A live performance of Mendelssohn's Concertpiece No. 2 at the Westside Presbyterian Church in the town where I live, Ridgewood, NJ. I always love performing for my neighbors, and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to perform in this beautiful space so many times over the years. This concert was on March 1st, and was one of the last public performances I did before the COVID lockdowns. I'm so glad I got this one in.

Here is a live recording of MUCS Bryan Kidd's arrangement "Benny Goodman - Memories of You" from Trophy Point at West Point. The piece is always a challenge, and it became even more challenging when my daughter tried to chase her ball on stage while I was holding a high B at the end of the piece. Whew!

Just a quick run-through of one of the most beautiful things ever written. I usually play these straight off of the cello part, so everything sounds down a whole step.

John Parrette’s fantastic arrangement of Beethoven’s Quartet No. 10 was recorded the same week as Bartók’s Quartet No. 2.

Beethoven's Quartet in E-flat major, Opus 74 was written in the summer and fall of 1809, a difficult time for all the residents of Vienna, which was under attack by the French.  In late July, Beethoven complained to his publisher about his inability to compose amidst the noise and chaos of the invasion.  However, as is so often the case with composers under duress, Beethoven composed a quartet that completely belies the gloomy circumstances surrounding its composition.  Beethoven's Opus 74 is full of hope, warmth and affection.
The quartet opens with a contemplative introduction in the key of E-flat major.  The introduction is introspective and pulls quickly towards the sober subdominant, A-flat, the key of the slow second movement.  The Allegro that follows the introduction is confident and robust.  It immediately displays a similar tendency towards the subdominant.  Soon, the harp-like pizzicati for which the quartet received its nickname follow.  The development contains a wonderfully exultant C-major treatment of the main theme, and the coda creates one of the most original and powerful passages in quartet writing to date.  The first and second clarinets break out into gleaming arpeggios as if suddenly performing a concerto.  While the notes fly by, the texture deepens and solidifies beneath the arpeggios.  The quartet crescendos to a tremendous level of intensity before the movement ends.
The gentle A-flat Adagio is in the form of a rondo.  This movement contains one of Beethoven’s longest and most beautiful melodies.  The striking melody appears three times, each time with subtle variations.  A more melancholy episode makes an appearance before the next occurrence of the main melody each time.  The last portion of the Adagio prominently features the famous pizzicato arpeggios.
The third movement is a very vigorous C-minor Scherzo.  Its rhythm suggests the opening statement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.  The trio of the movement is increasingly riotous, flying by at an even faster tempo than the opening of the movement and in a major key.  The similarities with the Fifth Symphony become even more striking when the Scherzo fades into a whispering pianissimo that behaves similarly to the famous bridge into the Fifth Symphony's finale.
The final movement of the quartet is a delightful theme and variations.  The variations range in demeanor from pompous to warm and even introspective.  The quartet is pushed to its limits in the final variation before Beethoven taunts the listener with the final two notes of the piece.  After building to a tremendous climax, the piece falls away into a quaint, nearly mocking ending.

Shortly after arriving at the West Point Band in 2002, I began arranging Béla Bartók’s Quartet No. 2 for four clarinets. I have always loved this piece, and arranging it was a labor of love. It enabled me to obtain a much deeper understanding of the piece than I ever would have by studying it alone. I scored it for two Bb clarinets, one A clarinet and bass clarinet. I chose to leave the notes as-written, meaning the clarinet quartet sounds a whole-step lower than Bartók intended.

When I found out I was recording the Poulenc Sextet with my woodwind quintet, I was thrilled. One of my teachers, Anthony Gigliotti, had performed the Poulenc Sextet with Poulenc himself playing piano. I fondly recalled the memories of him telling stories of what it was like to work with Poulenc. The piece is full of brash energy, and is so unabashedly French sounding, I can nearly smell the red wine and cigarettes just listening to it.

Diana Powers - flute, Carey Winans - oboe, Sam Kaestner - clarinet
Glenn West - bassoon, Josh Phillips - French horn, Yalin Chi - piano

Recorded in the winter of 2008 at the West Point Band’s Egner Hall, West Point, NY.