Robert Dusek

Robert Dusek 

Abridged Catalogue of Selected Works

Music for Solo Piano

            Piano Sonata no. 3 (2007)/ (11’) A one movement fantasie

            Piano Sonata no. 2 (1992)/ (13’) Two short movements frame a larger middle section [Prologue—Movement—Epilogue]

            Piano Sonata no. 1 (1989)/ (32’)  A cataclysmic tour de force cast in two large movements/ Invited Premier—Lake Havasu City Music Clubs

            Phantasie Suite (1987)/ (14’) [Intermezzo—Toccata—Rondo—Rhapsody] commissioned by the Milwaukee Music Teachers Association for their 50^th anniversary celebration

Music for One-Piano Four-Hands

            An Autumn Sky (1990-95)/ (35') in three parts [1. After the Rain, 2. Cloud Chaser, 3. Light] commissioned by the Audery Brach Wood Trust

Music for Solo Instrument

            Gestures (2004)/ (22’) [bass clarinet] (w optional dancer) Boulder Public Television Feature

Four sections [1. Sarcasms, 2. Humilities, 3. Angers, 4. Delirium] make up a large virtuoso tone poem which explores various expressive qualities of the bass clarinet. 

            Grey Dawn (1991)/ (4’) [Bb clarinet] (p) CRS CD 9255/ ©American Music Publications.  Modalistic writing emphasizes the clarinets lower range sonorous abilities

            Passacaglia (1988)/ (7’) [violoncello]  Commissioned by former Milwaukee Symphony Principle Cellist David Cowley; makes extensive use of contrapuntal writing and timbre changes

            Entrances III (1987)/ (7’) [flute] Four “miniatures” exploring the intimate qualities of the flute

            Sonata (1984)/ (7’) [bassoon]  Two melodic movements frame a brief scherzo

            Etudes Ritmico (1981)/ (8’) [marimba]  Two rhythmic studies [#1-4 mallet, #2-2 mallet]   Awarded honorable mention, National Percussive Arts Society, 1982

Music for Solo Instrument and Piano

            Visione (2007)/ (8’) [Bb clarinet and piano]  A free-form fantasie on the melodic material of “Be Thou My Vision.”  Written for the 50^th Anniversary of Community Baptist Church

            Lo Debar (1998)/ (10’) [contrabass and piano]  A knotty work which showcases the virtuosic possibilities of the contrabass

            Two Intermezzi (1995)/ (6’) [Bb clarinet and piano]  Two quasi-tonal pieces modeled after the late intermezzi of Brahms

            Sonata (1985)/ (14’) [Bb clarinet and piano]  Quasi-tonal writing is vaguely reminiscent of the French school with added rhythmic interest; two melodic movements frame a large scherzo which dances over the entire range of the clarinet and piano

            Sonata (1982)/ (8’) [violin and piano]  A light piece in two contrasting movements

            Sonata (1981)/ (15’) [viola and piano]  A true tour de forcé for the violist ; rhythmically driving and percussive outer movements frame a perpetual motion scherzo and an intimate elegy—“Bartok on steroids” 

Music for Chamber Ensembles

            String Quartet no. 3 (2006)/ (22’) [2vln/vla/vc]  Six movement piece played without interruption

            Trio (1996)/ (11’) [vln/cl/pn]  Boulder Music Fest Invitation.  Two movements—‘arguments and reflections, elegy’—makes use of simultaneously different tempi in soloistic writing; effective, dark, complex weave

            Lines (1995)/ (6’) [cl/bsn]  A fantasie on interwoven lines, mostly intimate with a few brief climaxes

            Brass Quintet (1993)/ (12’) [2tpt/hrn/trb/tba]  A one-movement continuously developing fantasie which ends in a very diferent world from which it begins

            String Quartet no. 2 (1989)/ (19’) [2vln/vla/vc]  A work which features the viola in the lead role; virtuosic

            Helix (1988)/ (4’) [fl/vln/vc]  A complex contrapuntal interweaving of instruments

            Quintor (1986)/ (7’) [fl/cl/vln/vc/pn]  A one-movement organically developed piece

            Entrances (1984)/ (4’) [cl/vla/vibes/pn]  A set of four miniatures of different timbres and colors

            Trope-Fantasie (1984)/ (11’) [2fl]  An extended fantasie making use of the medieval use of “troping” text.  Winner of the Bearns Prize from Columbia University/ N.Y. Premier by North-South Consonance Carnegie Hall

Music for Large Ensembles

            Amethyst (2009)/ (5') [2424/21(sax)/4321/timp 3perc/pn/bass]  An overture for wind ensemble, commissioned by the Menomonee Falls High School Wind Symphony.  Perpetual motion piece in constantly changing meters.

            Anastasis (2007)/ (16’) [SATB choir/Sop solo/cl/pn/multiple perc]  Fantasies on Easter Hymns in three movements.  Complex meters and rhythmically driving.  Much use of extended techniques.  Choir easy/ instrumentally difficult

            Vistas (2005)/ (39’) [SATB choir/SAB soloists/pn/perc/rhythm sec/strings]  An Oratorio based on various texts by Isaiah

            Symphony no. 1 (1996)/ (14’) [2222/422/2perc/pn/strings]  A one movement piece with various contrasting sections.  A slow opening leads to a perpetual motion scherzo that finally resolves to a grand choral-style finale.  Commissioned by the Boulder Sinfoinia/ several AMC grants

            Leviathan (1991)/ (4’) [2232/4331/3perc,timp/strings] (p) MMC 2022  A fast, perpetual motion overture, commissioned by the Boulder Philharmonic and recorded by the Warsaw Philharmonic/ Winner of Margaret Fairbanks Jory grant

            Concerto for Wind Ensemble (1989)/ (12’) [2222/433/4perc/pn]  The three contrasting movements showcase different aspects of the ensemble—[I. Epitaph and Reflections, II. Intermezzo, III. Introduction and Dance]—the final movement driving the work to a rhythmic and frenzied climax

            Clarinet Concerto (1987)/ (15’) [cl solo/2222/000/2perc/pn/strings] (p) CRS 8947.  A “Prokofien” style concerto which really shows off the possibilities of the clarinet.  Perpetual rhythmic figures drive this work “which bursts forth with more energy than would seem possible” –Boulder Daily Camera  (winner Cecil Effinger Award for Composition, U of C Boulder)

            Piano Concerto (1985)/ (22’) [pn solo/2222/433/2perc,timp/strings]  Large two movement concerto—virtuosic piano writing with few difficulties for the orchestra

            Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble (1983)/ (10’) [2222/4331/4perc/pn]  A short three minute work that gains momentum as it develops.  Premier at the Bowling Green New Music Festival

for audio examples of selected compositions please visit the audio archives.

for a complete list of works, or for information on how to commission works or obtain works for public presentation, contact Bob.