During the summer of 2015, my offspring unit, Aryn was in Pennsylvania for a summer ballet intensive. We took a house and dog-sitting gig in order to eliminate room-and-board costs. There, in the beautiful town of Chambersburg, I sequestered myself and hit head-on the challenge of composing a 3-movement 12-tone work for orchestra based on the color-timbral associations experienced by Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky. It was an incredible experience. I feel that I truly found my voice as a composer that summer. I was also honored to have the composition interpreted and choreographed by my dear friend Elizabeth Mikautadze, Artistic Director of the Graham-inspired professional dance company “Mikautadze Dance Theatre.” The photos below include images of their work (select photos to enlarge). Recordings are below as well.
My daughter Abby, teaching me about Kandinsky at the Philadelphia Museum of Art“Cannons (Improvisation 30) — the inspiration for the 1st movement of my “Kandinsky Suite”
To hear a MIDI-rendered recording of Improvisation 30 “Cannons” along with program notes and images:
“Blue Segment” — the inspiration for the 2nd movement of my “Kandinsky Suite”
To hear a MIDI-rendered recording of Blue Segment along with program notes and images:
“Several Circles” — the inspiration for the 3rd movement of my “Kandinsky Suite”
To hear a MIDI-rendered recording of Several Circles along with program notes and images:
12-tone matrix, Abby’s painting analyses, and a glass of cran-raspberry juice: my constant companions while composing the Kandinsky SuiteWoodwind, Brass, & Percussion parts for the steam locomotive section in my Kandinsky Suite for orchestraMy “thinking spot” at the Elia home in Chambersburg, PA (notice the painting on the wall looks like staff paper)Drinking a little toast upon completing my Kandinsky SuiteAnnouncement for the premiere of “Kandinsky Suite”Our cat, Spartacus (Sparky) “helping” me mark my Kandinsky score for the premiere.Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)Mikautadze Dance Theatre Performance of “Kandinsky Suite” (photo by David Mikautadze)
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