American Prize 2015 for Chamber Music Composition, Finalist (Sacred Winds)
Miles Playhouse Debut Award, 2008, (Around the Year)
Contemporary repertoire for Chamber Winds – a collection of 20th and 21st century chamber music by composer David Avshalomov, including sound files and scores.
| Listen | Score | Title | Scoring | Dur. | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Air | oboe, clarinet, bassoon. | 2' | 1975 | |
| Order This» | A simple, moderato, tuneful ABA form for reed trio. | ||||
| SEE ON YOUTUBE | | Around the Year | woodwind quintet -- COMPOSER TALK ON YOUTUBE | 11' | 1965/2002 |
| Order This» | Winner of the Miles Playhouse Debut Award, 2008. Selected Work, Wind Quintet Network Call for Scores 2021. Four short, charming, atmospheric, tonal seasonal miniatures, mood/character sketches, commissioned by Aaron and Amelia Neustadt. (Recordings: Musica Bella Woodwind Quintet, NY; Plein Air Wind Quintet, LA) | Notes» | |||
| I. Winter Mood | 2' | ||||
| Snow on the mountains. Slow, sonorous, euphonious. (Also available for Concert Band, Vignettes No. 3.) | |||||
| II. Autumn Walk | 2'30 | ||||
| Brisk leaf-blown day in a park. Moderate/lively/moderate; nice oboe and horn solos. | |||||
| III. Summer Dream | 3' | ||||
| Hot Southern night. Slow, aching beauty, echoes of Gershwin, Stephen Foster. Languorous flute solos. | |||||
| IV. Spring Games | 3' | ||||
| Children on a grassy hillside. Exuberant fling, playful melody play, brave "Pirate" horn solo, flip end. | |||||
| Bouncy Bouncy | trumpet, bassoon. | 1' | 2018 | |
| Order This» | "Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame" Minute of Music Honoree 2019. A short light swing/bounce number for the unusual duo, Trumptoon. | ||||
| Lifeboat Twinkle | Flutes and Piccolo (may be doubled) | 1' | 1975/2014 | |
| Order This» | A sparkling quick twist on Row Your Boat. From the "Lifeboat Variations" for band. A fun tiny encore! | ||||
| Rowboat Shuffle | Clarinet Choir (Eb, Bb 1. 2. 3. [6-8 players], Eb Alto, Bb Bass, Eb Contra-Alto, BBb Contra-Bass) | 1'30 | 1975/2014 | |
| Order This» | A shuffle chain of compressed repetition variations for full clarinet choir/sections. From the "Lifeboat Variations" for band. (NOTE: Light percussion in sound sample is not included in this version.) A fun short encore to "Hill Dance". | ||||
| Sacred Winds | Flute Orchestra: 12 (or 13) players, including piccolos, C flutes, alto flutes, bass flute in C, opt. bass flute in F, contra-bass flute (or bass clarinet), subcontra-bass flute (or string bass), 2 percussion | 25' | 2007 | |
| Order This» | Finalist, American Prize for Composition 2015. Gently experimental (some extended techniques) but tonal music evoking wind dimensions of the natural world. Melodies express the yearning of a lost soul seeking to regain connection with the powers of Nature. (Alternate bottom parts for bass clarinet, string bass). Optional ankle bells. Written for Los Angeles Flute Orchestra -- in the sound samples they are conducted by the composer. | Notes» | |||
| I. Rain Dance | 6'10 | ||||
| Brittle, dignified, ritualistic evocation of a ceremonial dance to relieve drought; builds up, raises ground breezes, final shouts bring gentle rain. Spooky low flute solos. (Also available for Concert Band) | |||||
| II. Fog Song | 10'30 | ||||
| Slow cluster moods with blue melodies. Evocation of dense, then wispy, then billowing fog, surf, foghorns. Wild "choral" middle, evaporating end. Solos for many. | |||||
| III. Sand Banshee | 8' | ||||
| Tone-painting all stages of a sandstorm, building from tiny, thready breeze to full-on wild screamer over the Voice of the Banshee. Relaxes to sweet calm--with a last surprise. Piccolos featured. (Recording is of revised version.) | |||||
Pre-concert talk by the composer | | 3 Outside | Clarinet Choir (Eb clarinet, 7 Bb clarinets, alto clarinet, 2 bass clarinets, Eb contra-alto clarinet) | 17' | 2008 |
| Order Entire Work» | Three very different movements, each projecting a distinct energy--mechanical, natural, human--in a different outdoor setting, Written for Los Angeles Clarinet Choir, Margaret Thornhill, director. | Notes» | |||
| I. Magic Fountain | 4'20 | ||||
| Music for the eyes, all about color and movement. Playful showpiece evoking the variant patterns and splashy exuberance of a programmed multi-jet "dancing waters" fountain display with colored lights. Gradually develops direction to a culmination. Brief vocal splash effects at end. | |||||
| II. Moon Song | 6' | ||||
| Slow music for the heart, all about melody. The aching mystery of full-moon light on high-mountain pines. Light breeze, then full wind over a chorus of plaintive sadness, winding back to the still moon, ending on a lonely question. Soulful lead clarinet solo. | |||||
| III. Hill Dance | YOUTUBE/Chamber (Ebonists) YOUTUBE/Large Ensemble (Kansas ClarinetFest) (set Custom Playback to 120 % in YouTube Settings | 7' | |||
| Order This Mvt.» | Music for the body, all about rhythm. Lively Bulgarian-style 5/8 folk dance up in hill country. Showy solos for Eb, Bb, bass clar. Slower middle with Jewish-flavor circle-dance tunes, almost drunk. Wild loud fast ecstatic ending. Sound recording: Candid Live performance by the Ebonists, England, 2015. (Also available for Concert Band.) | ||||
| Tipsy Waltz | Saxophone quartet (A A T Bar) | 1' | 1975/2014 | |
| Order This» | Short drunken waltz for saxophone quartet. From the "Lifeboat Variations" for band. | ||||