Music by
DANIEL DORFF

OPERA, CHORUS, and VOICE
 
OPERA for YOUNG AUDIENCES

Stone Soup: An Operatic Fable in One Delicious Act  
for SATB Soloists, optional SATB Chorus, and Piano (or Chamber Orchestra)

Duration: c. 35'
A light-hearted comical interpretation of the fable, in which a Solider (T.) is hungry and lost, but with the help of children and Mayor (A.), he convinces the Vegetable Lady (S.) and Butcher (B.) to contribute food to his soup. The musical refrain "It Takes All Kinds of People to Make Up a Happy Town" is echoed by the story's use of all kinds of food to make the most delicious Stone Soup, and to celebrate community and diversity.
 INSTRUMENTATION: Piano Accompaniment, or  1111-1110 Pno Hp 1Perc Strings
COMMISSIONED by Young Audiences' Philadelphia chapter for ongoing in-school visits; OVER 1000 PERFORMANCES in a continuous run for 20 seasons.
PERFORMED by The Atlanta Opera 50 times during the 2012-13 season.
AVAILABLE (piano-vocal score) from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
(Orchestra score and parts on rental.)

PROGRAM NOTES and FULL SYNOPSIS 

   
   
    scene from Young Audiences of Philadelphia,
in-school premiere

   
    scene from The Atlanta Opera 2012-13 production
CHORUS
Alleluia in D for SATB Chorus with optional Piano

Duration: c. 2'

PERFORMANCES include College Misericordia choir at St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

AUDIO EXCERPT

"adds a further example to the growing body of Alleluias to emerge from American organ lofts.
          – Music Teacher (UK), July 1991.
Recommended in The American Organist by Philip Brunelle, November 1991.
Flames for SATB Chorus, a cappella

Duration: c. 3'
Poem by Catullus, in English translation.

 AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

AUDIO EXCERPT
He Is Love for Two-part Chorus and Piano
Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Pat Silver.

 AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

ALSO AVAILABLE for Voice with Brass Quintet.

PROGRAM NOTES

Heaven-Haven for SATB Chorus, a cappella

Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

PREMIERED by Florence County (N.J.) Community Singers, Frank Bonanno conducting, May 19, 1985.
Jabberwocky for SATB Chorus, a cappella

Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Lewis Carroll.

AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

AUDIO EXCERPT
Scholars' Refrain for TTBB Chorus and Piano

Duration: c. 4'
Poem from Carmina Burana, in English translation.

COMPOSED for and PREMIERED at the Cornell University 1978 Commencement ceremony.
The Colors of Creation for SATB Chorus, a cappella
Duration: c. 6'
Poem by Romaine Samworth.

COMMISSIONED and PREMIERED by the Ithaca College School of Music, November 2003.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

PROGRAM NOTES

VOICE (WITH PIANO OR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE)
Ambivalence of Opposites for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 7'
Poem by Mary Frances Wack.

PREMIERED by Jeannie Clark Fisher and Clifford Earle, Ithaca, Spring 1978.
Ave Maria
for Voice and Piano (or with Flute, Oboe, 2 Clars., and Glockenspiel)

Duration: c. 2'

PREMIERED by Christina Lynn soprano, Philadelphia, July 1980.
AVAILABLE (chamber version) from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
AVAILABLE (piano version) from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
Dreams for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Catullus, in English translation.

PREMIERED by Candace Sassaman and Mary Murphy, Philadelphia, September 29, 1979.
Eyelash Wish for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 3'
Poem by Jessica Greenbaum.

PREMIERED by Diane Rama, New York, 1974.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
RECORDED on Capstone Records by Helene Williams and Leonard Lehrman.
Five Songs from the Goliards
for Tenor, Clarinet/Soprano Sax, Bassoon, Trombone, Viola/Percussion, and Cello/Percussion

Duration: c. 10'
Poems from Carmina Burana, in English translation.
Kokoro o Komete for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Eri Takahira; title means "From the bottom of my heart" (Japanese).

Premiered by Christina Lynn and James Primosch, Philadelphia, October 23, 1982.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
PROGRAM NOTES

 

 
Kurontokai for Tenor and Piano

Duration: c. 12'
Cantata on Tamil love poems, translated by A.K. Ramanujan.
Nature for Voice and Piano
Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Arshile Gorky.

PREMIERED by Candace Sassaman and Mary Murphy, University of Pennsylvania, September 29, 1979.
Newness for Baritone and Flute

Duration: c. 3'
Poem from Carmina Burana, in English translation.
On Drowning for Tenor, Flute, Bass Clarinet, Viola, and Crotales  

Duration: c. 17'
Poem by Deborah Wong.
Si Linguis Angelicis for Soprano, Flute or Clarinet, and Piano

Duration: c. 2'
Poem from Carmina Burana.

PREMIERED by Christina Lynn, Deborah Wong (Flute), and James Primosch, Philadelphia, October 23, 1982.
PERFORMANCES include the 1999 Derriere Garde festival in San Francisco.
The Center Ring for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 2'
Words by the composer.

PREMIERED by Jody Applebaum and Marc-André Hamelin, through Network for New Music, Philadelphia, February 3, 1985.
The Curse of Catullus   for Soprano, Tenor, Flute/Alto Flute, Soprano Sax/Alto Sax, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Electric Piano, and 2 Percussion
Duration: c. 14'
Poems by Catullus, in English translation.

PREMIERED by Mimmi Fulmer and Jeffrey Rehbach, conducted by Duane Heller, at Cornell University, Winter 1978.
Tidal Song for Voice and Piano
Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Jody Tannenbaum.

PREMIERED by Diane Rama, New York, 1974.
Tobetara for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 2'
Poem by Eiko Fan; title means "To be able to fly" (Japanese).

PREMIERED by Janis Sabatino Hills soprano, and Jane Leslie piano, Commack, NY, October 22, 1998.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.

 

 

 
To Daffodils for Baritone and Cello

Duration: c. 3½'
Poem by Robert Herrick

COMMISSIONED by Orchestra 2001.
PREMIERED at Orchestra 2001's AIDS Quilt concert, May 26, 1996, Philadelphia
Kevin McDowell baritone, Lori Barnet cello.
Two Alphabetical Songs for Voice and Piano
Duration: c. 2'
Texts by the composer, with the words in alphabetical order.

PREMIERED November 11, 1995 by Manuela Ochakowski soprano, and Johannes Harneit piano, and broadcast across Europe, as a winner of the Neue Musik in Delmenhorst competition.
Yuki no Uta for Voice and Piano

Duration: c. 3'
Poem by the composer about the comforting beauty of snow, translated into Japanese by Eiko Takahira.

PREMIERED by Yukiko Ishida May 25, 2000 in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.
AVAILABLE from your favorite sheet music dealer or direct from Presser.
PROGRAM NOTES

 

 

 

 
 


last updated March 14, 2020
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