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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Song Of The Holy Ground (Score), Gary Smart Jun 2011

Song Of The Holy Ground (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

“Song of the Holy Ground” for piano and string quartet was written in reaction to an Apache chant recorded in 1953 by musicologist John Donald Robb. The original recording, sung by a young girl, is clear, delicate and charming at first hearing. The text itself is unknown to me, beyond the fact that this is a song of consecration, a blessing. But the music of the chant is enchanting, with its uniquely expressive melodic shapes and its asymmetrical rhythms.In approaching this material I first made a detailed transcription of the chant and became fascinated with the intricacy of the motivic …


Song Of The Holy Ground (Recording), Gary Smart Jun 2011

Song Of The Holy Ground (Recording), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

“Song of the Holy Ground” for piano and string quartet was written in reaction to an Apache chant recorded in 1953 by musicologist John Donald Robb. The original recording, sung by a young girl, is clear, delicate and charming at first hearing. The text itself is unknown to me, beyond the fact that this is a song of consecration, a blessing. But the music of the chant is enchanting, with its uniquely expressive melodic shapes and its asymmetrical rhythms.In approaching this material I first made a detailed transcription of the chant and became fascinated with the intricacy of the motivic …


Apache Chant - Song Of The Holy Ground (Score), Gary Smart Jun 2011

Apache Chant - Song Of The Holy Ground (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

Initial transcription of an Apache chant from The John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music at the University of New Mexico.


Trumpeter Swan (Score), Gary Smart May 2011

Trumpeter Swan (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

This piece was originally recorded for Capstone Records in 1990. At the time, this beautiful bird was disappearing from the American West and was on the endangered species list.The piece is in two movements. The first is “nesting music”, the second takes flight, and moves through several adventurous episodes, but finally settles back into the opening serenity. The work ends with echoing calls fading into silence.


A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Recording), Gary Smart May 2011

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Recording), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God" is from a private release CD, "Bright Morning Stars are Rising", made as a fundraiser for the Unitarian-Universalist Society. It features hymns from diverse religions and traditions around the world and reflects my interest in a diversity of musical styles including Americana, jazz and world musics.


Lover (Recording), Gary Smart May 2011

Lover (Recording), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

"Lover" (Richard Rodgers) is from The Elevox Open Jazz Competition Grand Prize Album. This recording is in the grand old two-fisted (stride) jazz piano style of Art Tatum and my teacher, Oscar Peterson. Notice the musical quotes, a part of this tradition: at the opening, "Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life, at Last I've Found Thee!" and at the very end, the Mendelssohn "Wedding March".


Nowhere Man (Recording), Gary Smart May 2011

Nowhere Man (Recording), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

"Nowhere Man" is an interpretation of the Lennon-McCartney classic performed on piano. It is from "Beatle Jazz," released by Mastersound Recordings in 1998.


Shortening Bread (Recording), Gary Smart May 2011

Shortening Bread (Recording), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

"Shortening Bread" is from the forthcoming release "Blossoms", coming soon from Albany Records. It features twenty-five tracks of abstract improvisations.


Beatbox (Score), Gary Smart May 2011

Beatbox (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

This group of short pieces for two pianists playing one piano was composed for a tour of central Japan in the summer of 2006. At a concert in Kyoto I premiered this collection, as secundo pianist, with six of my former Japanese piano students, each playing one movement with me. Each movement is dedicated to that individual and I like to think that these movements reflect, to some extent, each pianists’ personality.The title “Beatbox” refers to the repetitive rhythmic motives which serve as the basis for each movement. This music features energetic ostinati, and thick, bopish textures. Movement five is …


Wabi Sabi (Score), Gary Smart May 2011

Wabi Sabi (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

Wabi Sabi is a fantasy for eight instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and bass. The title, a Japanese phrase, refers to a love and nostalgia for ancient times, for old 
things - antiques - things which evoke feelings of purity, nobility, hard won wisdom, an essential spirituality, true worth. A tea ceremony in a Kyoto garden is “wabi sabi”. The piece was formed intuitively as a kind of drama, perhaps a Japanese folk tale. The expansion of “time perception”, the savoring of sound colors and the evocation of mood is central to the aesthetic of this music.


Bye-Bye (Score), Gary Smart May 2011

Bye-Bye (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

“Bye-bye” for mixed sextet of instruments was written specifically for the 2010 Finale Composers’ Competition. It was finished in August 2010. It is a kind of abstract toccata which relies on rhythmic gestures as a primary unifying device. “Bye-bye” is Ivesian in it’s overall American character and in it’s use of materials from diverse musical genres (vaudeville, ragtime, waltz, early jazz, swing, etc.).Only five minutes in length, this piece is written to serve as a brilliant, eccentric showpiece encore. Fans of the “Great American songbook” will recognize this music to be a free fantasy on the old sing-a-long favorite – …


Benediction (Score), Gary Smart May 2011

Benediction (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

“Benediction” for solo violin (2009) was written for violinist Piotr Szlewczyk and his recording project “Violin Futura”. This short set of variations is based on the old southern hymn, “Part in Peace”.


Kiku Preludes (Score), Gary Smart Apr 2011

Kiku Preludes (Score), Gary Smart

Gary Smart

A collection of Japanese inspired piano preludes.