"Bear" Thomas Christopher Woodson (b. 1954) is rapidly
becoming an internationally respected composer. Being self-described
as "bearded and chubby" for years, he has been nicknamed
"Bear" by friends, which now include leading musicians
and composers around the USA and Europe.
Woodson began his training under Ronald Lo Presti (1933-1986) at
Arizona State University in the 1970's. Mr. Lo Presti stressed detailed
counterpoint and the Chromatic Functional Modality harmonic language.
Woodson's early writings included dozens of discarded symphonies
and concertos, and kept only his virtuoso Suite No. 1 for Unaccompanied
Cello (1975) and Three Simple Pieces for Quartet of Young Cellists
(1975). He completed his Bachelor's at Cal Arts (California Institute
of the Arts) in December 1977 with Dr. Mel Powell and Alan Chaplain.
Woodson attended the Richard Strauß Konservatorium/Gesellschaft
in Munich, to study with Dr. Peter Jona Korn (1922-1998), on full
fellowship from 1979-1980. He worked in other fields during the
1980's, but attended a few film scoring and composition classes
at California State University at Northridge in the late 1980's
with Dr. Aurelio de la Vega, Dr. Beverly Grigsby, Dr. Daniel Kessner
and Robert Drasnin. He returned to Arizona State University for
his Master's Degree from January 1994 to May 1996, under Drs. Randall
Shinn and Chinary Ung, and
since then has been
composing heavily.
Woodson has been living in Tucson, Arizona since 1996, and has produced
numerous works. In his goal to write sonatas and concertos for each
major instrument of the orchestra, he also arranges the Slow, Second
Movements of his newer 4-movement, accompanied sonatas, to be useable
as Konzertstücke (one-movement concertos) accompanied by String
Orchestra.
In December 2001, Bear Woodson became one of only a few people in
history, to have an an entire dissertation written about him, before
becoming famous, before having been a college professor, and while
still alive. Dr. Karen McGale Fiehler is the [French] Horn Player
from Canada, who wrote the dissertation and recorded a 72-minute
CD of four of Woodson's works for Horn, being his: Horn Concerto
(Piano Reduction Version), Sonata No. 1 for Horn and Piano (just
the first 3 movements), Sonata for Four Horns and the Sonata for
Unaccompanied Horn. The library listing for that dissertation is:
http://catalog.lib.asu.edu/search/a?SEARCH=McGale
Nine
Categories of Fugues invented by Bear Woodson!
Most of Woodson's works have at least one movement containing
elaborate, yet lyrical, canons and fugues. He is known for
his many Double Fugues, Triple Fugues, Stretto Fugues and
even one Quintuple Fugue. (A Double Fugue uses two simultaneous
melodies in harmony with each other, to do the Fugue Process.
When three simultaneous melodies do the Fugue Process, it
is called a Triple Fugue, but probably fewer than 30 have
been written worldwide in the 250 years since J.S. Bach
died. It is unlikely that as many as 5 Quintuple Fugues
have ever been written, and then only in the 20th Century.)
Before J.S. Bach (1685-1750) was born, there were a dozen
or so categories of fugues. Most experts believe that all
of Bach's hundreds of fugues were written within those pre-existing
categories of fugues, and that he never invented even one
New Category of Fugue. The 20th Century composer Bela Bartók
(1881-1945) was hailed as a genius for having invented ONE
New Category of Fugue, the Changing Meters Fugue, in his
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936). However
there has never even been the suspicion of any composer
having invented more than three Categories of Fugues, (which
Bear Woodson suspects of Bach).
As of Early 2005, experts in the US and Europe are examining
Bear Woodson's works for the likelihood that he is the only
composer in history, known to have invented as many as Nine
Categories of Fugues! There have been a few composers since
the Late Middle Ages that have used melodies written in
Inversion (Upside-Down) and in Retrograde (Backwards) in
Modal or Tonal Harmony. Woodson uses these melodic directions,
plus Retrograde-Inversion (both Backwards and Upside-Down
at the same time), in many of his works, especially in his
Canons and Fugues, but always in Chromatic Modal Harmony
(as he never did like, nor use, 12-Tone Formulas).
These are Bear Woodson's 9 Newly Invented Categories of
Fugues,
and listing how many of each he has written by March 2005:
1) one Variation Fugue
(The Fugue Subject in each next Fugal Exposition is a Variation
of the previous.)
2) five Fugues containing a Retrograde-Inversion Canon
(This is a Canon that overlaps the Original direction of
a Fugue Subject with itself
carefully written out both Backwards and Upside-Down.)
3) one Triple Fugue in Inversion
(This is a Triple Fugue that harmonizes when all 3 Fugue
Subjects are carefully
written out Upside-Down.)
4) two Triple Fugues in Retrograde
(These are Triple Fugues that harmonize when all 3 Fugue
Subjects are carefully
written out Backwards.)
5) one Triple Fugue in Retrograde-Inversion
(This is a Triple Fugue that harmonizes when all 3 Fugue
Subjects are carefully
written out both Backwards and Upside-Down.)
6) two Stretto Fugues in Inversion
(These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices
of the Fugue Subjects
harmonize when written out Upside-Down, while overlapping
each other.)
7) two Stretto Fugues in Retrograde
(These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices
of the Fugue Subjects
harmonize when written out Backwards, while overlapping
each other.)
8) two Stretto Fugues in Retrograde-Inversion
(These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices
of the Fugue Subjects
harmonize when written out both Backwards and Upside-Down,
while overlapping
each other.)
9) six Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugues
(These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when the 4 voices
of the Fugue Subjects
overlap each other, with one voice each in either Original,
Inversion, Retrograde or
Retrograde-Inversion directions all at the same time!)
Compositions
for Flute
*
Second Woodwind Quintet (Sept. 1997, 5 mvts.,
15 min.)
* Three Flute Duets (Dec. 1997, 8 min.)
* Flitter Critters, seven comical duets for
Flute in C and Alto Flute in G
(Feb. 1998, 7 mvts., 10 min.)
* Journey of the Spirit (April 1998, 18 min.)
(8 continuous dances, for flute, bass
clarinet, string bass, piano & percussion)
(Three Themes combine in Triple Counterpoint at the end.)
* Sonata for Flute and Piano (Sept. 1998, 4 mvts.,
14 min.)
(The 3rd Movement Flamenco adds castanets, and can be used as
a separate
piece.)
* A Cloudy Day for 4 flutes (Nov. 1999, 3 mvts.,
8 min.)
(Winner of the June 2000 Hoff-Barthelson Flute Composition Competition)
* Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Bb Clarinet (Jan.
2002, 5 mvts., 15 min.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Bass Flute (Jan.
2003, 3 mvts., 14 min.) (Since it is unaccompanied, it can be
played on many sizes of flutes.)
* Sonata for Bass Flute and Piano (May 2003,
4 mvts., 25 min.) (The slow Second Movement is called Aulos, which
is a Fantasy: a set of 5 loose variations. The 5th Variation has
a series of 8 Stretto Fugues culminating in a Quadruple Directional
Stretto Fugue. It can be accompanied either by piano, or String
Orchestra as a Konzertstück. The solo part of the whole sonata
is transcribed to: Standard C Flute, Alto Flute in G, Flauti d'Amore
in Bb and A; Oboe, Oboe d'Amore in A, English Horn in F, Bass
Oboe, Heckelphone; and even Clarinets in Bb, A and C.)
* Duo for Flute and Bassoon (April 2003, 5 mvts.,
12 1/2 min.) (Transcribed to Eb Soprano and Bb Bass Clarinets.
Like the Duo Suite, the 4th Movement uses another a 2-minute Retrograde-Inversion
Canon, but this one is at the Major Ninth below.)
New!!
* Trio No. 1 for Oboe, English Horn and Bassoon (Dec.
2003, 5 mvts., 19 min.)
(The 4th Movement contains the Triple Fugues in Original, Inversion,
Retrograde and
Retrograde-Inversion directions for the first time in history,
all in one work, in Non-12-
Tone Harmony. The entire Trio is transcribed to Flute and two
Clarinets in either Bb or A.)
Other
Compositions
*
Brass Quintet No. 1 "Hercules" (Nov.
1992, 4 mvts., 36 min.) (The 4th movement is Woodson's first Double
Fugue.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Viola, (plus Violin
and Cello versions)
(July 1994, 4 mvts., 25 min.) (The 2nd movement is a True, 4-Voiced
Fugue, with 4 Expositions, and the 2nd Exposition uses the Fugue
in Inversion. Only J.S. Bach, Max Reger and Paul Hindemith have
succeeded in writing this kind of fugue.)
* Sonata for Four Horns (Dec. 1996, 3 mvts.,
14 min.)
* Scenes in an Oriental Garden: a Duo for Viola
and Percussion (March 1997, 8 mvts., 14 min.)
* Canticle for Unaccompanied Tuba (Sept. 1998,
6 min.) (Played by Professor Roger Bobo in May 2000.)
* Variations on a Theme by Bartók for
Unaccompanied Trumpet (Dec. 1998, 7 min.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Horn (Sept. 1997,
3 mvts., 12 min.)
* Arioso for Unaccompanied Trombone (Jan. 1999,
6 min.)
* Sonata for Viola and Piano (May 1999, 4 mvts.,
21 min.) (The 2nd movement is the Elegy for Dr. Peter Jona Korn,
which can also be used as a Konzertstück. The 4th movement
is a fugue that reviews themes from the previous movements, and
uses them in Double Counterpoint against the Fugue Subject.)
* Horn Concerto (Dec. 1999, 3 mvts. 16 min.)
(The 3rd movement uses the BEAR Motive [Bb-E-A-D], plus the entire
concerto has been transcribed to Euphonium.)
* Introduction and Ashkenazic Rhapsody for Harp
and Orchestra (April 2000, 9 min.)
* Musings for Unaccompanied Euphonium, or Baritone
(Sept. 2000, Fantasy Form, 7 min.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Bb Trumpet and Piano (Dec.
2000, 4 mvts., 17 min.) (The 2nd Movement is When He Bloweth a
Trumpet, Hear Ye [Isaiah 18:3], which can be used as a Konzertstück.
The 4th movement is a jazzy Fugue, which has one 4-bar phrase,
where Woodson harmonizes the Original Subject against itself in
Retrograde-Inversion for his first time.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Horn and Piano (March. 2001,
4 mvts., 28 min.) (The 2nd Movement is Our Horn Shall Be Exalted
[Psalms 89:17], which can be used as a Konzertstück. The
4th Movement is the BACH-DSCH/BEAR Double Fugue with a Triple
Fugue Coda for Horn and Piano, that uses Musical Notes to spell
the Names of Bach, Shostakovich and Bear Woodson, as Fugue Subjects
in the Woodson's first Triple Fugue. The solo part of the entire
sonata is transcribed to Euphonium and Tuba.)
* Suite for Two Bassoons (Jan. 2002, 5 mvts.,
18 min.) (Also called the Duo Suite, it is transcribed for pairs
or combinations of Bb Bass Clarinets, Celli, or an octave higher
for Viole, Bb Soprano Clarinets. The 4th Movement uses a canon
of the entire 2-minute melody against itself in Retrograde-Inversion,
[likely the longest in history], at a Major Seventh lower.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Clarinet (May 2002,
3 mvts., 16 min.) (Since it is unaccompanied, it can be played
on many sizes of clarinets.)
* In Memoriam for the Fallen Victims of the
9-11 Attack (July 2002, 7 min.) (It is a 6-Voiced Double Fugue
for Solo Horn and Strings. This will become the second movement
of Sonata No. 2 for Horn and Piano, but as of September 2003,
the 3rd and 4th movements have not yet been written.)
* Fanfare for the Fallen Heroes of the 9-11
Attack (August 2002, 8 1/2 min.) (It is a 4-Voiced Double Fugue
for String Orchestra, and was nominated with In Memoriam in the
Spring of 2003, for a Pulitzer Prize, as the only known time that
Two Double Fugues were written to commemorate one historic event.
There are plans to re-score it for Wind Ensemble, Brass with Percussion,
and Symphonic Orchestra.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Harp (Oct. 2002, 4 mvts.,
16 min.) (The 4th movement Fugue, uses the 2-bar phrase, Subject
against itself in Retrograde-Inversion again, but this time twice
in one movement. This is one of the very few fugues originally
conceived for the Harp, and the only time to use a Retrograde-Inversion
Canon on the Harp.)
*
Sonata No. 1 for (Bb) Clarinet [or Viola] and
Piano (June 2003, 4 mvts.; 26 min.) (The Slow, Second Movement,
Undimmed by Human Tears!, which can be used as a Konzertstück.
The 3rd Movement has tributes to the Slovenian Dedicatee, Professor
Joze Kotar, and Benny Goodman. The Benny Goodman Tribute contains
a Swing-styled Fugue and another Quadruple Directional Stretto
Fugue. The 4th Movement is a series of Canons and Fugues, including
yet another Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugue, and culminating
in a Triple Fugue [based on Themes from the first three movements],
and a Triple Fugue in Retrograde [which is likely the only one
in history]. This sonata might even be transcribed an octave lower
to Bb Bass Clarinet and Bassoon.)
* Sextet for Clarinet
Ensemble (Aug. 2003, 3 mvts., 18' 30") (It is scored for
the 5 sizes of clarinets in the Slovenian Clarinet Sextet, being:
Eb Soprano, 2 Bb Soprano, Eb Alto, Bb Bass and Bb Contra Bass,
clarinets. The relaxed 1st Movement Idyll contains another Double
Fugue and Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugue. The 2nd Movement
is a lively, comical scherzo form, with melodies that sound like
laughter. The 3rd Movement is a Theme with 6 Variations, allowing
each clarinet to be the soloist of a whole variation.)
New!!
* Quintet and Quintuple Fugue for Bb Clarinet, Violin,
Viola, Cello and Bass (Aug. 2004, 5 mvts., 29 min.)
(The First Movement is one of Woodson's most lyrical works, while
the optional Fifth Movement is one of the few Quintuple Fugues
of all history. This means it harmonizes Five Different Fugues
simultaneously!)
New!!
* Fantasy on a Theme used by Josquin Des Prez for
Viola and Orchestra (Jan. 2005, Theme & 13 Variations, 23
min.)
(Josquin Des Prez [ca. 1440-1521] honored and studied the works
of the Renaissance Master Composer Johannes Ockeghem [ca. 1410-1497],
who was famous for his Cancrizans Canons. These are canons that
overlap the original melody with itself written in Retrograde,
and are also known as Retrograde Canons. In like fashion this
Fantasy also contains Retrograde-Inversion Canons and several
Inversion Canons. The Final Variation is crowned by two Quadruple
Directional Stretto Fugues, being Woodson’s 5th and 6th!
Although the Josquin Fantasy is technically a Viola Concerto,
with many passages that feature the Harp as a co-soloist, most
of the woodwinds and brasses get lyrical solos by playing the
many canons.)
for
more information,
email
"Bear "Woodson
27
February 2005
"Bear" Thomas Christopher Woodson (b. 1954) is rapidly
becoming an internationally respected composer. Being self-described
as "bearded and chubby" for years, he has been nicknamed
"Bear" by friends, which now include leading musicians
and composers around the USA and Europe.
Woodson began his training under Ronald Lo Presti (1933-1986) at
Arizona State University in the 1970's. Mr. Lo Presti stressed detailed
counterpoint and the Chromatic Functional Modality harmonic language.
Woodson's early writings included dozens of discarded symphonies
and concertos, and kept only his virtuoso Suite No. 1 for Unaccompanied
Cello (1975) and Three Simple Pieces for Quartet of Young Cellists
(1975). He completed his Bachelor's at Cal Arts (California Institute
of the Arts) in December 1977 with Dr. Mel Powell and Alan Chaplain.
Woodson attended the Richard Strauß Konservatorium/Gesellschaft
in Munich, to study with Dr. Peter Jona Korn (1922-1998), on full
fellowship from 1979-1980. He worked in other fields during the
1980's, but attended a few film scoring and composition classes
at California State University at Northridge in the late 1980's
with Dr. Aurelio de la Vega, Dr. Beverly Grigsby, Dr. Daniel Kessner
and Robert Drasnin. He returned to Arizona State University for
his Master's Degree from January 1994 to May 1996, under Drs. Randall
Shinn and Chinary Ung, and
since then has been
composing heavily.
Woodson has been living in Tucson, Arizona since 1996, and has produced
numerous works. In his goal to write sonatas and concertos for each
major instrument of the orchestra, he also arranges the Slow, Second
Movements of his newer 4-movement, accompanied sonatas, to be useable
as Konzertstücke (one-movement concertos) accompanied by String
Orchestra.
In December 2001, Bear Woodson became one of only a few people in
history, to have an an entire dissertation written about him, before
becoming famous, before having been a college professor, and while
still alive. Dr. Karen McGale Fiehler is the [French] Horn Player
from Canada, who wrote the dissertation and recorded a 72-minute
CD of four of Woodson's works for Horn, being his: Horn Concerto
(Piano Reduction Version), Sonata No. 1 for Horn and Piano (just
the first 3 movements), Sonata for Four Horns and the Sonata for
Unaccompanied Horn. The library listing for that dissertation is:
http://catalog.lib.asu.edu/search/a?SEARCH=McGale
Nine
Categories of Fugues invented by Bear Woodson! Most of Woodson's works have at least one movement containing elaborate, yet lyrical, canons and fugues. He is known for his many Double Fugues, Triple Fugues, Stretto Fugues and even one Quintuple Fugue. (A Double Fugue uses two simultaneous melodies in harmony with each other, to do the Fugue Process. When three simultaneous melodies do the Fugue Process, it is called a Triple Fugue, but probably fewer than 30 have been written worldwide in the 250 years since J.S. Bach died. It is unlikely that as many as 5 Quintuple Fugues have ever been written, and then only in the 20th Century.) Before J.S. Bach (1685-1750) was born, there were a dozen or so categories of fugues. Most experts believe that all of Bach's hundreds of fugues were written within those pre-existing categories of fugues, and that he never invented even one New Category of Fugue. The 20th Century composer Bela Bartók (1881-1945) was hailed as a genius for having invented ONE New Category of Fugue, the Changing Meters Fugue, in his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936). However there has never even been the suspicion of any composer having invented more than three Categories of Fugues, (which Bear Woodson suspects of Bach). As of Early 2005, experts in the US and Europe are examining Bear Woodson's works for the likelihood that he is the only composer in history, known to have invented as many as Nine Categories of Fugues! There have been a few composers since the Late Middle Ages that have used melodies written in Inversion (Upside-Down) and in Retrograde (Backwards) in Modal or Tonal Harmony. Woodson uses these melodic directions, plus Retrograde-Inversion (both Backwards and Upside-Down at the same time), in many of his works, especially in his Canons and Fugues, but always in Chromatic Modal Harmony (as he never did like, nor use, 12-Tone Formulas). These are Bear Woodson's 9 Newly Invented Categories of Fugues, and listing how many of each he has written by March 2005: 1) one Variation Fugue (The Fugue Subject in each next Fugal Exposition is a Variation of the previous.) 2) five Fugues containing a Retrograde-Inversion Canon (This is a Canon that overlaps the Original direction of a Fugue Subject with itself carefully written out both Backwards and Upside-Down.) 3) one Triple Fugue in Inversion (This is a Triple Fugue that harmonizes when all 3 Fugue Subjects are carefully written out Upside-Down.) 4) two Triple Fugues in Retrograde (These are Triple Fugues that harmonize when all 3 Fugue Subjects are carefully written out Backwards.) 5) one Triple Fugue in Retrograde-Inversion (This is a Triple Fugue that harmonizes when all 3 Fugue Subjects are carefully written out both Backwards and Upside-Down.) 6) two Stretto Fugues in Inversion (These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices of the Fugue Subjects harmonize when written out Upside-Down, while overlapping each other.) 7) two Stretto Fugues in Retrograde (These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices of the Fugue Subjects harmonize when written out Backwards, while overlapping each other.) 8) two Stretto Fugues in Retrograde-Inversion (These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when all 4 voices of the Fugue Subjects harmonize when written out both Backwards and Upside-Down, while overlapping each other.) 9) six Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugues (These are Stretto Fugues that harmonize when the 4 voices of the Fugue Subjects overlap each other, with one voice each in either Original, Inversion, Retrograde or Retrograde-Inversion directions all at the same time!) |
Compositions for Flute
*
Second Woodwind Quintet (Sept. 1997, 5 mvts.,
15 min.)
* Three Flute Duets (Dec. 1997, 8 min.)
* Flitter Critters, seven comical duets for
Flute in C and Alto Flute in G
(Feb. 1998, 7 mvts., 10 min.)
* Journey of the Spirit (April 1998, 18 min.)
(8 continuous dances, for flute, bass
clarinet, string bass, piano & percussion)
(Three Themes combine in Triple Counterpoint at the end.)
* Sonata for Flute and Piano (Sept. 1998, 4 mvts.,
14 min.)
(The 3rd Movement Flamenco adds castanets, and can be used as
a separate
piece.)
* A Cloudy Day for 4 flutes (Nov. 1999, 3 mvts.,
8 min.)
(Winner of the June 2000 Hoff-Barthelson Flute Composition Competition)
* Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Bb Clarinet (Jan.
2002, 5 mvts., 15 min.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Bass Flute (Jan.
2003, 3 mvts., 14 min.) (Since it is unaccompanied, it can be
played on many sizes of flutes.)
* Sonata for Bass Flute and Piano (May 2003,
4 mvts., 25 min.) (The slow Second Movement is called Aulos, which
is a Fantasy: a set of 5 loose variations. The 5th Variation has
a series of 8 Stretto Fugues culminating in a Quadruple Directional
Stretto Fugue. It can be accompanied either by piano, or String
Orchestra as a Konzertstück. The solo part of the whole sonata
is transcribed to: Standard C Flute, Alto Flute in G, Flauti d'Amore
in Bb and A; Oboe, Oboe d'Amore in A, English Horn in F, Bass
Oboe, Heckelphone; and even Clarinets in Bb, A and C.)
* Duo for Flute and Bassoon (April 2003, 5 mvts.,
12 1/2 min.) (Transcribed to Eb Soprano and Bb Bass Clarinets.
Like the Duo Suite, the 4th Movement uses another a 2-minute Retrograde-Inversion
Canon, but this one is at the Major Ninth below.)
New!!
* Trio No. 1 for Oboe, English Horn and Bassoon (Dec.
2003, 5 mvts., 19 min.)
(The 4th Movement contains the Triple Fugues in Original, Inversion,
Retrograde and
Retrograde-Inversion directions for the first time in history,
all in one work, in Non-12-
Tone Harmony. The entire Trio is transcribed to Flute and two
Clarinets in either Bb or A.)
Other
Compositions
*
Brass Quintet No. 1 "Hercules" (Nov.
1992, 4 mvts., 36 min.) (The 4th movement is Woodson's first Double
Fugue.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Viola, (plus Violin
and Cello versions)
(July 1994, 4 mvts., 25 min.) (The 2nd movement is a True, 4-Voiced
Fugue, with 4 Expositions, and the 2nd Exposition uses the Fugue
in Inversion. Only J.S. Bach, Max Reger and Paul Hindemith have
succeeded in writing this kind of fugue.)
* Sonata for Four Horns (Dec. 1996, 3 mvts.,
14 min.)
* Scenes in an Oriental Garden: a Duo for Viola
and Percussion (March 1997, 8 mvts., 14 min.)
* Canticle for Unaccompanied Tuba (Sept. 1998,
6 min.) (Played by Professor Roger Bobo in May 2000.)
* Variations on a Theme by Bartók for
Unaccompanied Trumpet (Dec. 1998, 7 min.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Horn (Sept. 1997,
3 mvts., 12 min.)
* Arioso for Unaccompanied Trombone (Jan. 1999,
6 min.)
* Sonata for Viola and Piano (May 1999, 4 mvts.,
21 min.) (The 2nd movement is the Elegy for Dr. Peter Jona Korn,
which can also be used as a Konzertstück. The 4th movement
is a fugue that reviews themes from the previous movements, and
uses them in Double Counterpoint against the Fugue Subject.)
* Horn Concerto (Dec. 1999, 3 mvts. 16 min.)
(The 3rd movement uses the BEAR Motive [Bb-E-A-D], plus the entire
concerto has been transcribed to Euphonium.)
* Introduction and Ashkenazic Rhapsody for Harp
and Orchestra (April 2000, 9 min.)
* Musings for Unaccompanied Euphonium, or Baritone
(Sept. 2000, Fantasy Form, 7 min.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Bb Trumpet and Piano (Dec.
2000, 4 mvts., 17 min.) (The 2nd Movement is When He Bloweth a
Trumpet, Hear Ye [Isaiah 18:3], which can be used as a Konzertstück.
The 4th movement is a jazzy Fugue, which has one 4-bar phrase,
where Woodson harmonizes the Original Subject against itself in
Retrograde-Inversion for his first time.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Horn and Piano (March. 2001,
4 mvts., 28 min.) (The 2nd Movement is Our Horn Shall Be Exalted
[Psalms 89:17], which can be used as a Konzertstück. The
4th Movement is the BACH-DSCH/BEAR Double Fugue with a Triple
Fugue Coda for Horn and Piano, that uses Musical Notes to spell
the Names of Bach, Shostakovich and Bear Woodson, as Fugue Subjects
in the Woodson's first Triple Fugue. The solo part of the entire
sonata is transcribed to Euphonium and Tuba.)
* Suite for Two Bassoons (Jan. 2002, 5 mvts.,
18 min.) (Also called the Duo Suite, it is transcribed for pairs
or combinations of Bb Bass Clarinets, Celli, or an octave higher
for Viole, Bb Soprano Clarinets. The 4th Movement uses a canon
of the entire 2-minute melody against itself in Retrograde-Inversion,
[likely the longest in history], at a Major Seventh lower.)
* Sonata for Unaccompanied Clarinet (May 2002,
3 mvts., 16 min.) (Since it is unaccompanied, it can be played
on many sizes of clarinets.)
* In Memoriam for the Fallen Victims of the
9-11 Attack (July 2002, 7 min.) (It is a 6-Voiced Double Fugue
for Solo Horn and Strings. This will become the second movement
of Sonata No. 2 for Horn and Piano, but as of September 2003,
the 3rd and 4th movements have not yet been written.)
* Fanfare for the Fallen Heroes of the 9-11
Attack (August 2002, 8 1/2 min.) (It is a 4-Voiced Double Fugue
for String Orchestra, and was nominated with In Memoriam in the
Spring of 2003, for a Pulitzer Prize, as the only known time that
Two Double Fugues were written to commemorate one historic event.
There are plans to re-score it for Wind Ensemble, Brass with Percussion,
and Symphonic Orchestra.)
* Sonata No. 1 for Harp (Oct. 2002, 4 mvts.,
16 min.) (The 4th movement Fugue, uses the 2-bar phrase, Subject
against itself in Retrograde-Inversion again, but this time twice
in one movement. This is one of the very few fugues originally
conceived for the Harp, and the only time to use a Retrograde-Inversion
Canon on the Harp.)
*
Sonata No. 1 for (Bb) Clarinet [or Viola] and
Piano (June 2003, 4 mvts.; 26 min.) (The Slow, Second Movement,
Undimmed by Human Tears!, which can be used as a Konzertstück.
The 3rd Movement has tributes to the Slovenian Dedicatee, Professor
Joze Kotar, and Benny Goodman. The Benny Goodman Tribute contains
a Swing-styled Fugue and another Quadruple Directional Stretto
Fugue. The 4th Movement is a series of Canons and Fugues, including
yet another Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugue, and culminating
in a Triple Fugue [based on Themes from the first three movements],
and a Triple Fugue in Retrograde [which is likely the only one
in history]. This sonata might even be transcribed an octave lower
to Bb Bass Clarinet and Bassoon.)
* Sextet for Clarinet
Ensemble (Aug. 2003, 3 mvts., 18' 30") (It is scored for
the 5 sizes of clarinets in the Slovenian Clarinet Sextet, being:
Eb Soprano, 2 Bb Soprano, Eb Alto, Bb Bass and Bb Contra Bass,
clarinets. The relaxed 1st Movement Idyll contains another Double
Fugue and Quadruple Directional Stretto Fugue. The 2nd Movement
is a lively, comical scherzo form, with melodies that sound like
laughter. The 3rd Movement is a Theme with 6 Variations, allowing
each clarinet to be the soloist of a whole variation.)
New!!
* Quintet and Quintuple Fugue for Bb Clarinet, Violin,
Viola, Cello and Bass (Aug. 2004, 5 mvts., 29 min.)
(The First Movement is one of Woodson's most lyrical works, while
the optional Fifth Movement is one of the few Quintuple Fugues
of all history. This means it harmonizes Five Different Fugues
simultaneously!)
New!!
* Fantasy on a Theme used by Josquin Des Prez for
Viola and Orchestra (Jan. 2005, Theme & 13 Variations, 23
min.)
(Josquin Des Prez [ca. 1440-1521] honored and studied the works
of the Renaissance Master Composer Johannes Ockeghem [ca. 1410-1497],
who was famous for his Cancrizans Canons. These are canons that
overlap the original melody with itself written in Retrograde,
and are also known as Retrograde Canons. In like fashion this
Fantasy also contains Retrograde-Inversion Canons and several
Inversion Canons. The Final Variation is crowned by two Quadruple
Directional Stretto Fugues, being Woodson’s 5th and 6th!
Although the Josquin Fantasy is technically a Viola Concerto,
with many passages that feature the Harp as a co-soloist, most
of the woodwinds and brasses get lyrical solos by playing the
many canons.)
for
more information,
email
"Bear "Woodson
27 February 2005