Matthew Hetz / Digital Concerts
Links for the Digital Concerts are Below
Program Notes to the works are with each Digital Concert
1. Nineteen Crowns - Six Pieces for Violin/Viola/Viola
COVID 19 is for Corona Virus Disease, 2019-the year of its discovery. This work is my reactions and emotions to the unknowns of the disease when it began, and sorrow at the incredible number of death from the virus, particularly in the Black and Brown communities. Crown is English for Corona
2. Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings - Solo Cello
School shootings are tremendous tragedies, unique to the U.S. This work, and the following No. 3, are my reactions to these senseless acts, a memorial to those killed, reflections on those who witnessed horrific scenes of carnage who carry those images to thoughts to the friends and families of those killed.
3. Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings - Piano Version/Composer performs his work
4. Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin
I play, somewhat, the violin, and this is my greetings to this wonderful instrument.
5. Disappearing Song Birds of Saint Francis of Assisi
Annually millions of birds disappear, lessening the overall bird population. These losses are from habitat loss and degradation, pollution and climate change. It is said St. Francis of Assisi spoke a sermon to a group of birds he encountered.
6. LVANB 31.3, Composer performs his work
Variations from Beethoven Piano Sonata Opus 31, No. 3. The variations are very free form. I used only the first eight measures, and concentrated on the first six, but did not use the standard variation form measure for measure. I did, however, use only the notes, or pitches, found in those eight measures. The composer plays this work.
7. Trying to Flee Rockets / Premiered Festival Osmosse 2022
This work is my reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and tries to imagine people trying to flee the attacks to find temporary refuge, but the attacks continue.
8. String Quartet, No. 4, Blue
For an unexplained reason, at times feel colors for the different keys of music. For A Major, it is blue. This digital concert is through Rob Voisey's Vox Novus.
9. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Link to movie of performance
This digital concert is through Rob Voisey's Vox Novus.
10. A Gravitational Pull Towards Sadness, Piano Four Hands
This work was chosen for the 2024 Festival Osmose, Belgium, Daniel Baas, Artistic Director
11. Three Duos for Violin and Viola
In another collaboration with the remarkable Annelle Gregory, my work, “Three Duos for Violin and Viola,” were recorded and filmed as the latest Digital Concert.
❂
1. Nineteen Crowns
Six Pieces for Violin/Viola/Viola
Matthew Hetz - Composer
Annelle Gregory - Violin/Viola/Viola
©Matthew Hetz and Annelle K. Gregory
This suite are my reactions and emotions to the virus Coronavirus/COVID 19/SARS-CoV-2. No matter the terms, the virus has devastated millions, and in the U.S. has greatly and tragically affected the Black/African American and Latino Communities.
1. Prelude
2. Spiritual, Adapted from my School Works for String Orchestra
3. Mexican Song, adapted from my School Works for String Orchestra
4. Aria: 19 Crowns, adapted from my String Symphony, No. 3
5. Chorale I, Vergiss mein nicht, vergiss mein nicht/
Do Not Forget Me, Do Not Forget Me, Bass Line: J. S. Bach
6. Chorale II, Meines Lebens letze Zeit/My Life’s Last Time, Bass line: J. S. Bach
Matthew Hetz
Los Angeles, December 2021
Website: https://www.matthewhetz.com
Annelle Gregory
Website: http://www.annelleviolin.com
I. Prelude ⥣
II. Spiritual ⇑
III. Mexican Song ⥣
IV. Aria: Nineteen Crowns ⥣
V. Chorale I, Vergiss mein nicht, vergiss mein nicht/
Do not Forget Me, Do Not Forget Me, Bass Line: J. S. Bach ⥣
Do not Forget Me, Do Not Forget Me, Bass Line: J. S. Bach ⥣
VI. Chorale II, Meines Lebens letze Zeit/My Life’s Last Time, Bass line: J. S. Bach ⥣
❂
2. "Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings"
Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello
Matthew Hetz
Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings©2021 | For Cello, and Piano Transcription by the composer.
Cellist Maksim Velichkin requested of me an elegy for solo cello. In thinking about this Elegy, this mourning or praise of the dead, my thoughts were of the continuing tragedies of school shootings, and indeed, all mass shootings. The cello version is in the Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello presentation. LINK
Matthew Hetz/Los Angeles/March 1, 2021
In the Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello, my work is around the 24 minute mark, and I recommend you listen the entire concert, it is well worth your time. My thanks to Parma Records. LINK
Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello
Matthew Hetz
Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings©2021 | For Cello, and Piano Transcription by the composer.
Cellist Maksim Velichkin requested of me an elegy for solo cello. In thinking about this Elegy, this mourning or praise of the dead, my thoughts were of the continuing tragedies of school shootings, and indeed, all mass shootings. The cello version is in the Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello presentation. LINK
Matthew Hetz/Los Angeles/March 1, 2021
In the Parma Records MOTO VIRTUO II/Ovidiu Marinescu-Cello, my work is around the 24 minute mark, and I recommend you listen the entire concert, it is well worth your time. My thanks to Parma Records. LINK
❂
3. Elegy for the Victims and Survivors of School Shootings. Piano. The composer performs his work.
The piano work is an expansion of the Cello Elegy, with more material. The piano opening is my portrayal of the typical energies of a school day, and then an internal alarm that the world is not right. There are deafening silences as the students and teachers try to make sense of the situation. The Elegy is my imagining of the terrors of the students trying to make sense of the shooting, huddled in classrooms- sometimes next to a bloodied body-and leaving the school and passing the dead.
This Elegy is for those dead, for those survivors who witnessed these horrors, and for the surviving family and friends of the dead whose souls are forever marked by these tragedies.
This Elegy is for those dead, for those survivors who witnessed these horrors, and for the surviving family and friends of the dead whose souls are forever marked by these tragedies.
❂
4. Partita No. 2, for Solo Violin
This Partita was composed 2005, and revised 2020. This movie was performed, recorded, filmed and edited by the very talented Annelle Gregory.
Thank you.
Matthew Hetz
To Composers: The very talented Annelle Gregory performed, recorded, filmed and edited the movie. I find her quite remarkable as a musician, and a very good partner to work with. For information on regarding your solo violin work, or violin with simple piano accompaniment, viola, and violin and viola, please contact her. Her other movies are on YouTube.
Annelle K. Gregory, [email protected], www.AnnelleViolin.com
This Partita was composed 2005, and revised 2020. This movie was performed, recorded, filmed and edited by the very talented Annelle Gregory.
Thank you.
Matthew Hetz
To Composers: The very talented Annelle Gregory performed, recorded, filmed and edited the movie. I find her quite remarkable as a musician, and a very good partner to work with. For information on regarding your solo violin work, or violin with simple piano accompaniment, viola, and violin and viola, please contact her. Her other movies are on YouTube.
Annelle K. Gregory, [email protected], www.AnnelleViolin.com
Movement 1: Electric Currents. I am honored that Annelle chose this movement for her Masters Recital at USC. The idea is the relentless movement of electricity on wires, with the double stops of eight notes and rests as moments of indecision on where to go next. (Similar to Life.) Longer double stops should be thought of as glowing lights.There is the repeating figure of double stops sixteen notes, which should be thought of as sparks thrown off by the electricity.
Mvt. 2. Isolation. A sadness, some loneliness, looking for relief. Within these emotions, one is always trying to maintain composure. There were no current revisions to this movement. While composed in 2005, I think the mood fits our COVID isolation. The title is a mixture of Annelle's and my thoughts.
Mvt. 3. Convergence. The Culver City and Marina del Rey Symphony Orchestras were playing works by Copland, and his rhythms wound their way into my ear, and into this movement. There are also some Stravinsky influences. Maybe glimpses of Rachmaninov. Stravinsky and Rachmaninov lived in Los Angeles for years, and Copland lived here when composing film scores. Copland meets Stravinsky meets Rachmaninov in L.A.? The title is Annelle's. This movement went through extensive revisions to tighten the themes, remove excesses, and with Annelle's recommendations, changes to the double stops which open the movement and reappear throughout.
❂
5. Disappearing Song Birds of Saint Francis of Assisi
David Bohn, Organ
Mr. Bohn commissioned the work through a Call for Scores.
David Bohn, Organ
Mr. Bohn commissioned the work through a Call for Scores.
❂
6. LVANB 31.3
Variations / Remix My composition teacher at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Marshall Bialosky, introduced me to the Beethoven Piano Sonata, Opus 31, No. 3 (1801-02). It took me a while to understand why. Marshall, a past president of NACUSA, was trying to teach me that even though I was at the time, and remain, a basically tonally based composer, not all works begin in the tonic, in root position. This sonata remains one of my favorites for the lesson, and it illustrates the greatness of Beethoven’s grasp of harmony, form and structure, and the beauties and tensions in the work. The variations are very free form. I used only the first eight measures, and concentrated on the first six, but did not use the standard variation form measure for measure. I did, however, use only the notes, or pitches, found in those eight measures. (Composer at the piano.)
Variations / Remix My composition teacher at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Marshall Bialosky, introduced me to the Beethoven Piano Sonata, Opus 31, No. 3 (1801-02). It took me a while to understand why. Marshall, a past president of NACUSA, was trying to teach me that even though I was at the time, and remain, a basically tonally based composer, not all works begin in the tonic, in root position. This sonata remains one of my favorites for the lesson, and it illustrates the greatness of Beethoven’s grasp of harmony, form and structure, and the beauties and tensions in the work. The variations are very free form. I used only the first eight measures, and concentrated on the first six, but did not use the standard variation form measure for measure. I did, however, use only the notes, or pitches, found in those eight measures. (Composer at the piano.)
❂
7. Trying to Flee Rockets-Ukraine
Festival Osmosse 2022-Daneille Baas - Director | Matthew Hetz | Trying to Flee Rockets
Duo Gemini, Jean-Frédéric Molard et Jean-Noël Remiche
This work is a reaction to the continuing bombardment of Ukraine. It is not a depiction of the physical destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, but one trying to imagine the shock to the psyches, emotions and spirits of Ukrainians, how some who to needed to flee did and found refuge and respite, but the bombings continue.
Festival Osmosse 2022-Daneille Baas - Director | Matthew Hetz | Trying to Flee Rockets
Duo Gemini, Jean-Frédéric Molard et Jean-Noël Remiche
This work is a reaction to the continuing bombardment of Ukraine. It is not a depiction of the physical destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, but one trying to imagine the shock to the psyches, emotions and spirits of Ukrainians, how some who to needed to flee did and found refuge and respite, but the bombings continue.
❂
8. String Quartet, No. 4, Blue
Rob Voisey, of Vox Novus, produced a movie of my String Quartet, No, 4, Blue, performed by the Argus Quartet. In this movie the sounds and visuals are much improved from the earlier streaming of the concert. The link to the movie is below.
Argus Quartet is the fantastic group: Clara Kim - Violin / Giancarlo Latta - Violin / Maren Rothfritz - Viola / Mariel Roberts - Cello
Thank you, Argus Quartet, and thank you Rob Voisey for your production skills and values.
Sometimes I associate a color with a musical key, and for me, A (Major or minor, flat or sharp) is a shade of blue. It is more of a sense than a vision.I have been gravitating more towards tonalities, lyricism and melodies, and this quartet is certainly part of that journey. Also, with a number of my recent works as reactions to tragic events, this quartet is decidedly more upbeat. The outer movements are in major modes. The middle movement is informed with minor modes.
String Quartet, No. 4, Blue, 1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3.Allegro
LINK to Movie of String Quartet No. 4
LINK to Argus Quartet
Matthew Hetz. Los Angeles
Rob Voisey, of Vox Novus, produced a movie of my String Quartet, No, 4, Blue, performed by the Argus Quartet. In this movie the sounds and visuals are much improved from the earlier streaming of the concert. The link to the movie is below.
Argus Quartet is the fantastic group: Clara Kim - Violin / Giancarlo Latta - Violin / Maren Rothfritz - Viola / Mariel Roberts - Cello
Thank you, Argus Quartet, and thank you Rob Voisey for your production skills and values.
Sometimes I associate a color with a musical key, and for me, A (Major or minor, flat or sharp) is a shade of blue. It is more of a sense than a vision.I have been gravitating more towards tonalities, lyricism and melodies, and this quartet is certainly part of that journey. Also, with a number of my recent works as reactions to tragic events, this quartet is decidedly more upbeat. The outer movements are in major modes. The middle movement is informed with minor modes.
String Quartet, No. 4, Blue, 1. Allegro, 2. Adagio, 3.Allegro
LINK to Movie of String Quartet No. 4
LINK to Argus Quartet
Matthew Hetz. Los Angeles
❂
9. Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Rob Voisey, of Vox Novus, who produced a movie of my String Quartet, No, 4, Blue, performed by the Argus Quartet, also presented my Sonata for Clarinet and Piano with Thomas Piercy-Clarinet and and Tengku Irfan-Piano.
Here is the link for the movie performance on Composer's Voice:
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano-M. L. Hetz
Rob Voisey, of Vox Novus, who produced a movie of my String Quartet, No, 4, Blue, performed by the Argus Quartet, also presented my Sonata for Clarinet and Piano with Thomas Piercy-Clarinet and and Tengku Irfan-Piano.
Here is the link for the movie performance on Composer's Voice:
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano-M. L. Hetz
10. A Gravitational Pull Towards Sadness
I find my musical orbit gravitating more and more towards tonality. There are structures, relations, and emotions in tonality and its harmonies which continue to draw me in. While some think it is a dead musical language, I still feel tonality is valid and a living musical language since the shift in European music to tonality from modes in the 1600s. The emotions of the positive major keys to the complex minor key emotions such as sadness, melancholy, agitation are powerful. For the title of this work, minor key sadness is part of life.This piano four hand work was part of the 2024 Festival Osmose, Danielle Baas, Artistic Director. Fabio Schinazi and Guavain de Morant-Pianists, recorded November 23, 2024.
I find my musical orbit gravitating more and more towards tonality. There are structures, relations, and emotions in tonality and its harmonies which continue to draw me in. While some think it is a dead musical language, I still feel tonality is valid and a living musical language since the shift in European music to tonality from modes in the 1600s. The emotions of the positive major keys to the complex minor key emotions such as sadness, melancholy, agitation are powerful. For the title of this work, minor key sadness is part of life.This piano four hand work was part of the 2024 Festival Osmose, Danielle Baas, Artistic Director. Fabio Schinazi and Guavain de Morant-Pianists, recorded November 23, 2024.
❂
11. Three Duos for Violin and Viola
In another collaboration with the remarkable Annelle Gregory, my work, “Three Duos for Violin and Viola,” were recorded and filmed as the latest Digital Concert. I supplied the music; the backgrounds; chose the wardrobe from Annelle; and gave a few directions on the placement of the two musicians. Aside from that, these productions are the creation of Annelle who performed both parts; recorded and edited the audio; filmed and edited the camera work; placed the two Annelles in the frame; set the pacing; post production; and so forth. All was done with her usual keen sense of style.
Special Thanks for their support to Marilyn Prewoznik, Josefina Fernandez McEvoy and Tina Moodey.
These duos were composed 2002, and revised 2011. They were first performed by Robert Matsuda-violin and Carole Mukogawa-viola. The duos were the first works I composed with the Sibelius music notation program, and the first duo reflects the tentativeness in trying the program. The second duo is in a siciliana rhythm and is in a reflective minor key. The third piece is dancelike, on your toes, let’s dance.
While working with Annelle on the three digital concerts, it came to me that the two Annelles are like a couple, two people together, some new to each other, others in a long standing relationship.
The first duo have the couple communicating between themselves, and then they step out into the world. The various groups of three notes are their explorations. Their experiences are dependent upon on how long they’ve been together. Then, they turn back towards each other.
The second duo is tinged with minor key sadness, which we experience singularly, or within a couple. This duo begins in the siciliana rhythm.
The third dance-like duo finds the couple, or any couple, on their toes. Let’s dance.
In another collaboration with the remarkable Annelle Gregory, my work, “Three Duos for Violin and Viola,” were recorded and filmed as the latest Digital Concert. I supplied the music; the backgrounds; chose the wardrobe from Annelle; and gave a few directions on the placement of the two musicians. Aside from that, these productions are the creation of Annelle who performed both parts; recorded and edited the audio; filmed and edited the camera work; placed the two Annelles in the frame; set the pacing; post production; and so forth. All was done with her usual keen sense of style.
Special Thanks for their support to Marilyn Prewoznik, Josefina Fernandez McEvoy and Tina Moodey.
These duos were composed 2002, and revised 2011. They were first performed by Robert Matsuda-violin and Carole Mukogawa-viola. The duos were the first works I composed with the Sibelius music notation program, and the first duo reflects the tentativeness in trying the program. The second duo is in a siciliana rhythm and is in a reflective minor key. The third piece is dancelike, on your toes, let’s dance.
While working with Annelle on the three digital concerts, it came to me that the two Annelles are like a couple, two people together, some new to each other, others in a long standing relationship.
The first duo have the couple communicating between themselves, and then they step out into the world. The various groups of three notes are their explorations. Their experiences are dependent upon on how long they’ve been together. Then, they turn back towards each other.
The second duo is tinged with minor key sadness, which we experience singularly, or within a couple. This duo begins in the siciliana rhythm.
The third dance-like duo finds the couple, or any couple, on their toes. Let’s dance.
Violin and Viola Duo 1. ⥣
Violin and Viola Duo 2. ⥣
Violin and Viola Duo 3. ⥣
|
|