The Music of Dennis W. Ritz
 
First Draft Completed April 22, 2012
Poems for Oboe and Strings
Pastoral
Solo e Pensoso
Scherzo
Legend
Chase, Quiet
Written Dec. 27-28, 2011

Be Thou My Vision for Piano Quintet and voice
for Blaire and David, on the occasion of their wedding
Saturday, January 7, 2012

 
Written Nov 28-Dec 9, 2011:  

Concerto for Trumpet and Strings
Moderato
Andante
Energico

 
Written Nov 15-22, 2011:  

Pastorals for English horn and Strings
Larghetto
Larghetto
Andante
Andante
Adagio
Moderato

 
Written October 28-November 4, 2011:  

Sonata for English Horn and Piano
Larghetto
Adagio
Larghetto
Largo
Andante

 
Written September 16-23, 2011:  

Concerto da Camera for Oboe and Strings

 
Written September 1-8, 2011:  

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Moderato
Larghetto
Scherzo
Con Spirito

 
Written August 11-24, 2011:  
Heard Among the Pines for orchestra
In honor of Davis and Jeanette Wiggin and their
long and distinguished tenure as Directors
of the New England Music Camp
 
Completed August 5, 2011:  

Revisions of Suite No. 3 for Flute Sextet. Collaboration with colleague, Mark Hartman.
The Girl from Ipanema
Corcovado
One Note Samba

 
Summer Project-Completed!  
Reduction orchestration of twelve scenes from The Nutcracker scored for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, strings, piano, timpani/percussion for the Chambersburg Ballet Theatre. Premier--December 3, 2011.
 
Written week of June 5, 2011:  

Sonata No 3 for Oboe and Piano
Moderato
Larghetto
Andante

Moderato

 
Written May 16-18, 2011:  
Sonata No 2 for Oboe and Piano
Movement 1
Movement 2 (Pastoral)
Movement 3 (La Valse)
 
Written April 3-9, 2011; Revised May 5-7, 2011:  

Sonata No 1 for Oboe and Piano
Movement 1, Larghetto--Spirito
Movement 2, Larghetto
Movement 3, Vivace (Rondo)

 
Written February 21-28, 2011:

Scenes from Childhood for Oboe, Cello, and Piano
1 Don't Remember Much About Being Born
2 Things That Creak and Bump in the Night
3 Lullaby

4 Non-stop Activity and Short Attention Span
5 School
6 Impossible Highs, Bottomless Lows--Adolescence
7 Love Found, Love Lost
8 Ma Fin Est Mon Commencement

Written January 2011:

A Pennywhistle for your Thoughts for Pennywhistle and Cello
Gotta Start Somewhere
Cogitations and Contemplations
Barbara's Jig

 
Written December 2010:

Meditations on Psalm 66 for SATB Choir and Piano
1 Prelude
2 Fughetta
3 Chorale

Completed December 2010:

Scoring of Lavinia Reid's The Little Mermaid, for duo piano and percussion. This fifteen-scene ballet is possibly Lavinia's finest creation, and it is absolutely stunning. It premiered at Chambersburg's (PA) January 29 Icefest with two performances.

Composed September 2010:

Prelude for Tuba and Piano
Fugue for Tuba and Piano

 
Composed May 2010:

Reese's Pieces, a four movement jazz suite for alto flute, cello, piano, and set composed for Tom and Laurie Reese and The Reese Project Jazz Ensemble.

Click to hear an excerpt from Laurie
Click to hear an excerpt from Bleu Pas de Deux
Click to hear an excerpt from Sorta Samba
Click to hear an excerpt from Tom Foolery

(Notated sections only; all improvisation areas cut)
Listen to Finale-generated MP3s of recently-composed pieces.

music for flute choir
music for oboe and bassoon
music for clarinet choir
Music for Brass and Percussion
music for tuba and piano
Music to Die For for Cello and Piano
The Gift of the Magi ballet music