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APNM COMPOSER: Will Ogdon
Will Ogdon holds a Ph.D. from the University of Indiana and has served on the faculties of the University of Texas, College of St. Cath-
erine, Illinois Wesleyan University, and the University of California at San Diego where he is Professor Emeritus. From 1962-64, he
was Music Director of the Pacifica Foundation’s FM radio station in Berkeley CA; he established a studio in San Francisco from which
he initiated a radio series of live performances of contemporary music. Ogdon has written extensively on the compositional techniques
and pedagogy of 20th c. music; notably articles on the unpublished writings of Rene’ Leibowitz, with whom he had studied as a Fulbright
scholar, the music of Krenek, Webern, and Schoenberg, and commentaries on his own music. Among Ogdon’s works, a highly varied
array of vocal works reflect an abiding interest in issues of text-setting.
BY THE ISAR, a setting of D.H.Lawrence’s “River Roses” for soprano, alto flute, and double bass was written for my colleague, Bertram
Turetsky who had asked me to write something for bass and flute for him and his wife, Nancy. The song explores the upper register of
the bass as well as the high voice of my wife, Beverly. There are several imitative responses to the poems such as the words “and sin-
ging” with its leap to the soprano’s high ‘B’; “swinging in the trees” with its rocking rhythm and “let it be as the snake disposes” with
a sexually suggestive rhythm in the accompaniment.
My VARIATIONS SUITE FOR VIOLIN AND VIOLA was composed for UCSD colleagues Paivikki Nykter and Janos Negyesy. Its four move-
ments combine two or three rather brief pieces in the following order: 1) Prelude 2) Theme 3) Scherzo 4) Adagio 5) Scherzo #2 6) Tango
7) & 8) Quasi marcia and Trio 9) Theme 10) Postlude, Remembering Bartok. The Bartok reference is to the 44 Duos for two violins re-
corded by Nykter and Negyesy, along with
my analytical notes.
All APNM Works by Will Ogdon |
Duration |
Year |
Materials Available |
Sound Sample |
A MODERN? FABLE 2 sopranos, baritone, cl, b cl, perc, vn, vc |
8 min |
1990 |
score, parts |
No |
BY THE ISAR soprano, a fl, cb |
7 min |
1969 |
score |
No |
COME, O HOLY SILENCE for mixed chorus |
6 min |
1960 |
score |
No |
FANTASY for violin and piano |
10 min |
1953 |
score |
No |
FIVE PRELUDES solo vn, fl, ob, cl, hn, tpt, tb, hn, 2perc, va, vc, cb |
9 min |
1985 |
score, parts |
No |
FIVE PRELUDES for violin and piano |
11 min |
1982 |
score |
No |
FOUR CHAMBER SONGS soprano, fl, ob, cl, hp, va, vc |
9 min |
1989 |
score, parts |
No |
FOUR D.H. LAWRENCE SONGS for soprano and piano |
9 min |
1991 |
score |
No |
FOUR STATEMENTS for chorus (SATB) |
5 min |
1954 |
octavo |
No |
FOUR TONAL SONGS for baritone and piano |
8 min |
1988-90 |
score |
No |
FOUR WOMEN’S CHORUSES |
5 min 30 sec |
1990 |
octavo |
No |
NINE SHORT PIECES AND A FINALE for string quartet |
12 min |
1995 |
score |
No |
ORPHEUS SONG for mixed chorus |
6 min |
1962 |
octavo |
No |
PARIS: IN MEMORIAM R.L. - CAPRICCIO for piano |
5 min |
1951 |
score |
No |
SERENADE NO. 1 for wind quintet |
12 min |
1986-87 |
score |
No |
SERENADE NO. 2 for wind quintet |
15 min |
1990-91 |
score, parts |
No |
SEVEN PIANO PIECES |
9 min |
1987 |
score |
No |
SEVEN PIECES AND A CAPRICCIO for violin and piano |
12 min |
1988-89 |
score |
No |
SIX SMALL TRIOS marimba/perc, tpt, pno (three scores needed for performance) |
8 min |
1982 |
score, parts |
No |
STRING QUARTET |
n/a |
1961 |
score |
No |
SUMMER IMAGES AND REFLECTIONS soprano, fl, cl, tpt, pno/perc |
10 min |
1985 |
score |
No |
THE AWAKENING OF SAPPHO (studio opera) (30 min) principal roles: soprano, baritone,
minor roles: soprano, bass, hp, pno, perc, va, cb, alto kalimba, orch bells (1976/80) score |
30 min |
1976-80 |
score |
No |
THIRTEEN EXPRESSIONS solo vn, fl, ob, cl, va, vc, pno |
15 min |
1993 |
score, parts |
No |
THREE PIECES for clarinet and piano |
6 min |
1966 |
score, parts |
No |
THREE PIECES for piano |
5 min |
1949 |
score |
No |
THREE SONGS for baritone and piano |
7 min |
1955 |
score |
No |
THREE STATEMENTS for chorus (SATB) |
5 min |
1960 |
score |
No |
THREE TRIFLES for violoncello and piano |
4 min |
1957 |
score, parts |
No |
TWO CAPRICCIOS for piano |
5 min |
1992 |
score |
No |
TWO KETCHWA SONGS for soprano and piano |
5 min |
1955 |
score |
No |
TWO SEA CHANTEYS soprano, baritone, 2perc |
5 min |
1987-88 |
score |
No |
UN TOMBEAU DE JEAN COCTEAU III – theater piece for soprano, male actor, ob, cl, pno, tape and slides |
12 min |
1976 |
score |
No |
UN TOMBEAU DE JEAN COCTEAU for soprano and piano |
8 min |
1964 |
score |
No |
VARIATIONS AND PALINDROME string quartet |
10 min |
1962 |
score |
No |
VARIATIONS SUITE for violin and viola |
10 min |
1996 |
score |
No |
WINTER IMAGES soprano, fl, cl, tpt (or ob), pno, perc |
10 min |
1980 |
score |
No |
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