Category Archives: Chamber Works

Instrumental or concert works (non-musical) I have composed

BEYOND / JENSEITS – Torn Between Two Lovers

Posted on May 9, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Welcome back to the next episode of our little night opera, Beyond (catch up on previous installments here). This is the section where our favorite opera diva’s dilemmas with the men in her cosmic life-in-review come to a head. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – Turning the Tables on the Therapist

Posted on April 24, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Section XVI of the little night opera I composed for my mother Catherine Gayer with librettist and family friend Helga Krauss (catch up with all previous episodes via the opera’s homepage) takes the Woman back into therapy analyzing dreams. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – Just Some Bimbo from the Ballet

Posted on April 15, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

In this installment of Beyond – a little night opera, the Woman walks in on her lover, the Conductor, in flagrante delicto with another woman. (Catch up on all installments of Beyond/Jenseits on its home page.) The Conductor rather slimily … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – On the Therapist’s Couch

Posted on April 5, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

At the beginning of Section XII of the little night opera “Beyond” AKA “Jenseits”, written for my mother Catherine Gayer (catch up on previous installments via the opera’s main page), the 1st Angel takes on the persona of the 4th … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – The Husband and the Lover

Posted on March 29, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Lullaby

Posted on March 20, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – An Encounter with the Conductor

Posted on March 14, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Above is a picture of myself, my mother Catherine Gayer and family friend Helga Krauss after the New York stage premiere of Beyond, the little night opera Helga and I wrote for my mother. This is Part 3 of sharing … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Life in Review

Posted on March 6, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BEYOND / JENSEITS – an Opera for my Mother

Posted on February 29, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Twenty years ago family friend and screenwriter Helga Krauss and I created a one-act opera for my mother, Catherine Gayer (AKA Catherine Ashkenasi, her maiden name being her stage name). Helga wrote the libretto and I composed the music. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Musicabilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Catherine Gayer on the Radio

Posted on October 3, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

The German radio station Deutschlandfunk has posted a 55 minute program interviewing the opera soprano Catherine Gayer, and playing excerpts from her fantastic 60+ year career, highlighting her work with contemporary music. Listen to it here. Oh, Catherine Gayer just … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Ed, Here’s Your New Viola/Piano Duet!

Posted on July 12, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Ed’s birthday is today, and, as every year of the past 29 years that we’ve been together, I compose a viola/piano duet for him on his birthday. He plays viola, I play piano. Each one of these duets is called … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

P&P – Day 2 – The Destruction of the Cello

Posted on November 24, 2021 by dannyashkenasi

That’s a beautiful cello, don’t you think? A little worn at the edges perhaps, but to the composer who plays it, a poor fellow who lives in a garret in 17th century Spain, this instrument is his most prized possession, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Cinema Scope, Poe Musicabres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EVOCATION XXVIII – for Ed’s 62nd Birthday

Posted on July 12, 2021 by dannyashkenasi

Today is Ed’s birthday. And like every year since our first together, I will present him with a viola/piano duet I composed. They are all called Evocations. This year it’s Evocation XXVIII. Ed will probably blanche at the double stops, … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PAPA BIDEN

Posted on March 12, 2021 by dannyashkenasi

After watching President Biden’s speech on the one year anniversary of the Covid pandemic, this classic Peanuts cartoon panel, one of my personal favorites, came to my mind, yet with a slight modification… So in light of my love of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Chamber Works, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ED

Posted on July 12, 2020 by dannyashkenasi

My husband turns 61 today. Happy birthday, Ed! And just like every year for the past 27, I composed a viola piano duet for us to play. Each one is called an Evocation. This year’s birthday duet, Evocation XXVII, takes … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

TELL-TALE SOUNDS

Posted on November 9, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

The final ghastly Tell-Tale hint before I reveal all!   What is this about?  Click to watch the short video; now can you guess? Yes, we appear to be in a recording studio. What, is that three cellists on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment