Kyle Gann: List of Compositions

Surrealities (2012-13)
1. Axioms of the Wind
2. Deep Denial
3. Disaggregated Harmonies
4. Circling the Horizon
5. Unaccommodating Polka
6. Incommensurate Quantities
7. Mistimed Adieu
for three-octave toy piano or celesta; 17 minutes

Scenario (2003-4/2012)
for soprano and orchestra (3-2-oboe d'amore-2-3; 2-3-2; harmonica; acoustic guitar; timp, xyl, mar, tam-tams, drum set; celesta; strings); text by S.J. Perelman, "Scenario"; 17 minutes

Romance postmoderne (2012)
Virtual piano, 33 pitches/octave; 8 1/2 minutes

Mystic Chords (Rhythm Study) (2012)
for soundfile; 6 1/2 minutes

The Unnameable (2012)
for keyboard sampler and soundfile; 12 minutes

Going to Bed (Homage to Philip Glass) (2012)
for piano; 6 minutes
Commissioned by Nicolas Horvath

Nonexistent Landscape (2012)
for keyboard sampler and soundfile; 11 minutes

Echoes of Nothing (2011)
I. Nothing
II. Something
for retuned virtual piano; 15 minutes
commissioned by Aron Kallay

Serenity Meditation (2011)
for chamber orchestra (2 2 BsCl 2 2 - 1 0 0 0 - cel - chimes - timp - strings); 13 minutes

Desert Song (2011)
for orchestra (3 2 2 2 - 2 2 3 0 - harp, pno, 1 perc, strings); 11 minutes

Concord Spiral (2010)
for string quartet; 8 1/2 minutes

Earth-Preserving Chant (2010)
for piano; 11 minutes
commissioned by Emanuele Arciuli

Hudson Spiral (2010)
for string quartet; 13 minutes

The Light Summer Land (2010)
for string quartet; 25 minutes
commissioned by Carson Cooman

Scene from a Marriage (2010)
for viola and piano; 9 minutes
commissioned by Marka Gustavsson
Program notes

Useless Round (2010)
for three voices; one minute or more, depending on repetitions
for Larry Polansky's Book of Rounds

Snake Dance No. 3 (2009-10)
for microtonal keyboards, four percussionists, and fretless bass; 11 minutes

Street Music (2009)
for clarinet, tenor sax, drum(s), voice, violin, cello; 4 minutes

Solitaire (2009)
for retuned keyboard sampler and soundfile; 14 minutes
See program notes and tuning chart.

The Aardvarks' Parade (Triskaidekaphonia 2: Tuning Study No. 10) (2009)
for retuned keyboard sampler and soundfile; 10 minutes
See program notes and tuning chart.

War Is Just a Racket (2008)
text by General Smedley Butler; for speaking pianist; 9 minutes
commissioned by Sarah Cahill
Read program notes.

New Aunts (Tuning Study No. 9) (2008)
for retuned keyboard sampler; 5 minutes
See program notes and tuning chart.

The Planets (Astrological Studies) (1994-2008)
Book I: Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars (1994)
Book II: Jupiter (2001), Mercury, Saturn (2008)
Book III: Uranus (2007), Neptune (2001), Pluto (2008)
for flute, oboe, alto saxophone, bassoon, synthesizer, percussion (tom-toms, cymbals, vibraphone), viola, and double bass (movements performable separately); 75 minutes
commissioned by the Relache Ensemble
Read program notes.
Book I available from Frog Peak Music
Venus: MP3
Performed by the Relache ensemble

Composure (2007-8)
for four electric guitars; 14 minutes
commissioned by Tim Brady

Olana (2007)
for vibraphone; 8 minutes
commissioned by Andrew Bliss

Kierkegaard, Walking (2007)
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello; 16 minutes
commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Players

Charing Cross (Tuning Study No. 8) (2007)
for keyboard sampler in just intonation, and soundfile; 8 minutes

Sunken City (Concerto for Piano and Winds in memoriam New Orleans; 2007)
for piano solo with flute, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, 3 trumpets, horn, 3 trombones, bass; 25 minutes
commissioned by the Orkest de Volharding

Fugitive Objects (Tuning Study No. 7) (2007)
for keyboard sampler in just intonation; 7 minutes

On Reading Emerson (2006)
for piano; 8 minutes
Read program notes.
commissioned by Sarah Cahill

Implausible Sketches (2006/2011)
1. The Desert's Too-Zen Song
2. Mediating Daydream
3. The Goodbye Fugue
4. Frigid Azure
5. Don't Touch My Pint
for piano, four hands; 32 minutes

my father moved through dooms of love (2005)
for SATB chorus, violin, piano; text by e. e. cummings; 12 minutes
commissioned by the Dessoff Choir

Triskaidekaphonia (Tuning Study No. 6) (2005)
for (electronically simulated) microtonal piano; 5 minutes
See the tuning chart.

The Day Revisited (2005)
for flute, clarinet, keyboard sampler, synthesizer, electric bass (microtonal, 27-tone just-intonation scale); 13 minutes
commissioned by Pat Spencer and Meighan Stoops

Scenario (2003-4)
for theatrical soprano and virtual orchestra (soundfile); text by S.J. Perelman, "Scenario"; 17 minutes
Read program notes and text.

Minute Symphony (2004)
1. Passionate, with energy
2. Sustained, thoughtful
3. Jaunty
4. Exuberant
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello; 1 minute
commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Players

Unquiet Night (Mechanical Piano Study No. 10) (2004)
for Disklavier; 16 minutes

Private Dances (2000/4)
1. Sexy
2. Sad
3. Sentimental
4. Sultry
5. Saintly
6. Swingin'
for piano; 25 minutes
No. 1 Score (PDF)No. 2 Score (PDF)

Commissioned by Sarah Cahill

The Watermelon Cargo (chamber opera; 2002-3)
Number Three in The Hudson River Trilogy
Libretto by Jeffrey Sichel; four singers (SATB), chorus, flute, three synthesizers, fretless bass, drums; 42 minutes
Read the libretto by Jeffrey Sichel.

Petty Larceny (Mechanical Piano Study No. 9) (2003)
for Disklavier; 6 minutes

Imaginary Isle (2003)
for nine computerized toy pianos; 2 minutes
commissioned by Trimpin

Love Scene (2003)
for string quartet in just intonation (based on Act III of The Watermelon Cargo); 6 minutes

Cinderella's Bad Magic (chamber opera; 2002)
Number One in The Hudson River Trilogy
Libretto by Jeffrey Sichel; five singers (SSABarB), flute, three synthesizers, fretless bass; 43 minutes
Read the program notes.
See the tuning chart.
Read the libretto by Jeffrey Sichel.
Scenes 3, 4, and 5
MP3
Cast:
Rip Van Winkle: Kimberly Kahan
Cinderella 1: Helen Donaldson
Cinderella 2: Michael Callas
Mother: Kate Sullivan
Father: David Garry
Flute: Patricia Spencer
Synthesizers: Carmine Aufiero, Nicole Reisnour, Kyle Gann
Bass: Bernard Gann
Conductor: James Bagwell

Transcendental Sonnets (2001-2)
The Son
Enoch
Love
Faith
The Word
Chorus, two soloists, and orchestra (2, 2, 2, 2; 2, 2, 1 [no tuba]; perc [timp, glock]; strings; soprano and tenor soloists; SATB; also version for chorus and piano); poems by Jones Very (1813-1880); 34 minutes
Commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir
Read program notes.
Faith MP3The Word MP3
Performed by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Orchestra, Erik Stark conducting
Soloists: Kathleen Hacker, Chistopher Paul Aspaas

Tango da Chiesa (Mechanical Piano Study No. 8) (2002)
for Disklavier; 6 minutes

Das Knaben Wunderklavier (2000-2001)
for live pianist and Disklavier, or Disklavier alone; 7 minutes
Read program notes.

Cosmic Boogie-Woogie (Mechanical Piano Study No. 7) (2000-2001)
for Disklavier; 8 minutes

New World Coming (2001)
for solo bassoon with flute (or oboe), violin (or viola), and piano; 6 1/2 minutes
Read program notes.
Score (PDF)

Bud Ran Back Out (Mechanical Piano Study No. 6) (2001)
for Disklavier; 3 minutes
MP3Score (PDF)

Hovenweep (2000)
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano; 11 minutes
commissioned by the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble
Score (PDF)

Texarkana (Mechanical Piano Study No. 5) (2000)
for Disklavier; 4 minutes
Read program notes.

Time Does Not Exist (2000)
for piano; 16 minutes
Score (PDF)

Folk Dance for Henry Cowell (Mechanical Piano Study No. 4) (1999)
for Disklavier; 2 minutes
MP3

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator (Mechanical Piano Study No. 3) (1997/99)
for Disklavier; 5 minutes
See a page from Nude Rolling Down an Escalator
MP3

"Last Chance" Sonata (1999)
1. Flowers
2. Snake Dance
3. Apparition
4. Dance of Indeterminate Ethnicity
for clarinet and piano; 19 minutes
Score available from Frog Peak Music
Scores (PDF):1st mvmt. 2nd mvmt.3rd mvmt.4th mvmt.
MP3s:1st mvmt.2nd mvmt.3rd mvmt.4th mvmt.
Performed by Meighan Stoops (1,4) and Sara Phillips (2,3), clarinet, and Bari Mort, piano

Custer and Sitting Bull (1997-99)
Custer: "If I Were an Indian..."
Sitting Bull: "Do You Know Who I Am?"
Sun Dance / Battle of the Greasy-Grass River
Custer's Ghost to Sitting Bull
for speaking voice and computer tape; 35 minutes
Read program notes.
Score available from Frog Peak Music
Sitting Bull MP3
Kyle Gann, voice(s)

The Disappearance of All Holy Things from this Once So Promising World (1998)
for orchestra (winds 2221, 2 hns, 1 trp, 1 perc, strings); 11 minutes
Score (PDF)

Commissioned by Luis Garcia-Renart for the Woodstock Orchestra

Arcana XVI: Homage to Joan Tower (Tuning Study No. 5) (1998)
for three synthesizers (24-tone scale); 7 minutes
See the program notes and tuning chart for Arcana XVI

The Waiting (Mechanical Piano Study No. 2) (1997)
for mechanical piano (Disklavier); 7 minutes

Despotic Waltz (Mechanical Piano Study No. 1) (1997)
for mechanical piano (Disklavier); 2 minutes

How Miraculous Things Happen (Tuning Study No. 4) (1997)
for synthesizer (24-tone scale) and tape; 11 minutes
***Hear a 1:51 audio sample of How Miraculous Things Happen.
See program notes and tuning.

Fractured Paradise (Tuning Study No. 3) (1995)
for synthesizer (16-tone scale) and tape; 4 minutes
See program notes and tuning.

Snake Dance No. 2 (1995)
for percussion quartet with optional sampling keyboard; 12 minutes
Available from Frog Peak Music

Desert Sonata (1994-95)
for piano; two movements; 19 minutes
Read program notes.
Available from Frog Peak Music
Commissioned by Lois Svard

Homage to Cowell (Tuning Study No. 2) (1994)
for keyboard sampler (just-intonation scale); 5 minutes

So Many Little Dyings (1994)
for keyboard sampler; text (and sampled voice) by Kenneth Patchen; 6 minutes
Read program notes.
MP3
Kyle Gann, keyboard sampler

Ghost Town (1994)
for synthesizer (seven-limit just-intonation scale) and computer tape; 10 minutes
Read program notes.
See the tuning chart.

"Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service" (1985/93)
female voice and piano; text by T. S. Eliot

Superparticular Woman (Tuning Study No. 1) (1992)
synthesizer (22-tone scale) and computer tape; 4 minutes
See program notes and tuning.

Incidental Music for Alice in Wonderland (1991-92)
for flute, clarinet, electronics (keyboard sampler and synthesizer)
Commissioned by the Bloomburg Theater

Snake Dance No. 1 (1991)
percussion quartet with optional keyboard sampler; 12 minutes

"I Slept and Dreamed that Life was Beauty" (1991)
female voice and piano; text by Ellen Sturgis Hooper

Chicago Spiral (1990-91)
for flute, clarinet, soprano saxophone (or three flutes), drums, violin, viola, cello, and synthesizer; 9 minutes
Read program notes.
MP3Score (PDF)
Performed by Dinosaur Annex
Available from Frog Peak Music

Paris Intermezzo (1989)
for toy piano; 6 1/2 minutes

The Convent at Tepoztlan (Homage to Nancarrow: Canon 23:24) (1989)
for piano and computer tape, or two pianos; 7 minutes

Sweeney Out West (Five Vacation Mishaps for Piano) (1987-89)
for piano
Straddled in the Sun
Truckstop Angel
The Ocotillo's Message
Questionable Company (The Transformation Tango)
Satori Canyon

Laredo (1988)
for snare drum; five minutes

Cyclic Aphorisms (1988)
for violin and piano; three movements; 8 minutes
Available from Frog Peak Music

Windows to Infinity (1987)
for piano; 11 minutes

I'itoi Variations (1985)
for two pianos; 26 minutes
Available from Frog Peak Music
MP3

Performed by Double Edge (Nurit Tilles, Edmund Niemann)
Commissioned by the American Ritual Theater Company

Hesapa ki Lakhota ki Thawapi ("The Black Hills Belong to the Sioux") (1984/9)
for flute, trumpet (or saxophone), synthesizer (or accordion), and drum; 9 minutes

"Faith" (1984)
for female voice and piano; text by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Sweeney Among the Tribes (1984)
Sound installation in collaboration with visual artist Mark Staff Brandl; five tape loops plus visual installation

"In the Busy Streets" (1983)
for female voice and piano; text by Henry David Thoreau

Cherokee Songs (1983)
for soprano and percussion; 12 minutes

Baptism (1983)
for two flutes, two drums, glockenspiel, and synthesizer; 12 minutes
Available from Frog Peak Music
MP3

Mountain Spirit (1982-83)
for two flutes, two drums, and synthesizer; 12 minutes

The Question Answer'd (1983)
for piano; 4 minutes
Score (PDF)

Dakota Moon (1982)
for clarinet

As the Day Is Long (1982)
for flute, synthesizer, drums, and computer tape; 13 minutes
MP3
Jim Gley, drums; Kyle Gann, synthesizer; flutist?

The Mercy of the Storm (1981)
for piano; 11 minutes
Score (PDF)

Canso (1981)
computer tape; 3 minutes

Long Night (1980-81)
for three pianos; ca. 22 minutes
Available from Frog Peak Music
MP3

Katy Elsey, Mary Slaughter, Kyle Gann, pianos

Oil Man (1981)
for 2 flutes, clarinet, piano, drums; text by Kyle Gann from letters by Marvin Gann
Read the text.

Song of Acceptance (1980)
for three female voices, flute, French horn, trombone, tuba, celeste, two violins, and cello; length indeterminate; texts from Lao-Tzu, Walt Whitman, and Ecclesiastes

"The Hippopotamus" (1979)
for baritone and piano; text by T.S. Eliot

Tempo Canon (1979)
for harp, piano, and harpsichord

Desert Flowers (1979)
for flute

Lord Thomas and Fair Annie (1978)
for alto flute, clarinet, viola, harpsichord, celesta

Siren (1978)
for five flutes
Available from Frog Peak Music

Could Ye Loan Me Ten Pence? (1977)
for tenor and two melody instruments

Untitled, 1977 (1977)
for two flutes, marimba, violin, contrabass

Satie (1975)
for female voice, violin, flute, harp, celesta; texts by Erik Satie
See program notes.
Score (PDF)MP3
Performed by the Real Time Ensemble: Paulette Wallendorf, soprano; Joseph England, flute; Mary Ann Banks, violin; Carolyn Harris, harp; Janeen Vestal, vibraphone; Kyle Gann, conducting

Redeemable Juvenilia:

Commentary on Hope and Meaninglessness (1973)
for piano; 2 minutes

Adagio (1972)
for orchestra

Fantasy on Two Protestant Hymns (1972)
for handbells; 3 minutes
also in 1973 arrangement for symphonic band

Arrangements/Transcriptions:

November, by Dennis Johnson (2007-9; the original 1959)
for piano, reconstructed from the improvisatory score and a partial recording

Children on the Hill, by Harold Budd (2008-9; the original 1982)
for piano, transcribed from a recording

Symphony No. 3, "The Camp Meeting," by Charles Ives (2000-1)
for piano

Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, by Edvard Grieg (1983)
for clarinet and string quartet



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