Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra

"Life is a tragedy full of joy" - Bernard Malamud

This piece opens modestly with a set of themes and variations and concludes with a Maestoso finale (which includes some of the material in the opening section albeit in a somewhat modified form). A somber interlude links the outer sections.

The work is scored for piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and strings. Much of the writing for strings deliberately omits the violins to create a somewhat darker (though also warmer) texture in the tuttis.

In writing this opus, I must admit a huge debt to Robert Schumann whose piano concerto is a sheer marvel with its many inspiring exchanges between piano and winds. Mozart also wrote some deeply moving slow movements (in his piano concertos) where the winds are beautifully counterpoised with the piano.

I must also confess to occasionally imitating Chopin whose mellifluous piano concertos are unparalleled in the literature. And finally, there is the Brahms Second - a truly monumental work whose lofty themes have won me over ever since I first heard it on my father's old 78s!

You can listen to an excerpt encompassing the middle half of the piece using sampled sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!

Ballade for Orchestra

One usually associates musical ballades with Chopin's masterpieces for piano. There are also some amongst the piano works of Brahms. Somewhat lesser known are the ones by Liszt - of which the first has some truly gorgeous piano writing - replete with Liszt's inimitable pianistic figurations and grand bravura passages.

Although hardly in the league of its far more illustrious predecessors, here is one for orchestra.

You can listen to an excerpt from the latter half of the piece using sampled sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!

Three Chorales

This is a set of three short chorales each using a full orchestra.

The main theme repeats through each chorale - the first is set for choir and soprano, the second features a cello, and the last, a solo trumpet.

You can listen to an excerpt of the first chorale (for soprano and choir) using sampled sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!

Orchestral Poem: Homage to Tchaikovsky

Here you can see page 54 of the score. (Click to enlarge)



The work, which is inspired by a theme from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, is scored for piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, english horn, bassoons, contra bassoon, horns and strings.

You can also listen to an excerpt using sampled sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!

Serenade for Wind Instruments "Autumn"

Here you can see the first page of the score. (Click to enlarge)



The work is scored for piccolo, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoons and contra bassoon.

You can also listen to a rendition using samples sounds by playing the video:





To get the full score, please send me an e-mail at

shishirthadani
@att.net

Thanks!