Composed in the summer of 1987 at the request of the Elgart/Yates Guitar Duo (to whom the work is dedicated), arcus vitae is a representative example of the composer's ongoing interest in strictly controlled, systematically applied processes as analogies of natural phenomena.

As the title suggests, the work is essentially an arch-like structure, and is characterized by a gradual process of growth and decay that is evidenced in all parameters: rhythmic material is the result of an incremental accumulation and subsequent reduction of temporal values (each of the two parts proceeding in palindrome from a basic rhythmic nucleus); pitch material expands from a single point to a completely saturated chromatic field, then gradually dissipates; variations of dynamics and register are the result of articulative/timbral modifications, which are applied to the raw materials in such a way as to effect a gradual increase then subsequent decrease in density and complexity, eventually returning to the simplicity of the opening. Canonic elements, inherent to the structure and present throughout, become more apparent from the midpoint onward, where the temporal displacements are often so minute as to create an echo-like stretto between the parts.

As an analogy to the life process, the return to the original state in arcus vitae is not a literal one; rather, it is degenerative in nature, as in the eventual deterioration of an organism over time. Such a retrogression is effected by rhythmic and intonational distortions that occur within the latter portion of the work, thus epitomizing mortality itself.

DEdi/seC(r)ATIONS was composed between February and April of 1986 for tenor John Reager, to whom the work is dedicated. The work was first performed by Reager, with the composer playing percussion, at California State University, Pomona, on 17 April 1986.

The work consists of five arias for voice (male or female) and percussion, each separated by a brief interlude for percussion alone. The primary percussion instruments (which are used during the arias) are grouped into two stations, arranged at the far right and left sides of the stage. Connecting these stations are two parallel rows of percussion instruments forming a narrow corridor through which the percussionist passes during the interludes.

Regarding the music itself, each aria and interlude is the result of a different compositional approach: should we not go in? for voice and timpani follows a strict system in its organization, and is notated conventionally; (...at the 1369) for voice and vibraphone is notated proportionally, allowing for some degree of flexibility between the parts; The Cage for voice and marimba consists of an aleatoric chart, by which four dice determine the structure of the aria; re: Vinko for voice, prepared timpani, and miscellaneous percussion instruments is in a somewhat free mobile format, each of the performers following his/her own set of directions provided within a series of boxes; Mr. P's Epitaph for voice and ocarina is a purely graphic score intended as an improvisatory guide. The four interludes similarly display such a diversity of approaches.

The use of text is extremely varied, ranging from straightforward presentation (e.g., (...at the 1369), should we not go in?) to more flexible situations through either chance procedures (e.g., The Cage) or performer choice (e.g., Mr. P's Epitaph, re: Vinko).

Dog is based upon the poem of the same name by American poet W.S. Merwin (b. 1927), from the collection titled Green With Beasts (1956). Merwin’s poem is a nihilistic study in despair and desolation, a contemplation of the dog who “guards all that is gone.” The present work explores the psychological implications of the poem through a variety of musical and visual elements — including 8-channel computer music, live processing of the voice and bassoon, video projections, and lighting.

The vocalist elaborates upon the salient aspects of the poem, while the bassoonist acts as alter ego: together, these elements represent the physical presence of the dog, alternately aware of the oppressive present and reflective of a vital past. The computer music consists of three musical layers: a sonic “windscape” (utilizing processed sounds from the female voice and bassoon), suggesting “the shimmering vista of emptiness” described by Merwin; the spoken voice, presenting the poem in its entirety; and the processed dog sounds (crossed with bassoon and voice samples), representing a struggle of the psyche, as the creature comes to terms with its fate. The work is presented in six episodes, throughout which the voice and bassoon exchange roles: as the former becomes increasingly prominent, the latter assumes a more accompanimental status.

Dog was supported in part by a faculty research grant from the University of North Texas, and is dedicated to Heidi Dietrich Klein and Kristin Wolfe Jensen. The computer music was realized at the UNT Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia, with the invaluable assistance of Michael Thompson, and the video component was rendered and edited by Jon L. Henry, under the supervision of the composer. The work was first performed by soprano Heidi Dietrich Klein and bassoonist Kristen Wolfe Jensen on 1 October 1997 at the University of North Texas.

When director Jan Harrington approached me with the prospect of composing a work for the Indiana University Contemporary Vocal Ensemble in collaboration with choreographer Emily Stuart, I was both enthusiastic about the dramatic possibilities and a bit tentative regarding the collaborative process itself. During my initial meetings with Emily, it was apparent that we had quite dissimilar aesthetic concerns, and therefore, somewhat different conceptual approaches to this particular work. As the composer, my primary goal was to create a music that would be an equal partner to the visual drama, neither dominating nor playing a subservient role to it. In particular, I wanted to integrate and manipulate the sound materials in a compelling, musically satisfying way, and to avoid creating a mere textural backdrop to the stage action. As for the form of the work, we had a pretty clear idea early on of how it would be structured, though the details were slowly formulated over a period of several months by a continuous process of reworking and elaborating upon each other's materials. Thus, each stage of the work's development was the result of a kind of artistic cross-pollination, whereby a particular action would determine an appropriate musical response, and vice versa. This interactive process gave each of us a fresh perspective toward the creation of dreaming the dark down slowly, and in the final analysis, those creative differences which I had initially regarded with some apprehension actually proved to be the essential catalyst for a work I consider to be a truly collaborative effort.

false relationships was composed between August of 1989 and February of 1990 at the request of clarinetist Richard Hornsby. The work is in five continuous movements, each utilizing different combinations of the eight instruments. Clarinets are prominent in prologue: sects,discourse, an introductory movement in which the basic materials of the entire work are presented. In alter ego, the ensemble is divided into two equal quartets which engage in a polemic exchange, the musical material of which is based loosely upon the second movement of Antonín Dvorák’s Serenade for Winds, Opus 44. The third movement, circuit, is a round for six players modeled after the third movement of Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 in C-minor, K.388. Based upon Edgard Varèse’s Octandre, schism (concertino) features the two oboists against a ripieno consisting of the remainder of the ensemble. This apparent rift is ultimately rectified in the final movement, epilogue: acquiescence/diaspora, which is characterized by a convergence and eventual dispersion of the entire ensemble.

Goblin Market was composed in 1993 for trombonist William Bootz on a National Endowment for the Arts Composer Fellowship, and is based upon the poem of the same name by Pre-Raphaelite poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894). The work itself is not intended as a programmatic representation of the poem, but is rather a structural and psychological study of the actions and characters portrayed therein; thus the material has been reworked to the extent that it exists in this form as a parallel or alternate realization of the original impetus, almost as a shadow or spectre. To this end, the work is divided into five movements, according to the dramatic unfolding of the poem. Each of these movements is itself parsed into smaller sections, the number and duration of these sections corresponding to each paragraph of text; thus, the pacing of the musical work is based directly upon that of the poem itself.

The Rossetti poem concerns two sisters, Laura and Lizzie. Each day as they stroll through the woods to the market, they hear the cries of the goblin men, enticing them to come buy their fruits (come buy, come buy). Though the girls are aware of the dangers of listening to the goblin men, Laura one day gives into the temptation. As she peeks over a knoll, the grotesque little men rush her, offering luscious fruits from their strange, enticing garden. After buying their fruits with a lock of hair and a tear, Laura is treated to tastes and pleasures beyond her imagination. Eager to repeat the encounter the following day, Laura is devastated to find that now only her sister hears the cries of the goblin men (open heart/absent dream). Pining for lost pleasures, Laura begins to waste away (Laura dwindling). In an effort to save her sister, Lizzie confronts the goblin men, but stubbornly refuses to eat their fruits (resistance). Eventually the goblin men give up, leaving Lizzie in disgust (bitterness without a name). The shared experience brings the two sisters together and heals Laura of her wasting anguish.

In the present work, the two main characters of the poem are represented by mutually exclusive pitch cells, one consisting of five pitch classes, the other of seven (thus comprising all twelve pitch classes when combined). These cells are utilized according to the action within the poem; thus their segregation or integration is directly linked to the poem's narrative structure. The 5:7:12 scheme is also applied proportionally throughout the work, evidenced primarily in the temporal relationships between the various elements within the environment and solo parts.

The musical-dramatic content of each section of the work is the result of a psychological extrapolation of the drama within the poem, which has then been superimposed upon or recast within more traditional formal models. However, in several cases these boundaries have been obscured as a result of the various interrelationships: for example, the theme of the second movement variations is actually a paraphrase of the second section of the first movement, as well as a miniature set of variations in itself; the variations of the second movement continue in the fifth movement, after being interrupted by movements III and IV; the third movement is a passacaglia (i.e., continuous variations) based exclusively upon the seven-note pitch cell, and is thus an extension of (or obsession upon) variation 4 of the second movement. In a broad sense then, the entire work may be viewed as a set of variations on the two pitch cells (thus making the second and fifth movements "variations within/upon variations").

From a dramatic standpoint, the work depicts the course of a protagonist (trombonist) through a reflection of the plot (environment) as generated by the composer's response to the content of Rossetti's poem.

IcarUS At thE caBARet VoLtairE: parT I (tHe RENdeZVOus) was composed in August and September of 1985 for the Los Angeles-based guitar duo of Matthew Elgart and Peter Yates. The work was first performed on 18 December 1985 by the Elgart/Yates Duo at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and has since been performed over two dozen times throughout the United States and Europe. IcarUS At thE caBARet VoLtairE is the recipient of a 1987 ASCAP Grants to Young Composers Award and an honorable mention in the 1988 Gaudeamus Prize Competition.

To present an in-depth analysis of a work such as IcarUS At thE caBARet VoLtairE prior to its performance would be an injustice both to the work itself and to the audience. However, let it suffice to say that the work is intended as a musical embodiment of the DADA spirit (as suggested by its title) in both construction and presentation. Much of the work is based on a process of growth/metamorphosis/decay, though the myriad of surface details often obscure this fundamental structural tenet. Textual materials are taken from four different languages (German, French, Italian, and English) and juxtaposed arbitrarily, their placement defined by Morse Code and organized according to pre-compositional decisions determined by a deck of playing cards. The often marionette-like actions of the guitarists themselves emphasize their reflexive/reactive attitude toward the various aural stimuli, which in turn either generate additional musical materials, or are integrated into the overall texture.

Composed in 1982, Images for jazz combo is an improvisational work which allows performers freedom from the rhythmic, harmonic, and stylistic constraints of more traditional jazz idioms. The score is comprised of nine boxes, each of which contains a distinct image for improvisational impetus. Three of the boxes are played by the entire ensemble; each of the remaining boxes is interpreted by a different combination of instruments within the group (solo with drums; solo with bass; solo with bass and drums; bass and drums; drums solo; horns only). Players may follow any number of possible pathways through the nine boxes, as indicated in the score; the order of the various instrumental groupings and the duration of each event (and of the overall work) are determined by the ensemble.

Die Königskünderin ("The King-Proclaimer") is one of a series of short works for solo instrument based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge: Fünfzig Charaktere ("Earwitness: Fifty Characters"), written in 1974 by the Bulgarian-born British-Austrian novelist Elias Canetti (1905-1994). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. This collection of works, begun in 1997, was inspired by the vividly surreal depictions of Canetti’s characters and include works for contrabass, violin, bass flute, ocarina, contrabassoon, glass harmonica, alto saxophone, trumpet, and percussion.

Die Königskünderin was completed in April of 2006 for trumpeter John Holt, who first performed the work at the University of North Texas on 17 October 2006.

Lament was composed in September of 1995 for the funeral service of the composer's grandfather, Joe Nobile.

Because the work is intended primarily as Gebrauchsmusik — i.e., for functional purposes — certain practical considerations have been observed during its composition. In the first place, the harmonic and melodic language are traditionally based, resulting in a more accessible and seemingly "familiar" style. Secondly, the work consists of four distinct voice parts (SATB), lending itself to a variety of possible transcriptions (e.g. double-reed quartet, saxophone quartet, string orchestra, solo guitar, etc.). Finally, the work is texturally static and repetitious, thus making it suitable for more passive listening.

These practical considerations superceded all other compositional decisions in the creation of Lament. With this in mind, a series of processes was devised in order to create a tonally-based isorhythmic moto perpetuo in three parts. The first line consists of a descending 4-note scale pattern, two beats per note, cycling through a circle of fifths in two measure increments. The second line consists of an ascending 4-note scale pattern, one note per beat, cycling through a circle of fifths in one measure increments. The third line consists of a twelve-tone row, three beats per note, which completes a cycle every 36 beats. The composite isorhythmic patterns require 288 beats to cycle completely, and the entire work is divided into three equal strophes of 96 beats each. Interpolated among these three lines is a freely-structured fourth line which is in continuous motion throughout. With the exception of the first line (which remains exclusively in the bass voice), these lines are in constant flux within the three upper voices, meandering elusively through the texture.

The resulting music is stylistically indebted to three diverse composers: Maurice Ravel (primarily in the harmonic and melodic content), Johannes Brahms (rhythmic and contrapuntal elements), and Johannes Ockeghem (textural density and phrase structure).

Der Leichenschleicher ("The Corpse-skulker") is one of a series of short works for solo instrument based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge: Fünfzig Charaktere ("Earwitness: Fifty Characters"), written in 1974 by the Bulgarian-born British-Austrian novelist Elias Canetti (1905-1994). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. This collection of works, begun in 1997, was inspired by the vividly surreal depictions of Canetti’s characters and include works for contrabass, violin, bass flute, ocarina, contrabassoon, glass harmonica, alto saxophone, trumpet, and percussion.

Der Leichenschleicher was composed in June of 1997 for contrabassist Michael Hartt. The work was first performed by Todd Markey on 22 November 1999 at the University of North Texas

Der Leidverweser ("The Woe-administrator") is one of a series of short works for solo instrument based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge: Fünfzig Charaktere ("Earwitness: Fifty Characters"), written in 1974 by the Bulgarian-born British-Austrian novelist Elias Canetti (1905-1994). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. This collection of works, begun in 1997, was inspired by the vividly surreal depictions of Canetti’s characters and include works for contrabass, violin, bass flute, ocarina, contrabassoon, glass harmonica, alto saxophone, trumpet, and percussion.

Der Leidverweser was composed in June of 1998 for contrabassoonist James Rodgers. The work received the 1998 El Ruiseñor Grave Prize and was first performed by Monica Fucci on August 13, 1999, for the International Double Reed Society Conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Leviathan is based upon the poem of the same name by American poet W.S. Merwin (b. 1927), from the collection titled Green With Beasts (1956). Merwin’s poem is an evocative depiction of the mythical beast, the “curling serpent that in ocean is, Sea-fright... the shadow under the earth.” The present work explores the psychological implications of the poem through a variety of musical and visual elements — including 8-channel computer music, live processing of the voice and bass trombone, video projections, and lighting.

The work is presented in five episodes, throughout which the relationship between the voice and bass trombone is continually changing. The vocalist elaborates upon the salient aspects of the poem, representing the conceptual and psychological aspects of leviathan, while the bass trombonist represents the physical and mythical manifestation of the beast. The computer music consists of three musical layers: a continuously transforming sonic “seascape”, suggesting the “wastes gray-green crashing” described by Merwin; the spoken voice, presenting the poem in its entirety (and including additional references to the Biblical creature drawn from Job 41, Psalms 104:26, and Isaiah 27:1 in Episode 3); and a variety of processed nautical sounds (crossed with bass trombone and voice samples), creating a sonic link between myth and reality.

Leviathan was supported in part by a faculty research grant from the University of North Texas, and is dedicated to Joseph Hopkins and William Bootz. The computer music was realized at the UNT Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia, with the assistance of Morris Martin, Ed Baird, William Bootz, and Chris Gassler (audio sound sources), and Steve Willis (recording engineer). The video component was rendered and edited by Jon L. Henry, under the supervision of the composer. The work was first performed by baritone Jeffrey Snider and bass trombonist William Bootz on 9 November 1998 at the University of North Texas Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia.

March Transforms was composed between October of 1985 and January of 1986 for the UC San Diego Wind Ensemble at the request of the director, Cindy Earnest, to whom the work is dedicated. The work was first performed by that ensemble on 2 March 1986, and was subsequently selected by the Virginia Band Director's National Association for presentation at the "Symposium XII for New Band Music" in February of 1987. It has since been perfomed by several major university wind ensembles throughout the country. In 1989, March Transforms received the Grand Prize Award in the Third Annual Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonian Competition.

The structure of the work is based entirely upon that of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" March, evidenced (at least fundamentally) in nearly every aspect of the work's construction, including form, pitch, rhythm, and even instrumentation. The result is not so much a march in itself, as it is a distillation of the Sousa classic.

Melodráme was composed between December 1988 and August 1989 for contrabassist Michael Hartt. The work is in six movements that form a completely symmetrical arch-structure resulting from the superimposition of equal divisions of the whole by 3, 4, and 5 units (the resulting proportions of the individual movements themselves being 6:5:4:4:5:6). This 3/4/5 superstructure is repeated at successively deeper levels, and is thus reflected within each movement as well as in the basic rhythmic and pitch materials of the entire piece. In spite of the ostensibly rigorous structure, there has been a conscious effort to conceal this rigid framework, achieved in some instances by subtle degrees of structural delineation and in others by outright gestural blatancies (often occurring between those strictly calculated subdivisions), thus creating a cognitive ambiguity between the work’s construction and its perception.

Monogram (for Nicolás) was composed in September 2004 as part the project "Bells for Nicolás," a collaborative work to honor the life of Nicolás Alejandro Useche-Gonzalez, a University of North Texas composition student who was killed in a tragic automobile accident in August 2004. "Bells for Nicolás" was first presented on a memorial concert at the University of North Texas on 9 October 2004.

MOTET: memento mori was composed between February and April of 1988 and is dedicated to the memory of the composer's grandmother, Veronica Klein. The work is essentially an asymmetrical tripartite arch-structure (the closing section being a simultaneous progressive and retrogressive encapsulation of the opening), though divisions within and between sections are often obscured by the nearly continuous metamorphosis of musical material. Textual materials consist of isolated phonemes in various combinations, which coalesce into brief moments of quasi-semantic coherence. Transformations of rhythmic density, shifting temporal relationships, and the expansion/contraction of the pitch spectrum result in varying degrees of contrapuntal interplay throughout the work.

MOTET: memento mori was first performed by members of the Indiana University Contemporary Vocal Ensemble on 25 October 1988.

Die Müde ("The Tired Woman") is one of a series of short works for solo instrument based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge: Fünfzig Charaktere ("Earwitness: Fifty Characters"), written in 1974 by the Bulgaria-born British-Austrian novelist Elias Canetti (1905-1994). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. This collection of works, begun in 1997, was inspired by the vividly surreal depictions of Canetti’s characters. To date there are nine works in this series, composed for contrabass, violin, contrabassoon, ocarina, glass harmonica, bass flute, alto saxophone, trumpet, and percussion.

Die Müde was composed in September of 2004 and composed for saxophonist Eric Nestler, who first performed the work at the University of North Texas o