ecclesiastes: a modern oratorio (2008)

1. preamble [eccles. 1:3-11, 15]
2. beginning & ending
3. motet [eccles. 3:1-8, 15]
4. bells
5. time to go, time to remain
6. that which
7. heaven
8. every purpose
9. under, to
10. bells & words
11. ending & beginning
12. ending

This piece began as the accompaniment commissioned by choreographer Gina Gibney for her piece Time Remaining. We premiered Time Remaining in 2002, and continued to perform with the dance company until 2004. By this time the septet had developed a strong interactive sensitivity to the music and its purpose. So we gigged and recorded the piece with a focus around the text from the Bible book of Ecclesiastes which Time Remaining had drawn upon.

I finished the record developing the text further and singing two more pieces using further Ecclesiastes text. I became interested in re-translating this text from the original Hebrew through reference to the Vulgate's Latin translation. Through comparison, I came up with a text I felt spoke to a more contemporary spiritual practice, in partcular the 12 steps of recovery.

ecclesiastes: a modern oratorio and liner notes discussing the process are available on Innova recordings.

Dunt-Dunt (1996)

Piece for E.S.P. (East Side Percussion) for internet broadcast.

Just Met (1996)

Bass marimba and violin in conversation. Composed for Marimolin. Premiered by Lyris Hung and Danny Tunick at Roulette, NYC, March 25, 1998.

For Polly (1992)

A song I wrote for for my sister Polly on her 21st birthday (lyrics). Premiered by Musica Orbis at Shady Hill School, Cambridge MA, 1975.

Fishy Wishy (1997)

A re-texting of the 4th mov't of Schubert's Trout Quintet with Brazelton's translation of text from Schubert's lied Die Forelle. Premiered "Alternative Schubertiade," Downtown Arts Festival, American Opera Projects, NYC 9/19/97 (reviewed in N.Y.Times 9/22/97 and Voice 9/30/97) a downtown celebration of Schubert's 100th birthday.

Recorded for CRI CD 809 Alternative Schubertiade spring 1999.

Skinnydipping (1998, 1988)

Song.

Recorded 1998 by Lyris Hung, violin, Tom Chiu, violin, Danny Tunick, percussion, Jimmy Pugliese, percussion, and Kitty Brazelton, voice.

The Two Timing F**k I'm in Love With (1996)

Poem by Carolyn Peyser of Nuyorican Poets. Premiere by Absolute Ensemble, June 30, 1996.

Recorded 1998 by Lyris Hung, violin, Tom Chiu, violin, Danny Tunick, percussion, Jimmy Pugliese, percussion, and Kitty Brazelton, voice.

R (1989; revised, 1994 and 1998)

Chamber piece. No text. Parisian flavor? Rather exotic. Premiered by Jay Kauffman, classical guitar, Kitty Brazelton, voice, Lyris Hung, 5-string violin, Mat Fieldes, double bass, Danny Tunick, bongos, Roulette, NYC, March 1998 and December 1994. Recorded 1998.

Kitty Brazelton: Chamber Music for the Inner Ear, CRICD 889—Try New World Records http://www.newworldrecords.org/cri-nwr-2004-03.shtml

Kitty Brazelton & Low Brass (2000)

• Down So Low by Tracy Nelson of Mother Earth 1970, arranged by Brazelton for Low Brass 2000
• No More Bends in the Wire by Kitty Brazelton 1996, arranged for Low Brass 2000
• Think I'm Fallin' In Love by Kitty Brazelton & Joey Scarperia, 1982, arranged for Low Brass 2000

I started with an arrangement for voice, tuba, 2 trombones and steel drums of Tracy Nelson's Down So Low for Phil Kline's curation "Your Hit Parade" in March at the New Museum in Soho. I arranged a few more tunes of my own to perform on Frank Oteri's 21st Century Schizoid series in May with the same instrumentation (me singing, Bob Stewart tuba, my beloved Chris Washburne (from Dadadah) and Julie Josephson on trombones, Danny Tunick (also beloved from Bat?) on vibes, and Tony Lewis on drums (from the Kitchen House Blend).

Leonardo (1993)

Commissioned for dance by choreographer Eduardo Zeiger with excerpts from Sigmund Freud's essay Leonardo da Vinci and a Memory of His Childhood. Premiered Merce Cunningham Dance Studio, New York City with Eduardo Zeiger and Friends, February, 1993, and without dance at CB's 313 Gallery, May 1992.

Recorded by BOG LIFE at WNYC, May 1994.

I Was Kidnapped
By Martians (1992)

Operetta in which entire ensemble except contralto is Martian and speaks in motives learned from radio waves in space. Libretto by Lorraine Llamas. Premiered by BOG LIFE at Dixon Place, New York City, November 1992.

The Dinner-Party (1987-1991)

Song cycle setting six poems by Bostonian imagist poet Amy Lowell, published 1911. M. A. thesis, Columbia University School of the Arts, 1991. Premiered by Brazelton's BOG LIFE on Cape Cod, MA tour funded by Massachusetts Arts Lottery, November 1991. Included on BOG LIFE recording "New & Unusual American Chamber Music."