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GUITAR Caught in the Headlights, for guitar duo, ca. 19', Listen Look
Available from: Theodore Front ($24 score and parts) The title alludes to the ensemble's pairing of identical instruments that, like a pair of car headlights, work in concert to create something larger but can also function on their own. The titles of the movements continue the car metaphor: 'I. High Beams' is energetic and emphatic, 'II. Battery's Dead' is moody and slow, 'III. Turn Signals' is short and angular, and 'IV. Big Fuzzy Circles' features the two guitars really working together, just as car headlights do on a dark road at night. As I was writing the piece, one of my main objectives was to simply enjoy the process of writing, and I hope this comes through in the music. review: "The togetherness of the Duo was a theme throughout the four-movement work as Karmon found many opportunities for the two players to produce tricky passages in unison. He also filled the work with rhythmic episodes in which the abilities of the Newman and Oltman Duo were demonstrated. There was at least one touch of humor in the car-inspired music. If "I. High Beams" was often a fast trip down a winding nighttime road, the arrival at a destination seemed to be signaled by Ms. Oltman playing the little two-note pattern which on many cars indicates that the door is open. Cute and subtle. But there was evocative seriousness as well. Though the second movement was entitled "II. Battery's Dead", for me its vision of depression was far different: the fire-escape of a tenement at dawn; a person stands on it while smoking a cigarette after a tough night. The scene is not without its existential overtones. So that was my story (Karmon liked it, too, or so he said). The point is that Karmon's music is evocative, the kind of writing which gives the listener's imagination free rein. The contrast was heard in "III. Turn Signals", fast and short with imitations passed from player to player flawlessly at top speed. The finale, called "IV. Big Fuzzy Circles", used rhythmic and melodic ostinati with such catchy rhythms that they got percussionist Glen Velez, who appeared earlier in the program, to bobbing his head as he sat in the audience. the piece concluded with portions of the first movement returning, as if the journey was a round trip." -- Paul Somers in Classical New Jersey Society Journal Four Tales: A Chamber Concerto for Guitar, for guitar, clarinet, cello, percussion , ca. 15'
Publisher:Theodore Presser Co. (cat. # 114-41083) "Four Tales" has a good deal of ensemble interaction, but the guitar is clearly central. Each of the four movements is different in character, and with music that's in turn energetic, lyrical, angular, and rhythmic, the guitarist has plenty of opportunity to shine. Frets Vs. Fretless, for guitar duo and string quartet, ca. 9', Listen Look
Publisher: Theodore Presser Co. (cat. # 114-41085) This is an energetic, bright, and not-too-difficult showcase for the two guitarists. Each gets a brief solo, after which a more extensive duet unfolds. The outer sections are in quick 5/8 time and employ the entire ensemble, while the music in the middle, for the guitarists alone, is calmer and more lyrical. Roominating, for guitar and flute, ca. 10', Listen Look
Available from: Theodore Front ($18 score and parts) One of my goals while writing "Roominating" was to reflect that guitarist Denis Azabagic and flutist Eugenia Moliner, for whom the piece was written, are a married couple. (This seems like such an intimate and special bond for chamber musicians to share,) I wanted the music to be comfortable and natural, and for the instruments to seem like they're just being themselves and, above all, not worried about impressing each other. Taking this notion a bit further, I based the movements on the feel of different rooms in a house. The music in "I. The Living Room" is elegant and organized, just as this room tends to be the most presentable and public. "II. The Attic" is the exact opposite, and contains junk of various size and degrees of use. Finally, in "III. The Bedroom" the music is the most free and intimate, and a touch nocturnal. review The playful "Roominating" is a breezy, intimate number ... taking us from the living room to the attic to the bedroom, conceptually and musically. -- Santa Barbara Independent Sessions, for guitar and violin, ca. 13'
Commission: Written for the Shank-Hagedorn Duo and Duo 46. Two players improvising on musical ideas they've worked with many times before was the image at the beginning of Sessions. They're not really coming up with new music at this point, but they're exploring ways of interacting withe one another. The goal is to create something expressive, varied, and cohesive. Each movement is a "transcription" of a particularly good improvising session, and the titles suggest the moods: easy going ('I. Saturday Morning',) tired but not ready to sleep ('II. Saturday Night, Late',) edgy ('III. Monday Morning',) and filled with excitement and possibility ('Friday Night'.) Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other, for solo guitar, variable length up to 35' Look
Commission: Written for Martha Masters. Play as many of the 12 movements as you like, and in any order. Each pair of movements has something in common. I started writing shortly after my twin sons were born, in a new world with many more responsibilities and much less free time. By the time I finished the piece, nearly two years later, I could barely remember my life before the boys. The nature of the piece is inspired by Martha Master's playing, which to my ear is always impeccably musical. The structure is inspired by my sons, who are very different in appearance and personality yet obviously similar in some ways. And so, in the music pairs or movements share some basic element like a common melody or motive, but each movement remains unique and individual and can stand on its own. When The Sheep Won't Come: A Sleepless Nocturne for Guitar, ca. 15', Listen Look
Publisher Theodore Presser Co. (cat. # 114-41084) Note: An alternate, less complicated, ending to movement II is available (starting at bar 23.) contact me for a copy. My original idea was to write a serene and moody nocturne in several movements. However, as I began researching and listening to recent guitar pieces, I came across Toru Takemitsu's "All in Twilight," and it immediately made a profound impression. At the time, I found it beautiful, moving, and inspiring, but I also felt I didn't have anything to add to what Takemitsu already did. I needed a new concept for my piece, and I decided to view night as potentially restless rather than serene, and portray states of mind one might go through during a sleepless night. The names of the movements -- I. 11:47 p.m., II. 2:21 p.m., III. 3:49 a.m., IV. 4:33 a.m., V. 5:46 a.m. -- evoke, at least in my mind, the moods I aim to depict, and the piece becomes progressively more convoluted as it goes along. By the end, the music is a surreal and weary shadow of the opening. Yovano, Yovanke, for flute and guitar, ca. 4', YouTube Video
Available from: contact me This is an arrangement of a melancholy Balkan folk tune in 7/8 time. It is one of several Balkan folk tune arrangements commissioned by the Cavatina Duo from several composers. West, for solo guitar, ca. 12'
Available from: contact me I'm particularly drawn to Michael Partington's interpretation of Lennox Berkeley's Sonatina and Leo Brouwer's Sonata, and I wanted to write him music that combines the richness of the former with the energy of the latter. As I started jotting down ideas, the piece began to coalesce around music that evokes the West Coast of the U.S. (There is much variety to explore here, from the drama inherent in the mountains, to the deceptive serenity of the ocean, to the oppressive power and beauty of the desert.) And since Michael and I currently live in the region but neither of us grew up here, I thought this would be a good way to make the piece personal for both of us.
The Pure Lover, for SATB chorus, oud/guitar, and hand percussion, ca. 3'
Text: Yehuda Halevi (1075-1141) This beautiful and ornate medieval Hebrew poem was set in collaboration with the Rose Ensemble, a chamber chorus focused on early music, and Voices of Sepharad, who specialize in Sephardic music, which is the music of Spanish Jews. In the music I tried to combine the two musical worlds, with a refined choral sound on the one hand, and a more rhythmic and improvised feel on the other. Reflections: Three Hebrew Songs for SATB Chorus, ca. 12', Listen to 'Sim Shalom.'
Texts: 'Levadi' (Alone) by Chaim Nachman Bialik, 'Psalm 100,' and 'Sim Shalom' (Grant Peace) Each of the texts in "Reflections" concerns itself with a different aspect of religion. 'Levadi' (Alone,) written in turn-of-the-century Europe, expresses the notion that religion can be isolating, and the music features intertwining lines and muted, shifting harmonies. 'Psalm 100' deals with the great joy and solidarity religious belief can bring and its music is joyful and contrapuntal. 'Sim Shalom' (Grant Peace,) from the morning prayer, touches on our hope for a better future and its music is simple and direct. "Reflections" has been successfully performed by community and church choirs, but the piece is most suitable for college, auditioned, semi-pro, or pro choruses. 'Sim Shalom' is sometimes performed independently, often as an encore. review: "Karmon is one of the Twin Cities' talented young composers, and his piece made a good impression. Bialik's text, written in the flowering of Eastern European Jewish culture at the close of the 19th century, mixes lamentation and quiet joy, emotions which Karmon's streamlined choruses treated with a gentle, modest sadness that never overwhelmed them."--Saint Paul Pioneer Press Sim Shalom and Shalom Rav, for SATB chorus, ca. 3' each, Listen
Available from: contact me Both Hebrew texts are prayers asking for peace, from the morning and evening services respectively. The pieces are meant to be companions, are are similar in length, tempo, and overall feel. In the future I plan to write a third, and larger, piece on the subject of peace to go along with these two.
I Never Saw Another Butterfly, for soprano (or light mezzo) and piano, ca. 11'
Available from: contact me The book "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" is a collection of poems and drawings created by children in the Terezin concentration camp between 1942-1945. The vast majority of the children did not survive, and yet many of the poems are hopeful and bright with no trace of the acidic cynicism one would expect. The themes explored in the song cycle are loss of innocence and a child-like simplicity, and it comprises four settings: 'I'd Like to Go Away Alone,' 'The Butterfly,' 'Night in the Ghetto,' and 'Forgotten,' which is the emotional centerpiece of the song cycle. "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" has been very effective in concert and it seems to genuinely move the audience. review: "Karmon's piece conveys the innocence of children's poems written in the Terezin concentration camp. The music seeks to reflect gentle hopes in a childlike, non-cynical way. This Karmon did with structural coherence, defining the children's longing for a world beyond their reach."--Washington Post Voices of Heritage, for soprano, tenor, clarinet, string orchestra or string quartet, ca. 30'
Available from: contact me "Voices of Heritage" is a setting of eight Holocaust-related poems that were written by different authors over a span of about fifty years. The poems express a variety of reactions to the Holocaust and are grouped in four movements: 'I. Of Darkness' features poems written in the camps themselves and speaks of madness, revolt, and resignation. 'II. Of Anger' directs the blame both at God and humanity, while the poems in 'III. Of Loss' address the impact on society as a whole as well as on the individual in particular. 'IV. Remember' warns us of the consequences of forgetting. Despite the dark subject matter "Voices of Heritage" is not a violent piece. It's aim is to explore human reactions rather than depict any specific event.
And The Rhythm Is Just A Little Bit Off, ca. 10', Listen
Instrumentation: 3233 4331 3 perc, timp, pno/cel, hrp, strings "And The Rhythm Is Just A Little Bit Off" is an energetic concert opener that's based on the following "poem:"
I wrote this song I tried to capture the energy and humor of the text by infusing the music with rhythmic vitality, and by building musical expectations that are ultimately negated. The piece is divided into three main parts, with active and rhythmic music in the outer sections and calmer music, featuring lyrical string solos, in the middle. reviews: "An engaging and well-crafted work, it is tonal and rhythmic and often recalls Leonard Bernstein's jazzy exuberance. The first section was a perpetual motion of running figures, with frequent meter changes and synchopations. A languid middle section was highlighted by poignant orchestral solos in violin, viola and cello. The composer is gifted in his ability to create varied textures and attractive melodies, and it will be interesting o watch his career." --The Cincinnati Enquirer "Karmon's brief, tasty work echoes the asymmetry of its verse in delightfully clever and colorful ways. Lines spin out with notes "left over." A held note in the trumpet sounds like it's going to turn into a melody, then doesn't, then blooms into a bluesy tune in the violins. The whole has a kind of Bernsteinian sass, ending with skittering fragments handed off among the instruments and a peppy stinger."--The Cincinnati Post "Karmon's jaunty work unfolds in a series of surprising episodes that keep the listener off balance right up to the unexpected ending. After a series of explosive eruptions from the orchestra, the score proceeds in short segments filled with sudden tonal, dynamic and rhythmic shifts before it settles down into a lush expansion of the opening theme." --Camden Courier-Post
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