Ruth Lomon

for flute, B-flat clarinet/bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpets in C, trombone/bass trombone, solo soprano, and SATB chorus

Songs from a Requiem are inserts in the setting of a Requiem Mass which Ruth Lomon composed in 1977 and dedicated to the memory of her sister. The Mass proper is set for chorus (SATB) accompanied by trumpets and trombones. The songs, settings of poems she wrote between 1970 and 1972, are orchestrated for soprano, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and bassoon. The version for soprano with piano accompaniment was written in 1982.

The premiere of the entire Requiem took place in Boston, February 22, 1997, performed by Choro Allegro under the direction of David Hodgkins.

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Ruth Lomon

for trumpet and orchestra

ca. 16'00"

Composing Odyssey was akin to starting an exciting adventure, a (life-affirming) voyage. The decision to call the trumpet concerto Odyssey came in part from my own inner odyssey in composing this piece, and also ideas which arose while reading about Nikos Kazantzakis' epic poem, The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel. Kazantzakis believes that man must structure his life and work on the "dark Abyss". Life has meaning only when it accepts and rises above the great negation of the Abyss. The two conflicting currents,seeking a synthesis, lead to creative play and affirmation of life.

1. Turning Point: A concerto is a great vehicle for metaphor, a tale with dialogues between our trumpet protagonist and the different sections of the orchestra. The prominent ascending fifths of the trumpet theme and its subsequent development createa broad and expansive mood. In the following movements the interval of the fifth or its inversion continues to be an important element of the trumpet solo.2. Dancing on the Abyss: The middle movement has a perilous and risk-defying dance for the trumpet. The opening theme for the contrabassoon, accompanied by an octave-leaping motif in the bassoon and double bass creates a stark, quirky nervous energy.3. Shifting Currents: An undulating pattern in the low strings ushers in the haunting blues-influenced trumpet theme accompanied by the shifting moods and rhythms of the orchestra.

The concerto was commissioned by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra for the premiere performance by Charles Schlueter.

Click here to view the score and listen to a recording.

Ruth Lomon

for brass quartet (two trumpets, trombone, bass trombone)

Composed to exorcise the magpies pecking the metal strips on the roof of my cottage at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos.

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