Musical Works of Kenneth A. Kuhn

updated May 9, 2020

contents of this page and MIDI files, wrk files, cwp files, pdf files, and mp3 files copyright © 2003 - 2016 by Kenneth A. Kuhn

Here is a list of my major musical works divided into two broad groupings: works for piano or small ensemble and orchestral works. They are further grouped into logical categories within the two broad groups. In parenthesis, the composition date or range of dates is given, the mp3 file names are given and exist when the link is active, and the approximate performance time is given. The incomplete works listed represent my next musical projects. I have more music than listed here but that is only in rough sketch form to be a memory jog for later.  The mp3 files are recorded at 128 kBits/s, 44.1 kHz Stereo which is only moderately compressed and sound very close to the original.  The file size is about nine percent of the original wave file or about 1 Mbyte per minute.  Note that all files use an underscore character for a space.  There are over seven hours of mp3 files.

I have Copyright Certificates of Registration for all music below that has an active mp3 file.  Permission is granted to use any of this music in academic settings, or for free performances, or for paid performances where proceeds go to charity. If you use the music in such settings I would appreciate hearing from you.  Please contact me about other uses as I will be glad to work with you.

Most of the files have a corresponding Cakewalk SONAR (version 3 with some of the newer files using version 7) file ending with the extension, .cwp. I do not provide a direct link for these either but you can download any you are interested in by entering the same filename as the mp3 file except with the .cwp extension on the URL line ... kennethkuhn.com/music/filename . An example would be ...kennethkuhn.com/music/elegy_for_a_pet.cwp .  Most of the Cakewalk files are structured so that they can be printed for piano performance including various performance notations which are probably absent from the MIDI files.  Thus, anyone interested in the music can print their own copy if they have SONAR 3 or later.  Ultimately, I plan to convert these files into the program, Finale, so that they can be printed with much better appearance.

A note about the MIDI files:
The MIDI files are not directly listed but have the same name as the corresponding mp3 file except that the extension is .mid and you can download these as described above.  Not all of the music has a corresponding MIDI file -- you can take the SONAR file (.cwp) and create one.  In testing this web site on different computers I get different results. The instruments are not always as I intended and the result can be bizarre. So, beside each active MIDI file I indicate the intended instrument or instruments. If you hear something different then perhaps you can re-map the MIDI channels to fit your particular system. Even with the right instruments I have yet to hear a PC sound card that comes close to my Korg instrument. The sound from a typical PC sound card is very dinky. So the MIDI files on this site right now are a bit of a disappointment to me. Hopefully, those who access this site can play the MIDI files on higher grade equipment that can also create the right acoustical ambiance in addition to real sounding instruments so the files can be heard as I intended. Otherwise they sound pretty bad. For the time being I have used the default piano for most of the MIDI files with track 1 being the right hand and track 2 being the left hand. Some files are only single track. Once I get some other things done I plan to convert these to multi track and also set up the correct instruments for works not intended for piano.  However, the ability to create mp3 files has significantly reduced the utility of this.

Newest Music:

 BAMA DIY Concert Aug. 9, 2016  This is a play list of a Do it Yourself concert put on by the Birmingham Art Music Alliance (BAMA). I performed one of my works for piano, Fantasia on a Folk Theme.

 Variations on a Commoner Theme No. 1  (10:25) is a comic work for wind quintet. The opening main theme is obviously one of low stature or even laughable in music hierarchy - thus the title. The variations are the theme's attempts to become noble. The variations build through minor, major, fast, slow, and even beautiful. After many attempts, nobility is not achieved and the next variation is despondent as the theme gives up all hope. But then in the depths of despair, the theme sees the way and the concluding rousing variation is noble, joyous, and triumphant. One feature of the work is that every instrument has multiple solo parts. It is meant to be a fun piece for both the performers and the audience.

 Acceptance of Longing (5:47) This work for chamber ensemble is based on music from the first two movements of what is essentially a discarded suite for piano composed in the 1970s. The music was combined into this short single movement and completely restructured for performance by a small ensemble. Various counterpoint lines were added that were not practical for a piano only performance. The work was inspired by the painting, Acceptance of Longing, by artist Enrique Martínez Celaya as that painting reminded me of the general theme in the original piano suite - a longing theme seeking acceptance and finding it. This music was composed for a performance at the Abroms // Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) at the University of Alabma, Birmingham exhibit featuring paintings by Celaya in 2016.

Two Nostalgic Melodies

Both of these exquisitely beautiful melodies have the characteristic of reminding one of pleasant memories – thus the title.  Although fragments of the melodies seem familiar I have no clue as to where they came from as these melodies had been haunting my mind for many years and were going to keep doing so until I finally wrote them so they could escape to the world.  My original concept was for tenor and piano but having no words I optimized the piece for clarinet because it is especially capable of the desired mood, sonority, and necessary expression.  Both melodies are constructed with the same concept of a main melody with subordinate themes and variations.  The variations represent different ways of experiencing nostalgia.

 two_nostalgic_melodies_no1.mp3  (5:15) For No. 1 there is a brief piano introduction followed by the main theme with clarinet and piano with bittersweet harmony.  The piano then plays a brief subordinate theme followed by a variation of the main theme in duet.  The piano and clarinet then interact in counterpoint with a tender third theme marked affettuoso.  The main theme is then majestically performed followed by a sonorous clarinet ending and brief piano close.

 two_nostalgic_melodies_no2.mp3  (4:45) For No. 2 there is a brief piano introduction followed by the main theme with clarinet and piano.  A variation of the main theme follows.  The middle section marked affettuoso is a beautiful counterpoint between the clarinet and piano.  This is followed by yet another variation of the main theme.  The piano then builds to a majestic concluding performance of the main theme with clarinet followed by a brief piano closing.

Frolic of the Animals
frolic_of_the_animals.mp3 (4:45) This is an excerpt from the first movement, subtitled The Majesty of Summer, of the epic tone poem, The Revelation of Nature, which chronicles the observations of an individual disenfranchised with man-made religions who spends a year trekking through the wilderness in an attempt to find true understanding.  In this excerpt the individual observes wildlife at play during a bright summer day.  The music opens with woodwinds mimicking the frolic of small animals such as birds and chipmunks.  The music then progresses to larger animals with variations on the frolic theme.  The trumpets and trombones playfully interact. The music becomes very majestic as a mountain goat looks out over a scenic vista.  Then all the animals scurry away as a bear enters the scene.  With a comic waltz variation of the frolic theme the Basses mimic the bear’s antics bringing the music to a quiet close.


Before diving randomly into the numerous following works, I recommend that you first take a brief tour as these works are likely to be the most popular.

In the following, color is used to group similar items.  Group titles are centered and in red.  The bold italic links in blue underscore on the left are to mp3 files.  Descriptions are on the right. The pdf files shown by some of the music below are printable sheet music.
Works for Piano or Small Ensemble
Down by the Seashore (.mp3) (1962, 3:37, PAu002919403, 2004) This is one of my first pieces of music composed when I was only 7 years old. It is written for piano but would obviously play better on guitar. It is a simple work with introduction, three stanzas, and ending. This piece is listed first because it is the oldest work. The mp3 file uses guitar and strings.
Elegy for a Pet (.mp3) (1968, 1991, 10:13, PAu002919401, 2004) The main theme was composed after my first cat, Sambo, died. The other themes were added and work was completed when an associate's cat died from a horrible accident in 1991. The music is in four sections - emptiness; fond memories - loving, being cute, at play, napping; of grieving; and resolve. The music for the of grieving section was borrowed from the Fate movement of my Suite No. 1 for Piano.  The mp3 file uses piano and strings. elegy_for_a_pet.pdf
Two Christmas Songs Without Words (1968, 2004, PAu002917652, 2004). This is copyrighted as a collection of two pieces of music composed around Christmas.

To a Deserted Station (.mp3) (1969, 4:10, PAu002925870, 2004) This is a duet for two clarinets composed after I heard that the grand terminal station in Birmingham was going to be torn down. I had boarded trains at that station and it was a shame that such a magnificent structure was going to be wrecked. It would have made an excellent railroad museum. The mp3 file uses two clarinets.   to_a_deserted_station.pdf
Adagio Tranquillo e Molto Drammatico (.mp3) (1973 -1974, 30:42, PAu002900805, 2004) This is a long and contemplative impromptu tone poem in D major about a lyrical theme in search of a proper ending. The main theme is heard several times each time with a different attempt at an ending. Numerous other lyrical companion themes provide hope and guidance and there are several very dramatic crescendos. The work is in four sections. The music begins with a long introduction with the left hand as a beating heart. The very lyrical main theme is then heard but it melds into another theme rather than ending. The second section begins with the first recapitulation of the main theme and the tempo and volume picks up and the music becomes very dramatic. In the third and very stormy and traumatic middle section the theme is in deep despair. The theme of the third section is a very agitated variation of the main lyrical theme in a minor key. Although it is never played one can almost hear the main theme in its pure minor form. The piano literally weeps with the music and this is some the darkest music I have ever written. As this section ends there is a glimmer of hope which leads to the peaceful opening of the fourth section. In the fourth section the earlier themes build to a triumphant climax rejoicing that the storm is over and then the main theme finally discovers its proper ending. The music then ends with the introduction also discovering a proper ending in a very heavenly and tranquil way in the highest notes of the piano. This is the type of music that would never be performed for an audience but rather performed or listened to in private for personal contemplation. I have listened to it many times to find relief from life's hectic pace - it is a musical escape. The main theme of this work had existed in my mind for a while before the entire rest of the work came to me in one giant impromptu one evening around February, 1973. I sat at the piano and just watched my hands play this work. Something else was guiding my hands as I was just a fascinated observer. The final work here is a cleaned up version of that impromptu although the revisions are only slight. If ever there was a piece of music that revealed the deepest inner workings of my mind this would be it. The title I gave this work reflects that it is just about the music itself and infers no other program although the listener is free to inject his or her own life's experience. In early 1974 I made a recording which I used years ago to write the music by hand but had a lot of trouble with the difficult middle section. The ability to edit on a computer made that job considerably easier. One important edit was to lower the last phrase of the work by an octave so that it is playable on a standard piano. The final note of the original had been the D above the highest C.  The mp3 file is piano only.  The file, adagio_tranquillo_e_molto_dramatico_kuhn.mp3 is a live recording made on a cassette recorder in early June, 1974.  Unlike the computer driven synthesizer performance, this is the real me.
The Cruel Hand of Fate (.mp3) (1974, 6:54, PAu002900804, 2004) This was an impromptu work composed after seeing a car accident. As best that I know, here was person driving home for the weekend from college (I think the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa) and swerved to avoid hitting someone who had pulled out in front of her and ended upside down in the highway median in front of what was then known as the Bessemer Caraway Hospital (now known as UAB West). I remember seeing all her papers blowing in the wind as she was carted to the hospital. I do not think her injuries were serious but her day and weekend were ruined. She had been struck by the cruel hand of fate.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Ode to Memories (.mp3) (1974, 10:56, PAu002924845, 2004) This piece was composed as I transitioned to a new life at Auburn University after graduating from Bessemer State Technical College. The music is in three sections: it begins with a very lyrical and melancholy melody representing fond memories; there is a tragic middle section representing things that can be no more; and there is a very triumphant conclusion representing that memories never die. There is a thematic link to my earlier work, Adagio Tranquillo e Molto Drammatico and the structure of this piece is similar.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Melody for a Summer Evening (.mp3) (1974, 5:00, PAu002925869, 2004) This piece was composed in June on various evenings while I walked back to my dorm room after practicing the piano at Auburn University in the 'L' building. The length of the piece coincides with the time it took for the walk. It consists of three familiar themes repeated in various combinations with no development. Each theme is a bit sad and longs for simpler times. Although written for piano, I think an arrangement for classical guitar and harmonica would be the best presentation.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.  melody_for_a_summer_evening.pdf
Song of the American Frontier (piano & strings) (.mp3)

Song of the American Frontier (piano)(.mp3)
(1973 – 1978, 10:14, PAu002819616, 2003) The main theme of this music was originally a contrasting theme to what eventually became Prelude #4. It is an arrangement of four of what I think are folk or folk-like themes that conceivably could date from the American frontier days if they are not original to me. This is picturesque music. One can picture rolling planes with the first theme. The second theme brings the image of a flowing river. The third theme pictures a broad field with thousands of head of grazing cattle. The fourth theme is that of a young girl growing up on the plains transforming into a woman.  song_of_the_american_frontier_piano.pdf.  The original manusacript is song_of_the_american_frontier_manuscript.pdf
Jazz Perpetuoso (.mp3) (1979, 2005, 11:50, PAu002970942, 2005) This piece is a collection of twelve jazz themes divided into three groups, one dominate and two subordinate.  Themes within a group are closely related and there are only subtle cross group relations.  The themes in this piece kept haunting my mind so I finally arranged them for this work. It started with the themes from the dominate group in 1979.  The other themes appeared in the intervening years.  The work gets its name from the fact that the themes keep coming back to themselves in a perpetual manner both in the music and in the mind of the listener. Also, the themes lend themselves to numerous variations and most themes in the work are heard with a different subtle variation on repeats.  The listener then begins to fabricate his or her own variations ad infinitum.  Thus, once the themes are planted in the mind they can never be eliminated.  What is interesting is that I am not partial to jazz so I do not know why these themes occurred to me. Although written for piano it plays very well with a small ensemble. Warning! Listen to this music at your own risk.  Whether you like or dislike this piece the themes will haunt your mind for weeks afterwards. The piece ends using the main theme with a variation that forces a break in the hypnotic rhythm thus bringing the music to a definite close.  The mp3 file is a saxophone band.
An Alpine Song (.mp3) (1990, 6:13, PAu002826313, 2003) This music was literally from a dream I had of a young woman playing the guitar and singing a song of peace to a small audience on a majestic European mountain side - thus the name for the work. The language was foreign to me but it was most likely German as it was rather guttural. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to get up in the middle of the night and jot down the main theme so I could remember it later. I swear that I have heard this music somewhere before but I can not imagine where.  The mp3 file is guitar and flute.
Fantasia on a Folk Theme (.mp3) (1994, 12:06, PAu002919404, 2004) This is an arrangement of a folk theme that kept haunting me. The theme had been in my mind for a number of years until I finally set down to make a complete work. Although written for piano, it obviously is best played on a classical guitar.  The mp3 file is guitar and strings.
Air in C major (.mp3) (1970s, 3:26, PAu002925868, 2004) The opening theme for this short piece had been with me for quite a while until I finally decided to make something out of it. The piece is simply a theme followed by obvious variations on a climbing scale and is full of hope and spirit. Although written for piano, this piece plays very well with chamber string ensemble.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Songs from Childhood (a future project) This will be a medley of a number of youthful themes that have no development potential but that I do not want to forget.
Marches

I have always loved a good march. Except for the funeral march all the other marches are very bright.
March in F# Minor (.mp3) (1968, 1982, 7:09, PAu002919405, 2004) This is a funeral march and was inspired by hearing all the various bands play funeral music as the funeral train for Bobby Kennedy pasted numerous stations. This was broadcast on national TV and I watched it for the railroad aspect rather than any politics. The main theme was composed in 1968 and was completed in 1982 with revisions made in early 2004. Although written for piano it plays best on a pipe organ. It is written in 16-bar sections and has a 16-bar introduction that opens softly and builds to full volume.  The mp3 file is a pipe organ.
Five Marches: (PAu002903590, 2004) This is copyrighted as five related works under one title. These are in the classic concert march style and have very catchy themes that tend to haunt the mind. All of them sound as if you have heard them before but I have yet to find any thematic link to a familiar march - but I am still looking. Perhaps it is the style they are written in that makes them sound familiar.  All of the mp3 files are small orchestra.

  • March No. 1 (.mp3) (1974, 4:08) This march has a celebratory or dedicatory character.
  • March No. 2 (.mp3) (1990, 3:17) This is a happy march that has a bit of a comic nature that makes it suitable for an occasion such as a circus.
  • March No. 3 (.mp3) (1993, 3:21) This is a very bright and joyous march that is very comic in nature and one can imagine it being used in a circus.
  • March No. 4 (.mp3) (2004, 2:27) This is another very bright and joyous march that has a comic quality.
  • March No. 5 (.mp3) (2004, 3.05) This was comprised of the last material I had for marches and started backwards. The trio was the main theme and the main theme was the trio. This was going nowhere and working badly and I almost abandoned the work until I realized the error. After placing the themes in the proper sequence the march came together rather nicely. Again, the march has a comic quality.
Impromptus

A lot of music just occurs to me instantly. Sometimes I am at the piano. Other times I am doing something unrelated to music. I think the explanation is that my mind is always doing something musical no matter what else I am working on. Music definitely intertwines with my other activities. Most of the impromptus are solutions to missing sections of music I am working on. The pieces here were not associated with anything else.
Four Impromptus (PAu002916812, 2004) This is copyrighted as a collection as follows:

  • Impromptu No. 1 in D Minor (.mp3) - (1971, 1:19) This music occurred to me as an impromptu and has a British or Irish character.  The mp3 file is piano and strings. The original name was melody_in_d_minor.pdf  .
  • Impromptu No. 1 arranged for violin and guitar (.mp3) - (1971/2016, 1:53) The above original version was transposed to E-minor for better performance on a guitar and the melody was altered to better use the violin. Harmonies were altered and this arrangement has a Baroque character. 
  • Impromptu No. 2 in C Minor (.mp3) - (1972, 2:11) This piece is about as impromptu as it gets. On a Saturday morning in November I sat down at the piano and watched my hands play this and all the notes here are just as they were that morning.  The mp3 file is piano only.  This file has the music for #2 and #3. two_impromptus.pdf
  • Impromptu No. 3 in C Minor (.mp3) - (1973, 1:57) This is another impromptu that I watched my hands play on a Saturday morning in January and all the notes here are just as they were that morning.  The mp3 file is piano only.
  • Impromptu No. 4 in C# Major (.mp3) - (1973, 1:33) This piece could be the ending of some longer work that was never developed. Over the years I have tried to think of something to go in front of it so that it can be more complete. Some music has a beginning with a missing ending - this piece is an ending without a beginning.  The mp3 file is piano only.
Impromptu No. 5 in C Major (.mp3) (1997 - 2005, impromptu5.mp3, 3:21 -- coming soon)  This was a lost piece that I found while searching through some odd files.  I composed it on July 5, 1997 and found it around May, 2005 and cleaned it up.  It was composed in the usual way -- I sat down at the keyboard and watched my hands play it.  It has a very simple and pretty melody that is heard several times in a different way and ends on a happy tone.  I would have included it in the set of four impromptus if I had known of it earlier.
Preludes

This is a set of preludes that have a common structure.  Each is in two parts with an opening theme and subordinate theme in a minor key with little development building to a climax.  In the second part the main theme is recast in a major key developing towards a triumphant close. They are written for piano and are good show pieces.  All of these began spontaneously as impromptus.
Prelude #1 in Eb Minor (.mp3) (1972, 8:00, PAu002930173, 2005) This prelude begins on a note of despair and progresses downwards.  The ending turns the theme of despair into a theme of hope and builds towards a hymn like tune of triumph.  The hymn tune was salvaged from an abandoned earlier work.  This prelude has the greatest contrast between the first and second parts.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Prelude #2 in C Minor (.mp3) (1972-1973, 7:33, PAu002930174, 2005) This prelude begins with a strong statement followed by a lyrical subordinate theme.  The main theme of the second part is based on a major version of the subordinate theme of the first part.  A triumphant version of the opening statement brings the prelude to a close.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Prelude No. 3 in G Minor (.mp3)

(1979, 7:08. PAu002820221, 2003) The ending to this piece was composed first as an impromptu. I then worked backwards to the beginning. A strong opening statement is followed by a contrasting lyrical subordinate theme.  The second part begins with a lyrical transformation of the opening statement of the first part.  The music then builds towards a very joyous close.  Of the four numbered preludes, this is my favorite.  This prelude is easier to listen to than the first two as it is just pure music without requiring intellectual involvement by the listener.  It is also a great show piece for the piano and the performer has ample opportunity to become part of the music for their own unique interpretation.
Prelude #4 in G Minor (.mp3) (1996 - 2005, 7:26, PAu002945051, 2005)  An interesting thing about this piece is that the main theme of The Song of the American Frontier was originally a contrasting theme. Although interesting, that did not work and the two themes went their separate ways into two compositions.  Unlike the other preludes, this one has a lyrical opening with a  yearning quality.  The subordinate theme develops unintentionally into a quote from a well known piece of music from one of my favorite composers.  I will let the listener solve what should be an easy puzzle.  As usual, the second part begins in a lyrical manner and build to a triumphant close.  The mp3 file is piano and strings.
Prelude on a Hymn Tune (.mp3) (1971 - 1991, 5:47, PAu002917651, 2004) The main theme for this work is a variant of an incidental theme played by a bassoon used as accompanying music to a clay-mation rendition of a childhood fable - I think Little Red Ridinghood I heard as a child in the 1960's. That theme stayed with me for a long time. The file, hymnfrag.mp3, has the brief bassoon theme that inspired the work.  Other concepts for this work had been brewing in my subconscious and I finally had to make something out of it. I do not know that this theme is from an actual hymn but it sounds as if it could be so that is how the work got its name. I am not a religious person and a hymn would probably be the last thing I would ever write. But, nonetheless, this is a very uplifting piece with a glorious ending. Although written for piano it is best played on a pipe organ. The MIDI file should be played on an instrument synthesizing full pipes.  On my Korg instrument it plays very well using a combination of pipes, choir, and bells and with cathedral acoustics.  For piano performance some of the sustained chords would have to be tremelo-ed.  The piece begins very softly and builds to an awe inspiring pull-all-the-stops, bring-the-house-down ending. Not bad for a heathen!  The mp3 file is an organ, choir, and bells.
Suites for Piano
Suite  No. 1 for Piano - (1974, PAu002945472, 2005) This is a five movement piece in which several themes interact as if characters in a story of the listener's choosing.  The yearning theme had its beginnings in the fall of 1970.  The comfort theme was added in 1971.  Rough pencil sketches for four of the movements were completed in 1974. Except for the fourth movement, the movements here have been considerably revised from those first sketches.  The additional movement (Fate) was in my mind at the time but not developed until 2005.  None of the movements had a title in the original conception but as I finalized this work I felt that each movement should have some kind of name.  So, I gave each movement a one-word title with considerable room for interpretation.  All mp3 files of this work are piano and strings.  The movements are:

Yearning (.mp3) (4:22)  The simple theme of this movement has a yearning quality, thus the title.  The yearning becomes very intense in the dramatic middle section.  The movement ends as it began but in the final notes the theme becomes discouraged.

Comfort (.mp3) (5:28)  After a brief introduction the main theme is heard and is very simple, peaceful, and happy -- i.e. comforting.  The comfort theme is repeated with growing warmth until it becomes very majestic.  The middle portion of the movement builds to an ecstatic climax before returning to the simple opening.  The yearning theme is heard now with a relaxed tonality and melds into the comfort theme which brings the movement to a very tranquil and dreamlike close.

 Fate (.mp3) (3.16)  Fate is typically represented as dramatic but here a boisterous theme and the comfort theme interact with great joy and abandon. 

 Storms (.mp3) (5:07)  In this very stormy movement the yearning theme has lost all hope.  The comfort theme tries to help but to no avail.  The music is very despondent and ends as the introduction to the yearning theme becomes an elegy for happiness (I borrowed from this for my later work, Elegy for a Pet ).

 Solace (.mp3) (2:27)  This brief movement brings the work to a close as the yearning theme finds peace after having survived the storm although not without scars.  A majestic version of the yearning theme evolves to the closing section based on the pentatonic scale representing broadness in time and space.

Orchestral Works: Miscellaneous

Finale (1970 - 1972, finale1.mp3*coming someday*, 9:01) The only significance of this piece is that it is an early composition. It hints at things to come but as a piece of music it is pretty bad. It is the conclusion to a suite that was never finished and probably never will be. At the time it was a favorite of mine and I still like it - maybe someday I will clean it up to be something. This finale begins after a very sad climax to the original music it was a part of. The music begins in a very somber but resolute manner and is based on the interval of a fifth. The music gains hope and evolves into a grand and triumphant ending.

Orchestral Works: Suites

The Titanic Suite - (1973, 2003, PAu002933930, 2005). This is a four movement suite that tells the story of the tragic voyage of the Titanic. What became the second movement was composed first in 1973 and was inspired by the imagery of rolling seas and the background music of a National Geographic documentary concerning ships in the north Atlantic.  I would often play this movement on the piano.  Thoughts for the other movements were completed in 2003.  The majesty theme had existed for many years in my mind but I could never seem to get past the opening.  Some thoughts for the third and fourth movements also existed but were stuck.  In 2003 I took a break from the completion of The Revelation of Nature and set out to complete this suite.  With absolute focus I was able to complete the uncompleted.  The story of the Titanic had always interested me and I had read two detailed books in 1970.  The mp3 files are a recording of the statistical orchestra on my Korg.  The four movements are:

Her Majesty, the Ship (.mp3) (5:57)  (draft version) This movement depicts the launch of the Titanic, the celebration as passengers board the ship, and the jubilation as the ship leaves on its maiden voyage.

The fully orchestrated version of the above is: titanic_suite_movement1.mp3  There are a few improvements I am planning to make as time permits

The Timeless Surf (.mp3) (11:11)  The main theme of the second movement is the central theme of the entire work and has a British character.  The second movement opens in a mysterious manner depicting rolling waves and then builds to huge swells.  These rolling waves are timeless and look the same today as they did years ago. The middle interlude depicts smooth sailing with a sunny sky and a perfect wind.  Then there is a sailor's party followed by more grand sailing.  A very mysterious transition brings the music back to the opening theme.  The music builds again with the ocean swells and concludes with a presto version of the main theme.  The second movement plays well on the piano (titanic2piano.mp3 The differences are that this version contains several octave transpositions and tremelo for long tones) but the other movements are strictly for orchestra.  the_timeless_surf.pdf

Peril in the Dark (.mp3) (7:15)  This movement begins with a syncopated rhythm and a gloomy theme of peril that depicts impending doom.  The music builds up to the impact with the iceberg.  The music then becomes panicky and desperate and builds as the ship becomes ever steeper in the water.  The movement ends with the ship beginning the plunge and the music becomes slower and lower in tone with a repeating descending chromatic pattern depicting the sinking.  The long held final low note signifies that the ship is gone.

Elegy at Sunrise (.mp3) (6:36)  This movement begins very softly and somberly in the highest registers with a fragment of the majesty theme now played very mournfully and accompanied by a descending sequence of very open tones.  Disconnected fragments (ghosts) from previous movements are heard in a very morbid tone.  The music builds ever so slowly in speed and volume until it climaxes with great anger at the tragedy and then decays with a resolve to continue with life.  The majesty theme from the first movement is then heard in the depths of the orchestra and merges into the timeless surf  theme that brings the movement to a close with a certain dignity. The syncopated rhythm of the peril theme is faintly heard in the depths of the orchestra against the closing chord.
Symphonies and Concertos

None of the three planned symphonies are complete at this point. Now that most of my other music is completed, I plan to focus on completing the symphonies most likely in reverse numerical order. All three symphonies are in traditional four movement form consisting of an allegro first movement followed by a very lyrical andante second movement. The third movement is always a rousing scherzo and each symphony will close with an allegro brillante finale. All three symphonies make use of cyclic development where themes from previous movements are used again in further development. The estimated performance time of each symphony is around 45 minutes. The starting date of each symphony is shown and the completion date is to be determined.  Because of the sporadic development I am copyrighting  various completed movements as collections.  The first set is titled Four Various Movements and has the second movements from each of the symphonies and the finale of the first symphony.  The copyright application is in progress.  The next set will probably be a collection of the three scherzos.  All movements are only in draft form that play reasonably well on my orchestral sythesizer.  Someday I hope to do a full orchestration.  The mp3 files provide a good idea of the intended result.
Symphony #1 in B Minor (1968 - ) What is intended to be the first Symphony in B minor was begun in 1968. The first movement exists only as an opening and concept. The second and fourth movements are complete in computer draft form. Only a little of the third movement exists at the moment. One thing about the first symphony is that it really seems more suited to be a piano concerto instead and that probably reflects that the only instrument I had at the time those movements were composed was a piano. Even the statistical orchestra I use seems to beg for a piano. To convert it to a piano concerto would be a huge undertaking so if the symphony is ever known at all it will be known as the symphony that sounds like a piano concerto.
Symphony 1, first movement (xx:xx, 1968, 200x)  The main theme of this movement is that of conflict that works its way to resolution through the rest of the movements.
Symphony 1, second movement (.mp3) Andante con molto espressione (10:47, 1970, 2007 - Four Various Movements, No. 1, PAu 3-369-915, 2007)  This very lyrical movement is based on a haunting theme that yearns for peace in contrast to the first movement. This movement was composed in 1970 and I have always felt that it represents me.  The opening theme ends with a brief reference to the conflict from the first movement before continuing to the subordinate theme.  The main theme is then repeated in the upper register and becomes sad.  The next section is agitated and brings out that there is an unsettled conflict from the first movement.  The main theme is then heard in a minor key and ends on a depressed note.  Then, the music takes on hope and builds back to the subordinate theme.  The main theme is then heard again and ends with a small triumph over the conflict which melds into a majestic version of the subordinate theme.  The main theme is now heard in triumphal form and conflict attempts to enter at the end but is overwhelmed as the music transitions to the triumphant closing theme that begins very loud and is repeated softer and somewhat slower as it moves to the lower registers.  The closing section is very tranquil with long tones and ends with peace.  A version of this that is playable on piano is movement_in_e_major.pdf .
Symphony 1, third movement (xx:xx, 1970, 200x)  This misterioso scherzo is based on the conflict theme from the first movement.
Symphony 1, fourth movement (.mp3) Molto allegro con spirito  (11:29, 1971, 2007 - Four Various Movements, No. 4, PAu 3-369-915, 2007)  This was composed around 1971 when I was about seventeen years old and is a wild and energetic finale with lots of excitement and celebration.  The introduction is in B major but the main theme begins in D major and goes through a number of key changes before ending back in B major.  The main theme is bright and energetic and is a triumphant version of the conflict theme from the first movement.  The subordinate theme is also derived from the conflict theme.  A second subordinate theme has faint hints of the resolution theme introduced in the code.  The conflict theme enters but fades into a recapitulation of the lyrical theme from the second movement.  This theme will play an important role in the resolution.  The theme ends in a very yearnful way and leads to a repeat from the beginning of the finale.  At the end of the repeat, the coda introduces the resolution theme. This mysterious theme connects various elements together and leads to the lyrical theme which becomes intensely yearning.  The resolution theme is heard again and builds to a triumphal version.  The opening theme is briefly heard for the last time and leads to the conflict theme which this time ends with a grand resolution.  The closing music is wild and energetic with a very prominant role by the tympani.  The style that this is in is a favorite of mine.
Symphony #2 in Bb Minor (1973 - ) The second symphony in B-flat minor was begun in the mid 1973 and is interesting in that its mysterioso opening reminds one of Anton Bruckner -- the third and ninth come to mind.
Symphony 2, first movement (xx:xx, mid 1970s, 200x)  The opening music to this movement is very mysterioso and immediately reminds one of Bruckner.  Only the first few minutes of the first movement are composed.
Symphony 2, second movement (.mp3) Andante, misterioso con espressione   (12:26, mid 1970s, 2007 - Four Various Movements, No. 2, PAu 3-369-915, 2007)  The music is very mysterious and introspective -- much more so than other of my music.  The music opens with a long an mysterious introduction by the woodwinds.  The main theme is very nostalgic and has a yearning quality. The first subordinate theme is very tender and is even more yearning than the main theme.  The second subordinate theme builds to a dramatic climax with a grandeur version of the main theme from the first movement. This concludes with a few bars of simple woodwinds and strings that is intensely  introspective.  The first subordinate theme is then heard again which then leads to the recapitulation of the opening theme.  The woodwind introduction then brings the music to a close and ends with the opening fragment from the main theme of the first movement played by strings in a high register. 
Symphony 2, third movement (xx:xx, mid 1970s, 200x)  This scherzo opens with a rythmic pattern and grows in intensity to very bombastic theme.
Symphony 2, fourth movement (tbd) For this movement I only know how I want to bring it to an end -- a very triumphant version of the opening to the first movement.  This will probably be one of the last movements I complete.
Symphony #3 in F Major, "American Dream" (1983 - 200x) Completing the draft version of this symphony is my goal for 2008. It is definitely the best one and I think it might even achieve some popularity. It has a distinctly American style and is quite lyrical and joyous. It was inspired while riding my bicycle in some old neighborhoods in Athens, Alabama where I lived for a brief period in 1983. The stable old homes with huge oak trees by the sidewalks begged for a symphony.  More recently, my visits to Palo Alto, CA have further inspired me.  The peaceful neighborhood in the vicinity of the Hewlett Packard house and garage is exactly what I had in mind as I composed this.  The expected length is around 50 minutes.
Symphony 3, first movement Adagio; allegro brioso (xx:xx, 1983, 200x)  This movement opens with a slow introduction that sets the musical style for the entire work.  Then the music becomes a brilliant allegro with a catchy rhythm that is just plain fun.  The music had been in my mind for some time and began to take formal shape in 1994 with the completion of the slow introduction.
Symphony 3, second movement (.mp3) Andante con eleganza  (14:46, 1983, 1995, 2007 - Four Various Movements, No. 3, PAu 3-369-915, 2007)  The very lyrical second movement is none other than the C Major scale packaged in such a way that it is not immediately recognized as such and is probably the most beautiful and serene music I have ever composed. The main theme was composed in the summer of 1983 and the movement was developed in rough form in 1995.  The final touches were put in place in 2006 and 2007.  The music yearns for simpler times of the past.  One can envision a quiet old neighborhood with very mature trees and where everyone is at peace with themselves and the world.  After the opening theme the music transitions to the dream-like middle section which is long with the music very stretched out in a serene image of joy and peace.  At one point in the music the distinct sound of someone practicing their Hanon exercises for piano can be heard.  The music builds to an intense climax where the C major scale is heard in full glory -- as very beautiful music, not as a scale.  The serene closing theme interacts with fragments of the scale and brings the movement to a very tranquil close.  This is music to just relax by.
Symphony 3, third movement (xx:xx, 1983, 200x)  This bright scherzo is also based on scales and has a kind of stutter rhythm that makes the scale more interesting.
Symphony 3, fourth movement Allegro brilliante(xx:xx, 1983, 200x)  The movement opens with a bright brass fanfare.  Then the fast paced music recalls earlier themes with new development.  The music builds and builds and then suddenly becomes slow as a grandeur version of the introduction to the first movement brings the movement to a triumphant close.
Concerto for Piano in G Minor - ( ) The piano concerto is my favorite musical form. The opening statement was composed in the 1970s and that is all I have at the moment. I hope someday I will be able to complete it. The plans are for it to have an allegro first movement followed by a very lyrical second movement and concluding with a brilliante finale. I think about this work from time to time but have put my efforts into completing other works. This will probably be one of the last works I complete.
Tone Poems

The Revelation of Nature (1969 - 2003, PAu002815068, 2003) This is an epic tone poem for orchestra with overture and four movements and is about a journey of discovery through the four seasons in search for the meaning of it all. Each movement is around one-half hour and the performance time for this work is nearly two and a half hours. This work towers over everything I have ever written and is the work of my life as I have spent more time on this work than all other works combined. There is so much to say about it that the description is on the sub page, tron.htm.

The following are the MIDI files and mp3 files as recorded from my Korg instrument with the statistical orchestra.  If you have a Korg instrument programmed to be the statistical orchestra like described in statorch.htm, then you can hear these movements as intended from the MIDI files. Otherwise, you can hear them via the very long mp3 files.  The MIDI files are single track.  Someday I plan to provide fully orchestrated multi track versions of these. Except for the overture, the mp3 files are around 30 Mbytes each and will take a very long time to download with a dial-up connection.  Note that these file names have the underscore character rather than a space between words.

Overture (.mp3) (9:35) This has a very peaceful opening and slowly builds to a grand climax.  the_revelation_of_nature_overture.mp3 is the new fully orchestrated version.  

First movement: The Majesty of Summer (.mp3) (34:42)  The movement is divided into the sections: Sunrise, The quest begins, Frolic of the animals, The expanse of the mountains.

Second movement: The Colors of Autumn (.mp3) (35:39)  The movment is divided into the sections: On a sunny afternoon, The southward migration, The color's majesty, Sunset by a mountain lake.

Third movement: The Moods of Winter (.mp3) (29:20)  The movement is divided into the sections: Winter Storms, Of contemplation, A peaceful snow, Frolic in the snow, Of desperation.

Fourth movement: The Blossoms of Spring (.mp3) (32:59)  The movement is divided into the sections: New life on the meadows, The migration returns, First ending: The joy of ignorance, Confusion over death, Second ending: The Revelation, Third ending: The great resolve and Nature's celebration.

Transcriptions and Arrangements
The pdf files below are printable sheet music
Bravura by C.E. Duble. Transcribed for piano in 1971 and revised in 1973. This was one of my favorite marches. Unfortunately, I have never been able to play this piece well as it requires more speed and strength skills than I have. bravura.pdf
Dedicatory Overture by Clifton Williams. A transcription for piano begun in 1970 but never finished. This is a favorite work of mine but the middle portion and conclusion just do not fit the piano well so I abandoned the effort. I might revisit it someday.
Egmont Overture by Beethoven transcribed for piano in 1972 and revised in 1973. The transcription was from a high school band arrangement. I have always liked dramatic music and this is one of my favorites. But, alas, I have never been able to play it well - in fact the best I have ever done is pitiful. egmont_overture.pdf
Sequoia, A Tone Painting by Homer C. LaGassey, transcribed for piano in 1973 (see sequoia.htm for an mp3 file I recorded of Sequoia). This is a very beautiful piece written for small ensemble and the high school band I was in performed this piece. This music no doubt provided inspiration for various portions of my tone poem, The Revelation of Nature. It really plays very well on piano. All that is required to play it is a large hand to handle the broad chords and agile fingers (which I do not have) to play the fast middle section. sequoia.pdf
Andante Religioso

andante_religioso_kuhn_norton.mp3 (7:24)

andante_religioso_kuhn.mp3 (6:57)
by Francis Thome, transcribed for piano in 1977. This is a very beautiful work that I wanted as a piano solo. I could not find a piano piece so I transcribed it myself. andante_religioso.pdf .  The recording is of me playing the piano and Alice Norton playing the Organ at the First Methodist Chuch in Bessemer, Alabama on Feb. 23, 1986.  We played this work several times together over the years.  It was always my favorite.  I also did a solo recording of my transcription sometime around 2002 on my electronic keyboard programmed to be piano and strings.
Theme from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World by Earnest Gold, arranged by ear for piano around 1989. I had always liked this theme and had intended to arrange it for piano for many years.  its_a_mad_mad_mad_mad_world.pdf
Adagietto from Symphony No. 5

adagietto_kuhn.mp3 (14:43)
by Gustav Mahler, transcribed for keyboard in 1994. This was another project that I had wanted to do for some time and had made starts trying to do it by ear. I finally found a copy of the score for this work and that enabled a quick finish to this project. It is playable on piano but the long notes decay too fast. It is better played on a keyboard programmed for string orchestra.  adagietto.pdf 

The mp3 file is a live recording (from sometime in the late 1990s) of me performing the work on my electronic keyboard programmed to be a string orchestra with harp and optimized for the Adagietto.  My performance is slower than the work is usually taken  -- probably a bit too slow (total time is a little over 14 minutes -- but I enjoyed the sonority of the long tones.  A lot of the dynamics of the work are not reproducible with fingers on a keyboard so I the best I could with the ten fingers I have.  One trick was the inclusion of the harp which was programmed to play only with certain key pressures.  This enabled me to play some of the critical harp parts without the harp being in the way in other sections. The decay at the conclusion was accomplished by slowly reducing the keyboard output level as I held the notes.  It takes a lot of logistics to be a one-person orchestra. 
A Symphonic Story of Jerome Kern
also known as A Symphonic Picture of Jerome Kern
by Robert Russell Bennett, arrangement in progress for piano begun around 1999. In this instance I do not have the score so I am having to do it by ear. Some sheet music of various Kern tunes has helped in getting the style right. I have not worked on it in several years as completing other music has a higher priority. Some day I will get back to it.
Second Movement from Tchaikovsky's "Seventh Symphony" arrangement in progress for piano begun around 2000. This is from the symphony that Tchaikovsky discarded and was composed between his 5th and 6th symphonies. Part of it later became his third piano concerto. The second movement is a classic example of simple yet very elegant beauty.

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