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Notes from a Composer
“Speakeasy” Selections
Monthly Archives: March 2024
BEYOND / JENSEITS – The Husband and the Lover
Husband and lover. In the Woman’s memory, they are not the same man. At the close of the previous section of Beyond (Jenseits), the “little night opera” I composed for my mother, the lullaby for her Son transitions to an … Continue reading
Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia
Tagged affair, Beyond, chamber opera, conductor, fear, husband, Jenseits, jurisprudence, longing, lover, metroniome, motif, Opera, orgasm, Sehnsucht
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R.I.P. Aribert Reimann
Aribert Reimann with my mother, Catherine Gayer, at rehearsal in 1971 Two Thursdays ago my mother called me from Berlin. Normally we talk on Sundays, so I was curious what occasioned this call. “Aribert Reimann has died”, she told me, … Continue reading
Posted in Beginnings, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News
Tagged 6 Poems by Sylvia Plath, Aribert Reimann, Berlin, Catherine Ashkenasi, Catherine Gayer, coloratura, contemporary, homosexual, King Lear, Martha Mödl, Melusine, music, New York Times, Obituary, Opera, recital, Sylvia Plath, The Guardian
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BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Lullaby
In this fourth installment of the opera I wrote for my mother (you can find links to the first three installments on the JENSEITS / BEYOND home page), we are introduced to a new theme, a lullaby. We have just … Continue reading
Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia, The Teaching Artist
Tagged a cappella, Angels, Beyond, chamber opera, countermelody, fear, German, Harmony, Jenseits, lullaby, Opera, theme, transliteration, vocal exercise, vowel sound
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Attack of my own personal NEW YORKER CARTOON captions
The 6th installment of my submissions to the New Yorker Magazine cartoon captioning contest. My streak of not being chosen as a finalist continues unabated! … got a little political with that one.
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism
Tagged accountant, beach, cactus, caption, cartoon, Cats, Contest, Elephant, genie, Mr. Peanut, New Yorker, snowman, tiger
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BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Life in Review
Welcome to the second post about the little night opera “Jenseits” AKA “Beyond” I composed for my mother, Catherine Gayer. Helga Krauss wrote the libretto, which I translated into English. Read and listen to the first post here, and follow … Continue reading
Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia, The Teaching Artist
Tagged Angels, Beyond, Catherine Gayer, childhood, diva, exercises, German, Helga Krauss, husband, Jenseits, lover, Opera, opera singer, son, translation, vocal
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A Wig Made From My Hair
That is a picture of a wig that was made with my hair. Hair I donated. Multiple pony tails in zip lock baggies I shipped off to an organization called Hair We Care. Their mission statement is “to help maintain … Continue reading
Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, Poe Musicabres
Tagged bald, certificate, donation, Hair, hair loss, Hair We Care, medical, musicabre, myhairstory, Pit and the Pendulum, ponytail, tellusyourhairstory, wig
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Notes from a Composer 