Featured Presentation:
Woman Dancing Inside the Old House (video with solo piano 4'30")
I wrote Tranquil Deviation (see below) and then compiled short videos (with permission) and edited them to make this video
with my music. Dancer chose not be identified. See it at https://youtu.be/FIa2hArbqz8
You can print and perform any of my music for free, but if you do I'd love to hear about it.
Contact me for pdf of the individual parts (free) if they're not included below.
Contact: raulkottler@gmail.com
String Quartet:
- A Moment in Ojai (3'02") "see" A string quartet of my impression of the 2021 Ojai Music Festival. See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/n6FuxCDSvew.
- An Oak Fell Today (4'20") "see" . Recent rains saturated the soil. Sad. Scrolling score at https://youtu.be/iqFl-_EGjI8
- After Ojai (4'18") "listen" "see" For weeks after the Ojai Music Festival the local oaks and sycamores resonate with Adams ostinati, Lygeti texture, and Messiaen birdsong.
- Circus Divertimento (4'01") "see" A four-minute frolic 'neath the Big Top. Trigger warning: Sad clowns. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/3T52d4vj0jM
- Desert Scenes (4'20") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/WtIQiZrbM6w
- Edge of a Shadow (5'15") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/RPVlpLubj9Q
- Emma Wood (5'25") "listen" "see"
- Fragment of a Nebula (5'00") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/lClHLrx6ANc
- Folk Song Stew (3'14") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/TzPExVGiHA8
- Fugue for Four Fine Friends (3'00") "see" Not to be confused with "Fugu for Four" on the Sushi menu. Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/qcLcmj5RH8I
- Gelsomina (5'15") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/u0orVDTslko
- Glass is Melted Sand (4'05") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/5m-qvYuPs6A
- Go Play (3'05") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/nqd7xKAYOYQ
- In Autumn (4'35) "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/ThBC-VmJ9hA
- Languor (3') "see" Listen with a slideshow: https://youtu.be/HSVmX4W7hnQ
- Melon Collie Waltz (1'56") "listen" "see"
- Oaks at Gloaming (3'00") "see" Short but dense. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/iXV3j5oVTS4
- Panorama (string quartet, 4'58") "see" See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/ZYkcf_tFJe4
- Pentacle (2'47") "listen" "see" What can you do with just five notes? And how long will you wait for an e-minor chord?
- Perche Mi Piace (4"28") "listen" "see"
- Petrichor (4'35") "see" It's the smell of rain after a drought. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/8I6U6lylhzU
- Prismatica (3'20") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/6FYJC69Q324
- Rural Reverie (3'40") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/lVp1Wuiec7o
- Sahara Gallop (4'20") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/XdNt0VuJUb8
- Serenity Now (3') "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/kP-5vpoBsjw
- String Quartet Suite 1 (13'35") "see" This is a pdf of the combined scores for Petrichor, In Autumn, and Glass Is Melted Sand.
- Viola in Charge (4'24") "listen" "see" Hooray for violas!
- Viola Plus Trio I (4'23") "listen" "see"
- Viola Plus Trio II (4'20") "listen" "see"
- Viola Plus Trio III (4'37") "listen" "see"
- The View from the End of the Pier (4'15") "listen" "see" One can see a variety of scenes and activities from the end of the Ventura pier. Tonal. Sort of folk music or prayer-like.
- They're There for Their Theremins (4'48") "listen" "see" The Theremin is a rare electronic instrument you may have heard in science-fiction movies. I attempt to evoke its quality through strings. Imagine the musicians have lost their Theremins early in the piece. They march to find them and succeed. (Actually, I came up with the title first due to my annoyance with the frequent misuse of these words and then wrote the piece for it.)
- Tango (1'42") "listen" "see" Saludos a los Argentinos!
- Sequoia (4'43") "listen" "see" Foothill String Quartet played this at a museum reception in Dec '09.
- Slow in Six (2'45") "listen" "see" For beginner strings.
- Wedding March (2'30") "see" Something different to march down the aisle to. Repeat as necessary. See and hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/RgOdrlQ4eNo
- 2008 #1 (1'56") "listen" "see" For beginner strings.
- 2008 #3 (2'38") "listen" "see" For beginner strings.
- 4&6 (1'44") "listen" "see" For beginner strings. Can you figure out why I named it this?
Unaccompanied Viola:
- Exercise on a Single String (2') "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/vIudfpra3kM
- Viola Alone I (4'19") "see" No recording.
- Viola Alone II (4'20") "listen" "see"
- Viola Alone III (3'17") "listen" "see" This is Victor de Almeida playing live on 5.14.11 in Oxnard, CA as an encore after Hovhaness' Talin.
- Viola Alone IV "see" No recording yet (too hard for me to play).
- Viola Alone V (4'30") "listen" "see"
- Viola Alone VI (4'52") "listen" "see" .
- Viola Alone VII (3'02") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/s-q-7lNAi2c This was a finalist in a composition contest for solo viola.
- Viola Alone VIII (3'30") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/oILw1CqDT34
- Viola Alone IX (3'43") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/lW3rUF8w_K8
Viola and Piano:
- Viola/Piano I (4'08") "listen" "see"
- Viola/Piano II (4'10") "listen" "see"
- Viola/Piano III (3'6") "listen" "see"
- Viola/Piano IV (4'15") "listen" "see" Click "here" for just the piano accompaniment.
- Viola/Piano V (3'20") "listen" "see" Click "here" for just the piano accompaniment.
- Viola/Piano VI (4'50") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/H-Ebrn2AxAc
- Viola/Piano VII (5'40") "see" Inspired by the tragic events described in Los Crimenes de Moisesville by Javier Sinay. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/AjgafuTjcyI
- Viola/Piano VIII (in progress)
- Viola/Piano IX (in progress)
- Viola/Piano X (2"36") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/G9jPS5-nH-4
- Viola/Piano : Calle Florida (4"00') "see" Milonga. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/4uoXR3wS9FQ.
- Viola/Piano : Prairie Lullaby (2"12') "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/1tg4ioxZQGM
- Viola/Piano : Straight Ahead (2"55') "see" Jazz for viola. Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/ZHtFaadAkvw
Viola Duet and Quartet:
- Viola Duet: Alla Firenze (two violas - 3'40") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/dlYHi70brGo
- Viola Duet: Left Coast Stagger (two violas - 2'35") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/NXu_BirtfCo
- Viola Duet: Maghreb (two violas - 4'05") "see" Scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/1hzOqTKBZuw
- Viola Duet: Prairie Dance (two violas - 2'20") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/JjEOqTAZab0
- Viola Duet: Prairie Lament (two violas - 3'02") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/UzcM0mSjy54
- Viola Duet: Reflection (two violas - 3'24") "see" Slow is not always easy. All these double-stops are possible but some may be awkward, in upper positions, and need great finger agility. That's why musicians have been called "athletes of the small muscles." Inspiration for this piece? My electric toothbrush. It vibrates at about 261 Hz. That's C4, aka middle C. Many of my melodies present themselves to me as I'm brushing my teeth. So for two minutes twice a day I hear the middle-C drone and I hum along to it. Thus the C drone in this piece. Lucky it's convenient for the viola string setup. Finale/Garritan does a good job, but it would sound better by competent real musicians. See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/IgonQRlvavo
- Viola Duet: Sprint (two violas - 2'20") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/k1KaGSLaUmg
- Viola Duet: Vectors (two violas - 3' 01") "see" Caution: May cause toe-tapping (at about measure 60). A little bit country and a little bit rock&roll. Score at https://youtu.be/9XlwfgSqdOI
- Way Leads On to Way (two violas plus piano - 3'36") Just as "...way leads on to way..." in Robert Frost's poem, measure leads on to measure in music. The composer chooses the path: Which note? Major or minor? Change key? Accelerate? etc. The performer "plays" that path in their unique way. "see" Scrolling score https://youtu.be/dUDQzrMLQOs
- Violas on Broadway! (four violas - 7'3") "listen" "see" It's an overture to an as-yet-unwritten musical, previewing the themes to be heard in more detail later. The individual song titles appear on the score. I've attempted to distribute the leads among the four instruments. So, to promote equality and avoid the hierarchy associated with a number sequence, I've identified the four parts as Do, So, Re, and La rather than one through four.
- Viola Quartet: Scamper (four violas - 2'00") "see" Two minutes of extreme concentration and precision. Visual interest as well as aural, as shared pitches bounce among the instruments. Scrolling score at https://youtu.be/S8edq7Ia2zY
Orchestra
- Acylindrical Helix (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, trumpet, horn, timpani, strings - 5'14") "listen" "see" A helix has a constant angle to the horizontal. "Acylindrical" indicates it has no fixed center axis. This piece resolves to a-minor throughout (analogous to the constant angle) but it has time, tempo, and instrument variance (analogous to no fixed center).
- Adventitious Buds (flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, two horns, trombone, tuba, timpani (four kettles), piano, strings - 7') "listen" "see" They're the little buds that grow below a wounded or cut branch. Metaphor for perseverance, tenacity, regrowth after tragedy. Also new friends made after a loss (best buds, hey bud how ya doin', buddy can you spare a dime). Inspired by William Carlos Williams' The Locust Tree in Flower. The sharp, short chords indicate injury but at least one instrument continues its sound through the insult. New instruments enter in small clusters, slowly consolidating the ensemble. Mysterious unorganized rumblings permeate as the underlying tissue regroups. Further wounds test the organism. Piano's regular sixteenth-notes coordinate progress. Tympani solo announces a breakthrough. Yet another trauma, but a quick cure precipitates the final major chord. You can also see the scrolling score at YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bv55xsNLc&feature=youtu.be
- Aurora (Dawn) (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, trumpet, horn, timpani, strings - 3'12") "listen" "see" A lone flute gently signals the impending sunrise. Soft lower strings awake with minor harmony. Oboe objects. Other woodwinds argue groggily. Brass complain. Tympani tries to referee. They all finally resolve and exult as the sun appears. Intensity rises as the sun soars to a new day! (Um, maybe that description is a little too dramatic.)
- Bonneville (string orchestra - 3'24") "listen" "see" I wrote this after seeing a documentary on the salt flats.
- Misadventures 'neath a Cloudless Sky (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, tympani, strings - 4'54") "listen" "see" The rambunctious introduction punctuated by bass pizzicati and percussive outbursts leads an array of feisty phrases until the tympani demands calm. The pleasant melodies in the second half are ultimately overcome by the intro's dissonant reprise.
- Thomas: Call and Response (orchestra - 6') "see" The scrolling score is at https://youtu.be/cxf1BTaUjpU
Snake River (string orchestra - 4"25") "listen" "see" After a visit to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in 2008. Don't let the chorale-like intro fool you; this snake will bite! - March (string orchestra - 3'25") "listen" "see" I always wanted to be in a marching band, but they didn't have violins in the marching band. So I wrote this, even though it will be hard to march while playing it. Ojai Sinfonia played this in Nov '08 (while seated).
- Old Garden (string orchestra - 4'40") "see" Scrolling score at https://youtu.be/Cw6RaJOhebY
- Jocularity (string orchestra - 3'52") "listen" "see" Listen for contrasting melodies in different keys.
- White Keys (string orchestra - 2'57") "listen" "see"
Solo Piano
- As Was (3'9") "listen" "see" Scrolling score https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlqmXhRT_xU
- Bevanesque (5'11") "listen" "see" Bevan Manson is a great pianist and composer; both jazz and classical. Here's a piece in which I try to blend jazz and classical, inspired by one of his recent recitals. It's being performed here by Finale 2010b through the Garritan Steinway VST.
- Hyperbole (3'48") "see" How do you pronounce it? See/hear scrolling score at https://youtu.be/Cty7VjnnHkA.
- Hypnotherapy (piano and bass. 3'40") "see" See/hear scrolling score at https://youtu.be/oKH6pwn8fpY
- Lantana (4'12") "see" Scrolling sore at https://youtu.be/vNOe0_ZCU9g
- Off Kilter (2'50") "see" Somebody said the only true jazz is improvised jazz. Somebody else said composition is slow-motion improvisation. I don't have the chops for real-time improvisation, so here's my slow-motion improvisation played up-to-speed by Finale on a Garritan Steinway. See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/6of9sSq3uP8.
- Sandune (3'20") "see" See/hear scrolling score at https://youtu.be/3g1AoyE9WrE
- Tango Pa' Mis Primos (2'44") "listen" "see" Para mis primos estudiando piano en l'Argentina. ¿Pero mirá, ché, que no te lo hice facil, eh?
- Tranquil Deviation (4'35") "see" Jazz-ish. See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/xszRkBrDsy8.
Voice
- Be My Honey(bee) (SATB, tuba - 2'17") "listen" "see" scrolling score: https://youtu.be/sQ5I8wB_y8s A jazzy tune for choir and tuba. Performance suggestion:
TubaisttubistTuba player can wear a bee costume (a la John Belushi), or at least the antennae. - Brief Time in a Vast Space (mezzo-soprano and classical guitar - 9'11") "listen" "see"
- Horse_ebooks (solo alto voice and piano - 2'01") "listen" "see" This is a work-in-progress pending authorization from the lyricist. Check out twitter.com/Horse-ebooks.
- Kubla Khan (SATB - 4'24") "listen" "see" scrolling score: https://youtu.be/SH__dnOu89Y My music to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem.
- Until We Met (SATB - 3'17") "listen" This is performed by Trovatori. "see" A love song for choir.
- Observations on the Ventura Pier (SATB choir and string orchestra - 7') "see" "lyrics" You won't hear actual words being sung (just ahs) so look at the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/O-5nFJqD96w The sustained tones about two minutes in are background while kids shout out various sightings. This might go well as a multi-media event accompanied by pictures of the pier and its surroundings.
- Today I Shall Listen to the News (tenor and piano - 2'00") see/hear at https://youtu.be/Wyj8HETA-8c
Other chamber music
- After the Trout (violin, viola, cello, bass, piano - 5"03') "see" Also, hear and see the scrolling score: https://youtu.be/Wnl-gN8iCpw It's the same instrumentation as Schubert's famous quintet, so as long as you're already on stage, go ahead and play this "after the Trout."
- Alliance (violin and viola - 2'20") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/5tB-oVKkr4A
- BC&SQ#1 (bass clarinet and string quartet - 5'25") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/kLzP1KDd0fc
- Calle Florida (violin and piano - 4'00") "see" scrolling score at https://youtu.be/8SxHwjMVNH4
- Cello Duet: Prairie Dance (two cello - 2'20") "see" See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/QMuLolbtQ_k
- Flourish and Flow (two trumpets plus tymp - 4'5") "see" See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/YqDGZDaJqwk
- Into Dense Air (Pierrot ensemble: flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano - 5'40') "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/1b2ItBE0NJY
- Katrina's Request (vln 1, vln 2, vln 3, vln 4, vla, cello - 2'53") "listen" "see" Katrina requested something with solos for each fiddle. Ventura College Chamber Group played this in December 2010.
- Maroon (violin and cello - 2'07") "listen" "see"
- Pittosporum (piano, bass, drums - 4'54") "listen" "see" How do you pronounce Pittosporum? You'll hear options at about 3'15". It's a pretty shrub with a funny name.
- Prairie Dance (bassoon duet - 2'20") "see" Scrolling score at https://youtu.be/UcvVtUY9H-I
- Sarisch (violin and piano - 3"30") "see" Scrolling score at https://youtu.be/Y9dz1gwvmwA
- Sorta Kinda Gypsy-ish (violin and cello - 2'48") "listen" "see" I believe the title is self-explanatory.
- Spirit of the 18th Century (cello and piano - 3'25") "see" Scrolling score: https://youtu.be/nKwBQSH3wVs
- Tango Para Dos (violin and cello - 1"56") "listen" "see" The same Tango as the quartet, but arranged for violin and cello.
- Tear for Two (violin and cello - 2'11") "listen" "see"
- Violin Duet: Prairie Dance (two violins - 2'20") "see" See/hear the scrolling score at https://youtu.be/2keaPUxO_uM
- Waiting for Cello (two violins and one viola - 3'20") "listen" "see" Sometimes the cellist is late for string quartet rehearsal. The rest of us can play this while we wait.
Miscellaneous (not music)
- Good Grief, Raul! "see" Not a composition. Well, it sort of is. The teacher gave us a melody and we had to harmonize it and analyze the chords. That which looks like a European seven is actually an "F" (and not the musical note F!). I transferred to mechanical engineering soon after this.
- Grocery list: see xls see pdf People ask me for this when they see me in the store, so here it is. You can print it out as is or you can customize it if you use xls or google drive. To use it, draw a slant in a box at home for what you need, and at the store draw an opposite slant when you put the thing in your cart so you get an X when complete. One sheet can last six weeks if you print both sides and use all the boxes.
- High Flyin' Flag "see" Not music, but a prize-winning essay I wrote about a childhood musical experience. Teachers have such a huge influence on us.
- In the Piano "see" Not music, but a short story I wrote where a Chickering has a major role.
- Stringmobile - not a composition, but a picture of a decorative use for used strings. "see". Cuerdas
viejas need not die. They can evolve from performance art to visual
art (and thereby stay out of the landfill). As the assembly hangs in my
office, I see color, texture, form, space, shape, and line, plus the
added value of memories of performances (including a few wrong notes)
continuing to resonate. And, like a stalactite, it grows every year, as
it’s augmented by the veteran Dosorela string quartet retired from my
viola. (I originally wrote: "Hanging in my office, I see..." but that
may have been misconstrued.)
- Raquel's Interview "listen" Not a composition, but an interview with my mother about early days of the Tango.