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Stephen Dankner Composer
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2023
Stephen Dankner received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Composition from the Juilliard School in 1971. A list of works includes ten symphonies, 28 string quartets, a saxophone quartet, six concerti (one each for piano and violin, two for cello, an E flat clarinet Concerto, and a concerto for alto saxophone), a Symphony for Saxophone Chamber Orchestra; five major song cycles; sonatas for violin (4), piano, alto saxophone, cello; four piano trios; a piano quartet, three piano quintets (string quartet with piano), saxophone quintet (saxophone quartet with piano) and five orchestral tone poems. Dankner was the composer-in-residence with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra from 2004-2007. Dankner has composed over 150 major works in all genres except opera.
Dr. Dankner is also a visual artist, with juried exhibitions of his experimental digital art, much of it taking inspiration from mathematical manipulations of both Julia and Mandelbrot fractal patterns found in nature.
Dr. Dankner is also a visual artist, with juried exhibitions of his experimental digital art, much of it taking inspiration from mathematical manipulations of both Julia and Mandelbrot fractal patterns found in nature.
The Persistence of Memory (1988)
The Persistence of Memory (1988) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Valerie Poullette, Eric Tanner, violins; Michael Gyurik, viola; Allen Nisbet, cello; Robert Kassinger, bass; Peter Collins, piano.
“THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY” - Program Notes
I started composing this piece working with several key ideas. First came the
title. Salvador Dalı̂ used the title in a miniature - perhaps his most famous
painting; it contains images of melting clocks within a barren, surrealist
landscape, where there is a feeling of being lost in a disturbing dream. Time is suspended and conflicting realities collide.
The title is also meaningful in that I am alluding to the recapturing and
subsequent distortion, even transmutation, of found objects into another level of perception, altered in the process by the passage of time. For me, the
popular music culture of the 1920s and ‘30s holds a particular fascination. The visual and energetic personalities of the leading performers of the day,
together with the vibrant rhythms of their music, creates a feeling that still has the power, removed after 100 years, to move me.
The composition is in five continuous sections and takes the listener on a
journey through the various musical styles, classical and popular, prevalent
during the period 1915 to 1930. A taped violin and piano duo playing what
sounds like a popular song of the World War I era, complete with the needle-
drop scratches of an old 78 record begins, re-creating the salon style typical of the day. As this section ends, a high note in the violin is sustained and the live ensemble enters, continuing in the manner of the preceding. The music grows in intensity and becomes harmonically more complex. This section reaches a high point, and gradually calms down, fading into a quotation of the opening theme by the cello. In the background, a faint echo of Paul Whiteman‘s dance band playing “Chicago,” recorded in 1924 and Al Jolson’s singing is heard briefly; these are dots on the musical landscape of the 1920s.
As Al sings, the 78 record runs down lowering his pitch just as he’s about to
start the chorus of “Swanee.” The ensemble picks up where Jolson leaves off, and begins to play a Charleston - in form, a verse in chorus; soon the piano sets a new tempo, a ragtime version of this theme, and, after the strings join in for a reprise, there follows a furious piano cadenza leading into an apotheosis of the Charleston theme in c sharp minor. A transitional section leads into a return of the verse of the Charleston theme, now, however, veiled by strange harmonies, as if the music is now coming from a great distance. With a cadence in G minor, a taped section featuring a spinet piano and a drum kit follows. This is a recreation of a smoky, darkly lit nightclub - a bit dangerous to be in; it’s the domain of Minnie the Moocher , perhaps. A 1920s band takes up the club theme, which is a variation of the Charleston chorus, and after a few moments, the strings and piano play along with this ghostly orchestra. All of the themes are brought back in a series of telescoped sections, until the final fortissimo statement of the opening is reached, in the key of F Major. From this point until the end, the music gradually winds down until the harmonies of the ensemble fade into wisps of string harmonics and pizzicati. Now, the themes heard throughout are played on tape and made to sound like an old scratchy 78 record over the live ensemble. This brief section culminates in a tap dance solo by Fred Astaire’s digitally manipulated tap dance steps. As the dance ends, the sound of a heavy 78 tone arm is heard being lifted from the repeating record grooves, as in the opening. Ending as it began, the memory of the music of the past persists in both old and new forms.
Program notes by Stephen Dankner (1988/2024)
“THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY” - Program Notes
I started composing this piece working with several key ideas. First came the
title. Salvador Dalı̂ used the title in a miniature - perhaps his most famous
painting; it contains images of melting clocks within a barren, surrealist
landscape, where there is a feeling of being lost in a disturbing dream. Time is suspended and conflicting realities collide.
The title is also meaningful in that I am alluding to the recapturing and
subsequent distortion, even transmutation, of found objects into another level of perception, altered in the process by the passage of time. For me, the
popular music culture of the 1920s and ‘30s holds a particular fascination. The visual and energetic personalities of the leading performers of the day,
together with the vibrant rhythms of their music, creates a feeling that still has the power, removed after 100 years, to move me.
The composition is in five continuous sections and takes the listener on a
journey through the various musical styles, classical and popular, prevalent
during the period 1915 to 1930. A taped violin and piano duo playing what
sounds like a popular song of the World War I era, complete with the needle-
drop scratches of an old 78 record begins, re-creating the salon style typical of the day. As this section ends, a high note in the violin is sustained and the live ensemble enters, continuing in the manner of the preceding. The music grows in intensity and becomes harmonically more complex. This section reaches a high point, and gradually calms down, fading into a quotation of the opening theme by the cello. In the background, a faint echo of Paul Whiteman‘s dance band playing “Chicago,” recorded in 1924 and Al Jolson’s singing is heard briefly; these are dots on the musical landscape of the 1920s.
As Al sings, the 78 record runs down lowering his pitch just as he’s about to
start the chorus of “Swanee.” The ensemble picks up where Jolson leaves off, and begins to play a Charleston - in form, a verse in chorus; soon the piano sets a new tempo, a ragtime version of this theme, and, after the strings join in for a reprise, there follows a furious piano cadenza leading into an apotheosis of the Charleston theme in c sharp minor. A transitional section leads into a return of the verse of the Charleston theme, now, however, veiled by strange harmonies, as if the music is now coming from a great distance. With a cadence in G minor, a taped section featuring a spinet piano and a drum kit follows. This is a recreation of a smoky, darkly lit nightclub - a bit dangerous to be in; it’s the domain of Minnie the Moocher , perhaps. A 1920s band takes up the club theme, which is a variation of the Charleston chorus, and after a few moments, the strings and piano play along with this ghostly orchestra. All of the themes are brought back in a series of telescoped sections, until the final fortissimo statement of the opening is reached, in the key of F Major. From this point until the end, the music gradually winds down until the harmonies of the ensemble fade into wisps of string harmonics and pizzicati. Now, the themes heard throughout are played on tape and made to sound like an old scratchy 78 record over the live ensemble. This brief section culminates in a tap dance solo by Fred Astaire’s digitally manipulated tap dance steps. As the dance ends, the sound of a heavy 78 tone arm is heard being lifted from the repeating record grooves, as in the opening. Ending as it began, the memory of the music of the past persists in both old and new forms.
Program notes by Stephen Dankner (1988/2024)
มุมมอง: 120
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Fantasy on Für Elise (1989)
มุมมอง 20714 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา
Fantasy on Für Elise (1989) - Stephen Dankner Für Elise is an iconographic composition. It represents the easily approachable classical piano piece that is easy to play and is, of course, familiar to everyone. I chose to base a work for live piano and electronic instruments that pays homage to early pianos as a way of challenging myself and the listener to hear Für Elise in a new way. Almost al...
Toccata for Marimba (1995)
มุมมอง 76วันที่ผ่านมา
Toccata for Marimba (1995) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Nobue Matsuoka. I. Allegro con fuoco (0:00) II. Adagio (2:36) III. Tempo primo (4:39) Score available from www.stephendankner.com.
String Quartet No. 30
มุมมอง 17221 วันที่ผ่านมา
String Quartet No. 30 (2024) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by the Amernet String Quartet. I. Lentamente, con profunda tristezza e solennità (0:00) II. Scherzando (6:14) III. Meditation (Andante con moto; tempo rubato) [10:13] IV. Andantino con umore (15:06) Score/parts available from www.stephendankner.com.
![String Quartet No. 29 (Songs of Solitude) [2002/2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ExG_FI-mGR8/mqdefault.jpg)
String Quartet No. 29 (Songs of Solitude) [2002/2024]
มุมมอง 11928 วันที่ผ่านมา
String Quartet No. 29 (Songs of Solitude) [2002/2024] by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Robin Steitz, soprano and the Taconic String Quartet. I. Alone (0:00) II. Pleasures of a Spring Night (3:15) III. "A Partner In Your Sorrow's Mysteries" (7:12) Three Songs of Solitude poetry by Brad Richard Alone Alone, you light your lamp, open the book on the desk, lay the pencil on the page. Alone, nothing...
Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano (2014)
มุมมอง 1434 หลายเดือนก่อน
Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano (2014) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Joana Genova, violin; Willis L. Delony, piano. I. Andantino comodo (0:00) II. Allegro marziale (6:49) III. Lento (10:49) IV. Allegro appassionato (16:26) Program Note - Violin Sonata No. 3 My Violin Sonata No. 3 was composed in April-May, 2014. The first two movements were written in Virginia, during a composer residency ...
Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano (1999)
มุมมอง 994 หลายเดือนก่อน
Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1999) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Joana Genova, violin; Willis L. Delony, piano. I. Adagio (0:00) II. Allegro molto (3:31) III. Tempo di tango (8:25) IV. Poco meno mosso (13:36) PROGRAM NOTE - SONATA No. 2 for violin and piano (1999) The Sonata No. 2 was composed in 1999. Contrasting with its predecessor, the piece is in four brief movements lasting 18 mi...
Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano (1992)
มุมมอง 1614 หลายเดือนก่อน
Sonata for violin and piano No. 4 (1992) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Joana Genova, violin; Willis L. Delony, piano. I. Andante (0:00) II. Allegro risoluto (14:20) Program Note - Violin Sonata No. 4 This Violin Sonata No. 4 has a complicated history. Originally composed in 1992, its two large-scale movements were the second and third movements of my First Violin Sonata. That piece, includin...
Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (1992)
มุมมอง 6164 หลายเดือนก่อน
Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1992) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Joana Genova, violin; Willis L. Delony, piano. Program Note - SONATA No. 1 for violin and piano (1992) Composed in 1992, Sonata No. 1 is a large-scale work in a single continuous movement and lasts 22 minutes. It opens with an Adagio introduction for the solo violin, and is soon joined by the piano. The theme gradually mo...
Meditation for alto saxophone & string orchestra
มุมมอง 1366 หลายเดือนก่อน
Meditation for alto saxophone and string orchestra (2000) by Stephen Dankner. Performed live on November 25, 2011 by the Kiev Ukraine Festival Orchestra; Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz, alto saxophone. Score/parts available from www.stephendankner.com.
Songs of Solitude
มุมมอง 1306 หลายเดือนก่อน
Songs of Solitude (2002) by Stephen Dankner. Poetry by Brad Richard. Performed by Robin Steitz, soprano; Robert Logan, piano. I. "Alone" (0:00) II. "Pleasures of a Spring Night" (2:52) III. "A Partner in Your Sorrow's Mysteries" (7:16) Three Songs of Solitude poetry by Brad Richard ALONE Alone, you light your lamp, open the book on the desk lay the pencil on the page Alone, nothing holds you he...
Symphony No. 5
มุมมอง 3116 หลายเดือนก่อน
Symphony No. 5 ("Odyssey of Faith") [2001] by Stephen Dankner. Performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; Klauspeter Seibel, conductor. Part I - Genesis of Faith (0:00) Part II - Loss of the Sacred Spirit (Abandonment) [21:57] Part III - Redemption (40:13) Fifth Symphony (‘Odyssey of Faith’) Stephen Dankner [2001] Four of my symphonies (Third, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh) have been philos...
Symphony No. 7
มุมมอง 3356 หลายเดือนก่อน
Symphony No. 7 ("Tree of Life") [2003] by Stephen Dankner. Performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra; Klauspeter Seibel, conductor. Part I (0:00) Part II (13:30) Part III (25:34) Part IV (34:31) SYMPHONY No. 7 (‘Tree of Life’) [2003] This work is the last of my four biblical symphonies - nos. 3, 4, 5 and 7. It represents the culminating explorations of my musical quest for faith within ...
String Quartet No. 26
มุมมอง 4566 หลายเดือนก่อน
String Quartet No. 26 (2023) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by the Amernet String Quartet. I. Adagio tenebroso e misterioso (0:00) II. Allegro ma non troppo; tempo giusto (4:01) III. Variations on an Original Theme (Andante con moto) [7:38] IV. Adagio mesto; tempo flessibile (12:58) Score/parts available from www.stephendankner.com.
Four 1920s Sketches for Piano Solo
มุมมอง 7306 หลายเดือนก่อน
Four 1920s Sketches for piano solo (2019) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Leslie Downs, piano. I. Charleston (at the dance hall) [0:00] II. Ballad (on Broadway) [3:45] III. Blues (at the speakeasy) [8:09] IV. The Gambler and the Lady (at the movies) [13:29] Four 1920s Sketches for piano solo [2019] In 1988, I composed an experimental work for electronic tape, string quartet, contrabass and pia...
Concerto for Alto Saxophone & Orchestra
มุมมอง 1647 หลายเดือนก่อน
Concerto for Alto Saxophone & Orchestra
Concerto for E-flat Clarinet & Orchestra
มุมมอง 1247 หลายเดือนก่อน
Concerto for E-flat Clarinet & Orchestra
Klezmer Fantasy for Cello & Orchestra
มุมมอง 2047 หลายเดือนก่อน
Klezmer Fantasy for Cello & Orchestra
Symphony No. 2 for Saxophone Chamber Orchestra
มุมมอง 1717 หลายเดือนก่อน
Symphony No. 2 for Saxophone Chamber Orchestra
Overture to Spring (movement I of Symphony No. 6)
มุมมอง 717 หลายเดือนก่อน
Overture to Spring (movement I of Symphony No. 6)
Beautyfull !
Bravo👏 Der beste Komponist des 21. Jh.❤
fantastic, masterful!
Thank you, Ernesto, for your continued support!
What a joy to find this tonight! It's my 61st Birthday tomorrow, a lovely early present! Thank you! Beautiful.
Thank you very much, Mark. Happy birthday, and many more!
Lovely music. Entirely traditional, but still fresh and original. I did a web search on the composer since I had enjoyed some of his chamber music on CDs that I bought in the 1990s and wanted to hear what he'd written since. To my amazement, he has posted eight symphonies and scads of chamber music, including 28(!) string quartets. I can hardly wait to listen to it!
Thank You! Are you the baritone William Sharp? If so, I'm an admirer! I now have string quartets nos. 29 and 30 on my channel. No. 29 is with soprano.
Having started two weeks ago, I just finished listening to every one of your string quartets as part of my effort of listening to as many string quartets as I can get my hands on this year. Thank you very much for the lovely time, I enjoyed them greatly, and will certainly remember them going forward!
Gorgeous
Breezy, restrained....beautifully constructed.....BRAVO from Acapulco!
Really enjoyed this Stephen, beautiful work!
Toll!!! (=Wonderful!!!)
Why does it always sound the same?
Another wonderful piece!! It's quite extraordinary that you're not massively well known! I'm from the UK and have been mad about classical music for 40 years, but perhaps you are well known, and I'm just ignorant! Anyway, bless you for your inspiring music.
Thank you, Mark, for your kind words of praise. I believe I'm moderately known in the classical saxophone world, but not generally to traditional classical music performers and presenters. I'm hoping my TH-cam channel will start to change that. You can help by recommending listening and subscribing to your musical friends and colleagues.
@@StephenDankner-sj7mb I certainly will!! Bless you for responding, I enjoy every form you've created in. I especially love the songs!
Beautiful and full of haunting melodies
Nice. (pedant alert: They somehow missed the sforzando at 2:12).
Very much enjoyed this!
Enhorabuena marstro por su magnífica música ❤
Maestro!
A very important large-scale work, grandly conceived and orchestrated. The music of Stephen Dankner needs to be properly assessed. An impressive and serious symphony!
Good
This is wonderful!
Beautiful and meditative work, and deeply satisfying to listen to. Then, driving rhythms to awaken expectations! Masterful.
totally inspired and so finely made
There’s a note length error in the cello part at 2:16, the first 3/2 measure.
Yes, a missing dot after the F. Thanks.
Hello, I can’t find some sheets
It’s very French music.
Nice piece. I enjoyed playing the Bass Saxophone on this piece while I was attending USM. Thank You Dr. Dankner!
Thank you, Michael!
Sounds wonderful, especially the 3rd movement.
Nice symphony! Only two minutes in, and I already like it. Ill have to listen to some of your kther compositions
Watch your back… the curse of the ninth may be true
I'm not worried. It's not a "NINTH."
Beautiful blend of traditional and modern styles while adapting a popular idiom. Very enjoyable to hear.
Thanks!
Ooh! I love soprano saxophone. I have an odd question about them. I used one in some orchestral pieces that I've written, and I feel that they are a very useful addition to the woodwind section as far as orchestration is concerned. Do you know how well they blend in orchestral settings? It's much easier to find orchestral scores with Alto saxophone, so I really struggle deciding if they'd work outside of my DAW.
Consider a soprano saxophone if an E flat clarinet in its upper register is too shrill, or if an english horn in it's lower to middle register is too dark. The soprano sax, like the E flat clarinet has intonation issues, especially in its uppermost register. The saxophones have an issue, like the oboe/english horn and bassoon in that it can't play softly in its lower register. But the similarity of all the saxophone family to these double reeds is built-in, as the oboe fingering is the basis for the saxophones. Of course, if your working with a DAW and not live players, there is an artificial workaround, in that synths can play at any dynamic, soft or loud, based upon their assigned channel mixing. Unfortunately, live players can't. In my INCARNATION, I use the lowest register of the soprano sax, which is not often done. This range is more often given to the alto or tenor saxophone. In general, the saxophone family are all good for adding to the standard instrumentation of an orchestra. Listen to Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Ninth Symphony as an example. Best wishes.
@@StephenDankner-sj7mb Thank you! I noticed that they sounded really nice doubling the oboe, and I didn't realize that they had the same problem as oboes and bassoons with difficulty in playing softly in the low register. I always categorized them with clarinets in my mind. I'll make sure to check out Vaugh-Williams 9th.
crazy video
Came here because I liked your 9th quite a lot. I like this one just as much. 😊 I don't understand why these don't have more views on TH-cam.
This is a compelling composition, and I'm so glad that TH-cam recommended it to me! As an amateur composer, it gives me hope that beautiful, tonal, complex symphonies like this are still being performed! It's definitely a piece that I'll come back and listen to. I love the third movement, especially the harp solo in the Third movement because it reminds me of guzheng music. I also love your trumpet and other brass scoring throughout the piece. The five-movement form is very interesting because of the two scherzo movements that encompass the Adagio section. Some of the orchestration reminds me of a Petterson or Piston symphony. (The fourth movement Scherzo II especially reminds me of Walton Symphony Number 1 in places, which is my favorite symphony to listen to.) What composers were your inspirations for this symphony?
Thank you for your positive comments! I avoid any conscious references to earlier composers - not that they may not be there, or that unconsciously I may not be influenced by them. My practice is to let the composition, while I'm composing, lead me in the direction IT wants to go: I'm there to "hold the pencil." The trumpet solos are actually written for and are played by the FLÜGELHORN - an alto instrument that has the highest range within the tuba family. I am unfamiliar with the Walton Symphony and your other musical reference. If you liked my "Ninth", I recommend that you also may enjoy listening to my Third, Fourth, and Eighth - also on this TH-cam channel. Later on, I'll also be posting my Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Symphonies. Best wishes to you. S.D.
@@StephenDankner-sj7mb Fluglehorns are an interesting addition to an orchestral piece, yet they blend sound so naturally! Walton Symphony Number 1 is one of my favorite symphonies and definitely my favorite English Symphony. Sadly, it's the only work by Walton that I'm fond of. I've listened to some of his concertos and Belshazzar's Feast, but I didn't like them as much. But there's a nice recording of his Symphony No. 1 conducted by Andre Previn on TH-cam from the 70s, so the audio quality isn't the greatest in the tutti sections. I still like the character and momentum of this recording though. I think the work was written from 1932 to 1935, but it has some resemblance to a Sibelius Symphony. Nonetheless, I find it a very likable and unique symphony. Here's a link to the Previn recording since I feel like the work doesn't get enough attention, compared to like Nielsen. I thought I'd share it in case you're interested! th-cam.com/video/Xr3WVje-C3o/w-d-xo.html
This is lovely!
Something in the middle movement reminds me of Rachmaninoff's 3rd symphony....the orchestral textures...but not really the sound world, which is very American at the start...something gestural in the climaxes is very Rachy. A somewhat erratic and interesting movement. I love how the last movement develops. Harmonically it has some wonderful, surprising and expressive progressions (17:30 to 18:00). It's brimming and redolent with romantic nostalgia. Again very Rachmaninoff/Mahlerian at the climax, but the build-up to the climax is very unique...I like how you suspend the climax and keep it going and throw in some great surprises at the finish. Great closing movement.
Thank goodness....some honest tonal music with emotions and expression.
This is great!
Rhymically and melodically, beautifully bluesy and jazzy, with your depth of spirit that inspires and brings hope!
Thanks, Mark. Much appreciated!
Really! Quite excellently composed and performed-- truly a strong body of string quartets!
Charming!
Wonderful, bless you for this!!
Dear Mark, I am grateful for your kind words.
second movement is finely drawn... compressed forms here... another superb quartet and performance!
a first-rate, serious work. that 2nd mvt. has bite and rhythmic game. and the coda to the finale rounds this out in such fashion that the depth of the work can be tangibly grasped. The ensemble is very fine!
I love it. Kudos and bravos, Steve! ❤
Instant favourite!
This was such a fun project to record!
Such a cool and funky quintet! So unique, distinctive and playful. Terrific stuff, Stephen.
Thanks, John. I'm not a saxophonist, so I have no tradition to fall back upon.
Amazing use of textures, and I love how each movement has an instrument to be highlighted.
Thanks, Michael. Four instruments with varying "voices"; four solos; four seasons. The plan occurred to me as an organizing procedure.
A very intimate and spontaneous work. Such wonderful variety of expression. solemn, playful, mysterious, joyous, melancholy. Beautifully played too. I also have found surprisingly how much I enjoy writing for string quartet...it wasn't something I thought I had an affinity for...but it just came to me.... It appears to be one of your favorite forms!
Thanks for your thoughts, John. Yes, the string quartet is my favored medium; I have composed 28 thus far. I try to make each different. And good luck to you for also finding the medium conducive to your talents.
Another great composer!
any two altos saxes and 1 tenor or two altos and two tenors?
The texture would not be siuted to saxophones.
@@StephenDankner-sj7mb i was referring to any piece you’ve created, thanks for the reply!