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Balkonies (© 2015) (a deliberate fusion of the Balkans and the veranda) was written for Caterina Lichtenberg and her students, for inclusion in a program featuring music from Southeast Europe; it features an assortment of stylized folk-music from Greece either in its traditional guise, or originally composed in that style.

The Carillon Variations (© 2013) showcase the chime-like sonority inherent in the mandolin. With ringing open strings, harmonics, and left-hand pizzicatos, this score dresses the haunting, spiritual theme it is based on with diverse textures.

Sweelinck Variations (© 2012) Based on J.P. Sweelinck's monumental keyboard-variations on this theme, this work incorporates virtually everything that can be done on an unaccompanied mandolin within this style. It is a tour-de-force of chordal playing, multiple voices, and varying textures.

Capricho (© 2010) is a caprice, teasing, eccentric, irregular, featuring various standard techniques of the mandolin, and flavored by the folk dances of the Caribbean.

Idillio (© 2004) is a study in duo-style: it is written in the traditional harmonic style of the Golden Age of the mandolin and features the characteristic sonority of a melody played tremolo, accompanied by chords strummed once, then sustained by the left hand alone.

Diferencias (© 2002) is a set of variations based on the old, soulful, Greek-Sephardic song "Morenika". It was composed for Davka Dances, a dance group specializing in the performance of Judeo-Hispanic music and dance.

El Malecon ("The Quay") (© 2004) is a souvenir-piece from Santo Domingo: it is written in the traditional rhythm of the danzón, a sensuous, Caribbean dance of the mid-20th century, and is a study in two-part playing on one mandolin.            midi

De Grote Markt ("The Big Market") (© 2005) is a souvenir-piece from Groningen, The Netherlands. It was inspired by the view of the bustling outdoor market place of Groningen, on a rainy day; it is a study in changing meters and left-hand articulations.          mp3 (2.7MB)

The Variations on a Basque Melody (© 2005) are based on a folk chant from the Basque region of France, and unfold in the familiar, "Mediterranean" manner of various figurations around an underlying melody.          midi

Studio Fiorillesco (© 2008) A technical study for agility, with instrumental figuration in the style of violin virtuoso and pedagogue Federigo Fiorillo.

Passacaglia Pizzicata (© 2009) is a set of "ground bass" variations (eight variations in total), in four parts. midi

Après de Bériot (© 2009) I composed this little take-off on an etude by famed Belgian violin-pedagogue Charles de Bériot. The idea is that this is not so hard, not so strenuous, so it can be played with a sweet, full sound, lightly arpeggiating each chord, and listening carefully to the voice-leading.

Studio a quattro (© 2009) A study in four voices, four-in-one-mandolin: the main melody in the middle voice, two harmonic, arpeggiated voices, and a descant.

Suite for Ali (© 2009) Written for English virtuosa Alison Stephens, this Suite is my humble homage to J. S. Bach, Couperin, and all the great masters who used this form. It is a tour-de-force, but also a fond look back at the grace and charm that was the High Baroque. The Suite is meant to be performed either on mandolin, or octave-mandolin (Ali's instrument of choice).     Prelude     Allemande     Courante    Sarabande     Gigue