Euphonium and Piano

with Piano

In Memoriam was written in 2017 in memory of my aunt Janice Lester, who passed away from early onset Alzheimer’s the previous year. As the disease progressed, many memories and people faded from her mind, however, her love of music never went away. She always adored hearing me play slow melody pieces on my euphonium, and even in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, her eyes lit up as I played various works at her bedside in the assisted living home. Here, I attempt to convey her love of melodic writing along with the beauty of her kind, loving personality.

with Piano

Sonata No. 1 is a challenging, extended work for euphonium and piano. The first movement is a joyous and fast-paced study of the technical abilities of the euphonium. It is largely based off syncopations involving eighth and sixteenth notes, varied throughout the movement through sequencing, slight changes within the main motive, and changes in harmonic structure.

The second movement draws inspiration from the feeling of utter hopelessness that comes from losing a loved one. I tried to capture this bleakness with an almost drone-like euphonium and piano part that for the most part stays stagnant, but slowly builds up to a climax of despair.

The last movement is a tour-de-force that cycles through two separate themes before coming to a sudden tranquil section. This section is set by an ethereal piano progression soon joined by a flowing melody in the euphonium. A euphonium cadenza leads back into the original theme to close the piece.