Daniel Dorff (1956- )
Daniel
Dorff was born in New York in 1956. Acclaim came early with First Prize
in the Aspen Music Festival’s annual composers’ competition at age 18.
Originally a saxophonist, Dorff received degrees in composition from
Cornell Univeristy and the University of Pennsylvania. His
teachers include George Rochberg, George Crumb, Karel Husa, Richard
Wernick, Ralph Shapey, Elie Siegmeister, and Henry Brant. He studied
saxophone with Sigurd Rascher and is an active bass clarinetist in the
Philadelphia region. In 1996, Dorff was named Composer-In-Residence for
the Haddonfield Symphony.COMPOSITIONS Dorff Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Dorff on Dorff
American Declaration "We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident", chorus (1973)
Jabberwocky, chorus (1973)
Eyelash Wish, voice and piano (1973)
Snowy Evening, voice and piano (1973)
Fantasy, Scherzo and Nocturne, saxophone quartet (1974)
Tidal Song, voice and piano (1974)
Andante Con Variazioni, flute and clarinet (1975)
Fantasia for String Quartet (1975)
The Beautiful Frog Pond Waltz, alto sax and piano (1975)
Dances and Canons, flute and clarinet (1975-76)
Quartet for Alto Saxophone, Violin, Cello and Piano (1976)
Concertino Molto Grosso, 12 soloists and wind ensemble (1977)
Lamentations, string quartet or string orchestra (1977)
The Curse of Catullus, soprano, tenor, fl/alto fl, sop/alto sax, cl/bass cl and electric piano, (1977)
5 Songs from the Goliards, tenor, cl/sop sax, bsn, trmb, viola/perc and cello/perc (1977)
The Day Things Went Wrong at the Pet Store 11 Cartoons, piano (1976-78)
4 Idylls, piano (1976-78)
6 Dances, piano (1976-78)
Scholars’ Refrain, male chorus and piano (1978)
Taps for Tubas, tuba quintet (1978)
Ambivalence of Opposites, voice and piano (1978)
Dreams, voice and piano (1978)
Flames, chorus (1979)
The Center Ring, voice and piano (1979)
Newness, tenor and flute (1979; rev. 2005)
Nature, voice and piano (1979)
Wedding Songs, tenor, flute and piano (1979)
Heaven-Haven, chorus (1980)
He Is Love, 2-part chorus and piano (1980/1997)
Ave Maria, mezzo-soprano, flute, oboe, 2 clarinets and glockenspiel (1980)
Kurontokai, tenor and piano (1980)
On Drowning, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, viola and crotaleso (1980)
Sunshine Rondo, violin and piano (1981)
Dance Music (Mr. Mouse Dances and Dies), Eb clarinet and piano (1981)
Stone Soup: An Operatic Fable in One Act (1982, orch. 1983)
Kokoro o Komete, voice and piano (1982)
Si Linguis Angelicis, soprano, flute or clarinet and piano (1982)
Fanfare Overture, orchestra (1983)
Three Dance Etudes, marimba duo or ensemble (1984)
Through a Misty Arch..., flute ensemble, w/opt. narration and/or dance (1985)
Billy and the Carnival, A Children's Guide to the Instruments, narrator and orchestra (1985, rev. 1988)
Ardmore Avenue Circus March, intermediate band (1985)
Benjamin Franklin Bridge, intermediate band (1985)
Through a Misty Arch..., flute ensemble, w/opt. narration and/or dance (1985)
Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", piano (1985) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Pachelbel's Christmas A Merry Melange, brass quintet (1986)
Dark Romance, 3 clarinets and bass clarinet, quartet or ensemble (1986)
Barnyard Bash, alto sax and piano (1986)
Cool Street, alto saxophone and piano (1986)
Summer Strut, alto sax/clarinet and piano (1986)
Tobetara, voice and piano (1986)
Prelude and Fugue on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm", piano (1986)
The Adventures of Mary and Her Little Lamb, piano (1986) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Variations in the Styles of Famous Composers on “This Old Man”, piano (1986) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Peaceful Journey, cello and piano (1987)
Romanza on a Theme by Rochberg, piano (1987)
Alleluia in D, chorus, with opt. keyboard (1988)
Piano Variations on a Theme of Siegmeister, piano (1988) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Fast Walk (1989)
- 3 clarinets and bass clarinet, quartet or ensemble (1989)
- orchestra (arr. 1990)
- sax quartet (arr. 1991)
- 3 bassoons and contrabassoon, quartet or ensemble (1997)
It Takes Four to Tango (1990)
- 3 clarinets and bass clarinet, quartet or ensemble (1990)
- sax quartet (arr. 1995)
- 3 bassoons and contrabassoon, quartet or ensemble (1997)
- violin or flute and guitar (arr. 1998)
- string quartet or string quintet or string orchestra (arr. 1998)
Concerto for Contrabassoon, with clarinet, horn and string orchestra (1990-91)
Symphony of Delusions, wind ensemble (1991)
Concerto for Solo Percussion and Orchestra (1991-1992)
Allegro Volante, xylophone and orchestra/band (1992)
Fanfare for Two Trumpets (1992)
Summer Solstice, clarinet and string orchestra (1986/1993)
Three Mysteries, violin and percussion (1993)
2 Alphabetical Songs, voice and piano (1993)
Pastorale (Souvenirs du Frög), clarinet and piano (1994)
Beethoven’s Blues, elementary band (1995)
Conga Time in Aldan, elementary band (1995)
Three Fun Fables, narrator & mixed octet (1996; w/orchestra, 1996/1999)
The Tortoise and the Hare, narrator and orchestra (1996)
In a Deep Funk: Dance Set, contrabassoon (1996)
To Daffodils, baritone and cello (1996)
Philly Rhapsody, orchestra (1997)
Sonatina d’Amore, 2 contrabassoons (1997)
April Whirlwind, flute and piano (1997)
Sunburst, violin and string orchestra (1998)
Serenade to Eve, After Rodin, flute and guitar (1999)
The Year of the Rabbit, flute quartet or ensemble (1999)
Yuki no Uta, voice and piano (1999)
Blast Off!, narrator and orchestra (2000)
The Adventures of Mary and Her Little Lamb, narrator, violin, viola, horn, contrabassoon and piano (2000)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, narrator and mixed octet (2000; w/orchestra, 2001)
Sonatine de Giverny, piccolo and piano (2000)
The Kiss (after the painting by Gustav Klimt), orchestra (2001)
Take the Orchestra Out to the Ballgame, narrator, English horn, trumpet, percussion, double bass and piano (2002)
Say Hey! Homage to Willie Mays, percussion trio with baseball bats and audience participation (2002)
Deep Funk, Part 2: Dance Sonata for Solo Viola (2002)
Nocturne Caprice, flute (2002)
4 Hebrew Love Songs, voice and piano (2002, in progress)
The Bear Went Under the Mountain for Narrator with Flute/Piccolo, Bass Trombone, Celle, Percussion, and Piano (2003)
The Colors of Creation, chorus (2003)
The Seven Chakras, tenor sax and piano (2003)
The Three Little Pigs, narrator, violin and cello (2004)
9 Walks Down 7th Avenue, flute and piano (2004)
Pachelbel's Christmas A Merry Mélange, orchestra (2005)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2006)
August Idyll, flute (2006)
3 Romances, flute and clarinet (2007)
Two Cats, flute and clarinet (2007)
Flash!, piccolo and piano; or piccolo and band (2008)
Trees, solo flute, with narration (2009) [after the poem by Joyce Kilmer]
Spark, solo viola (2009)
Three Little Waltzes, flute and clarinet (2010)
Perennials, flute, clarinet and piano (2011)
It Isn’t Easy Being a Kid, children’s musical (????)
Life Is Not a Rainbow, children’s musical (????)
Superstar, children’s rock musical (????)
We’re Not Just Pretty Faces, children’s musical (????)
Pavane, band (????)
Morning Has Broken (Gaelic Hymn), flute and harp (????)
Three Lullabies, clarinet (????)
Snowy Evening, voice and piano (????)
WORKS BY GENRE Dorff Links ~ ~ ~ Dorff on Dorff ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater/Musical
Stone Soup: An Operatic Fable in One Act (1982, orch. 1983)
It Isn’t Easy Being a Kid, children’s musical (????)
Life Is Not a Rainbow, children’s musical (????)
Superstar, children’s rock musical (????)
We’re Not Just Pretty Faces, children’s musical (????)
Narrator w/Ensemble
Through a Misty Arch..., flute ensemble, w/opt. narration and/or dance (1985)
Billy and the Carnival, A Children's Guide to the Instruments, narrator and orchestra (1985, rev. 1988)
Three Fun Fables, narrator & mixed octet (1996; w/orchestra, 1996/1999)
The Tortoise and the Hare, narrator and orchestra (1996)
Blast Off!, narrator and orchestra (2000)
The Adventures of Mary and Her Little Lamb, narrator, violin, viola, horn, contrabassoon and piano (2000)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, narrator and mixed octet (2000; w/orchestra, 2001)
Take the Orchestra Out to the Ballgame, narrator, English horn, trumpet, percussion, double bass and piano (2002)
The Bear Went Under the Mountain for Narrator with Flute/Piccolo, Bass Trombone, Celle, Percussion, and Piano (2003)
The Three Little Pigs, narrator, violin and cello (2004)
Trees, solo flute, with narration (2009) [after the poem by Joyce Kilmer]
Orchestra
Lamentations, string orchestra or string quartet (1977)
Fanfare Overture, orchestra (1983)
Fast Walk, orchestra (1989; orchestrated, 1990)
Philly Rhapsody, orchestra (1997)
It Takes Four to Tango, string orchestra (1998)
The Kiss (after the painting by Gustav Klimt), orchestra (2001)
Pachelbel's Christmas A Merry Mélange, orchestra (2005)
Band
Concertino Molto Grosso, 12 soloists and wind ensemble (1977)
Ardmore Avenue Circus March, intermediate band (1985)
Benjamin Franklin Bridge, intermediate band (1985)
Symphony of Delusions, wind ensemble (1991)
Allegro Volante, xylophone and orchestra/band (1992)
Beethoven’s Blues, elementary band (1995)
Conga Time in Aldan, elementary band (1995)
Flash!, piccolo and piano; or piccolo and band (2008)
Pavane, band (????)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra or Band
Concertino Molto Grosso, 12 soloists and wind ensemble (1977)
Concerto for Contrabassoon, with clarinet, horn and string orchestra (1990-91)
Concerto for Solo Percussion and Orchestra (1991-1992)
Allegro Volante, xylophone and orchestra/band (1992)
Summer Solstice, clarinet and string orchestra (1986/1993)
Sunburst, violin and string orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2006)
Flash!, piccolo and piano; or piccolo and band (2008)
Choral
American Declaration "We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident", chorus (1973)
Jabberwocky, chorus (1973)
Scholars’ Refrain, male chorus and piano (1978)
Flames, chorus (1979)
Heaven-Haven, chorus (1980)
Alleluia in D, chorus, with opt. keyboard (1988)
He Is Love, 2-part chorus and piano (1980/1997)
The Colors of Creation, chorus (2003)
Chamber
Fantasy, Scherzo and Nocturne, saxophone quartet (1974)
Andante Con Variazioni, flute and clarinet (1975)
Fantasia for String Quartet (1975)
Dances and Canons, flute and clarinet (1975-76)
Quartet for Alto Saxophone, Violin, Cello and Piano (1976)
Lamentations, string quartet or string orchestra (1977)
Taps for Tubas, tuba quintet (1978)
Three Dance Etudes, marimba duo or ensemble (1984)
Through a Misty Arch..., flute ensemble, w/opt. narration and/or dance (1985)
Pachelbel's Christmas A Merry Melange, brass quintet (1986)
Dark Romance, Bb clarinets and bass clarinet (quartet or ensemble) (1986)
Fast Walk, sax/clarinet/bassoon quartet or ensemble (1989/1997)
It Takes Four to Tango, clarinet/sax/bassoon quartet/string quartet or quintet (1990/1995/1996/1998)
Fanfare for Two Trumpets (1992)
Three Mysteries, violin and percussion (1993)
Sonatina d’Amore, 2 contrabassoons (1997)
The Year of the Rabbit, flute quartet or ensemble (1999)
Say Hey! Homage to Willie Mays, percussion trio with baseball bats and audience participation (2002)
3 Romances, flute and clarinet (2007)
Two Cats, flute and clarinet (2007)
Three Little Waltzes, flute and clarinet (2010)
Instrument and Piano, or Harp, or Guitar
The Beautiful Frog Pond Waltz, alto sax and piano (1975)
Sunshine Rondo, violin and piano (1981)
Dance Music (Mr. Mouse Dances and Dies), Eb clarinet and piano (1981)
Barnyard Bash, alto sax and piano (1986)
Cool Street, alto saxophone and piano (1986)
Summer Strut, alto sax/clarinet and piano (1986)
Peaceful Journey, cello and piano (1987)
It Takes Four to Tango, violin or flute and guitar (1990/1998)
Pastorale (Souvenirs du Frög), clarinet and piano (1994)
April Whirlwind, flute and piano (1997)
Serenade to Eve, After Rodin, flute and guitar (1999)
Sonatine de Giverny, piccolo and piano (2000)
The Seven Chakras, tenor sax and piano (2003)
9 Walks Down 7th Avenue, flute and piano (2004)
Flash!, piccolo and piano; or piccolo and band (2008)
Perennials, flute, clarinet and piano (2011)
Morning Has Broken, flute and harp (????)
Solo Instrument
In a Deep Funk: Dance Set, contrabassoon (1996)
Deep Funk, Part 2: Dance Sonata for Solo Viola (2002)
Nocturne Caprice, flute (2002)
August Idyll, flute (2006)
Trees, solo flute, with narration (2009) [after the poem by Joyce Kilmer]
Spark, solo viola (2009)
Three Lullabies, clarinet (????)
Piano
The Day Things Went Wrong at the Pet Store 11 Cartoons, piano (1976-78)
4 Idylls, piano (1976-78)
6 Dances, piano (1976-78)
Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", piano (1985) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Prelude and Fugue on "Old MacDonald Had a Farm", piano (1986)
The Adventures of Mary and Her Little Lamb, piano (1986) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Variations in the Styles of Famous Composers on “This Old Man”, piano (1986) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Romanza on a Theme by Rochberg, piano (1987)
Piano Variations on a Theme of Siegmeister, piano (1988) [in collection "Look What I Can Play!"]
Vocal
Eyelash Wish, voice and piano (1973)
Snowy Evening, voice and piano (1973)
Tidal Song, voice and piano (1974)
The Curse of Catullus, soprano, tenor, fl/alto fl, sop/alto sax, cl/bass cl and electric piano, (1977)
5 Songs from the Goliards, tenor, cl/sop sax, bsn, trmb, viola/perc and cello/perc (1977)
Ambivalence of Opposites, voice and piano (1978)
Dreams, voice and piano (1978)
The Center Ring, voice and piano (1979)
Newness, tenor and flute (1979; rev. 2005)
Nature, voice and piano (1979)
Wedding Songs, tenor, flute and piano (1979)
Ave Maria, mezzo-soprano, flute, oboe, 2 clarinets and glockenspiel (1980)
Kurontokai, tenor and piano (1980)
On Drowning, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, viola and crotaleso (1980)
Kokoro o Komete, voice and piano (1982)
Si Linguis Angelicis, soprano, flute or clarinet and piano (1982)
Tobetara, voice and piano (1986)
2 Alphabetical Songs, voice and piano (1993)
To Daffodils, baritone and cello (1996)
Yuki no Uta, voice and piano (1999)
4 Hebrew Love Songs, voice and piano (2002, in progress)
Snowy Evening, voice and piano (????)
DORFF LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Dorff on Dorff ~ top of page ~
Is Music Just Sounds? And What Does It Communicate? (Daniel Dorff, NewMusicBox)
Composer's website . . . contact Daniel Dorff: ddorff@danieldorff.com
Dorff @ Wikipedia
Dorff @ American Composers Forum
Dorff @ Classical Composers Database
Dorff @ counter)induction
Dorff @ Kendor Music
Dorff @ Modern Classical
Dorff @ The New York Times
Dorff @ North Brach Records
Dorff @ Orchestralist.net
Dorff @ Playmusic.org
Dorff @ saxspot.com
Dorff @ Symphony in C
Dorff @ Theodore Presser
Dorff @ Tritone Press and Tenuto Publications
Publisher
Dorff @ Composer website/publisher listings
Dorff @ Kendor Music
Dorff @ Theodore Presser
Dorff @ Tritone Press and Tenuto Publications
Streaming Audio
Dorff @ Composer's website
Dorff @ ASCAP Network Audio Portraits
Dorff @ NewMusicBox
Recordings
Dorff @ ArkivMusic
Video
Dorff @ YouTube
Dorff @ NAMM Oral History Project
~ top of page ~
Dorff on Dorff: ASCAP Network Audio Portrait (streaming audio)
Composers
Speak on the Web at Pytheas~ click on composer picture to listen ~
Dorff on Dorff: NAMM Oral History Program (VIDEO)
Composers
Speak on the Web at Pytheas~ click on composer picture to listen ~
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________