Three Scherzi for Oboe, Op. 26
Date of Composition: 2012
Duration: 8 Minutes
Commissioner: Rong-Huey Liu
I. Allegro Animato
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Freely - Vivo Scherzando
Program Notes: My Three Scherzi for Solo Oboe, Op. 26 are written for and dedicated to Los Angeles oboist Rong-Huey Liu and later arranged for Solo Alto Saxophone, Clarinet and Flute. These short yet demanding pieces require a keen sense of control and masterful musicianship for this fastidious instrument. The first movement, marked Allegro Animato, opens with a playful theme in F Major before it takes a few chromatic twists and turns and descends to a point of stability. It quickly builds back up for a dramatic return of the theme followed by a swift transition into a sprightly middle section. After a chromatic ascent and decent build upon the early thematic rhythms, a definitive return to the opening material is heard and a quirky conclusion is ushered in. The second movement, Adagio Expressivo, is a sensual outpouring of longing. The melancholic theme, with hints of hope, endlessly grows and develops at both its highest and lowest points. A smooth transition back into the introductory material heralds an evolved variation of the theme and concludes with a whimsical F-Sharp Major scalar passage before reaching home. The third movement, Freely;Vivo Scherzando, is a perpetuum mobile of sorts. It opens with a plaintive theme that is quickly transformed into the aggressive and rhythmically unstable scherzando. The regularly shifting time signature and recurring accented interval of a minor third become the driving force of this short etude-like scherzo. After reaching a peak of frenzy, the music winds down and returns to a slightly varied form of the free, opening theme. Just when one feels at rest, a heightened sense of instability and virtuosity are demanded before reaching the final, calming folk-like calls before a sudden final vivo appears to bring the cycle to a dramatic close.
Performance History:
-December 5th, 2012; No. 1 & 2; Glendale Noon Concerts; First Baptist Church; Glendale, California – 12PM
-May 8th, 2013; The Art of the Oboe; Greenwich House Music School – Renee Weiler Concert Hall; New York, NY
-June 2nd, 2013; Faculty Recital Series; La Sierra University; Riverside, California – 7PM
-July 10th, 2013; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM
-August 4th, 2013; Private Recital at Stan Harris’; Los Angeles, California – 7PM
-August 5th, 2014; No. 1 & 2; Recital; Annenberg Beach House; Santa Monica, California –6:30PM
-August 16th, 2014; Northwest Oboe Seminar; All Saints Episcopal Church; Portland, Oregon – 7:30PM
-May 29th, 2017; Athens Conservatory - Ωδείον Αθηνών; Athens, Greece – 8PM
-August 30th, 2018; International Double Reed Society; Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones; Paseo del Violón - Sala Albéniz-Machuca; Granada, Spain – 3:45PM
-November 30th, 2023; No. 1; Recital - New York Kammermusiker; New York, New York - ??PM
-December 2nd, 2023; No. 1; Recital - New York Kammermusiker; New York, New York - ??PM
Three Scherzi for Alto Saxophone, Op. 26b
Date of Composition: 2013
Duration: 8 Minutes
Commissioner: Michael Mortarotti
I. Allegro Animato
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Freely - Vivo Scherzando
Program Notes: These short yet demanding pieces require a keen sense of control and masterful musicianship for this fastidious instrument. The first movement, marked Allegro Animato, opens with a playful theme in F Major before it takes a few chromatic twists and turns and descends to a point of stability. It quickly builds back up for a dramatic return of the theme followed by a swift transition into a sprightly middle section. After a chromatic ascent and decent build upon the early thematic rhythms, a definitive return to the opening material is heard and a quirky conclusion is ushered in. The second movement, Adagio Expressivo, is a sensual outpouring of longing. The melancholic theme, with hints of hope, endlessly grows and develops at both its highest and lowest points. A smooth transition back into the introductory material heralds an evolved variation of the theme and concludes with a whimsical F-Sharp Major scalar passage before reaching home. The third movement, Freely;Vivo Scherzando, is a perpetuum mobile of sorts. It opens with a plaintive theme that is quickly transformed into the aggressive and rhythmically unstable scherzando. The regularly shifting time signature and recurring accented interval of a minor third become the driving force of this short etude-like scherzo. After reaching a peak of frenzy, the music winds down and returns to a slightly varied form of the free, opening theme. Just when one feels at rest, a heightened sense of instability and virtuosity are demanded before reaching the final, calming folk-like calls before a sudden final vivo appears to bring the cycle to a dramatic close.
Performance History:
-June 11th, 2013; No. 3; San Bernardino Symphony Donors Event; San Bernardino, California – 8PM
-November 13th, 2013; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM
-July 16th, 2014; No. 1; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM
-August 29th, 2018; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM
-November 21st, 2019; No. 2; University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Natalie Haslam Music Center; Sandra G. Powell Recital; Knoxville, Tennessee – 6PM
-November 23rd, 2019; No. 2; Mars Hill University; Recital Hall; Mars Hill, North Carolina – 3PM
-January 4th, 2020; No. 2; NewMusicShelf Saxophone Anthology Recital; Marc A. Scorca Hall at The National Opera Center; New York, New York – 7PM
-March 24th, 2021; Civic Morning Musicals; Livestream; Syracuse, New York – 12PM
-September 10th, 2023; Classical Revolution; Cincinnati; The Loon: Wine Bar & Shop; Cincinnati, Ohio – 4:30PM
Three Scherzi for clarinet, Op. 26c
Date of Composition: 2014
Duration: 8 Minutes
Commissioner: Andrew Leonard
I. Allegro Animato
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Freely - Vivo Scherzando
Program Notes: These short yet demanding pieces require a keen sense of control and masterful musicianship for this fastidious instrument. The first movement, marked Allegro Animato, opens with a playful theme in F Major before it takes a few chromatic twists and turns and descends to a point of stability. It quickly builds back up for a dramatic return of the theme followed by a swift transition into a sprightly middle section. After a chromatic ascent and decent build upon the early thematic rhythms, a definitive return to the opening material is heard and a quirky conclusion is ushered in. The second movement, Adagio Expressivo, is a sensual outpouring of longing. The melancholic theme, with hints of hope, endlessly grows and develops at both its highest and lowest points. A smooth transition back into the introductory material heralds an evolved variation of the theme and concludes with a whimsical F-Sharp Major scalar passage before reaching home. The third movement, Freely;Vivo Scherzando, is a perpetuum mobile of sorts. It opens with a plaintive theme that is quickly transformed into the aggressive and rhythmically unstable scherzando. The regularly shifting time signature and recurring accented interval of a minor third become the driving force of this short etude-like scherzo. After reaching a peak of frenzy, the music winds down and returns to a slightly varied form of the free, opening theme. Just when one feels at rest, a heightened sense of instability and virtuosity are demanded before reaching the final, calming folk-like calls before a sudden final vivo appears to bring the cycle to a dramatic close.
Performance History:
-August 23rd, 2014; No. 1; Solo Recital; Steinway Gallery; Pasadena, California - 4PM
-February 8th, 2017; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM
-April 13th, 2019; Solus – An Unaccompanied Clarinet Recital; Crescent Front Rogue United Church; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Canada – 7PM
Three Scherzi for Flute, Op. 26d
Date of Composition: 2018
Duration: 8 Minutes
Commissioner: Rachel Mellis
I. Allegro Animato
II. Adagio Espressivo
III. Freely - Vivo Scherzando
Program Notes: These short yet demanding pieces require a keen sense of control and masterful musicianship for this fastidious instrument. The first movement, marked Allegro Animato, opens with a playful theme in F Major before it takes a few chromatic twists and turns and descends to a point of stability. It quickly builds back up for a dramatic return of the theme followed by a swift transition into a sprightly middle section. After a chromatic ascent and decent build upon the early thematic rhythms, a definitive return to the opening material is heard and a quirky conclusion is ushered in. The second movement, Adagio Expressivo, is a sensual outpouring of longing. The melancholic theme, with hints of hope, endlessly grows and develops at both its highest and lowest points. A smooth transition back into the introductory material heralds an evolved variation of the theme and concludes with a whimsical F-Sharp Major scalar passage before reaching home. The third movement, Freely;Vivo Scherzando, is a perpetuum mobile of sorts. It opens with a plaintive theme that is quickly transformed into the aggressive and rhythmically unstable scherzando. The regularly shifting time signature and recurring accented interval of a minor third become the driving force of this short etude-like scherzo. After reaching a peak of frenzy, the music winds down and returns to a slightly varied form of the free, opening theme. Just when one feels at rest, a heightened sense of instability and virtuosity are demanded before reaching the final, calming folk-like calls before a sudden final vivo appears to bring the cycle to a dramatic close.
Performance History:
-July 1st, 2020; No. 3; Glendale Noon Concerts - Livestream; Glendale City Church; Glendale, California – 12PM
-August 10th, 2020; Social Distance Sessions #31; Los Angeles, California – 4PM
-May 28th, 2020; Lunchtime Livestream Series; Austin, Texas – 1:30PM CST