This is the second of a series of endangered forest portraits. The first was California Oaks which was also performed by SFCCO. Cambodia is known for its ancient forests which still harbor some of the last wild elephants and tigers in Asia. I visited the country in April 2007 and saw forests near Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. These included majestic hardwood forests with monkeys, mangoes, cashew trees, palms, coconuts, and even a rare pine forest. Cicadas in the afternoon and Cambodian pop music were background sounds throughout the trip. In this piece there are echoes of those plus layers of instrumental voices that remind me of the web of leaves, birds, light and shadow going up a hundred feet in the air.

The Sun & Moon have been center of mythology since the dawn of time. They represent the balance of man and woman, light and dark, the cycle of life. This musical representation of Sun & Moon consists of two sections and these sections are in a form known as circle music. Essentially, circle music uses phrases that can be played at any time and in any order.

This work combines “sound design” with composition. The digital component starts with the sound of a few small high bells (synthesized, not sampled.) In this musical “space”, the oboe plays a simple, consonant melodic line. Gradually, over the course of the composition, additional “bells” join in that are louder and lower in pitch, as the oboe climbs upward in range with increasingly large swooping motions. The “meaning” that might be attached to this music is not a settled matter, in my mind. Part of the beauty and mystery of music is the wide-ranging particularity of what it can suggest, like the crazy but inevitable logic of a dream.

Toccata and Fugue 2007 by Dan Reiter

Chainsaw is inspried by real events, ie. my neighbor's chainsaw.

A Little Trip to Outer Space is an allegorical piece inspired by how I imagine a trip into space might sound. Leaving the Atmosphere uses klangfarbenmelodie and minimalist devices to allude to sonic events upon leaving the earth. This transitions into episodes of fleeting gestures in strings, piano, marimba, perhaps painting the image of scurrying comets and burning stars, building in intensity as the journey continues. Finally a sense of quiet and spaciousness in deep space permeates and the movement closes with the soft strains of the marimba. Walking in Space is a gently flowing odd-meter melody, punctuated by percussion patterns and pizzicato strings that combine to create a rhythmic ostinato. A second theme features solo trumpet and horn, which is eventually woven into a more complex musical texture with the first theme and the ostinato. A short coda uses short fragments of the original themes to suggest a safe return to the comfort of the ship. In Search of Planet X begins with gentle melody in the strings. This quickly gives way to a sense of foreboding as the klangfarbenmelodie of the first movement is recalled. Tension mounts and persistent rhythms, increasing dissonance and bold utterances by the trumpet and horn lead to a loud tone cluster. Repeated melodic patterns are juxtaposed with a new lyrical theme which works it way back to a tonal center marked by the xylophone entrance. Once again, scurrying strings introduce a pattern that winds the movement to an understated close.

After hearing the first Mordake Suite at the last SFCCO, I decided to make a second, this time focusing on some of the darker and more evil themes from the work. Both pieces are from my latest opera, premiering in just a few months. The opera, Mordake: which talks to me forever of such things as they speak of only in hell, tells of the difficulties of integrating the diverse aspects of ourselves: male and female, the public self and its shadow; and the destruction brought about when we resist this union. The tale, from a book of medical curiosities of the nineteenth century, is the strange case of Edward Mordake and his ‘devil twin’ ­ a man tormented by a woman’s voice coming from a face on the back of his head. The voice taunts him and reveals to him his true nature but, unable to see this, and unable to integrate the masculine and feminine aspects of his personality, Mordake ultimately destroys himself and his family. The libretto for the work was written by Douglas Kearney, a poet and playwright from Los Angeles. This second suite starts with a moment of reflection; Edward listens to I pescatori di perle by Georges Bizet on the gramophone, but is led into a dark place by his twin. The music draws on the works of some youthful idols of mine who died recently, especially Ligeti's Lontano, which is quoted just a bit. The opera will premiere this May in the San Francisco International Arts Festival with John Duykers in the solo role.

Mi par d'udire
ancora, o scosa in mezzo ai fior,
la voce sua talora,
sospirare l'amor!
Dalle stelle del cielo,
Altro menar che da lei,
La veggio d'ogni velo,
Prender li per le ser!

Translation:
Once more
I hear her voice
Where golden lilies always bloom
And hear her softly sing
Her tender voice Rings through the gloom

‘Neath the stars
twinkly glowing
I see her bosom unveil
As the glory is showing
Then the moonlight is pale

additional performers/credits
tenor (recorded 1911) Aristodemo Giorgini
additional sound Thom Blum