MMB Music, Inc.3526 Washington Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 531-9635
Guitar Music Only
Les Ιditions Doberman-Yppan
c.p. 2021
Saint-Nicolas (Quιbec)
G7A 4X5 Canada
(418) 831-1304
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Antiphonies (1992), 16'
Chamber Orchestra
0.2.0.2;2.0.0.0;Str
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
First performance: March 1993 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Heiichiro Ohyama, cond., Los Angeles
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In his 1992 "Antiphonies," Crockett created music both highly sophisticated and immediately accessible. Couched in a language evocative of, though less acerbic than, late Stravinsky, the piece has a wonderful crystalline quality: Musical impulses remain clearly distinct and airy, even as they jostle simultaneously on the sound canvas. The orchestration is masterful. There's a wonderful racing energy to "Antiphonies," produced from ideas quickly tossed about (hence the title), and yet it doesn't shy away from lyrical beauty. Even Crockett's use of canon, an often austere device, elicits poetic effect it's as if sounds are dropped in pools of water and we hear the expanding rings. Los Angeles Times |
Aubade (1996), 8'
Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.0.0;Timp.4pc;Strings
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
First performance: February 1997 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Donald Crockett, cond., Los Angeles
Blue Earth (2002), 25'
Sinfonia Concertante for Orchestra
Picc (also Fl. 3), 2.3 (3 also EH).2, Bass Cl. 3; 4.3.3.1; Timp.3pc; Hp; Strings
Commissioned by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Christof Perrick, Music Director
Premiere: September 2002 Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Christof Perick, cond., Charlotte, North Carolina
Capriccio (2005), 12'
Piano and Orchestra
3.3.3.3;4,3,3,1;Timp.3pc;Piano solo;Str
Commissioned by the University of Southern California for its 125th Anniversary
First performance: October 6, 2005 - USC Thornton Symphony, Donald Crockett, cond., Norman Krieger, piano, Los Angeles
Cascade (2001), 10'
Orchestra
3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1;Timp.3pc;Hp;Strings
Commissioned by the USC Thornton School of Music
First performance: October 2001 USC Thornton Symphony, Sergiu Comissiona, cond., Los Angeles
Cello Concerto (1993), 23'
Fanfares & Laments (2005), 23'Cello and Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.1.0;2 Pc;Pf;Str
First performance: May 1994 Colonial Symphony (New Jersey), Yehuda Gilad, cond., Marcy Rosen, cello, Chatham, New Jersey
Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.0.0;2 Pc;Pf;Str
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
First performance: April 9, 2005 - Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Kahane, cond., Glendale, California
Lyrikos (1979), 20'
Melting Voices (1986), 13'Tenor and Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.1.0;2Hp;Str
Text from The Greek Anthology, trans. by Kenneth Rexroth
Commissioned by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra
First performance: May 1979 Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, Robert Duerr, cond., Jonathan Mack, tenor, Los Angeles
Published by Peer Music Classical
810 Seventh Ave. New York, NY 10019
(212) 265-3910
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Orchestra
3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1;2Pc;Pf/Cel;Hp;Str
recorded on Pro Arte/Fanfare CD - Orchestra of the Americas, Paul Freeman, cond.
First performance: March 1990 National Orchestral Association, Jorge Mester, cond., New York
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Mr. Crockett's "Melting Voices" assimilates some of music's recent flirtations with the East. At times his orchestra rings with the echoes of the gamelan. Ingredients of the Minimalist's repetitive schemes are also present, but Mr. Crockett uses them not to drive his music in symmetric forward movement but as underpinnings for much freer time schemes. Of all the pieces here, this one had the most distinctive voice. New York Times |
Roethke Preludes (1994), 17'
[Click for MP3 Sample of Mvt. 1] [Click for MP3 Sample of Mvt. 6]
Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.3.0;Timp.2Pc;Hp;Pf;Str
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
First performance: February 1995 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Christof Perick, cond., Los Angeles
The Tenth Muse (1986), 30'
Soprano and Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.1.0;2Pc;Str
Commissioned by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra
First performance: June 1986 Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, Robert Duerr, cond., Juliana Gondek, soprano, Los Angeles
Double Chorus and Orchestra
2.2.2.2;2.2.0.0;Pc;Str
Commissioned by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra
First performance: October 1983 Pasadena Chamber Orchestra and Chorus, Robert Duerr, cond., Los Angeles
Wedge (1990), 10'
Orchestra
3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1;Timp.3Pc;Pf;Hp;Str
First performance: April 1991 University of Southern California Symphony, Daniel Lewis, cond., Los Angeles
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The energetic overture was "Wedge" by California composer Donald Crockett...Bright rhythms and colors sandwiched a lyric section of string melodies overlapping each other like waves on a beach. The Phoenix Gazette |
Concerto for Piano and Wind Ensemble (1988), 17'
3.3.3.3;4.3.3.1;4Pc(2 solo,2 ripieno);Double bass
First performance: April 1989 University of Southern California Symphonic Winds, Douglas Lowry, cond., Vicki Ray, piano, Los Angeles
Island (1998), 9'
4+Picc.2+EH.9+Eb+BCl.2+Cbsn.AATB Saxes;4.4.3.Euph.2;Timp.3 Perc
Commissioned by the concert bands of the Big Ten Universities
First performance: November 1998 Michigan State University Wind Symphony, John Whitwell, cond., East Lansing
Percussion solo
First performance: February 2004 - Lynn Vartan, Pasadena
Array (1987), 16'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
String Quartet
Commissioned by the Kronos Quartet
Recorded on Laurel CD Stanford String Quartet
First performance: January 1989 Kronos Quartet, San Francisco
Celestial Mechanics (1990), 16'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Oboe and String Quartet
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Recorded on CRI CD - Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
First performance: March 1991 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles
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Donald Crockett's "Celestial Mechanics" for oboe and string quartet took second place at the last Friedheim Awards. Rhythmically seductive, harmonically mercurial, this piece recalled Mozart's Oboe Quartet in its string ensembles, but its close-cropped phrases and sheer ebullience are Crockett's own. The Washington Post |
The Ceiling of Heaven (2004) 25'
Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
Commissioned by The Chamber Music Conference and Composers' Forum of the East, Monday Evening Concerts of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Xtet
Recorded on Albany CD - Chamber Music Conference of the East
First performance: July 31, 2004 - Chamber Music Conference of the East, Bennington, Vermont
Extant (1997), 15'
Bassoon solo and 8 instruments
(Fl,Cl+BsCl,Bsn,Pc,Hp,Pf,Vln,Vla,Vcl)
Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition
First performance: September 1997 Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Donald Crockett, cond., Pittsburgh
The Falcon's Eye (2000), 40'
Twelve Preludes for Solo Guitar
First performance: October 2001 Brian Head, Los Angeles
Published by Les Editions Doberman-Yppan
2021 Saint-Nicolas Quebec Canada G7A 4X5
Fax: (418) 836-3645
Four Songs of a Nomad Flute (1984), 15'
Solo Harpsichord (ms.)
Commissioned by Joyce Lindorff
First performance: November 1984 Joyce Lindorff, New York
Horn Quintet 'La Barca' (1999), 16'
Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano
Commissioned by Music from Angel Fire, 1999 supported by The Bruce E. Howden, Jr., American Composers Project
First performance: August 1999 Music from Angel Fire, Angel Fire, NM
The Melting Voice (1986), 4'
17 Instruments
1.1.1.1;2.1.1.0;2Pc;Pf;Hp;2.1.1.1.
First performance: March 1987 New Music Los Angeles Festival
Mickey Finn (1996), 10'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Solo Violin
Commissioned by Michelle Makarski
First performance: October 1996 Michelle Makarski, Los Angeles, CA
Pilgrimage (1988), 12'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Solo Piano
Commissioned by Delores Stevens
Recorded on Dominguez Digital CD - Delores Stevens, pf.
First performance: October 1988 Delores Stevens, San Diego
Recorded on CRI CD Vicki Ray, pf.
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The most engaging item here proved to be Crockett's wondrous, kaleidoscopic, tightly organized "Pilgrimage," a rainbow of a work that utilizes instrument in this case a very resourceful new Fazioli and player inventively. In 13 colorful minutes, the composer explores timbres, textures and hidden voices, purposefully evolving a set of variants on a melodic fragment, moving from lightness to substance. The achievement is stunning. Los Angeles Times |
Scree (1997), 15'
Cello, Piano and Percussion
Commissioned by Meet the Composer/Arts Endowment Commissioning Music/USA
First performance: October 1997 The Core Ensemble, MidAmerican Festival of Contemporary Music, Bowling Green, Ohio
Short Stories (1995), 18'
Flute, Viola and Harp
Commissioned by the Debussy Trio
First performance: April 1997 Debussy Trio, Oregon Festival of American Music, Eugene
Still Life With Bell (1989), 15'
14 Instruments
1.EH.1.1;1.1.1.0.Pc;Pf;2.1.1.1.
Commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
First performance: April 1989 Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, Steven Stucky, cond., Los Angeles
String Quartet No. 2 (1993), 20'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
String Quartet
Commissioned by the Stanford String Quartet for its Tenth Anniversary Season
Recorded on Laurel CD Stanford String Quartet
First performance: March 1994 Stanford String Quartet, Palo Alto
to be sung on the water (1988), 11'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Violin and Viola
Commissioned by Michelle Makarski and Ronald Copes
Recorded on Laurel CD Stanford String Quartet
First performance: March 1989 Michelle Makarski and Ronald Copes, Basel
Tracking Inland (2001), 16'
Flute, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Harp, String Quartet
Commissioned for Pacific Serenades by Charles Bush in honor of Susan Bush
First performance: June 2001 Pacific Serenades, Los Angeles
Trio (1980), 9'
Flute(Picc.), Cello and Harp
Commissioned by the Greylock Trio
First performance: May 1981 The Greylock Trio, Boston
Whistling in the Dark (1999), 13'
Commissioned by the California E.A.R. Unit
First performance: May 1999 California E.A.R. Unit, Los Angeles
Winter Variations (2006), 20'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Solo Guitar
dedicated to Brian Head
First performance: July 2006 Brian Head, Los Angeles, CA
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The most substantial sounds came from world premieres by noted local composers, both with active links to the EAR Unit. Donald Crockett's "Whistling in the Dark" is a fine Unit showpiece, in which blithe vitality keeps bumping into brooding anxiety. It celebrates the group's iridescent textural palette while giving the players a lot of rhythmic gumption to play with, which they did, expertly. Los Angeles Times |
The Cinnamon Peeler (1993), 13'
[Click for MP3 Sample]
Mezzo soprano and Chamber Ensemble
Text by Michael Ondaatje
Flute (Alto fl.), Clarinet, Viola, Cello, Piano, Mezzo soprano
Commissioned by the Blue Rider Ensemble
Recorded on A&R CD Blue Rider Ensemble
First performance: February 1994 Xtet, Monday Evening Concerts, Los Angeles
Ecstatic Songs, Part 1 (1989), 7'
High Voice and Piano
Text by Walt Whitman, from 'Song of Myself'
Commissioned by Jonathan Mack for the NATS National Convention, 1989
First performance: July 1989 Jonathan Mack, tenor, Vicki Ray, piano, NATS National Convention, Los Angeles
Ecstatic Songs, Part 2 (1995), 6'
High Voice and Piano
Text by Walt Whitman, from 'Song of Myself'
First performance: February 1996 Jonathan Mack, tenor, Vicki Ray, piano, Los Angeles
Ecstatic Songs, Part 3 (1995), 6'
High Voice and Piano
Text by Walt Whitman, from 'Song of Myself'
First performance: February 1996 Jonathan Mack, tenor, Vicki Ray, piano, Los Angeles
Lyrikos (1985), 20'
Version for Tenor and 8 Instruments
(Cl,Bsn,Hn,Guit,Hp,Vln,Vla,Vcl)
First performance: February 1986 Jonathan Mack, tenor, the University of Southern California Contemporary Music Ensemble, Donald Crockett, cond., Los Angeles
Published by Peer-Southern
Theodore Presser Company, agent
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(215) 525-3636
Occhi dell'alma mia (1977), 8'
High Voice and Guitar
Text by 16th century poet-composers
Recorded on Orion LP - Jane Thorngren, sop., James Smith, gt.
First performance: April 1978 Juliana Gondek, soprano, Ian Krouse, guitar, Los Angeles
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In "Occhi dell'alma mia," Donald Crockett has crafted a potent updating of the lute song and monodic air. His text is a deft blending of excerpts from three late Ranissance love poems love of the over-wrought, flamboyantly neurotic sort..."Occhi dell'alma mia" packs a powerful sonic and emotional wallop. Soundboard Magazine |
The Pensive Traveller (1981), 14'
High Voice and Piano
Text by Henry David Thoreau
Commissioned by Jonathan Mack
Recorded on Orion LP - Jane Thorngren, sop., James Furmston, pf.
First performance: April 1982 Jonathan Mack, tenor, James Furmston, pf., Los Angeles
The Village Two Poems of David St. John (2004) 12'
Countertenor, 2 Tenors and Baritone
Commissioned by the Hilliard Ensemble
First performance: February 23, 2005 - The Hilliard Ensemble, Heidenheim, Germany
Broken Charms (2000), 12'
Two Elizabethan Lyrics for Unaccompanied Chorus
SATB a cappella
Texts by Samuel Daniel and Thomas Campion
First performance: April 2002 Los Angeles Master Chorale, Grant Gershon, cond., Los Angeles
Vox in Rama (1983)
White Night (1984), 7'
SATB a cappella
Text by Miguel de Unamuno, trans. by Robert Bly
First performance: May 1985 The Reed College Chorus, Mario Pelusi, cond., Portland, Oregon
©1998-2005 Donald Crockett. All Rights Reserved.