List of Works
Tribute to Kerouac
(1998)A very jazzy suite in six small movements, inspired by the life and writings of Jack Kerouac.
Duration 16' 30"
Order score from Cimarron Music Press.
Elegy for a Friend
(1997)Recorded on American Reflections: David Alpher Chamber Music (Ongaku Records #024-112P). David Alpher, piano. A personal, sometimes bitter lament; moving through harshness into consonance.
Duration 8'37"
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Ground and Seven-Heaven
(1990)A bluesy/jazzy piece, first lyrical, then virtuosic. The "ground" is the first part's repeating bass line, as in the Baroque; "seven-heaven" is the second part, a world where everything is in 7/8 time (one of my favorite meters). Written at request of pianist Grace McFarlane and performed by her in the U.S. and China.
Duration 8'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Las Meninas: Variations
(1985)Inspired by Picasso's visual variations on Velázquez's painting commonly known as "Las Meninas." Commissioned by Harvard University philosophy professor Nelson Goodman. Over 30 performances worldwide (solo and ensemble versions), including Spain, Finland, and Brazil.
Duration 16'00"
Order score from Cimarron Music Press.
Between Twilights: Seven Songs on Poems by Marsden Hartley
(2016)For bass-baritone and piano.
Evocations of the natural world, from the lyrical to the comic to the existentially terrifying. Composed for Robert Osborne.
Duration 17'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Songs on the Passage of Time
(2000, arr. 2003)For high voice and piano.
Five songs to poems by Lisel Mueller, Robert Creeley, Mark Strand, James Wright, and W. B. Yeats. Diverse poetic and musical approaches to the subject of time's passage.
Duration 20'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Kerouac Songs
(1988 / 1994 / 2024)For bass-baritone and piano.
Ten jazzy songs, some setting Jack Kerouac’s poetry, others calling for improvised scat syllables.
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Songs of Transcendence
(1997)For high or low voice and piano.
Six songs to poems by Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Jones Very, reflecting the intellectual excitement of the New England transcendentalists (1835-1860).
Recorded on American Reflections: David Alpher Chamber Music (Ongaku Records #024-112). Robert Honeysucker, baritone; David Alpher, piano.
Duration 21'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Hinting of Other Places
(1983)For high voice and piano.
Six songs to quirky, epigrammatic poems by Anne Spencer Lindbergh. Commissioned by Lila Deis, soprano, and premiered by her and David Alpher, piano, at Merkin Hall, New York, September 1983. One song ("Loves") written subsequently.
Duration 9'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Three Blake Songs
(1980)For high or low voice and piano.
Songs to poems from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience.
Duration 6'30"
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Assorted Songs
(1978-2000)Contact David Alpher for details and scores.
Cabaret Songs
(2004-present)Lyrics by Jennie Litt.
For complete information, go to
litt-and-alpher.com.Three Psalms
(1982)For SATB chorus and piano.
Psalms 24 (selected verses), 128 (selected verses; a cappella), and 117.Duration 5'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Hashkivenu
(1984)For cantor, SATB chorus and piano (organ).
A setting of the Hebrew prayer, commissioned by the Metropolitan Synagogue of New York.Duration ca. 5'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Song of Witness (2001)
For baritone, flute/alto flute, viola, cello and piano.
Text consists of ten haiku written by inmates at Japanese-American detention camps during World War II. Commissioned by Crossroads Arts Council, Rutland, Vermont. Premiered March 2002 by Christopheren Nomura, baritone; David Alpher, piano; and The Gainsborough Trio.
Duration 18'
To order score and parts, contact David Alpher.
Songs on the Passage of Time (2000)
For soprano, horn, violin, cello and piano.
Five songs to poems by Lisel Mueller, Robert Creeley, Mark Strand, James Wright, and W. B. Yeats. Diverse poetic and musical approaches to the subject of time's passage. Commissioned by Rockport Chamber Music Festival and premiered there June 7, 2001.
Duration 20'
To order score and parts, contact David Alpher.
Hinting of Other Places (1983)
For high voice, violin, cello and piano.
Six songs to quirky, epigrammatic poems by Anne Spencer Lindbergh. An arrangement of the voice-piano version, done at the request of An Die Musik and premiered by them at Merkin Hall, New York.
Duration 9'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Theme with Variations (1978)
For SATB vocal quartet and piano.
Poem of the same title by James Agee. A gentle exploration of the animal world's nightly passage into sleep. Premiered at Grenoble, France in 1981.Duration 10'
To order score, contact David Alpher.
Land of the Farther Suns (1992)
Poems by Stephen Crane. Essentially a song cycle, only spoken instead of sung. By turns jazzy, lyrical, and dramatic, this is a unique journey into alternative worlds and unusual perspectives.
Duration 19'
Order score from Cimarron Music Press.
Land of the Farther Suns (1992)
For narrator, four flutes, and piano.
Poems by Stephen Crane. Essentially a song cycle, only spoken instead of sung. By turns jazzy, lyrical, and dramatic, this is a unique journey into alternative worlds and unusual perspectives. The flutes also double piccolo, alto and bass flutes; this family of instruments emphasizes both the diversity and unity of the text.
Recorded on Eyewitness (Innova #556). Garrison Keillor, narrator; Flute Force; David Alpher, piano.
Duration 19'
Order score and parts from Cimarron Music Press.
The Earth Is Ours (1992)
For narrator, violin, guitar and piano.
This is a piece influenced by American folk music, with a jazzy middle section. The poem by the late Robert J. Lurtsema addresses the necessity for our respectful coexistence with non-human animals. A good idea for Earth Day celebrations.Duration 8' 30"
To order score and parts, contact David Alpher.
The Walrus and the Carpenter (1989)
For narrator, flute, viola and piano.
Poem by Lewis Carroll. This piece resulted from my curiosity about how Carroll's familiar poem would behave if removed from its child-oriented, Victorian context and placed into an essentially jazzy American sound-world. It has had many performances in the U.S., Italy, and Germany.
Duration 14' 30"
Order score and parts from Cimarron Music Press.
Cantilena (2005)
For flute and viola.
An interwoven texture of near-constant melody for two instruments that are rarely heard as a duo.
Duration 5'30"
Published by Kripplebush Publishing Company (contact David Alpher).
Ritornello (2002)
For flute and piano.
A lyrical dialogue, commissioned by Duo Sereno of Cologne. Premiered by them June 1, 2002 in Buergel, Germany.
Duration 12'
Order score and part from Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag, Leipzig, Germany.
Memories of Der Rosenkavalier (1996)
(an adaptation, with Janet Packer)
For violin and piano.
A free rumination on themes from the Richard Strauss opera. Commissioned by violinist Janet Packer and premiered by her and Jozef de Beenhouwer, piano, at Boston University.
Duration 9'
To order score and parts, contact David Alpher.
Nightpiece (1994)
For clarinet and piano.
Concisely suggests a sultry, nocturnal urban scene — its warmth and its "cool," appropriately scored for clarinet (the ultimate warm/cool instrument) and piano, which is given a vital and at times dominating part.
Duration 6'30"
Order score and part from Cimarron Music Press.
Returnings (1990)
For harp and piano.
Not only thematic returnings, but also a symbolic reunion of the piano with one of its ancestors, the harp. Much performed, especially in Germany.
Recorded on American Reflections: David Alpher Chamber Music (Ongaku Records #024-112). Martha Moor, harp; David Alpher, piano.
Duration 9'31"
To order scores (both instruments have full score), contact David Alpher.
Pathways (1999)
For clarinet, violin, and piano.
A meditation in three sections; the outer two deeply lyrical, the middle one exploring — at times desperately — other paths.
Commissioned by The Verdehr Trio and Michigan State University and premiered by The Verdehr Trio in 2000.
Duration 19'
Order score and parts from Michigan State University Press.
Atlantic Legend (1983, adapted 1990)
For viola, cello, and harpsichord (1983).
Adapted for flute, viola, and harpsichord (1990).
A trio in two movements, Baroque in instrumentation but evoking American folk and theatre music in its language. Written at request of harpsichordist Jean Newton and premiered by her at Merkin Hall, New York, September 1983.
Recorded on American Reflections: David Alpher Chamber Music (Ongaku Records #024-112). Maureen Gallagher, viola; Myron Lutzke, cello; Jean Newton, harpsichord.
Duration 15'
Order score and parts from Cimarron Music Press.
Song Without Words (2010)
Piano Quartet (piano, violin, viola, cello)
A tribute to Alpher's longtime friend and colleague, Lila Deis (1944-2010). A somber first movement followed by a hyper-energized second, and a seamlessly-melodic third.
Duration 22'
To order score and parts, contact Cimarron Music Press.
Tribute to Kerouac (1998)
For clarinet, tenor saxophone, piano, and string bass.
A very jazzy suite in seven small movements, inspired by the life and writings of Jack Kerouac.
Recorded on American Reflections: David Alpher Chamber Music (Ongaku Records #024-112). Jonathan Cohler, clarinet; Kenneth Radnofsky, tenor saxophone; David Alpher, piano; Robert Lynam, string bass
Duration 16' 30"
Order score and parts from Cimarron Music Press.
String Quartet (1987, revised 1999)
For string quartet.
A large-scale quartet in four movements, in a Romantic idiom. Commissioned and premiered by the Manhattan String Quartet.
Duration 20'
To order score and parts, contact David Alpher.
Las Meninas: Variations (1985)
For oboe, cello, guitar, and piano.
Inspired by Picasso's visual variations on Velázquez's painting commonly known as "Las Meninas." Commissioned by Harvard University philosophy professor Nelson Goodman. Over 30 performances worldwide (solo and ensemble versions), including Spain, Finland, and Brazil.
Duration 16'
Order score and parts from Cimarron Music Press.
ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHERS
Cimarron Music Press
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823 U.S.A.
Phone: (517) 355-9543
Fax: (517) 432-2611
Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag
Leipzig, Germany