Robert Starer (1924-2001)
Robert
Starer was born in Vienna and entered the State Academy of Music
at the age of 13. Soon after Hitler's annexation of Austria, he
went to Jerusalem and continued his studies at the Palestine
Conservatoire. During World War II, he served with the Royal
British Air Force. In 1947, he came to New York for
post-graduate study at the Juilliard School and also
studied with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood in 1948. He became an
American citizen in 1957. He has taught at Juilliard from 1949
to 1974 and at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the
City University of New York from 1963 to 1991. He was named a
Distinguished Professor in 1986. Among his honors are two
Guggenheim Fellowships and grants from the National Endowment
and the Ford Foundation. He was elected a member of the American
Academy of Arts and Letters in 1994, awarded the Medal of Honor
for Science and Art by the President of Austria in 1995, an
Honorary Doctorate by the State University of New York in 1996
and a Presidential Citation by the National Federation of Music
Clubs in 1997. His stage works include three operas with
libretti by Gail Godwin and several ballets for Martha Graham.
His orchestral works have been performed by major orchestras
here and abroad under such conductors as Mitropoulos, Bernstein,
Steinberg, and Mehta. Interpreters of his music include Janos
Starker, Jaime Laredo, Paula Robison and Leontyne Price. The
recording of his Violin
Concerto (Itzhak Perlman with the Boston Symphony under
Seiji Ozawa) was nominated for a Grammy. Excerpts from his book
Continuo: A Life in Music
have appeared in the New Yorker, Musical America, and the London
Times. In 1997 the Overlook Press published The Music Teacher, his
first work of fiction. Recordings of his music are available
from CRI, VOX, Albany Records, Transcontinental and MMC.COMPOSITIONS Starer Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Fantasy for Strings, violin, viola and cello soloists, string orchestra (1945) [?same as "Fantasy for String Orchestra"?]
Prelude and Toccata, piano (1946)
Piano Concerto No. 1 (1947)
String Quartet [No. 1] (1947)
Concertino, 2 voices/2 instruments, violin and piano (1948)
Prelude, harp (1948)
Five Caprices, piano (1948)
Prelude and Dance, orchestra (1949)
Five Miniatures, brass quintet (2 trumpets, 2 horns, and trombone) (1949) [1948?]
Introduction and Hora, violin and piano (1949; pub. 1951)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1950)
Five Proverbs on Love, chorus (1950)
Piano Sonata No. l (1950)
Seven Vignettes, piano (1950) [for young pianists]
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1951)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1951)
Four Songs, soprano or tenor and piano (1951)
Kohelet, soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1952) [text: Bible: Ecclesiastes]
Five Preludes, piano (1952)
Prelude and Rondo giocoso, orchestra (1953)
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1953)
Hexahedron: A Figure Having Six Faces (6 pieces), piano (1953)
Concerto a Tre (Concerto a 3), clarinet, trumpet, trombone and string orchestra (1954) [used for ballet "Secular Games", 1962]
- Secular Games, dance work (1962) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Recitation, clarinet (or flute or oboe) and piano (pub. 1954)
Lullaby (for Amittai), piano (pub. 1954)
Ballade, violin and orchestra (1955)
The Intruder, opera in 1 act (1956)
Dirge, brass quartet (1956)
Serenade for Brass, brass ensemble (3 tpt, 4 hn, 3 trom, tuba) (1956)
Bugle, Drum and Fife, piano (pub. 1956)
Indeterminate Figure, dance work (1957) [choreographed by Daniel Nagrin]
Serenade, 3 clarinets (1957)
Three Israeli Sketches, piano (1957)
My sweet old etcetera, low voice and piano (pub. 1957) [text: e.e. cummings]
Concerto for Viola, Strings and Percussion (1958)
Come, Sleep, female chorus (1958)
Never Seek to Tell thy Love, male chorus (1958) [text: W. Blake]
Nofiah, gadya, mahol (Little Suite), three easy pieces, violin and piano (pub. 1957, 1958)
Ariel: Visions of Isaiah, soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (or piano/organ ) (1959; pub. 1960) [text: Bible]
- Break Forth Into Joy, chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1959) [text: Isaiah] [from "Ariel: Visions of Isaiah", 1959]
Fantasia concertante, piano (1959)
The Story of Esther, ballet (1960)
The Dybbuk, ballet (1960)
Give Thanks Unto the Lord (from Psalm 136), chorus (pub. 1960)
Duo for Violin and Viola (pub. 1960)
Night Music, percussion ensemble (6 players) (pub. 1960)
Samson Agonistes, ballet (1961) [choreographed by Martha Graham] [originally titled "Visionary Recital"; renamed in 1962]
A Psalm of David (13th Psalm), chorus and soprano solo with organ or piano (pub. 1961)
Dialogues, clarinet and piano (1961; pub. 1967)
Phaedra, ballet (1962) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Invocation, for trumpet and wind ensemble (or piano) (pub. 1962) [also w/string orchestra?]
Never Seek to Tell Thy Love, male chorus (pub. 1962) [text: William Blake]
The Fringes of a Ball: waltz variations on a theme by William Schuman, 2 pianos (pub. 1962)
Samson Agonistes, symphonic poem, orchestra (1963) [from ballet]
Dalton Set, suite in 4 movements orchestra (pub. 1963) [Prelude; Serenade; Waltz; March] [for school orchestras]
Lyric Music, band/wind ensemble (1963) [Grade 3]
Reverie, trumpet (or cornet) and band (1963)
Variants, violin and piano (1963)
Ricercare for Recorders, 3 recorders (2 soprano & 1 alto) (1963)
Sketches in Color, Set One (7 pieces), piano (1963) [for young pianists]
Twelve Pieces for Ten Fingers, piano (pub. 1963) [for very young pianists]
Fanfare, Pastorale and Serenade, band (1964)
Two Songs from Honey and Salt, chorus, 2 trumpet and 2 trombone; or chorus and piano (1964) [text: C. Sandburg]
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (1964)
Two Sacred Songs, soprano and piano (pub. 1964) [text: Psalms]
What the Donkey Likes, 2-part treble chorus and piano (pub. 1964) [text: Pati Hill?]
Mutabili (Variants for Orchestra) (1965)
Dirge, band (c. 1965)
Fanfare, Pastorale and Serenade, band (c. 1965)
Above, Below and Between, piano (pub. 1965) [in collection "American Composers of Today," Marks Music, 1965]
Elegy for Strings, string quartet (or string orchestra) (1966)
Joseph and His Brothers, cantata, narrator, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1966) [text: Bible]
Pantagleize, opera in 3 acts (1967; fp. 1973)
The Sense of Touch, ballet (1967)
Six Variations with Twelve Notes, orchestra (1967)
Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (1967)
Sabbath Eve Service, soloists, chorus and organ (1967)
Five Duets for Young Pianists, piano 4-hands (pub. 1967)
The Lady of the House of Sleep, ballet (1968) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
On the Nature of Things, chorus (1968; pub. 1969) [text: Bible, E. Dickinson, and others]
Piano Sonata No. 2 (1968)
Heptahedron, harpsichord (1968)
The Seven Faces of Fernando, harpsichord (fp.1969; pub. 1994)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1969)
Fanfaronade, band (1969)
Woodwind Quartet, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1970; pub. 1972)
Third Street Overture, orchestra (pub. 1971) [for school orchestras]
Tune me, O Lord, chorus (1971) [text: Christina Rossetti]
Piano Concerto No. 3 (1972)
Love Is a Sickness, 6-part chorus (1972) [text: Samuel Daniel]
A Patch of Grief, from "Stone Ridge Set", band (1973) [1976?]
Images of Man, soloists, chorus, fl, hn, vc, harp and perc (1973) [text: William Blake]
Sketches in Color, Set Two (7 pieces), piano (1973) [for young pianists]
The Last Lover, musical morality play in 1 act (1974; fp 1975)
Holy Jungle, ballet (1974) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Mandala, string quartet (1974)
Profiles in Brass (1974)
Colloquies, flute and piano (1974)
Psalms of Woe and Joy, chorus and piano (1975) [text: Psalms 6, 136, 148]
Evanescents, piano (1975)
Journals of a Songmaker, baritone and orchestra (1975) [text: Gail Godwin]
Resolutions, from "Stone Ridge Set", band (c. 1976)
Successions and Ascensions, "Stone Ridge Set", band (1976)
Cumulations, from Stoneridge Set, band (1976)
Above, Below and Between, band (1976)
The People, Yes, chorus and orchestra (1976) [text: Sandburg]
A man of words and not of deeds, chorus (pub. 1976) [text: anonymous]
Oh Angel, chorus and piano (1976) [from "The People, Yes", 1976] [text: Sandburg]
Hope is the thing with feathers, chorus (pub. 1977) [text: Emily Dickinson]
Apollonia, opera in 2 acts (1978; fp 1979)
Cadenza, 4 flutes or clarinets (1978)
Light and Shadow, saxophone quartet (1978)
Excursion: for a percussionist (pub. 1978)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (pub. 1978) [?same as work from 1951?]
Games with Names, Notes and Numbers (12 pieces), piano (1979) [for very young pianists]
Anna Margarita's Will, dramatic monologue, soprano, flute, horn, cello and piano (1979) [text: Gail Godwin]
Evanescence, brass quintet (1980)
At Home Alone (12 pieces), piano (1980)
Transformations (3 songs), soprano, flute, cello and piano (1980)
Violin Concerto (1979-80, 1981)
Relationships (7 pieces), clarinet and piano (pub. 1981)
The Ideal Self, soprano, flute and piano (1981; pub. 1983) [text: Gail Godwin]
The Ideal Self: Fantasy, Variations and Fugue on a Song, piano (1981)
Sonata for Two Pianos (1981; pub. 1987)
Aspirations and Reflections, band (c. 1982)
In Praise of Music, male chorus (1982?) [text: John Oldham]
Music is, 2-part chorus (S &/or T, and A &/or B), flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone (or piano) (pub. 1982)
There Was a Time, chorus (pub. 1982) [text: Susan Fromberg Schaeffer]
Annapolis Suite, brass quintet and harp (1982) [1983?]
Concerto a quattro, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and chamber orchestra (1983)
L'cha Dodi, cantor, congregation or unison choir w/opt. keyboard (pub. 1983)
Five Duets for Clarinet and Violin (pub. 1983)
Voices of Brooklyn, soloists, chorus and orchestra (or band) (1980-84; fp 1981)
Hudson Valley Suite, orchestra (1984)
Symphonic Prelude, orchestra (1984)
Serenade, trombone, vibraphone and string orchestra (1984)
Fanfare in Five, brass sextet (3 trumpets and 3 trombones) (pub. 1984)
Six Preludes, guitar (1984)
The Mystic Trumpeter, medium voice, trumpet and piano (or organ); or w/flute, clarinet and trombone (pub. 1984) [text: Whitman]
Elegy, clarinet (or violin and viola) and piano (1985) [or w/string orchestra?]
Three Preludes, trumpet and organ (1985; pub. 1987)
Trio, violin, cello and piano (1985) - WORLDCAT
Twilight Fantasies, piano (1985)
Four Seasonal Pieces, piano (1985) [for young pianists]
To Think of Time (4 songs), soprano and string quartet (or piano) (1985) [text: Walt Whitman]
Remembering Felix (6 songs), narrator/speaker, cello and piano (1987) [text: Gail Godwin]
Cello Concerto (1988)
K'li Zemer, concerto for clarinet and orchestra (or string quartet) (1988)
Psalms of David (Mizmor l'David), chorus, violin, cello and harp (1988)
Duo, violin and piano (1988)
Symphonic Prelude, orchestra (1989)
Fantasy on a Moravian Hymn, chorus and organ (or orchestra?) (1989; pub. 1990)
Angelvoices, brass (4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones, euphonium, tuba), timpani and organ (1989)
Suite of Piano Duets (4 pieces), piano 4-hands (pub. 1989)
Nishmat Adam (The Soul of Man), narrator, chorus and orchestra (1990) [also arr. for narrator, soprano, cello and piano]
Music Vibrates in the Memory, chorus, flute and guitar (or keyboard) (1990) [text: Percy Bysshe Shelley]
Night Thoughts, chorus and synthesizer (or piano 4-hands) (1990)
Ashrey Adam, chorus (1990) [text: Proverbs]
Elegy for a Woman Who Died Too Young, violin and cello (1990)
The Rolling Earth, band (1991) [Grade 3]
Proverbs for a Son, chorus and keyboard (1991)
Excursions for a Pianist (1991)
Electric Church and Walls of Jerusalem, piano (1992) [1991?]
Clarinet Quintet, clarinet and string quartet (1992)
Vertue, chorus and piano (fp 1992) [text: George Herbert] [in "The Choral Music of Robert Starer"]
Yizkor and Anima Aeterna, flute and harpsichord (or piano) (pub. 1992)
Nishmat Adam (The Soul of Man) (7 pieces), narrator, soprano, cello and piano (1992) [also w/orchestra]
Dialogues, flute and harp (or piano) (pub. 1993)
Piano Sonata No. 3 (1994)
Fantasy on a Sephardic Melody, organ (pub. 1994)
Letter to a Composer, soprano and chamber orchestra; or soprano, flute, clarinet and string quartet (1994) [text: Gail Godwin]
Images of Man, song cycle (8 songs), soprano, flute, cello and piano (1994) [text: William Blake’s The Four Zoas]
String Quartet No. 2 (1995)
Song of Solitude, cello (1995)
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1996)
Five Miniatures, string quartet and piano (1996; fp 1997)
Five Preludes, saxophone and piano (1996)
The Contemporary Virtuoso, 7 pianistic studies, piano (1996) [Intermediate level]
Three Gregorian Preludes, organ (1996)
Synergy, a prelude, piano 4-hands (pub. 1996)
Gregory the Great - A Vespers Pageant, chorus (1997)
String Quartet No. 3 (1997) [1996]
Piano Quintet, string quartet and piano (1997)
Fantasy on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", piccolo (or flute) and band [Grade 3] (or piano) (1998)
V'ahavta (Love your neighbor), 2-part treble chorus and keyboard (pub. 1998) [text: Leviticus]
The Other Voice, A Portrait of Hilda of Whitby in Words & Music, mezzo-soprano, soprano, baritone, tenor and keyboard (1998)
Three Pieces, piano (1998-99)
Miracles, chorus (pub. 1999) [text: Gail Godwin] [no keyboard]
Music for a Summer Afternoon, flute, violin, viola and cello (1999)
- Flutemagic, flute (1999) [from "Music for a Summer Afternoon"]
Magdalen At the Tomb, mezzo-soprano and baritone solos, 2 sopranos and organ (1999) [text: Gail Godwin]
Episodes, viola, cello and piano (1993/2000)
Do Not Weep and Do Not Grieve, chorus and keyboard (pub. 2000)
Abraham Remembers, baritone and piano (2000) [text: Gail Godwin]
Maverick Variations, oboe, violin, viola and cello (2000?)
Last Invocation, chorus and keyboard, w/opt. string bass and percussion (pub. 2001) [text: Walt Whitman]
While I Live, chorus (pub. 2001) [text: Walt Whitman]
Trio, violin, viola and cello (????) [pub. by MCA]
WORKS BY GENRE Starer Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Intruder, opera in 1 act (1956)
Pantagleize, opera in 3 acts (1967; fp 1973)
The Last Lover, musical morality play in 1 act (1974; fp 1975)
Apollonia, opera in 2 acts (1978; fp 1979)
Ballet
Indeterminate Figure, dance work (1957) [choreographed by Daniel Nagrin]
The Story of Esther, ballet (1960)
The Dybbuk, ballet (1960)
Samson Agonistes, ballet (1961) [choreographed by Martha Graham] [originally titled "Visionary Recital"; renamed in 1962]
Phaedra, ballet (1962) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Secular Games, dance work (1962) [choreographed by Martha Graham] [music based on "Concerto a Tre", 1954]
The Sense of Touch, ballet (1967)
The Lady of the House of Sleep, ballet (1968) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Holy Jungle, ballet (1974) [choreographed by Martha Graham]
Orchestra
Fantasy for Strings, violin, viola and cello soloists, string orchestra (1945) [?same as "Fantasy for String Orchestra"?]
Prelude and Dance, orchestra (1949)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1950)
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1951)
Prelude and Rondo giocoso, orchestra (1953)
Samson Agonistes, symphonic poem, orchestra (1963) [from ballet]
Dalton Set, suite in 4 movements orchestra (pub. 1963) [Prelude; Serenade; Waltz; March] [for school orchestras]
Mutabili (Variants for Orchestra) (1965)
Elegy for Strings, string quartet (or string orchestra) (1966)
Six Variations with Twelve Notes, orchestra (1967)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1969)
Third Street Overture, orchestra (pub. 1971) [for school orchestras]
Hudson Valley Suite, orchestra (1984)
Symphonic Prelude, orchestra (1984)
Symphonic Prelude, orchestra (1989)
Nishmat Adam (The Soul of Man), narrator, chorus and orchestra (1990) [also arr. for narrator, soprano, cello and piano]
Band
Invocation, for trumpet and wind ensemble (or piano) (pub. 1962) [also w/string orchestra?]
Lyric Music, band/wind ensemble (1963) [Grade 3]
Reverie, trumpet (or cornet) and band (1963)
Fanfare, Pastorale and Serenade, band (1964)
Dirge, band (c. 1965)
Fanfare, Pastorale and Serenade, band (c. 1965)
Fanfaronade, band (1969)
A Patch of Grief, from "Stone Ridge Set", band (1973) [1976?]
Resolutions, from "Stone Ridge Set", band (c. 1976)
Successions and Ascensions, "Stone Ridge Set", band (1976)
Cumulations, from Stoneridge Set, band (1976)
Above, Below and Between, band (1976)
Aspirations and Reflections, band (c. 1982)
The Rolling Earth, band (1991) [Grade 3]
Fantasy on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", piccolo and band (1998) [Grade 3]
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Fantasy for Strings, violin, viola and cello soloists, string orchestra (1945)
Piano Concerto No. 1 (1947)
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1953)
Concerto a Tre (Concerto a 3), clarinet, trumpet, trombone and string orchestra (1954) [used for ballet "Secular Games", 1962]
Ballade, violin and orchestra (1955)
Concerto for Viola, Strings and Percussion (1958)
Invocation, for trumpet and wind ensemble (or piano) (pub. 1962)
Reverie, trumpet (or cornet) and band (1963)
Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (1967)
Piano Concerto No. 3 (1972)
Violin Concerto (1979-80, 1981)
Concerto a quattro, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and chamber orchestra (1983)
Serenade, trombone, vibraphone and string orchestra (1984)
Elegy, clarinet (or violin and viola) and piano (1985) [or w/string orchestra?]
Cello Concerto (1988)
K'li Zemer, concerto for clarinet and orchestra (or string quartet) (1988)
- T'fillot (Prayers) T'fillot (Prayers)
- Rikkudim (Dances) Rikkudim (Dances)
- Manginot (Melodies) Manginot (Melodies)
- Hakdashot (Dedications) Hakdashot (Dedications)
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1996)
Fantasy on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", piccolo and band (1998) [Grade 3]
Chorus w/Orchestra
Kohelet, soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1952) [text: Bible: Ecclesiastes]
Ariel: Visions of Isaiah, soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (or piano/organ ) (1959; pub. 1960) [text: Bible]
- Woe to Ariel
- The earth mourneth
- The daughters of Zion are haughty
- Fear, and the pit, and the snare
- The Lord shall give thee rest
- Break forth into joy
Joseph and His Brothers, cantata, narrator, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1966) [text: Bible]
The People, Yes, chorus and orchestra (1976) [text: Sandburg]
- The people, yes
- The sea moves always
- Why repeat? I heard you the first time
- You can drum
- Oh angel
- The people will live on
Voices of Brooklyn, soloists, chorus and orchestra (or band) (1980-84; fp 1981)
- Brooklyn Bridge [text: Norman Rosten]
- There was a time
- Of good and evil
- Only the dead know Brooklyn [text: Thomas Wolfe]
- Aspirations and Reflections
- But what is time anyway
- Poets to Come [text: Walt Whitman]
Choral
Five Proverbs on Love, chorus (1950)
- Non est bonum esse hominem solum
- Love is life's end [text: Phineas Fletcher]
- Ama, chè il dolce april passa veloce [text: Giovanni Prati]
- Aimer est un plaisir charmant [text" Le Chevalier de Perny]
- Frage was die Liebe sei [text: Wilhem Müller]
Come, Sleep, female chorus (1958)
Never Seek to Tell thy Love, male chorus (1958) [text: W. Blake]
Break Forth Into Joy, chorus and piano (or orchestra) (1959) [text: Isaiah] [from "Ariel: Visions of Isaiah", 1959]
Give Thanks Unto the Lord (from Psalm 136), chorus (pub. 1960)
A Psalm of David (13th Psalm), chorus and soprano solo with organ or piano (pub. 1961)
Never Seek to Tell Thy Love, male chorus (pub. 1962) [text: William Blake]
Two Songs from Honey and Salt, chorus, 2 trumpet and 2 trombone; or chorus and piano (1964) [text: C. Sandburg]
- The gong of time
- Love is a deep and a dark and a lonely
What the Donkey Likes, 2-part treble chorus and piano (pub. 1964) [text: Pati Hill?]
Sabbath Eve Service, soloists, chorus and organ (1967)
On the Nature of Things, chorus (1968; pub. 1969) [text: Bible, E. Dickinson, and others]
- Death is nothing to us [text: Lucretius]
- To every thing there is a season [text: Ecclesiastes]
- Pain has an element of blank [text: Emily Dickinson]
- Sorrow [text: Samuel Rowley]
- A little nonsense [text: anonymous]
- Grieve not, dear love [text: John Digby, Earl of Bristol]
Tune me, O Lord, chorus (1971) [text: Christina Rossetti]
Love Is a Sickness, 6-part chorus (1972) [text: Samuel Daniel]
Images of Man, soloists, chorus, fl, hn, vc, harp and perc (1973) [text: William Blake]
- The four faces of man
- Behold eternal death
- Prince of Light
- It is an easy thing
- Everything that lives is holy
Psalms of Woe and Joy, chorus and piano (1975) [text: Psalms 6, 136, 148]
- Chaneini (Be Gracious to Me, Lord)
- Hodu (Glory to the Lord)
A man of words and not of deeds, chorus (pub. 1976) [text: anonymous]
Oh Angel, chorus and piano (1976) [from "The People, Yes", 1976] [text: Sandburg]
Hope is the thing with feathers, chorus (pub. 1977) [text: Emily Dickinson]
In Praise of Music, male chorus (1982?) [text: John Oldham]
Music is, 2-part chorus (S &/or T, and A &/or B), flute, clarinet, trumpet and trombone (or piano) (pub. 1982)
There Was a Time, chorus (pub. 1982) [text: Susan Fromberg Schaeffer]
L'cha Dodi, cantor, congregation or unison choir w/opt. keyboard (pub. 1983)
Psalms of David (Mizmor l'David), chorus, violin, cello and harp (1988)
- A Psalm (Song) of Praise [for 2-part chorus]
- A Psalm (Song) of Supplication [for 4-part chorus]
- A Psalm (Song) of Redemption [for 2-part chorus]
- A Psalm (Song) of Thanksgiving [for 4-part chorus]
Fantasy on a Moravian Hymn, chorus and organ (or orchestra?) (1989; pub. 1990)
Music Vibrates in the Memory, chorus, flute and guitar (or keyboard) (1990) [text: Percy Bysshe Shelley]
Night Thoughts, chorus and synthesizer (or piano 4-hands) (1990)
Ashrey Adam, chorus (1990) [text: Proverbs]
Proverbs for a Son, chorus and keyboard (1991)
Vertue, chorus and piano (fp 1992) [text: George Herbert] [in "The Choral Music of Robert Starer"]
Gregory the Great - A Vespers Pageant, chorus (1997)
V'ahavta (Love your neighbor), 2-part treble chorus and keyboard (pub. 1998) [text: Leviticus]
Miracles, chorus (pub. 1999) [text: Gail Godwin] [no keyboard]
Do Not Weep and Do Not Grieve, chorus and keyboard (pub. 2000)
Last Invocation, chorus and keyboard, w/opt. string bass and percussion (pub. 2001) [text: Walt Whitman]
While I Live, chorus (pub. 2001) [text: Walt Whitman]
Chamber
String Quartet [No. 1] (1947)
Concertino, 2 voices/2 instruments, violin and piano (1948)
Five Miniatures, brass quintet (2 trumpets, 2 horns, and trombone) (1949) [1948?]
Dirge, brass quartet (1956)
Serenade for Brass, brass ensemble (3 tpt, 4 hn, 3 trom, tuba) (1956)
Serenade, 3 clarinets (1957)
Duo for Violin and Viola (pub. 1960)
Night Music, percussion ensemble (6 players) (pub. 1960)
Ricercare for Recorders, 3 recorders (2 soprano & 1 alto) (1963)
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (1964)
Elegy for Strings, string quartet (or string orchestra) (1966)
Woodwind Quartet, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1970; pub. 1972)
Mandala, string quartet (1974)
Profiles in Brass (1974)
Cadenza, 4 flutes or clarinets (1978)
Light and Shadow, saxophone quartet (1978)
Evanescence, brass quintet (1980)
Annapolis Suite, brass quintet and harp (1982) [1983?]
Five Duets for Clarinet and Violin (pub. 1983)
Fanfare in Five, brass sextet (3 trumpets and 3 trombones) (pub. 1984)
Trio, violin, cello and piano (1985) - WORLDCAT
Duo, violin and piano (1988)
Angelvoices, brass (4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones, euphonium, tuba), timpani and organ (1989)
Elegy for a Woman Who Died Too Young, violin and cello (1990)
Clarinet Quintet, clarinet and string quartet (1992)
Dialogues, flute and harp (or piano) (pub. 1993)
String Quartet No. 2 (1995)
Five Miniatures, string quartet and piano (1996; fp 1997)
String Quartet No. 3 (1997) [1996]
Piano Quintet, string quartet and piano (1997)
Music for a Summer Afternoon, flute, violin, viola and cello (1999)
- Flutemagic, flute (1999) [from "Music for a Summer Afternoon"]
Episodes, viola, cello and piano (1993/2000)
Maverick Variations, oboe, violin, viola and cello (2000?)
Trio, violin, viola and cello (????) [pub. by MCA]
Brass
Five Miniatures, brass quintet (2 trumpets, 2 horns, and trombone) (1949) [1948?]
Dirge, brass quartet (1956)
Serenade for Brass, brass ensemble (3 tpt, 4 hn, 3 trom, tuba) (1956)
Profiles in Brass (1974)
Evanescence, brass quintet (1980)
Annapolis Suite, brass quintet and harp (1982) [1983?]
Fanfare in Five, brass sextet (3 trumpets and 3 trombones) (pub. 1984)
Angelvoices, brass (4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones, euphonium, tuba), timpani and organ (1989)
Percussion
Night Music, percussion ensemble (6 players) (pub. 1960)
Excursion: for a percussionist (pub. 1978)
Instrument and Piano/Organ
Introduction and Hora, violin and piano (1949; pub. 1951)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1951)
Recitation, clarinet (or flute or oboe) and piano (pub. 1954)
Nofiah, gadya, mahol (Little Suite), three easy pieces, violin and piano (pub. 1957, 1958)
Dialogues, clarinet and piano (1961; pub. 1967)
Invocation, for trumpet and wind ensemble (or piano) (pub. 1962)
Variants, violin and piano (1963)
Colloquies, flute and piano (1974)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (pub. 1978) [?same as work from 1951?]
Relationships (7 pieces), clarinet and piano (pub. 1981)
Elegy, clarinet (or violin and viola) and piano (1985) [or w/string orchestra?]
Three Preludes, trumpet and organ (1985; pub. 1987)
Duo, violin and piano (1988)
Yizkor and Anima Aeterna, flute and harpsichord (or piano) (pub. 1992)
Dialogues, flute and harp (or piano) (pub. 1993)
Five Preludes, saxophone and piano (1996)
Fantasy on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", piccolo (or flute) and band (or piano) (1998)
Solo Instrument
Prelude, harp (1948)
Six Preludes, guitar (1984)
Song of Solitude, cello (1995)
Flutemagic, flute (1999) [from "Music for a Summer Afternoon" for flute, violin, viola and cello]
Piano/Harpsichord Organ
Prelude and Toccata, piano (1946)
Five Caprices, piano (1948)
- Moderato
- Adagio
- Allegro risoluto
- Andantino
- Molto allegro
Piano Sonata No. l (1950)
Seven Vignettes, piano (1950) [for young pianists]
- Fanfare
- Song Without Words
- Jig-saw
- The Interrupted Waltz
- Chorale
- The Camel and the Moon
- Toccata
Five Preludes, piano (1952)
- Largo
- Molto allegro
- Andante
- Presto giocoso
- Lento maestoso
Hexahedron: A Figure Having Six Faces (6 pieces), piano (1953)
- Musingly
- Gurglingly
- Coolly But Not Chillily
- Doggedly, Mulishly, Almost Pig-headedly
- Philosophically
- Frantically
Lullaby (for Amittai), piano (pub. 1954)
Bugle, Drum and Fife, piano (pub. 1956)
Three Israeli Sketches, piano (1957)
- Pastorale
- Little White Sheep
- Dance
Fantasia concertante, piano (1959)
The Fringes of a Ball: waltz variations on a theme by William Schuman, 2 pianos (pub. 1962)
Sketches in Color, Set One (7 pieces), piano (1963) [for young pianists]
- Purple
- Shades of Blue
- Black and White
- Bright Orange
- Grey
- Pink
- Crimson
Twelve Pieces for Ten Fingers, piano (pub. 1963) [for very young pianists]
- Song
- Bagpipe
- Echo
- In Chinatown
- Turnabout
- March
- For Sharp Kids Who Like Flats
- The Lame Horse
- 3 + 2 = 5
- Blues
- Crazy Bugle
- The Young Virtuoso
Above, Below and Between, piano (pub. 1965) [in collection "American Composers of Today," Marks Music, 1965]
Five Duets for Young Pianists, piano 4-hands (pub. 1967)
- Fanfare in Five
- Drizzle
- Evens and Odds
- Two Can Be Lonely Too
- Lines, Dots, and Dashes
Piano Sonata No. 2 (1968)
Heptahedron, harpsichord (1968)
The Seven Faces of Fernando, harpsichord (fp 1969; pub. 1994)
- Ponderously
- Innocently
- Casually, Perhaps Immorally
- Persistently
- Verily Gushingly
- Erratically; with Ill-disguised Decadence
- Impetuously
Sketches in Color, Set Two (7 pieces), piano (1973) [for young pianists]
- Maroon
- Aluminum
- Silver and Gold
- Khaki
- Pepper and Salt
- Aquamarine
- Chrome Yellow
Evanescents, piano (1975)
Games with Names, Notes and Numbers (12 pieces), piano (1979) [for very young pianists]
- Abe, Gabe, Ada, Fae and Ed
- In the Mirror
- Echo-chamber
- Turn-me-round
- Countdown
- Evens and Odds
- Up and Down, Right and Left, Over and Across
- Darkness and Light
- Adding and Taking Away
- Walking with Two Fingers
- Sliding Into Keys
- Twelve Notes Twelve Times
At Home Alone (12 pieces), piano (1980)
- Dialogue with the Self
- Opening Petals
- Dreams of Glory
- In the Birdcage
- A Faded Old Photograph
- Pop-time
- Herman the Brown Mouse
- A Small Oriental Vase
- Steps to the Attic
- Shadows on the Wall
- Deep Down the Soul
- Dancing Next Door
The Ideal Self: Fantasy, Variations and Fugue on a Song, piano (1981)
Sonata for Two Pianos (1981; pub. 1987)
Twilight Fantasies, piano (1985)
Four Seasonal Pieces, piano (1985) [for young pianists]
- As Gentle As the Wind
- Orange Sun
- Leaves Are Falling
- The Moon on the Frozen Pond
Suite of Piano Duets (4 pieces), piano 4-hands (pub. 1989)
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegretto
- Presto
Excursions for a Pianist (1991)
Electric Church and Walls of Jerusalem, piano (1992) [1991?]
Piano Sonata No. 3 (1994)
Fantasy on a Sephardic Melody, organ (pub. 1994)
The Contemporary Virtuoso, 7 pianistic studies, piano (1996) [Intermediate level]
- Crossing over
- Repetition
- A Singing Tone
- Thirds
- Dots, Dashes and Slurs
- Scales
- Skipping Without Looking
Three Gregorian Preludes, organ (1996)
- De angelis
- Orbis factor
- Tantum ergo
Synergy, a prelude, piano 4-hands (pub. 1996)
Three Pieces, piano (1998-99)
- The Carillon of Albany (1998)
- Prelude for the Right Hand (1998)
- Fughetta (1999)
Vocal
Four Songs, soprano or tenor and piano (1951)
- Advice to a Girl [text: Sara Teasdale]
- Dew [text: Sara Teasdale]
- Silence [text: D.H. Lawrence]
- To be superior [text: D.H. Lawrence]
My sweet old etcetera, low voice and piano (pub. 1957) [text: e.e. cummings]
Two Sacred Songs, soprano and piano (pub. 1964) [text: Psalms]
- Have mercy upon me, O Lord (from Psalm 31)
- Give thanks unto the Lord (from Psalm 136)
Journals of a Songmaker, baritone and orchestra (1975) [text: Gail Godwin]
Anna Margarita's Will, dramatic monologue, soprano, flute, horn, cello and piano (1979) [text: Gail Godwin]
Transformations (3 songs), soprano, flute, cello and piano (1980)
- The Widow
- The Ideal Self
- Turning Into Another Person
The Ideal Self, soprano, flute and piano (1981; pub. 1983) [text: Gail Godwin]
The Mystic Trumpeter, medium voice, trumpet and piano (or organ); or w/flute, clarinet and trombone (pub. 1984) [text: Whitman]
To Think of Time (4 songs), soprano and string quartet (or piano) (1985) [text: Walt Whitman]
- To Think of Time
- After the Dazzle of Day
- Yet, Yet, Ye Downcast Hours
- Darest Thou Now O Soul
Remembering Felix (6 songs), narrator/speaker, cello and piano (1987) [text: Gail Godwin]
- An Aquaintance
- Amanda His Publicist
- His Accountant
- A Dear Friend
- Two Critics
- His Students
Nishmat Adam (The Soul of Man) (7 pieces), narrator, soprano, cello and piano (1992) [also w/orchestra]
- Who are we? What are we?
- Variations on a popular Jewish song
- Monologue from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice
- The instrument is the body; the melody is the soul
- If I forget thee, O Jerusalem
- A story from the Talmud
- The light of God is the soul of man
Letter to a Composer, soprano and chamber orchestra; or soprano, flute, clarinet and string quartet (1994) [text: Gail Godwin]
Images of Man, song cycle (8 songs), soprano, flute, cello and piano (1994) [text: William Blake’s The Four Zoas]
- The Universal Man
- Behold Eternal Death
- Compell the Poor
- I am Weary
- O Prince of Light
- It Is an Easy Thing
- Male and Female
- Rise from the Dews of Death
The Other Voice, A Portrait of Hilda of Whitby in Words & Music, mezzo-soprano, soprano, baritone, tenor and keyboard (1998)
Magdalen At the Tomb, mezzo-soprano and baritone solos, 2 sopranos and organ (1999) [text: Gail Godwin]
Abraham Remembers, baritone and piano (2000) [text: Gail Godwin]
STARER LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Acclaimed Composer Robert Starer Remembered (Chris Farlekas, The Times Herald-Record)
The Colorful Music of Robert Starer (Justin Kolb)
Composer Robert Starer - A Conversation with Bruce Duffie (Bruce Duffie, kcstudio.com)
A Lovely Setting for a Remembrance (Barry O'Neal, New Music Connoisseur)
The Other Voice - A Portrait of Hilda of Whitby in Words and Music (Selah Publishing)
Robert Starer (ISAM Newsletter)
Robert Starer: A Remembrance (Danielle Woerner, 21st Century Music)
Robert Starer, Composer and Teacher, Dies at 77 (NewMusicBox)
Tracing the Stylistic Elements of Robert Starer’s Pedagogical Works (Richard Van Dyke, OhioLINK ETD)
Manuscripts in US-NYp, Pc, Wc; recorded interviews in US-NHoh
Books
Rhythmic Training (by Robert Starer)
Composer's website . . . inquire about Robert Starer: here
Starer @ Wikipedia
Starer @ Wikipedia.nl (translated by google from the Dutch)
Starer @ Answers.com
Starer @ Burris & Schoenberg
Starer @ Classical Archives
Starer @ Classical Composers Database
Starer @ Classical Net
Starer @ ClassicsToday (via google)
Starer @ Dilettante Music
Starer @ Facebook
Starer @ Gail Godwin
Starer @ The Harbinger
Starer @ InstantEncore
Starer @ ISAM Newsletter
Starer @ MICA (Music Information Center, Austria)
Starer @ Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
Starer @ Music & Vision
Starer @ MusicWeb International
Starer @ Naxos
Starer @ The New York Times
Starer @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Starer @ Selah Publishing Co.
Starer @ Sigma Alpha Iota
Starer @ Zamir Chorale of Boston
Publisher
Starer @ Composer's website/publisher listings
Starer @ Alfred
Starer @ Hinshaw Press
Starer @ Israeli Music Publications
Starer @ Robert King (Alphonse Leduc)
Starer @ HAL Leonard (also MCA)
Starer @ Ludwig Masters
Starer @ Manhattan Beach Music
Starer @ Mercury
Starer @ M.M.B. Music
Starer @ Paraclete Press
Starer @ Peer-Southern
Starer @ Theodore Presser (search: "Robert Starer")
Starer @ E.C. Schirmer
Starer @ Selah Publishing Co.
Starer @ Southern Music (via google)
Starer @ Tetra/Continuo (via Eble Music)
Starer @ Transcontinental Music (search: "Robert Starer")
Starer @ Vivace Press
Streaming Audio
Starer @ Classical Archives
Starer @ Manhattan Beach Music and here and here
Starer @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Starer @ ArkivMusic
Starer @ ClassicsOnline
Starer @ Discogs
Video
Starer @ YouTube
Starer @ Google Video
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