SPECIAL NOTE! ANNOUNCEMENT! You can find all my compositions here: https://www.hickeys.com/search.php?q=Donald+Appert
TAP has been sold, so please use the above website to find my pieces
TAP has been sold, so please use the above website to find my pieces
Clark College Women's Chorus Concert June 15, 2019 featured my piece A Red, Red Rose
Oregon Sinfoniettia Concert March 17, 2019
Shostakovitch Festival Overture, Prokofiev Violin Concerto with Eugene Howe, CMSO Competition Winner and the Elgar Enigma Variations
Shostakovitch Festival Overture, Prokofiev Violin Concerto with Eugene Howe, CMSO Competition Winner and the Elgar Enigma Variations
Clark College Orchestra Concert June17, 2018
World Premiere of my Cello Concerto, Jeffrey Butler, soloist
World Premiere of my Cello Concerto, Jeffrey Butler, soloist
Clark College Orchestra Concert, March 14, 2018
In Memoriam of Matt Doran, composer and friend:
In Memory of Marianne was composed by Matt Doran after he lost his daughter to cancer on September 9, 2006. He brought the score to me in the summer of 2007 and I was so taken by its poignancy that I immediately programmed its premiere on the November 2007 Oregon Sinfonietta concert. This performance by the Clark College Orchestra is from December 5, 2012.
Matt Doran passed away yesterday, August 3rd, at 3:00 P.M. from complications with pneumonia.
He would have been 95 on September 1st.
Matt Doran passed away yesterday, August 3rd, at 3:00 P.M. from complications with pneumonia.
He would have been 95 on September 1st.
Concerto in Mi for Piano and Strings(2011)- This piece was commissioned by Maurizio Barboro of Ovada, Italy. Concerto in Mi for piano and string orchestra will be a three movement work for Maurizio Barboro of Ovada, Italy. He commissioned me to compose this for him and we hope to premiere it in spring of 2012 in Italy. It utilizes material from my Vignettes for string quartet composed for my daughter Rebecca’s wedding in August of 2011.
|
Fantasy for Contrabass and String Orchestra (2014) William Athens, soloist with the Oregon Sinfonietta, Sunday, November 9, 2014
|
Richard Lu’s episode of “On Deck with Young Musicians” Saturday, May 3 at 5pm, Interview with Maestro Appert, followed by the Schumann Cello Concerto with the Oregon Sinfonettia
Elegy for String Orchestra (2001)
Clark College Orchestra, US premiere performance recorded in June, 2002 at the Royal Durst Theatre, VSAA. Commissioned and premiered in December of 2001 by the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra in Kobe, Japan and published by Harmonic Services Group
Clark College Orchestra, US premiere performance recorded in June, 2002 at the Royal Durst Theatre, VSAA. Commissioned and premiered in December of 2001 by the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra in Kobe, Japan and published by Harmonic Services Group
In the Similitude of a Dream (1981)
Clark College Orchestra, recorded in 1997 at Columbia Center for the Performing Arts, Longview, WA. Published by the Harmonic Services Group
Nara Variations for String Orchestra (2007)
Clark College Orchestra, US premiere performance in June or 2008 at the Royal Durst Theatre, VSAA. Commissioned and premiered in November of 2007 by the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra in Kobe, Japan and published by Harmonic Services Group.
Clark College Orchestra, US premiere performance in June or 2008 at the Royal Durst Theatre, VSAA. Commissioned and premiered in November of 2007 by the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra in Kobe, Japan and published by Harmonic Services Group.
Vignette for String Orchestra (2011)
It is a great pleasure to have the fine musicians of the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra perform my Vignette for String Orchestra on their annual concert! They have the distinction of being the only orchestra in the world to have performed all of my music for string orchestra as well as having been the orchestra for whom I composed both my Elegy and Nara Variations. Vignette was originally composed as a string quartet for my daughter Rebecca’s wedding and premiered by the Horizon Strings at the ceremony on August 26, 2011. It was so well received that I decided to make a version for string orchestra which my Oregon Sinfonietta premiered in November of 2012 in Portland, Oregon. My good friends, Yasuo (Jack) and Naoko Torimaru, have played chamber music with Rebecca as well as played together in my orchestras in the USA so it is especially fitting that they be performing it today with the Ashiya Chamber Orchestra.
The work is divided into three sections , each a vignette or a kind of musical portrait. The opening reflects my daughter Rebecca’s busy and active personality and the middle section reflects the more laid back as well as romantic attitude of my son-in-law Will. The cello presents the melody and then it moves to the violins. I have since used this particular tune in several of my works for Italian colleagues that I wrote compositions for (Rocco Parisi, Bass Clarinet and Maurizio Barboro, Piano). The final section has a Celtic kind of flavor as it represents the music that they make together in their Celtic Band “Foxtree”. Given that I composed this for a wedding, it is not a very long work and I felt that the ideas could be developed more. Consequently, I used the material as the basis for my Piano Concerto in Mi which was premiered in Italy with a fine string orchestra and Maurizio Barboro (myself conducting) in May of 2012
Concertino for Bass Clarinet and Strings (World Premiere) (2010)
A note from the soloist in Quatar:
Dear Maestro Appert,
It's with great pleasure that I'm writing to you. My name is Simone Zanacchi, we have a common friend, Rocco Parisi, I'm the Bass Clarinet player of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. I had the opportunity to perform your pieces yesterday night here in Doha.The audience showed to appreciate very much the Concertino, like me as well. Some people liked the way how the instrument is shown, some others liked the rhythms and other said me that it was like a movie soundtrack. I can tell you how your music is suitable to imagine different characters almost building a whole storyboard. So, thank you. I hope that the Concertino will be performed many other times around the world spreading your name along with your beautiful music.
Best regards,
Simone Zanacchi
Dear Maestro Appert,
It's with great pleasure that I'm writing to you. My name is Simone Zanacchi, we have a common friend, Rocco Parisi, I'm the Bass Clarinet player of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. I had the opportunity to perform your pieces yesterday night here in Doha.The audience showed to appreciate very much the Concertino, like me as well. Some people liked the way how the instrument is shown, some others liked the rhythms and other said me that it was like a movie soundtrack. I can tell you how your music is suitable to imagine different characters almost building a whole storyboard. So, thank you. I hope that the Concertino will be performed many other times around the world spreading your name along with your beautiful music.
Best regards,
Simone Zanacchi
A note from the Maestro:
I met Rocco Parisi while guest conducting in Italy in 2010. He commissioned me to write a piece for him, telling me his Masters dissertation was on Schubert. During my plane ride home inspiration came in my sleep and I began to compose a Schubertian melody, eventually the middle portion of the Concertino (a smaller version of a concerto, only one movement but with three parts: fast, slow, fast). The outer portions resemble a jazz saxophonist playing over a string orchestra and are quite rhythmic and have strong jazz-rock influences. The first section progresses from a time signature of 5/8 to 3/8 and finally to 4/4. I ended the middle section with a tune I thought of in Bermuda at my oldest daughter's wedding. This particular melody found its way into several later works. The final section includes a theme that I composed on the plane returning from Bermuda, and reminds me a bit of a sea chantey. For the penultimate section (a bit of a coda) I used a harmonic progression that was appealing to me and in a 5/4 meter with a syncopation to it (3-3-2-2). I completed this work on Halloween night, 2010 and it has been published in Italy in both the string orchestra version and a piano reduction.
I met Rocco Parisi while guest conducting in Italy in 2010. He commissioned me to write a piece for him, telling me his Masters dissertation was on Schubert. During my plane ride home inspiration came in my sleep and I began to compose a Schubertian melody, eventually the middle portion of the Concertino (a smaller version of a concerto, only one movement but with three parts: fast, slow, fast). The outer portions resemble a jazz saxophonist playing over a string orchestra and are quite rhythmic and have strong jazz-rock influences. The first section progresses from a time signature of 5/8 to 3/8 and finally to 4/4. I ended the middle section with a tune I thought of in Bermuda at my oldest daughter's wedding. This particular melody found its way into several later works. The final section includes a theme that I composed on the plane returning from Bermuda, and reminds me a bit of a sea chantey. For the penultimate section (a bit of a coda) I used a harmonic progression that was appealing to me and in a 5/4 meter with a syncopation to it (3-3-2-2). I completed this work on Halloween night, 2010 and it has been published in Italy in both the string orchestra version and a piano reduction.
Thru a Glass Darkly (1984) The title is from the Apostle Paul's comment in the book of First Corinthians (13:12). It was composed in response to the sudden death of the composer's stepmother. The Kansas City String Orchestra premiered it in 1985 under the direction of conductor Hugh Brown.
Quartetto Primo (2010) This is a reading from Tanglewood with Ron Barron, retired Principal Trombone of Boston Symphony and students, of my trombone quartet
Quartetto Basso for 4 Bass Clarinets with the Rocco Parisi Quartet (2013)- In June, 2013 Rocco Parisi’s Bass Clarinet Quartet premiered Quartetto Basso, which they had commissioned from Dr. Appert. The work was included on their CD entitled A tempo, a Modo: Path tracking Vito Marsico, and may be obtained through www.amiranirecords.com. In September of 2015 they performed it at the 5th Annual European Clarinet Festival in Ghent, Italy.
Quartetto per fagotti (2013) World Premiere by a group called the Bassoon Conspiracy, composed for Pavel Ionescu, General Director of the Filharmonica “Mihail Jora” in Bacau, Romania.
Northwest Triptych (2009)
The middle movement The Keening Bell was the first to be composed and my response to the unexpected death of my Principal Horn of the Oregon Sinfonietta, Ken Hillway, in May of 2009. He had gone into the hospital with cancer and I had fully expected him to beat it and return in the Fall to play with the orchestra. Ken’s death motivated me to begin with this slow dirge-like movement. A keening bell is a funeral bell as keening means grieving. I incorporated a plaintive, quasi-Gaelic melody that I had composed while guest conducting in Sant Cugat, Spain outside of Barcelona in September of 2008. There are numerous examples of bell effects throughout the movement. The end has a quote from J.S. Bach’s favorite chorale tune Jesu, meine freude (Jesus, priceless treasure) which is also one of my own favorites.
Before I had completed this movement I had the inspiration for the first movement Intrada on the plane home from guest conducting in Italy in the summer of 2009. I was literally hearing music in my sleep and would wake up to jot down the ideas in my notebook during the 10 hour trip home from Amsterdam. This movement is in a much more upbeat mood and is set largely in asymmetrical meters of 5 and 7. There are a number of mixed meters, especially in the middle section. It is a simple ternary form of ABA’ as the return section is a somewhat shorter than the opening material.
The final movement Riffs was composed partly while in El Salvador as I was guest conducting the State Symphony in August of 2009. I have often found myself humming syncopated jazz-rock kind of rhythms and began to write them down and put them together in this layered ostinato pattern inspired by the work of Stravinsky. If you listen closely you can hear some of the bell motives from the middle movement return. It all comes to a climax with a jazz waltz to conclude this piece, my first for full orchestra.
Northwest Triptych has been performed by the Oregon Sinfonietta in Portland, Oregon, the “Mihai Jora” Philharmonic of Bacau, Romania, and the El Salvador State Symphony.
The middle movement The Keening Bell was the first to be composed and my response to the unexpected death of my Principal Horn of the Oregon Sinfonietta, Ken Hillway, in May of 2009. He had gone into the hospital with cancer and I had fully expected him to beat it and return in the Fall to play with the orchestra. Ken’s death motivated me to begin with this slow dirge-like movement. A keening bell is a funeral bell as keening means grieving. I incorporated a plaintive, quasi-Gaelic melody that I had composed while guest conducting in Sant Cugat, Spain outside of Barcelona in September of 2008. There are numerous examples of bell effects throughout the movement. The end has a quote from J.S. Bach’s favorite chorale tune Jesu, meine freude (Jesus, priceless treasure) which is also one of my own favorites.
Before I had completed this movement I had the inspiration for the first movement Intrada on the plane home from guest conducting in Italy in the summer of 2009. I was literally hearing music in my sleep and would wake up to jot down the ideas in my notebook during the 10 hour trip home from Amsterdam. This movement is in a much more upbeat mood and is set largely in asymmetrical meters of 5 and 7. There are a number of mixed meters, especially in the middle section. It is a simple ternary form of ABA’ as the return section is a somewhat shorter than the opening material.
The final movement Riffs was composed partly while in El Salvador as I was guest conducting the State Symphony in August of 2009. I have often found myself humming syncopated jazz-rock kind of rhythms and began to write them down and put them together in this layered ostinato pattern inspired by the work of Stravinsky. If you listen closely you can hear some of the bell motives from the middle movement return. It all comes to a climax with a jazz waltz to conclude this piece, my first for full orchestra.
Northwest Triptych has been performed by the Oregon Sinfonietta in Portland, Oregon, the “Mihai Jora” Philharmonic of Bacau, Romania, and the El Salvador State Symphony.
Prism (1982) Odyssey Chamber Ensemble (members of the Virginia Symphony and Opera Orchestras) premiere performance in Newport News, VA. This recording was retrieved from a reel-to-reel tape by Rod Evenson in 1999. Published by Harmonic Services Group.
Chasm for Orchestra (1983) Composed during my first summer at the University of Kansas as a doctoral student, this piece is partly a response to my separation from my family. I used two hymn tunes in the texture - "Be Thou My Vision" and J.S. Bach's favorite, "Jesu, Meine Freude". This performance is a read through in a rehearsal of the Lawrence (KS) Chamber Players that I conducted. Later I premiered this piece with a community group, the Olathe (KS) Symphony but no tape was made from the concert. Published by Harmonic Services Group.
Music for SSAA - premiered on June 5, 2016 by the Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble, April Duvic , Director. This work was composed to honor April Duvic’s retirement after 26 years on our faculty. The text is by English poet Wilfred Owen who died in WWI.
A Dream Within a Dream (2013) Clark College Concert Choir, April Duvic conducting March of 2013
A Red, Red Rose (2012)– text by Robert Burns, musical setting for SSA, flute and piano
Dedicated to Linda Appert, Composed for the Clark College Women’s Vocal Ensemble,
April Duvic – Director, Premiere performance, June 8th 2012
Dedicated to Linda Appert, Composed for the Clark College Women’s Vocal Ensemble,
April Duvic – Director, Premiere performance, June 8th 2012
Quid Enim? (2001) This began as a discussion on a tour of China in June 2001 by the Clark College Jazz Ensemble and Women's Choral Ensemble. April Duvic, Director of the Women's Choral Ensemble, invited her long time friend Staci Swedeen to accompany us on the trip. During that time I shared with her my idea for a work for the ensemble as well as my ideas for a text. Being an accomplished writer, Staci sent me one of her poems that she dashed off after returning home. I then sent her a text of my own and she also listened to my previous works on my website. Her next poem became the basis for the text of this work. It focuses on the word why in many different languages. The title itself means 'why' in Latin and is used as a rhetorical or philosophical question. This performance is from a CD recorded by the Clark College Women's Choral Ensemble, April B. Duvic, Director in June of 2002. The work is unpublished.
Lied (2014) for SATB choir, alto sax, and piano – premiered June 13, 2014 by Clark College Concert Choir, April Duvic, Director – David Floratos, alto sax
Kyrie (2012) SATB Choir and Piano, Clark College Chorale- March of 2012. April Duvic, Director.
Easter Wings (2010) Easter Wings uses a text by English poet George Herbert. The poem’s fame lies partly in the fact that it is actually shaped like a pair of wings! It was composed for the Clark College Concert Choir and this recording is the world premiere in June of 2010 with April Duvic conducting.
Psalm 22 (1985)- Psalm 22 was composed for the Westminster Presbyterian Church Choir in Lawrence, KS in 1985 while I was a DMA student at the University of Kansas. It was the first movement of a two movement work “An Easter Offering” and I conducted the premiere that year with them. This performance is a recent one from March of 2011 with the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer Chancel Choir in Morristown, NJ.
Three Songs of Praise (1979)- Alleluia - Psalm 100 - Worship
I composed this work for Linda, coloratura soprano, David Hall, horn, and myself, trombone. The premiere performance heard here is on my Faculty Recital at Hampton University where I taught in Virginia. (NOTE: Linda wants a disclaimer that she sings better than this, now 20 years later!) Published by TAP Music Sales.
I composed this work for Linda, coloratura soprano, David Hall, horn, and myself, trombone. The premiere performance heard here is on my Faculty Recital at Hampton University where I taught in Virginia. (NOTE: Linda wants a disclaimer that she sings better than this, now 20 years later!) Published by TAP Music Sales.
Who Shall Know?(1978)- The Audienda-Chor premiered Who Shall Know? for a capella choir in Krefeld, Germany in November, 2002. The conductor was from Poland and I had met him at the Oregon Bach Festival in 1992 and given him a copy.
It was my first choral work for SATB composed for the Hampton Institute Choir in 1978 but they never performed it as the difficulty was beyond their abilities.
It was my first choral work for SATB composed for the Hampton Institute Choir in 1978 but they never performed it as the difficulty was beyond their abilities.
Lament for Brass Trio (1981) This work was composed for my group The Renaissance Brass Trio (principal brass of the Virginia Symphony which includes myself on trombone) and premiered on the trumpet player's doctoral recital at the Catholic University in Washington, DC. This recording was retrieved from a reel-to-reel tape by Rod Evenson in 1999. Published by TAP Music.
Reflections for Trombone Trio (1983) This is the premiere performance by the trombone section of the Virginia Opera Orchestra (includes myself as the Principal Trombone) on a Tidewater Composers Guild Concert held at Hampton University in Virginia. This recording was retrieved from a reel-to-reel tape by Rod Evenson in 1999. Published by TAP Music.
Crucifixus for Brass Ensemble (1990) Oregon Sinfonietta brass section recorded March 9, 2008. I composed this work for my students in the Brass Ensemble at Centre College in Danville, KY. Two melodies are incorporated- the chorale tune loved by J.S. Bach "Jesu Meine Freude" and one from my own choral work "An Easter Offering." Published by TAP Music.
Riffs for Concert Band (2012) (from Northwest Triptych - for orchestra)
Clark College Concert Band - Richard Inouye, Conductor, June 15, 2012
Clark College Concert Band - Richard Inouye, Conductor, June 15, 2012
Song of Ascents for Brass Sextet (1989) - This work was also premiered at Hampton University by my student brass ensemble that I wrote it for. This performance dates from 1989 with my brass ensemble at Centre College in Danville, KY. Published by TAP Music Sales.
Threnody for Trombone Choir(1984) - This was also composed for the 1984 Midwestern Trombone Workshop and is heard here with the Faculty under my direction as conductor. University trombone choirs throughout this country have since performed it. Published by Nichols Music Company.
Three Pieces for Piano - Chorale - Waltz - Scherzo (1979) - Adolphus Hailstork is heard on this recording of the premiere at the first concert by the Tidewater Composers Guild, a group that I co-founded with a colleague at Hampton University. Dolph was on the faculty of nearby Norfolk State University and has gone on to make a name for himself as a composer.
Sacred Song Cycle on texts of Yehuda Halevi (ca. 1975-1141) Spanish poet (April 10, 2016)
Douglas Webster, Baritone soloist and The Jewish Community Orchestra of Portland
I. Who is like Thee?
II. God, whom shall I compare to Thee?
III. Where Shall I Find Thee?
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (2015)
The concerto was commissioned by and composed for our soloist, Brett Deubner. The opening movement is in three parts clearly distinguished by the tempo changes. The mood is set by a pyramid fanfare built on quartal harmonies (built on the interval of the perfect fourth), and this chordal sound forms the basis for most of the first section with a driving rhythmic accompaniment to the melodies in the viola. The middle section is cheerful and playful, in character with the usual interplay between soloist and orchestra. The opening fanfare is heard again to move into the final section, repeating much of the material from the opening and giving the movement a ternary ABA’ form. Movement II, the longest of the three, is titled Chaconne because it is based on an eight measure harmonic progression first presented by the muted brass. The soloist has rhapsodic melodies over this progression but is interrupted by the orchestra’s statement blossoming from one note into the full chord. Rhythmic variations follow and then a broad melody in the bass instruments eventually combines with both the viola melodies and the blossoming motive. After developing this material there is a cadenza, and the viola, changing keys, introduces a new melody of a heroic nature which the orchestra takes up. The opening harmonic progression returns, concluding with the soloist’s rhapsodic melodies. The final movement is quite rhythmic in nature with a jazzy feel throughout. The harmonies are again quartal in nature, and the last half of the movement is in the form of a jazz waltz utilizing material from the first half. One last pyramid building a very large chord based on perfect fourths leads to the exciting conclusion.
The concerto was commissioned by and composed for our soloist, Brett Deubner. The opening movement is in three parts clearly distinguished by the tempo changes. The mood is set by a pyramid fanfare built on quartal harmonies (built on the interval of the perfect fourth), and this chordal sound forms the basis for most of the first section with a driving rhythmic accompaniment to the melodies in the viola. The middle section is cheerful and playful, in character with the usual interplay between soloist and orchestra. The opening fanfare is heard again to move into the final section, repeating much of the material from the opening and giving the movement a ternary ABA’ form. Movement II, the longest of the three, is titled Chaconne because it is based on an eight measure harmonic progression first presented by the muted brass. The soloist has rhapsodic melodies over this progression but is interrupted by the orchestra’s statement blossoming from one note into the full chord. Rhythmic variations follow and then a broad melody in the bass instruments eventually combines with both the viola melodies and the blossoming motive. After developing this material there is a cadenza, and the viola, changing keys, introduces a new melody of a heroic nature which the orchestra takes up. The opening harmonic progression returns, concluding with the soloist’s rhapsodic melodies. The final movement is quite rhythmic in nature with a jazzy feel throughout. The harmonies are again quartal in nature, and the last half of the movement is in the form of a jazz waltz utilizing material from the first half. One last pyramid building a very large chord based on perfect fourths leads to the exciting conclusion.
Fantasy for Viola and String Orchestra (2015)