Piano music

Album for Piano (1983)

A collection of intermediate-level pieces I wrote to take the place of the repertoire I was being forced to play. Consists of three parts, in F major, F# minor, and G major. Each section begins with a prelude that is followed by several short dance pieces.

Parallel Sixths

A student composition from my University of Texas days, this piano piece was an assignment to compose a piece based on parallel intervals. I think the instructor had in mind something like major sevenths or ninths, but I used major sixths.

Polytonality

Another student composition, this one made use of the modern technique of polytonality, in which two different keys are used simultaneously.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 1 (1984)

Written as a Christmas present for my girlfriend, Cherise Hall. My first attempt at composition after dropping out of music school the previous year. This collection of short piano pieces, structurally similar to those of the "Album for Piano", were quite different in style, almost ethereal.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 2 (1985)

Same as above, only by this time Cherise was my fiance. We were married the following January.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 3 (1991)

When I began my creative surge in the early nineties, it only seemed fair to include Cherise.

Bolero in A minor (1994)

This piece was quite a bit more complex in texture and form than the short pieces I had done so far. It is reminiscent of the style of Chopin.

Six Preludes and Fugues in the Style of J.S. Bach (1995)

I had wanted to write such a work since I was a teenager listening to Glen Gould's recording of the Well-Tempered Clavier. I was finally inspired to go ahead with it when I heard a prelude and fugue by Mendelsohn on the radio.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 4 (1996)

We were broke on Cherise's thirtieth birthday in 1996, so this was the best I could do for a present.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 5 (1997)

We weren't broke this year; I just never made it by the store.

Capriccio in D minor (1997)

A capricious composition.

Notebook for Cherise, Book 6 (1998)

Written just for the heck of it.  Why not?

Prelude in D minor (1998)

My initial attempt to write piano music in a more bold and daring style, without any regard for the repetitive motion injuries suffered by the pianist.

Prelude in A minor (1998)

A prelude with lots of tenths in it.

Gigue in G minor (1998)

A fugue disguised as a gigue, which is somewhat like a jig but is from France.

Six Preludes and Fugues in the Style of J. S. Bach, Volume II (1998)

The first and foremost among second volumes of six preludes and fugues in the style of J. S. Bach.

Scherzo (1998)

Help me out, here.  What was I thinking?

Triplet Etude (1998)

Various "three-against-two" and "three-against-four" juxtapositions that slowly drive pianists insane.

Rondo (1998)

Kind of Viennese/Romantic.  The sort of thing Mozart would have written had he lived in the twentieth century and been me instead of Mozart...

Virtuoso Dances (1998)

"Fun to listen to, fiendishly difficult to play".

Intermezzo (1998)

Arpeggio city.

Lee's Dance (1998)

For my nephew Lee's 2nd birthday. 

Triumphant Procession (1998)

Commemorating the liberation of Paris in World War II, although when I started I had no idea what it was about. 

Raucous Etude (1998)

Fast and furious. 

Waltz in A-flat (1998)

Romantic-ish waltz.

Wedding March (1999)

Written for my nephew's wedding. 

Virtuoso Dances, Book II (2000)

Second in a series.

Variations on "Once I Saw a Kittycat" (2001)

Written for my mother on her 50th anniversary of motherhood. 

Feline Suite, 1986

A suite of short piano pieces in a modern style, inspired by our cats. Going back and finishing it gets increasingly complicated as we add to our cat population.

Excerpts are from Tish and Tasha at Rest.

108-second Waltz (1979)

Pretty catchy title, huh? I timed it myself. Not much else to say about this one.

Sonata in A minor (1981)

After hearing some of Beethoven's piano sonatas, I decided I wanted to write something in a similar vein. Sure, why not? Well, because I wasn't quite up to it.

Various and Sundry Fugues (1982)

These were some early attempts to write fugues for the piano. Although they worked, technically, they were nothing to write home about.