each movement makes use of various Latin-American dance rhythms. Much of the first movement uses a rumba rhythm in a moderate tempo. The second movement is a tango, and the finale is a fast dance in 6/8. The work’s harmonic language, however, is quite chromatic and makes no attempt to evoke folk music.

This work is also available for sale in a piano reduction (see the Chamber Music section above).