Martin Bresnick

Composer Martin Bresnick

Martin Bresnick (born 1946) is a composer of contemporary classical music, film scores and experimental music.

Education and early career

Bresnick was born and raised in the Bronx,^[1] and is a graduate of New York City's specialized High School of Music and Art. He was educated at the University of Hartford (B.A. '67), Stanford University (M.A. '68, D.M.A. '72), and the Akademie für Musik, Vienna ('69-'70),^[2] and studied composition with John Chowning, Gyorgy Ligeti and Gottfried von Einem. He went on to teach at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University and the Yale School of Music.^[3]

Career

As a professor at Yale, he has been a widely influential teacher of contemporary composition. In 2006, he was elected to the membership of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an organization that bestowed their first Charles Ives Living Award^[4] on him in 1998. Bresnick's work has also earned him many prizes over the years, including a Fulbright Fellowship, the Rome Prize, two National Endowment of the Arts grants and an Ancona Prize for his 1979 composition "Conspiracies".

His compositions tend to be concise and direct in expression. Most of them are chamber music compositions, including three string quartets (1968, 1984, 1992), a piano trio (1988), *** for clarinet, viola and piano (1997), and music for diverse ensembles. Many of his works, ranging from solo piano to chamber and orchestral settings, were composed as a cycle called Opere della Musica Povera, or Works of a Poor Music.

His music has been recorded by Cantaloupe Music, Composers Recordings Incorporated, Centaur, New World Records, Artifact Music and Albany Records and is published by Carl Fischer Music (NY), Bote and Bock, Berlin and CommonMuse Music Publishers, New Haven.

Film work

As a composer for films, he has contributed many scores for documentary films, including Arthur and Lillie (1975) and The Day After Trinity (1980),^[5] both of which were nominated for Academy Awards. He also composed the score for the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, produced by Unity Productions Foundation.

Personal life

He is married to the pianist Lisa Moore.

Major Works

Opera

• "My Friend's Story" An Opera in a Prolog, 3 Scenes and an Epilog based on a story by Anton Chekhov^[6]

Orchestra

• "Angelus Novus" ^[7]
• "Encore!"^[8]
• "Falling" for orchestra and mezzo-soprano^[9]
• "Grace" for two marimbas and orchestra^[10]
• "Little Suite" for amateur string orchestra^[11]
• "Ocean of Storms"
• "On An Overgrown Path" (Janáček-Bresnick) for chamber orchestra^[12]
• "ONE" for chamber orchestra^[13]
• "Pan Penseroso" for solo flute and orchestra^[14]
• "Pontoosuc"^[15]
• "Sinfonia"^[16]
• "The Way It Goes"^[17]
• "Wir Weben, Wir Weben" for string orchestra^[18]

Large Ensemble

• "Ants" for woodwind quintet, contrabass, percussion, harp, soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone soli, 5 actor/mimes^[19]
• "B.'s Garlands" for 8 cellos^[20]
• "Bread & Salt" for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 saxes, 2 horns, cello, contrabass^[21]
• "Der Signál" for flute, clarinet, cornet, trombone, viola, cello, contrabass, percussion, soprano, alto, mezzo soli, narrator or tape^[22]
• "Fanfare" for 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones^[23]
• "Fantasia on a Theme by Willie Dixon" for vibraphone, clarinet, drum set, Piano, electric Organ, Violin, electric guitar^[24]
• "Introit" for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones^[25]
• "Musica" for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, voila, cello^[26]
• "Parisot" for 12 cellos

Small Ensemble

• "***" (Three Stars) for clarinet, viola (opt. violin), and piano^[27]
• "A Message from the Emperor" for two speaking percussionists marimba, vibraphone, four small drums amplification as needed^[28]
• "And I Always Thought" for clarinet, violin, and piano^[29]
• "Ballad" for cello and piano ^[30]
• "BE JUST!" for clarinet, cello, contrabass, guitar, piano, pecussion^[31]
• "Bird as Prophet" for violin and piano^[32]
• "The Bucket Rider" ^[33]
• "Capricho Nuevo" for clarinet, alto saxophone, percussion, vibraphone, piano, violin, contrabass^[34]
• "Caprichos Enfaticos: Los Desastres de la Guerra" for piano and percussion quartet^[35]
• "Conspiracies" for solo flute and four other flutes
• "Elan's Blues" for violin, cello, piano^[36]
• "Everything Must Go" for saxophone quartet^[37]
• "Everything Must Go" for trombone quartet^[38]
• "Follow Your Leader" for bass clarinet, bassoon, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello; or bass clarinet, bassoon, barisax, percussion, piano, synth, violin
• "Going Home" (Vysoke, My Jerusalem) for oboe, violin, viola, cello^[39]
• "Grace" for 2 marimbas and piano^[40]
• "Handwork" for 2 pianos
• "High Art" for piccolo and piano (opt. toy piano)^[41]
• "Just Time" for woodwind quintet^[42]
• "La Gaya Scienza" for Brass Quintet (Bass Trombone) & Timpani
• "My Twentieth Century" for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano^[43]
• "Pan Penseroso" (Version 3) for flute with multiphonics and piano^[44]
• "Pan Penseroso" (Version 4) for 2 flutes and piano^[45]
• "Pigs & Fishes" for clarinet, bassoon, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello^[46]
• "Pine Eyes" for narrator, 2 percussion, clarinet/bass clarinet in Bb, piano^[47]
• "Prayers Remain Forever" for cello and piano^[48]
• "Song of the Mouse People" for cello and vibraphone^[49]
• "String Quartet No. 1"
• "String Quartet No. 2" (Bucephalus)^[50]
• "String Quartet No. 3"
• "Tent of Miracles" for solo baritone sax, tape; or solo bass clarinet, tape; or solo bassoon, tape; or solo baritone sax and three baritone saxes; or solo bass clarinet and three bass clarinets; or solo bassoon and three bassoons^[51]
• "Trio" for 2 trumpets and piano
• "Trio" for violin, cello, and piano^[52]
• "Tucket" for bass clarinet, bassoon, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello; or bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone sax, percussion, piano, synth., violin; or brass quintet
• "Willie's Way" for woodwind quintet^[53]
• "Wir Weben, Wir Weben" for string sextet^[54]

Solo Compositions

• "Bag O' Tells" for mandolin^[55]
• "Bundists" (Robert, György and Me) for piano^[56]
• "Conspiracies" for flute and tape
• "Extrana Devocion" (Strange Devotion) for piano
• "For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise" for piano and DVD projections^[57]
• "Four Short Piano Pieces" for piano^[58]
• "Ishi's Song" for piano^[59]
• "Joaquin is Dreaming" for guitar^[60]
• "Josephine, the Singer" for violin^[61]
• "Lady Neil's Dumpe" for CX7 digital synthesizer; TX 816 driven by Mac^[62]
• "On an Overgrown Path" for solo guitar
• "Strange Devotion" for piano^[63]
• "Tent of Miracles" for baritone sax solo and tape; or bass clarinet solo and tape; or bassoon solo and tape
• "The Dream of the Lost Traveler" for piano^[64]
• "Theme and Variations" for oboe^[65]
• "Three Intermezzi" for cello
• "Willie's Way" for solo piano^[66]

Vocal Compositions

• "Falling" for mezzo-soprano and piano^[67]
• "New Haven" for SATB chorus a cappella^[68]
• "The Human Abstract" for mezzo-soprano and piano
• "Three Choral Songs" for SATB chorus a cappella^[69]
• "Where is the Way" for SATB chorus a cappella^[70]
• "Woodstock" for SATB chorus a cappella^[71]

Recordings

• 2014: Prayers Remain Forever Starkland
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Going Home - Vysoke, My Jerusalem" (Performed by Double Entendre)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Ishi's Song" (Performed by Lisa Moore)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Josephine The Singer" (Performed by Sarita Kwok)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Strange Devotion" (Performed by Lisa Moore)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "A Message From the Emperor" (Performed by Michael Compitello and Ian Rosenbaum)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Prayers Remain Forever" (Performed by Lisa Moore and Ashley Bathgate)
• 2011: Caprichos Enfáticos Cantaloupe Music (Performed by Lisa Moore and So Percussion)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula simple (Farandole simple)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula de charlatanes – No saben el camino (Farandole of charlatans – They don’t know the way.)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Estragos de la guerra (Ravages of war)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula de políticos – Contra el bien general (Farandole of politicians – Against the common good.)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula de populacho (Farandole of the rabble)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "¡Extraña Devoción! (Strange devotion!)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula de creyentes – Nada. Ello lo dice (Farandole of believers - Nothing. That is what it says.)"
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: "Farándula doble (Farandole double)"
• 2010: Every Thing Must Go. Albany Records.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Willie's Way" (Performed by Lisa Moore)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Falling (Performed by Abigail Nims and Wei-yi Yang)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Ballade (Performed by Ashley Bathgate and Lisa Moore)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Three Choral Songs (Performed by the Yale Camerata)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Every Thing Must Go (Performed by the Prism Saxophone Quartet)
• 2006: The Essential Martin Bresnick. Cantaloupe Music.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: String Quartet #2 "Bucephalus" (Performed by the Flux Quartet)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Trio for piano, violin, and violoncello (Performed by the Jupiter Trio)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: The Bucket Rider (Performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: BE JUST! (Performed by the Bang on a Can All-Stars)
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise (DVD: Performed by Lisa Moore)
• 2005: Martin Bresnick: My 20th Century. New World Records.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Grace
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Tent of Miracles
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Songs of the Mouse People
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Fantasia on a Theme by Willie Dixon
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: My Twentieth Century
• 2003: High Art: Chamber Music for Solo Flute. Albany Records.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: High Art
• 2000: Martin Bresnick: Works of a Poor Music. CRI.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Tucket
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Follow Your Leader
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Pigs & Fishes
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: New Haven
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Woodstock
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Angelus Novus
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: The Bucket Rider!
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: BE JUST!
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: ***
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: The Dream of the Lost Traveller
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Pine Eyes
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Bird as Prophet
• 2000: Conspirare: Chamber Music for Solo Flute. CRI.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Conspiracies
• 1995: Martin Bresnick: Music for Strings. CRI.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: String Quartet No. 2 "Bucephalus"'
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Wir Weben, Wir Weben
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: B.'s Garlands
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: String Quartet No. 3
• 1995: Long Distance. CRI.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Bag O' Tells
• 1994: The Monticello Trio: Bresnick, Ives and Shatin. CRI.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Trio
• 1993: CDCM Computer Music Series Vol. 2. Centaur Records.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Lady Neil's Dumpe
• 1992: New York Woodwind Quintet Plays Bresnick, Powell, Roseman, Shapey. New World Records.
  • Includes Martin Bresnick: Just Time

References

External links

• Martin Bresnick official site
• Martin Bresnick's page at Carl Fischer
• Yale School of Music
• Martin Bresnick and Lisa Moore (February 1, 2009). "Martin Bresnick and Lisa Moore: Symbiotic Relationship". NewMusicBox (Interview). Interview with Frank J. Oteri on October 21, 2008. CS1 maint: Multiple names: interviewers list (link)