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"Sunrise" (3 MB)
The wind section announces a tiny sliver of light appearing over the immeasurable darkness ahead. As the orchestra grows, the gentle, warm light, a welcomed alternative to the uncaring anonymity of the night. A crash of the cymbal proclaims colorful spikes of light that shoot from the emerging yellow sphere, pointing upwards in all directions. The announcement is unmistakable. The tiara of the dawn's rays confirm: the sun has risen.
"Antibes" (3.8 MB)
Antibes, France is a long time favorite for lovers and secret affairs. Antibes begins with that sort of steamy and lustful sensation you have when you first fall in love. You will hear melodies that are deeply romantic, almost sad; and passages that have flair and intrigue. You will hear it all in the secluded cafes and narrow streets of Antibes.
"Ode To Schubert" (5.5 MB)
Despite the dramatic beginning, this is a quiet, respectful piece dedicated to you, the listener. It just sounded better to say "Ode to Schubert" rather than "Ode to You". The mental journey you will take is my focus here. All those aggravating matters that now clutter your mind will be put to rest. In the end, and with a joyful heart, you should now be able to better appreciate your ability to handle what lies ahead.
"Little Concerto in Eb" (3.3 MB)
The Little Concerto in Eb is an undisciplined expression of youthful enthusiasm. The composition ignores the basic grammar of the great musicologists. It zigzags from theme to theme, tempo to tempo, swerving between the simple and the grand. Yet, it is this very impertinence that gives the Little Concerto in Eb its appeal.
"Little Concerto in E minor (the Duchess)" (6.7 MB)
The strings remind you there is something majestic and noble about a duchess. You feel a little inferior, and a little jealous. As the energy in the piano line suggests, you engage her ladyship in an exchange of pleasantries. As the tempo slows, you realize from her demeanor that she has suffered the same life challenges that you have faced. Her departure is predictably gracious. After she's gone, while impressed you met a duchess, you realize she left you feeling a bit like a duke.
"Quatre Saisons" (2.3 MB)
Quatre Saisons portrays the quick, four-part journey we all take. It opens timidly, hesitant (part I). Your steps gain presence and grace as your confidence grows (part II). A sense of dignity and integrity becomes you well (part III). You leave enriched and tranquil (part IV). You just lived a good life, quick as it was.
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"Last Waltz" (3.7 MB)
In one way or another, each of us has experienced the Last Waltz. It could have been with an aging parent, a soldier about to leave for a tour of duty, a child just married. It is an experience of both extreme joy and enormous pain. The parting includes a tender encounter. But the joy quickly fades. Reality returns. You feel the internal struggle, the battle between letting go and hanging on. You strain to record the moment into your memory and, just as you think you do, it is over. You've had the Last Waltz.
"Spires of Prague" (3.4 MB)
While in Prague, I noticed how people kept their eyes focused on the uneven cobblestoned streets. The dangers of a painful tumble were real. Eye contact was rare. I decided to look up, towards the sky. Intricate steeples and gilded spires were everywhere, silently pointing to an irrepressible truth, a truth that even the harshest of political regimes had not extinguished. It was a glorious realization.
"Gentle Rain" (4 MB)
We live on a big river. It's about two miles across to the other side. Our home is perched on an elevated embankment where I have a top row bleacher seat to watch Nature at work. Gentle Rain begins with a hint of an approaching storm from the North. You will hear the wind pick up. The leaves flutter and occasional gusts of wind announce the coming. The air is pure and you can feel the final curtains of rain pass overhead, heralding their impending arrival to someone else further south.
"End of Seven Summers" (4 MB)
I am an incorrigible sentimentalist. For seven summers, my wife and I took the children to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where we rented a cottage for a week. These were times where life-long memories took root. Some were funny. Some were not. At the end of our seventh year, I feared, for some now forgotten reason, we might not return. To console myself, I wrote the End of Seven Summers.
"The Music Teacher" (4.4 MB)
All music students need the basics. Let's begin with a simple theme, not too complex. Then let's expand it a bit, using different instruments and basic thematic development techniques. Now let's enlarge it, bringing in even more orchestral firepower. Bam, the music reaches its full glory. Time to begin to simplify, returning to the core of the piece. Simplicity returns. We've come full circle. The lesson is over. And you passed.
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"To Nancy's Heart" (4.8 MB)
She begins with a disorienting, childish spin, twisting to stop and stare tenderly. Her gaze penetrates deeply and I am locked into her blue eyes. It is wonderful to be caught in a tractor beam of affection. While we do not speak, we say a lot. We turn playful again; spirited and youthful, even thought we are not. What we have will live on, beyond time, beyond our presence. What is in the body perishes. What is in Nancy's Heart endures.
"Waltz of the Wooden Horses" (3.8 MB)
They rise and fall, seemingly impersonal and rigid. These painted stallions dance well together, their timing always perfect. They've carried children for decades, inspiring dreams and hopes of things to come. They've brightened sad days, united boyfriends and girlfriends and strengthened the bond between mothers and sons. They are the heroic carrousel horses of the neighborhood merry-go-round.
"Little Concerto in G (Ravello)" (5.9 MB)
One summer, Nancy and I visited a small town overlooking the Almafi Coast in Italy called Ravello. It was a magical village. There was a high sense of good etiquette and sophistication, even given the onslaught of busloads of camera-ready tourists. Ravello has a sense of welcome and understated gentility. There was a feeling that important players in the world's history were there. The stunning villas and lush gardens, all well manicured, could inspire even a novice composer into writing something half decent, hence, the Little Concerto in G.
"Come Home" (3.7 MB)
Sometimes we all yearn to go back in time, returning to the safety, comfort and love we felt at some point earlier in our lives. Come Home pulls us there; it tugs at or heart strings. While elegant and refined, it is not a composition that will make you happy or build your courage. To the contrary, it is a painful journey that will resurrect vivid memories of times gone. These are not memories you ever wish to forget; nor are they ones you dare frequent too often.
"Symphony #1 (the Schubertian)" (16.3 MB)
This is my first attempt at a neo classical symphony. While an homage to Schubert, it is actually dedicated to my father, George Nostrand. Dad had many talents. Somewhere around five years old, I sat beside Dad on our piano bench and he patiently taught me a snippet from Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. He lit a fuse, one that continues to burn in me today. For that, I feel blessed. Dad is my real Schubert.
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