Tone Poem

This is my all-time favorite of Beethoven's 32 sonatas, the Hammerklavier.  This is the fourth of four movements.

This is my all-time favorite of Beethoven's 32 sonatas, the Hammerklavier.  This is the second of four movements.

This is my all-time favorite of Beethoven's 32 sonatas, the Hammerklavier.  This is the third of four movements.

This is my all-time favorite of Beethoven's 32 sonatas, the Hammerklavier.  This is the first of four movements.

This piece was written and given as a Christmas gift to my amazing wife, Tara.  It was played beautifully by my very good friend, David Lloyd, who is the principal cellist with the Carroll Symphony Orchestra and plays with me in the chamber ensemble Atlanta by Six.

Day 9: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Day 8: The Carroll Symphony Orchestra presents a Christmas Pops concert each year, and I usually allow the audience to submit requests.  After intermission, we roll out a grand piano and I play the most requested tunes.  Here is a portion of the improvisation from last Thursday night, December 15, 2016.  I include it in this series, on Christmas Eve, because it contains Clement Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  (I very nearly remembered the poem!)  

Day 7: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Day 6: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Day 5: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Day 4: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Day 3: Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album A Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Each day leading to Christmas I will release a recording from my Christmas album Silent Night. Merry Christmas to all!

Schubert's wonderful Impromptu in G-flat major is a favorite of mine and of many.  I hope you enjoy.

This is my first podcast in a while.  I've been thinking a lot about the music that I would like to share in the future, and while "Piano Lab" was a lot of fun, the new show "Tone Poem" will allow me to feature more orchestral, choral and other non-piano music.  Of course, there will still be a good bit of piano music - especially music for piano and orchestra - but the new name will more accurately describe the show from now on.  The piece featured in this episode is a Tone Poem for piano, called Asleep.  I've shared it before, but I thought it would be appropriate to share it once more as the first piece under the new podcast name. I hope you enjoy this piece, written when my oldest daughter was an infant.  It was inspired by the many nights I spent rocking her to sleep.

This is a beautiful organ setting by Peter DeWitt of a very old Advent Noel, Bereden vag for Herran (Prepare the way, O Zion).  The recording is from an organ recital that I gave on December 20.  I hope you enjoy this and that you have a very Merry Christmas!

This is a beautiful organ setting by Peter DeWitt of a very old Advent Noel, Bereden vag for Herran (Prepare the way, O Zion).  The recording is from an organ recital that I gave on December 20.  I hope you enjoy this and that you have a very Merry Christmas!

Debussy's beautiful suite for piano, Estampes. I hope you enjoy!

Crucifixus, one of my choral compositions for Lent