James Theobald (1950- )
James Theobald is the composer of over three hundred works in all media, including opera, symphony, concerto, chamber music, cantatas, choral works, song cycles, "heads" for improvisation, electronic music, musique concrète, popular songs, film soundtracks, dance scores and incidental music. Former producer of Morning Music for WBAI in New York City, Theobald holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition from Columbia University with additional study at Roosevelt University and the Hartt School of Music. As a journalist, Theobald has written many articles on new music for such publications at The Villager, The Brooklyn Phoenix, Ear Magazine and New Music Connoisseur. His compositions have been performed at the Abraham Goodman House, Weill Recital Hall the Ethical Culture Society, Greenwich House, Harlem School for the Arts, Lincoln Center Library, Symphony Space and the Museum of Modern Art, and by such organizations as Bargemusic, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lowell Philharmonic and the Spoleto Festival. Theobald's principal teachers in composition included Edward Miller, Jack Beeson and Edward Diemente.COMPOSITIONS Theobald Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
[under construction]
WORKS BY GENRE Theobald Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Cardinal, chamber opera in 3 acts (1982)
The Fall of the House of Usher, opera in 3 acts (1983)
Ping Pong the Cat, operina in 1 act (1991)
Qoheleth, chamber opera in 1 act (1997)
Orchestra
River Cycles, chamber orchestra (1980)
Several Million Pieces, mixed ensemble from duet to orchestra and beyond (1981)
Henry Miller Symphony, orchestra (1982)
A Ball of Strings, string orchestra and percussion (1993)
Mystery Music #7, chamber orchestra (1994)
March of the Fools, chamber orchestra (1997)
Symphony of American Folk Songs, orchestra (1997)
Parallel Universes, 2 small orchestras (2000)
Music for a Great Ride, orchestra (2002)
A Specific Arrangement of Notes, string orchestra (2003)
Symphonic Tableaux after H.P. Lovecraft, orchestra (2008)
Band/Wind Ensemble/Big Band
My Heart Dances, wind ensemble (1980)
Music for the Sirens of Titan, concert band (1981) [movements available separately?]
- 1. The Martian Snare Drum
- 2. The Chronosyclastic Infundibulum
- 3. Salo
- 4. Unk and Boaz in the Caves of Mercury
- 5. Service for the Church of God the Utterly Indifferent
New Era March, concert band (1982)
Ale and Variations, wind ensemble (1995)
Polypentatonalicity, concert band (1998)
Songs of My Dad, concert band (2009)
Gobblegook, big band (2019)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto for Viola, Bass Drum, Prepared Piano and Winds (1978)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1983)
Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (1984)
Plus Infinity 1, piano 4-hands(required), plus any other instruments up to 7 including full orchestra (1998)
- [might need some explanation]
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1999)
Concertino for Bass Trombone, Winds and Percussion (2017)
Choral
Open Spaces, chorus (1974)
Three Rounds, voices (1977)
Laudate Dominum, 5 vocal trios and percussion (198?)
Song for Susan Stone, voices (198?)
Passacaglia in D, 2 antiphonal choruses (1980)
Consumer Cantata, soloists, chorus and small instrumental group (1985)
Fast Food Fugato, voices (1996)
Adon Olam, chorus, violin and viola (1996)
Oseh Shalom, chorus (1998)
Shema, voices (1999)
Yismechu, chorus (SAB) (2000)
Eletelephony, chorus and piano (2002)
Chamber
Mixed
Jabberwocky, narrator, flute, clarinet, viola, bassoon and percussion (1969)
Riffs, guitar, piano, trombone (or cello) and percussion (197?)
Overture, 3 trombones, strings, percussion (1975)
Newtonian Cosmology Cakewalk, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1976)
Canonicals, 4 to 30 strings and 2 to 8 percussionists (1977)
DanceGames, 2 or more drummers and 2 or more of the same melody instrument (1977)
Possibilities Found in a Very Old Song, flute, clarinet, bassoon and piano (1977)
Mystery Music #4, clarinet/bass clarinet and percussion ensemble (1978)
In Memoriam Grazia Stella, flute/picc, Eb clarinet, tuba, guitar, violin, cello and percussion (1979)
Mystery Music #1, SATBari saxes, bass clarinet and trumpet, w/optional dance/light show (1979)
Mystery Music #5, 2 percussionists and solo pitched instrument (1979)
Time Warped, 2 guitars, organ, percussion (1979)
Music of the Future, 10 primitive instruments (198?)
Bruce Cuts Loose, percussionist plus other instruments ad lib (1980)
Several Million Pieces, mixed ensemble from duet to orchestra and beyond (1981)
An Inch of Time is an Inch of Gold, voice (MIDI no vocals) and jazz combo (1982)
For Flutefluteflutefluteflutefluteflute and Percussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussion (1983)
Of Contents, flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord (1983)
Lewis Carrolls, clarinet/bass clarinet and vibraphone/marimba (1983)
Mystery Music #2, violin, clarinet, bassoon, trombone, tuba and marimba (2 players) (1983)
Mystery Music #8, 64 soloists assigned at random (1983)
Entropical Nights, flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin and piano, violin (1984)
Two Forces Two Times, flute, trombone, piano and improvisers (1985)
Homage/Insult to Mozart, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1990)
Languid Canon with Iso-Doodahs, saxophone quartet, strings, 2 voices and percussion (1990)
Reflections upon the Grand Duke of York, piano solo, fl, ob, cl, bsn, tpt, hn, trom, tuba, perc, string bass (1990)
Mister Conductor, cl, bsn, trom, tuba, amplified vln, 2 percussionists (marimba, timpani, non-pitched) (1991)
Above Ground, treble instrument and electronic sounds (1995)
Buttercups, piano, bass and drums (1995)
Colors of the Year, oboe, bassoon, strings and percussion (1995)
Longing for Home, English horn, guitar, violin, viola and cello (1995)
Song of the Clouds, piano, harp, strings and percussion (1995)
When a Friend Holds Your Hand, soprano sax, piano, bass and drums (1995)
Plus Infinity 1, piano 4-hands(required), plus any other instruments up to 7 including full orchestra (1998)
- [might need some explanation]
Three Episodes from Mark Twain, piano trio (violin, cello and piano) (1998)
Suite for Two Guitars (2003)
Music for Forty Fingers, guitar quartet (2000)
What Eve Said, flute, bass trombone, electric guitar and piano (2010)
Gobblegook, big band (2019)
Winds
Wedding Piece, flute (1976)
A Whistle Worked Out 1, flute and piano (1978)
Three Rhapsodies for Alto Sax and Percussion (quartet) (1978)
Mantra for Flute (198?) **
Mondo Rondo, clarinet and piano (1980)
Variations on Plumcake, solo flute, alto flute, bass flute and piccolo or recorders (1980)
4 Saxophones (1981)
Melodious and/or Strange Etude for Flute(s) on a Theme of Kohler(?), 1 or More Flutes (1981)
Eine Kleine Lichtmusik, woodwind quintet (1983)
Mimalism, flute, tape and mime (1983)
Mantra for Clarinet (1984) **
Turbulence, flute (1988)
Movement for Tenor Sax and Piano (1993)
Mantra for Oboe (1995) **
Variations on an Inappropriate Theme, baroque flute (1998)
Digressions on L'Homme Armée, bass saxophone and piano (2000)
The Serpent Dances, serpent and percussion (2000)
Old Song Whatever, flute and piano (2004)
Mantra for Alto Sax (2008) **
Strings
Bomb Papa Bomb, 1, 2, 3 or 4 double basses, w/optional tape (197?)
Two Etudes for String Quartet (1975)
String Quartet #2, "Yoga Quartet" (1980)
String Quartet #4, string quartet and female voice (1982)
Mantra for Cello (1984) **
The Music of Erich Zann, 4 electric violins (1984)
Two Movements for String Quartet (1984)
Mantra for Fiddle, violin (199?) **
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1995)
White Pine Waltz, violin (1995)
Scherzo Agitato, viola and piano (1996) [published by Viola World]
Suite for Solo Violin (1997)
Mantra for String Bass (1998) **
Mantra for Viola (2002) **
WeFallWeRise, string trio (2002) [violin, viola, cello???]
Brass
Dances for 6 Brass 1, 2 trumpets, horn, 2 trombones, tuba (197?)
Song and Dance, tuba and drums (1970)
By Chance a Melody, trombone and percussion (1977)
Fanfare in 6 Parts, 2 trumpets, horn, 2 trombones, tuba (1978)
Five Jewish Songs of Joy, 12 trombones (1979) [score published by Wehr's Music]
Trombone Quartet (1985) [score published by Wehr's Music]
Sonata for Trombone and Piano (1993) [score published by Wehr's Music House]
Three Bones at a Time, trombone trio (2011)
A Tale for Dale, bass trombone (2014)
Improvisers
Dance Loops, improvisers (1978)
Manhattan, Take It or Leave It, improvisers (1978)
Sweet Sue Meets Godzilla, improvisers (1978)
Glen's Glide, improvisers (1979)
Heaven Opens a Crack, improvisers (1979)
Wet Waltz, improvisers (1979)
Will the Real Glenn Miller Please Stand Up?, improvisers (1979)
Mystery Music #3, improvisers (1983)
Piano/Keyboard
Three Places in NYC 1, piano (1975)
Piano Sonata #1, "Three Old Songs" (1980)
Mantra for Harpshichord (1988) **
Buttercups, piano, bass and drums (1995)
Walking on the Keys, piano (1998)
Manotones Piano (1999)
Vocal
Jabberwocky, narrator, flute, clarinet, viola, bassoon and percussion (1969)
Nasoplosive Chant, 2 chanters or more (197?)
Something About Somebodies, 2 female voices (1970)
Three Rounds, voices (1977)
Mystery Music #3, voice and/or instruments (1978)
Song for Sue, voice and piano (1979)
Activity Songs, voice and instruments ad lib (198?)
Laudate Dominum, 5 vocal trios and percussion (198?)
Song for Susan Stone, voices (198?)
Mantra for Voice (1980) **
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, voice and piano (1980)
An Inch of Time is an Inch of Gold, female voices and jazz combo (1982)
String Quartet #4, string quartet and female voice (1982)
Go In Green (Times 15), on a Poem of Gertrude Stein, voice and clarinet (1982)
Who, Where and Why?, voice, percussion and echo loop (1982)
Bird Song, 3 voices (high), recorder or flute (1983)
Quintet for Two People, voice and flute with multiple roles (1983)
Cubism, female voice (1984)
In No Sense Revealed, 2 female voices, tenors sax and percussion (1985)
Song for After the War, voice (1985)
The Quangle Wangle's Hat, voice and small ensemble (1988)
Languid Canon with Iso-Doodahs, saxophone quartet, strings, 2 voices and percussion (1990)
Solow Trio, voice, trombone and double bass (1993)
Thanks to the Girl, 2 voices, flute and violin (1993)
The Pelican Chorus, voice and small ensemble (1994)
How Pleasant to Know Mister Lear, voice, violin, tuba and piano (1995)
Fast Food Fugato, voices (1996)
The Owl and the Pussycat, voice and small ensemble (1996)
Shehekeyanu, voice (1997)
Four Sacred Songs, voice and piano (1998)
Three Shakespeare Sonnets, voice and baroque flute (1998)
Water Farming, voice and piano (1998)
Shema, voices (1999)
Shema Unison, voice, piano and ad lib Others (1999)
Mi Chamocha Unison, voice, piano and ad lib Others (2000)
Nigun, voice and guitar (2000)
Lecha Dodi, voice and piano (2006)
Jonah, narrator, clarinet, cello and piano (2012)
Electronic/Electroacoustic
Bomb Papa Bomb, 1, 2, 3 or 4 double basses, w/optional tape (197?)
Mimalism, flute, tape and mime (1983)
Above Ground, treble instrument and electronic sounds (1995)
Sonata for Superheroes, electronic/Not humanly possible (2001)
Percussion
Jabberwocky, narrator, flute, clarinet, viola, bassoon and percussion (1969)
Riffs, guitar, piano, trombone (or cello) and percussion (197?)
Overture, 3 trombones, strings, percussion (1975)
Canonicals, 4 to 30 strings and 2 to 8 percussionists (1977)
DanceGames, 2 or more drummers and 2 or more of the same melody instrument (1977)
Mystery Music #4, clarinet/bass clarinet and percussion ensemble (1978)
Round Dances 1, 2 percussionists (1978)
Three Rhapsodies for Alto Sax and Percussion (quartet) (1978)
Drums Along the Hudson, drumming improviser (1979)
In Memoriam Grazia Stella, flute/picc, Eb clarinet, tuba, guitar, violin, cello and percussion (1979)
Mystery Music #5, 2 percussionists and solo pitched instrument (1979)
Time Warped, 2 guitars, organ, percussion (1979)
Laudate Dominum, 5 vocal trios and percussion (198?)
Bruce Cuts Loose, percussionist plus other instruments ad lib (1980)
For Flutefluteflutefluteflutefluteflute and Percussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussioncussion (1983)
Lewis Carrolls, clarinet/bass clarinet and vibraphone/marimba (1983)
Rings, 3 percussionists (1983)
Colors of the Year, oboe, bassoon, strings and percussion (1995)
Song of the Clouds, piano, harp, strings and percussion (1995)
The Serpent Dances, serpent and percussion (2000)
Journey, percussion ensemble (2003)
** All Mantras can be performed together with any or all of other Mantras
THEOBALD LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Composer's website also here . . . contact James Theobald: here
Theobald @ The American Prize
Theobald @ Orchestralist
Theobald @ SheerPluck
Publisher
Theobald @ Composer's website
Theobald @ Wehr's Music House
Theobald @ Viola World
Streaming Audio
Theobald @ Composer's website see individual work listings
Recordings
[none at the moment]
Video
Theobald @ YouTube
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