10 minutes, Advanced. Alymar $8
20th Century work in the style of the 19th Century ballades of Chopin and Brahms.
This work is in a quasi two-part form. The first part presents a motivic theme, accompanied by some dissonant harmonies. It is episodic and restless. The second part introduces a very lyrical and romantic theme that is followed by a developmental section. The work concludes with another statement of the lyrical second theme followed by a short codetta.
6 minutes, Advanced. Alymar $7
A highly emotional work that begins in atonality and gradually moves to a most tonal conclusion. The form used is related to the classical sonata form. The A theme is lyrical but with some dissonant harmonies. The B theme is highly chromatic and in an extremely up-tempo mostly triple meter. Each time Resistance has been performed it has created great excitement from the audience.
(Nocturne)
6+ minutes Advanced Alymar $10
This is a highly romantic work that is written in the style of a Chopin Nocturne. The themes presented here are found in Act I, Scene 2 of the opera Lily. The form is episodic with developmental work intersecting the melodic statements. This work was premiered in Rome, Italy on May 8, 2011 by Elitza Harbova.
9 minutes, Upper intermediate. Alymar, score and parts $20.00
Piano Trio (Violin, Cello, Piano)
This is a romantic one-movement work in a broad ternary form. It begins with a dark theme in the two stringed instruments. After the piano enters with that theme it then moves to a romantic melody. The B section is up-tempo with a light melody that is tossed around among the 3 instruments. It returns to an abbreviated A section.
This piece is dedicated to the memory of my brother Gari Baxter.
(This is a revision of an earlier work: The Rejected Stone.)
Prizewinner at the 1997 Delius Composition Competition. A song cycle that depicts four different romantic moods.
8-9 minutes Difficulty levels vary Alymar $15
Words by W. B. Yeats
Two and a half minutes. Upper intermediate
(The only one of the four songs in this cycle that should be sung by a male voice.)
A song of lost love.
Through-composed. (Although it ends with a return to the opening line.) Lyrical with a soaring dramatic climactic point near the end.
Words by Sara Teasdale
One and a half minutes, Intermediate
This is a song that expresses deep love. (Dedicated to the composer's wife, Katherine.) In binary form with the same melodic figure opening both sections of the song.
The song is somewhat chromatic but very lyrical and expressive.
Words by Sara Teasdale
Two and a half minutes, Intermediate.
This is a poem reflecting a melancholy mood.
Through-composed with a recurring piano figure. This is a romantic, expressive song that reflects the melancholy of the words.
Words by Thomas Hardy
One and half minutes, Intermediate (somewhat more difficult for singer.)
The poem is a cute look at young love.
The song is in a free strophic form.
It is chromatic with some leaps for the singer.
From Act I, Scene I of Lily
Arranged for voice and piano.
This aria, sung by Lily to her main love interest Seldon, is a declaration of her dependence on others to maintain her social standing. It is written in the style of traditional operatic arias. That is to say there is strong melodic writing enveloped in a recognizable form.
An aria and duet from Act I, Scene II of Lily, an opera.
6 minutes, piano part is arranged from orchestral score.
This ultra-romantic excerpt from Lily begins with the aria, I have said I love you, sung by the male lead, Seldon, in which he declares his love for Lily and hopes for her love. This is followed by the duet I dare not dream, in which Lily and Seldon, indeed, express their love for one another.
A song from Act I, Scene I of Lily, an opera.
2 minutes, piano part is an arrangement of the orchestral score.
This song is part of the tableaux vivants that are in the opening section of scene I. It is sung by Marie-Lucette Fabienne. This is a simple, folk-like tune is sung while she is portraying the painting The Date Seller by Edwin Longsden Long.
An aria from Act I, Scene III of Lily, an opera.
5 minutes, piano part is an arrangement of the orchestral score.
This aria comes near the end of the first act. Lily has just realized that her life seems to be spiraling downhill. She reflects that life was so much easier before. Every thing was falling in place. Now she is in danger of losing everything and she also is concerned about the well-being of Seldon.
Three songs on poems by former Maryland state poet laureate.
8 minutes, Difficulty varies. Alymar $12
Two and half to three minutes. Intermediate.
A song about middle age and the acceptance of our limitations and inadequacies.
Through-composed song with a recurring romantic piano melody.
One and a half minutes Upper intermediate to advanced.
The only one of the three songs that should be sung by a female voice.
A humorous song of the modern woman standing up for her dignity.
Through-composed but with similar melodic ideas throughout.
Two and half to three minutes. Easy vocal, intermediate piano.
This is a thoughtful song about the death of a woman.
Through-composed bluesy song with extended dramatic piano part.
Words by Sara Teasdale
For female voice and piano.
Two and a half minutes Intermediate Alymar $5
A song expressing the realization that we can't always live up to our expectations.
In ternary form.
Intermediate level for both performers.
3 and a half minutes, Intermediate. Alymar $7
Words by Garth Baxter and Katherine Baxter freely adapted from a poem by Willa Cather
For female voice and piano.
Voice and piano version of highly successful song originally written for voice and guitar.
Touching memorial to the composer's wife's grandmother.
This song never fails to bring great response from audiences. It speaks to all who have lost a loved one.
Words by Thomas Hardy
Three minutes, Difficult for vocalist, intermediate for piano. Alymar $5
Heartbreaking lyrics of a wife receiving a letter stating that her husband has been killed in war, and then the next day she receives a letter from her husband written shortly before he died telling her how much he looked forward to seeing her again.
The music dramatically depicts the romance and the tragedy of the lyrics.
Words by Thomas Hardy
One and a half minutes Easy Alymar $4
A touching song of sung from the point of view of a soldier who killed another man in war and realizing that in another situation they might have been friends.
Simple folk-like song easy for both the singer and the pianist.
Voice and Guitar or Voice and Piano
6 minutes, Difficulty varies. Alymar
Words by William Blake.
3 minutes, Lower advanced.
An interesting text that begins as a lullaby of a mother to a baby and then midway becomes a song about the baby Jesus.
The music is set in a binary form to reflect the poetry. Each section has two verses with each being set to similar music.
Tonal but highly chromatic with many leaps for the vocalist in the A section. The B section is almost folk-like in simplicity.
Words by Chaim Stern.
3 minutes, Lower intermediate.
Highly touching words about losing a loved one.
Through-composed but with many similar phrases.
Voice and Guitar or Voice and Piano.
6 minutes, Difficulty varies. Alymar.
Two and a half minutes, Intermediate for voice, upper intermediate for guitarist.
The song captures the mood of light romantic innocence with just a hint of melancholy. This, as well as the other two songs from this set, is written in the style of a renaissance lute song.
It is written in AA'BA"B' form.
3 minutes, Difficult for voice, upper intermediate for guitarist.
A new setting of the famous song by Orlando Gibbons (?)
Set in ternary form with a coda.
2 minutes, Intermediate for voice, upper intermediate for guitarist.
Light hearted love song.
Through composed but similar motives in each verse.
9 minutes, upper intermediate level, ALRY Publications. CD $5 (available late fall, 2003)
The Silver Run is a two-movement work in the neo-romantic style. The first movement, in ternary form, begins with a lyrical chromatic melody that is the centerpiece of this movement. The middle section develops a transitional motive from the first section. The second movement, also in ternary form, is rather upbeat. The first of the two primary themes is lyrical, but active. The second is more rhythmic and chromatic. This is a substantial and fun composition that is sure to be a hit at recitals.
7 minutes, Intermediate to upper intermediate. Alymar $10, CD $5
This single movement work is in arch form. There are three mail melodies. The first is jazzy in its harmonic and melodic approach. The second theme, which is more up-tempo, is first hinted at in an interlude between statements of the first theme. It serves as a vehicle for some very interesting development. At the center of the piece is a sorrowful theme based on the folk song The Willow Tree. This is a melancholy piece written especially for the Parisian saxophonist Romain Gravier.
From Act II, Scene I of Lily
4 1/2 minutes, piano part is an arrangement of the orchestral score.
This aria is sung by Lily after she finds herself forced to work in a hat shop and discovers that she doesn't have the skills to do the work.
For Violin and Piano
6 + minutes
Could you dream what I dream is a romantic work written for violinist Nicholas Currie. The opening melody is borrowed from an aria sung in Act I, Scene II, by the male lead in the opera Lily which Mr. Baxter is writing with librettist Lisa VanAuken.
