David Rakowski (1958- )
David
Rakowski grew up in St. Albans, Vermont and studied at New England
Conservatory, Princeton, and Tanglewood, where his teachers were Robert
Ceely, John Heiss, Milton Babbitt, Paul Lansky, and Luciano Berio. He
has received a large number of awards and fellowships, including the
Elise L. Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
and the Rome Prize, and he has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer
Prize in Music (for pieces commissioned by the Orpheus Chamber
Orchestra and the US Marine Band). He has composed five concertos,
three symphonies, 93 piano etudes, five song cycles, and a large amount
of wind ensemble music, chamber music, and vocal music for various
combinations, as well as music for children. His music has been
commissioned, recorded, and performed widely and is published by C.F.
Peters. He is currently the Walter W. Naumburg Professor of Composition
at Brandeis University, having also taught at New England Conservatory,
Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford.- Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composers Series
COMPOSITIONS Rakowski Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
[under construction]
WORKS BY GENRE Rakowski Links ~ top of page ~
[under construction]
Dramatic/Theater
Boy in the Dark, ballet/fantasy for children dancers, children's chorus and Pierrot plus percussion (1996)
Orchestra
Elegy, string orchestra (1982-84)
Symphony No. 1, soprano and orchestra (1990-91)
Winged Contraption, orchestra (1991)
Nothing But the Wind, soprano and orchestra (1995)
Persistent Memory, chamber orchestra (1996-97)
- Elegy, chamber orchestra [first movement of "Persistent Memory", 1996-97]
Dream Symphony (Symphony No. 3), string orchestra (2003)
Stolen Moments, chamber orchestra (2008) [arr. of 10-instrument. piece]
Current Conditions, orchestra (2010)
Band
Overdrive, 4 tpt, 2 alto sax, 2 tenor sax, bari sax, 4 trombones, gtr, bass, pf and drums (1985)
Ten of a Kind (Symphony No. 2), clarinet section (2000)
Sibling Revelry, wind ensemble (2002-2003/2004) [arr. of piano etudes: Zipper Tango; Strident; Bop It; Moody's Blues]
Cantina, wind ensemble (2007)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto, violin and chamber orchestra (1982-83)
Cerberus, clarinet and chamber orchestra (1991-92)
No Holds Barred, cello and chamber orchestra (1994-95)
Locking Horns, horn and chamber orchestra (2001-02)
Piano Concerto (2005-06)
Choral
Amens and Alleluias, chorus (1981-82)
Chamber
Duo, violin and piano (1979-81)
Five Bagatelles, string quartet (1980)
Elegy, string quartet. (1980, 82, 84, 5')
Slange, cl, bcl, hn, pno, vln, vla, vc, bass (1984-87, 14')
Imaginary Dances, fl/afl, cl/bcl, ob/EH, vln, vla, vc, pno, perc (1986-88, 16')
Terra Firma, chamber ensemble (1988, 13'). (for Alea II)
Domino Effect, fl, cl, ob, pno, hp, 2 vln, vla, vc, bass. (for Alea III)(1989, 11') WITHDRAWN.
Diverti, clarinet and piano (1991, 6')
Hyperblue, piano trio (1991-93, 13')
Firecat, flute and piano (1993, 10')
Mento, clarinet and piano (1995, 6')
Two Can Play That Game, bass clarinet and marimba (1995, 4' 15")
Tight Fit, cello and piano (1996, 5')
Sesso e Violenza, fl/picc, fl/afl, vln, vla, vc pno, perc (1995-96, 23')
Attitude Problem, piano trio (1996-97, 15')
Dances in the Dark, for Pierrot plus percussion [concert suite from "Boy in the Dark"] (1996, 98; 14')
Take Jazz Chords, Make Strange, clarinet and string quartet (1997, 12')
La Roba, for Pierrot ensemble. (1998, 14') WITHDRAWN
Pied-a-terre / PIED-À-TERRE for violin and piano (1999, 10')
Gut Reaction, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano (2000, 15')
Memorial, clarinet, viola and piano (2002, 10')
Trompe L'oeil, 2 marimbas (2002, 2')
Twofer, violin and 'cello, forthcoming [for dance piece] (2003, 6')
Rule of Three, fl, cl and piano (2004, 10')
Inside Story (Piano Trio No. 3), violin, cello and piano (2005, 14')
Disparate Measures, 2 violins, viola, violoncello, and piano (2006, 16')
Gli Uccelli di Bogliasco, flute/piccolo and two piano (2006, 12')
Stolen Moments, woodwind quintet, string quartet, and piano (2008, 25')
Mikronomicon, chamber piano concerto. Fl, cl, vln, vc, perc, solo piano, and melodicas (2009, 19')
Ahchim Angae, HaeGeum and string trio (2009, 6')
Double Fantasy (on two Spanish hymns), piano trio/violin, cello and piano (2009)
'Cello' Out, 4 cellos (2009-10)
Ensembles for One Kind of Instrument
A Fanfare For Two Dozen Trombones Whose Length Was Determined by the Amount of Space Remaining in
My Brown Notebook, 24 trombones (1978)
Martian Counterpoint, ca. 25 clarinets (concerto group of 10, ripieno group of ca. 15 (9 parts) & 1 percussionist) (2000; arr. 2003)
It Takes Nine to Funk, 6 clarinets, 2 bass cl and contrabass cl (2005) [arr. of piano etude No. 68]
Solo Instrument
Rowell Come Back Now, 5-string electric violin (1997)
The Squeaky Wheel, E-flat clarinet (1998)
When the Bow Breaks, violin (2000)
Snaggle (in 3 mvts), solo hand drums (2005)
Living Large, bass clarinet (2006)
Flutudes (Etudes for solo flute) (2008-09)
- Ram Tough, flute (2008) [on tongue rams]
- Slap Happy, flute (2008) [on tongue pizzicato and key slaps]
- Harm's Way, flute (2009) [on harmonics and arpeggios]
Luccicare, cello (2010)
Music for Young Performers
E-Fantasies, piano 4-hands (2009) [for students age 9-16]
Seven Duets, piano 4-hands (2004) [beginning to intermediate students aged 10-11]
Four Rivers, flute, clarinet, horn and marimba (2004) [for high school musicians]
Felspimal , clarinet, cello and piano (1998) [for teenagers]
Trio, piano trio/violin, cello and piano (1993) [for teenagers]
Eleven Recital Pieces, [piano 4-hands] (1990) [for children aged 5 and 6, in duet with their instructor]
Piano
Preludes for Piano
Moody, My Doom, piano (2010)
Etudes for Piano
ETUDES BOOK I: (Peters Edition 67928a)
E-MACHINES (#1; 1988, 2' 30"), also available alone, Edition 67234. Repeated note étude (for Martin Butler)
BAM! (#2; 1991, 3'; étude on swirls of notes) (for Karen Harvey)
NOCTURNAL (#3; 1992, 4'; étude on slow repeated notes), currently available, hand-copied, bound in same edition with BAM!, Edition 67588 (for Lyn Reyna)
TRILLAGE (#4; 1993, 4' 30"), currently available by itself, Edition 67591. Trill étude. (for Alan Feinberg)
FIGURE EIGHT (#5; 1994, 3'), octave étude
MANO À MANO (#6; 1995, 3' 45"), étude on alternating hands (for Lisa Moore)
LES ARBRES EMBUÉS (#7; 1995, 6'), étude on thick sonorities and embedded lines (for Martin Butler)
CLOSE ENOUGH FOR JAZZ (#8; 1995, 3'), ostinato étude (for Sandra Sprecher)
POLLICI E MIGNOLI OR THE VIRUS THAT ATE NEW YORK (#9: 1995, 3' 30"), étude for thumbs and pinkies
CORRENTE (#10; 1996, 2' 30"), étude on left-hand running notes.
ETUDES BOOK II: (Peters Edition 67928b)
TOUCH TYPING (#11; 1996, 2' 40"), étude for index fingers only
NORTHPAW (#12; 1996, 2' 40"), right-hand étude (for Lyn Reyna and Barbara Barclay)
PLUCKING A (#13; 1997, 1' 40"), inside-the-piano étude (for Marilyn Nonken)
PLUCKING A (#13a; 1997, 2002, 3'), inside-the-piano étude for Steinway "D" pianos. (for Amy Dissanayake)
MARTLER (#14; 1997, 2' 30"), hand crossing étude
THE THIRD, MAN (#15; 1997, 2' 30"), étude on thirds
ICE BOOGIE (#16; 1998, 2'), étude on octave leaps (for Steven Weigt)
KEINE KASKADENJAGD MEHR (#17; 1998, 2' 15") étude on falling thirds and fourths
PITCHING FROM THE STRETCH (#18; 1998, 2'), étude on tenths
SECONDARY DOMINANCE (#19; 1998, 2' 30"), étude on seconds
FOURTH OF HABIT (#20; 1998, 2'), étude on fourths. (for Geoffrey Burleson)
ÉTUDES BOOK III: (Peters Edition 67928c)
TWELVE-STEP PROGRAM (#21; 1999, 3'), on chromatic scales and wedges (for Marilyn Nonken)
SCHNOZZAGE (#22; 1999, 2' 10"), etude with melody played by the nose
YOU DIRTY RAG (#23; 1999, 2' 40"), for melody in the left thumb
HORNED IN (#24; 1999, 2'), on horn fifths (for David Horne)
FISTS OF FURY (#25; 1999, 3' 30"), etude using fists (for Marilyn Nonken)
ONCE BITTEN (#26; 2000, 2' 30"), on mordents
HALFTONE (#27; 2000, 2' 00"), black vs. white keys
YOU’VE GOT SCALE (#28; 2000, 3' 30"), on scales and arpeggios (for Teresa McCollough)
ROLL YOUR OWN (#29; 2000, 3' 00"), on rolled chords (for Jason Eckardt)
A GLISS IS JUST A GLISS (#30; 2000, 1' 40"), on glissandi.
ÉTUDES BOOK IV (Peters Edition 67928d)
USURPATION (#31; 2000, 2-1/2') on a slow trill (also appears in Perspectives of New Music Boykan Festschrift). (for Martin Boykan at 70)
BOOGIE NINTHS (#32; 2000, 2-1/2') on ninths
SLIDING SCALES (#33, 2001, 3') gonzo etude on scales (for Marilyn Nonken)
CHORALE FANTASY (#34, 2001, 2-1/2') slow etude on an embedded melody
LUCEOLE (#35, 2001, 2' 20") etude on ascending seconds and thirds (for Amy Dissanayake)
PURPLE (#36, 2001, 2-1/2") etude on a chord (for Amy Dissanayake)
TAKING THE FIFTHS (#37, 2002, 3') etude on perfect fifths
SILENT BUT DEADLY (#38, 2002, 2-1/2') pianissimo etude (to Shehan Dissanayake)
SIXTH APPEAL (#39, 2002, 3') etude on sixths
STRIDENT (#40, 2002, 3-1/2') stride piano etude (for Amy Dissanayake)
ÉTUDES BOOK V (commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation) (Peters Edition 67928e)
BOP IT (#41, 2002, 3') bop etude (for Geoffrey Burleson)
MADAM I'M ADAM (#42, 2002, 2') little palindrome etude
WIGGLE ROOM (#43, 2002, 2-1/2') etude on fast notes moving in parallel
TRIADDLED (#44, 2002, 2-1/2') etude on triads
BEEZLE NOSE (2004, 1-1/2') for Robert Ceely's retirement tribute concert.
SARA (2002, 4') elegy in memory of Sara Doniach. Commissioned by Judith Bettina and James Goldsworthy for Sara's students. C.F. Peters, Edition 68131.
SIREN SONG (1995, 1-1/2'), ostinato piece on Italian ambulance sirens.
CRACKLING FIRE (1990, 4-1/2') for piano four hands. Commissioned by James Goldsworthy and Sara Doniach.
PINK TAB (#45, 2002, 3-1/2') accelerando-ritenuto etude
DURCHRAUSCHT DIE LUFT (#46, 2002, 2-1/2') etude on sevenths
FRA DIABOLIS (#47, 2002, 2-1/2') etude on tritones
WHAT HALF-DIMINISHES ONE (Half-Diminishes All) (#48, 2002, 2') chorale-etude on half-diminished seventh chords. (to Eric Chafe, on an idea stolen from Martler and encouraged by Rick M.)
SALTIMMANO (#49, 2002, 3') finger-pedaling etude.
NO STRANGER TO OUR PLANET (#50, 2002, 2-1/2') etude on register shifts.
ÉTUDES BOOK VI (Peters Edition 67928f)
ZIPPER TANGO (#51, 2003, 3') tango-etude on grace notes (for Amy Dissanayake).
MOODY'S BLUES (#52, 2003, 3') rock and roll etude on repeated chords (to Rick Moody).
CELL DIVISION (#53, 2003, 2-1/2') treble etude on arpeggios.
PEDAL TO THE METAL (#54, 2003, 3') pedaling etude (to Rick Moody)
EIGHT MISBEHAVIN' (#55, 2003, 2-1/2') slow octave etude (for Amy Osborn)
CRAZY EIGHTS (#56, 2003, 3') fast octave/black-white key etude
CHORD SHARK (#57, 2003, 2-1/2') slow etude on thick chords (for Corey Hamm)
WOUND TIGHT (#58, 2003, 2-1/2') fast etude on all chords (for Corey Hamm)
ZECCATELLA (#59, 2003, 3') staccato-legato etude (for Amy Dissanayake)
ACCENTS OF MALICE (#60, 2003, 3-1/2') accent etude
ÉTUDES BOOK VII (Peters Edition 67928g)
MENAGE A DROIT (#61, 2004, 3') right-hand etude
NAME THAT TURN (#62, 2004, 2-1/2') etude on turns
KILLER B's (#63, 2004, 3') etude on a pedal
A THIRD IN THE HAND (#64, 2004, 2-1/2') etude on arpeggiated thirds
RICK'S MOOD (#65, 2002/4/5, 2-1/2') chorale-etude on major triads
LESS IS (#66, 2005, 2-1/2') impatient minimalist etude on chord-building
AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT (#67, 2005, 3') left hand etude (for Corey Hamm)
ABSOFUNKINLUTELY (#68, 2005, 3-1/2') funk etude [Chevillion-Bonnaud composition prize, 2006]
PALM DE TERRE (#69, 2006, 2-1/2') cluster etude
STUTTER STAB (#70, 2006, 3') etude on stark dynamic contrasts
ÉTUDES BOOK VIII (Peters Edition 67928h)
CHASE (#71, 2006, 4') etude with celesta (for Donald Berman)
DORIAN BLUE (#72, 2006, 4') etude on two-hand flourishes (for Donald Berman)
HEAVY HITTER (#73, 2006, 3') fortissimo etude (to Michael Kirkendoll)
NOT (#74, 2006, 5-1/2') talking pianist etude (for Adam Marks). Text by Rick Moody.
TWILIGHT (#75, 2006, 3') etude on melodic thirds.
CLAVE (#76, 2007, 2-1/2') etude on the clave rhythm (for Geoffrey Burleson).
ECCO ECO (#77, 2007, 2-1/2') echo etude (to Corey Hamm).
UPON REFLECTION (#78, 2007, 2-1/2') slow mirror etude (to Michael Kirkendoll)
NARCISSITUDE (#79, 2007, 3') fast mirror etude (to Michael Kirkendoll)
FIREWORKS (#80, 2007, 2-3/4') arpeggio etude.
ÉTUDES BOOK IX (Peters Edition 67928i)
KAI'N VARIATION (#81, 2007, 1-1/2') Etude-variation on diatonic scale fragments (theme by Kai Schumacher) (for Kai Schumacher)
F THIS (#82, 2007, 2-1/4') Single-note etude (to Ken Ueno and Marilyn Nonken)
M'AIDEZ (#83, 2008, 3') Etude on escaping arpeggios (for Nathanael May)
WHAT'S HAIRPINNING (#84, 2008, 3') Etude on dynamic swells and simple polyrhythms.
DIMINISHING RETURN (#85, 2008, 2-1/2') Etude on fading repeated notes.
PROG SPRINGS ETERNAL (#86, 2008, 4') Prog rock etude (to Rick Moody and Geoffrey Burleson).
BERCEUSE (#87, 2008, 2') Five-finger etude for piano, toy piano, or both (to Rick Moody, Amy Osborn, and Hazel Jane).
TOYED TOGETHER (#88, 2008, 2-1/4') Etude with toy piano.
THIS MEANS WARBLE (#89, 2009, 3') Etude on 2-note warbling figures.
SOLID GOLDIE (#90, 2009, 2-1/2') Etude on G-C-H in search of a lullaby (for Marilyn Nonken and Goldie Celeste).
ÉTUDES BOOK X (Peters Edition 67928j)
WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' (#91, 2009, 3') Etude on tremolos
YOU BLEW IT (#92, 2009, 2-3/4') Etude with melodica
POLKRITUDE (#93, 2009, 4') Polka etude (to Jim Ricci)
KNOCKSVILLE (#94, 2010, 2-1/2') Knocking and hitting the piano etude (at Harold Meltzer).
FLIT (#95, 2010, 3-1/2') Etude on uneven repeated notes and swirls. (for I-Chen Yeh).
DOUBLE CROSS (#96, 2010, 3') Etude on cross-accents.
QUIETUDE (#97, 2010, 3') Etude on dominant seventh chords (to Augusta Read Thomas).
MOSSO (#98, 2010, 2-1/2') Etude on fast arpeggiations in both hands.
MANO WAR (#99, 2010, 2-1/2')Etude on irregular hand alternation.
TWO GREAT TASTES (#100, 2010, 2-1/2') Four-hands combo etude, two two-hand etudes, or both (for Adam Marks and Amy Briggs)
--ERDNUßBUTTER (#100a, 2010, 2-1/2') Etude on chromatic scales (may be played together with etude #100b)
--CIOCCOLATO (#100b, 2010, 2-1/2') Etude on crescendo/diminuendo repeated chords (may be played together with etude #100a)
Non-etude piano music
BEEZLE NOSE (2004, 1-1/2') for Robert Ceely's retirement tribute concert.
SARA (2002, 4') elegy in memory of Sara Doniach. Commissioned by Judith Bettina and James Goldsworthy for Sara's students. C.F. Peters, Edition 68131.
SIREN SONG (1995, 1-1/2'), ostinato piece on Italian ambulance sirens.
CRACKLING FIRE (1990, 4-1/2') for piano four hands. Commissioned by James Goldsworthy and Sara Doniach.
Organ
ELEGY (2002, arr. 2005, 3'). "Sara" arranged for organ by Carson Cooman. C.F. Peters, 68131a
Vocal
A Refusal to Mourn, baritone, fl, cl/bcl, va, vc, hpschd and pf, w/offstage horn (1979) [text: Dylan Thomas]
Three Songs on Poems of Louise Bogan, soprano and piano (1989)
Six Bogan Poems, soprano, string orchestra, harp and celesta (1989-90)
Musician, voice, violin and piano (1990) [text: Louise Bogan]
Symphony No. 1, soprano and orchestra (1990-91)
Three Encores, medium-to-high voice and piano (1991)
O Rhode Island, voice and piano (1991) [text: Tom Chandler]
A Loose Gathering of Words, soprano and mixed quintet (1993) [texts: J. Duemer; L. Bogan; Wallace Stevens; Tom Chandler]
Silently, A Wind Goes Over, soprano and piano (1994) [texts: Duemer; April Bernard; R.L. Stevenson; Wallace Stevens]
The Burning Woman, The Physiscs of Witches and Last Dance, mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano (1995) [text: J. Duemer]
Weather Jazz, high voice and chamber ensemble; or voice and piano (1995) [text: Joseph Duemer]
Nothing But the Wind, soprano and orchestra (1995)
The Burning Woman Revisited, soprano and clarinet (1996) [text: Joseph Duemer]
Georgic, soprano and piano (2000) [text: Phillis Levin]
The Gardener, soprano, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano (2000) [text: Sophie Wadsworth] [#2 of "Sex Songs"]
Violin Songs, soprano and violin (2003) [texts: Chuileanean, Frost, W.C. Williams, Gluck, Rukeyser]
Sex Songs, soprano, cl, str trio & pf (2000, 2004-05) [texts: Sophie Wadsworth; Edna St. V. Millay; Thoenkkittupp; Rick Moody]
Phillis Levin Songs (6 songs), soprano, flute/picc, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2007-08)
- Caesura
- Acorn
- Promise
- In Praise of Particles
- Letter to the Snow
- On Time
High Def, tenor and piano (2009)
Incidental/Film
The Bacchae, incidental music, string quartet and timpani (2005)
Hecuba, incidental music, piano quintet (2009)
RAKOWSKI LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
[under construction]
BMOP Plays Rakowski (Christian Carey, Sequenza 21)
Could Stravinsky Have Made Fonts? or: Fear and Loathing in A Minor (David Rakowski, composer and digital font maker)
David Rakowski Interview (Composition Today)
In His Eclectic Repertoire: Etudes with Attitude (David Weininger, The Boston Globe)
12 Composers Become Part of the Fromm Commissioning Legacy (Amanda MacBlane, NewMusicBox)
Composer's website . . . contact David Rakowski:
Rakowski @ Wikipedia
Rakowski @ Answers.com
Rakowski @ Art of the States
Rakowski @ Brandeis University
Rakowski @ Classical Archives
Rakowski @ ClassicsToday
Rakowski @ composition:today
Rakowski @ Dilettante Music
Rakowski @ InstantEncore
Rakowski @ Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composers Series
Rakowski @ Music Teachers’ Association of California
Rakowski @ MusicWeb International
Rakowski @ The New York Times
Rakowski @ Pacific Rim Music Festival
Publisher
Rakowski @ Edition Peters
Streaming Audio
Rakowski @ Art of the States
Rakowski @ Classical Archives
Rakowski @ last.fm
Rakowski @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Rakowski @ Composer's website
Rakowski @ Albany Records
Rakowski @ ArkivMusic
Rakowski @ ClassicsOnline
Video
Rakowski @ YouTube
Rakowski @ Google Video
Rakowski @ Vimeo
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOME ABOUT RESOURCES COMPOSERS PERFORMANCES 20/21 ENSEMBLE CONTACT US
HOME ABOUT RESOURCES COMPOSERS PERFORMANCES 20/21 ENSEMBLE CONTACT US