Songbook
Posted: April 1, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
III. There is Dance All Around (Jouni Stenroos)
IV. Still and Rising Still
Download “Songbook” Score
Written in 2011 for Mark Clifton-Gaultier, five movements, ca. 12 minutes.
I’ve always been interested in vocal music, and “Songbook” is a song cycle where the guitar plays both the vocal and accompaniment parts. This was a very pleasant piece to write, and it felt natural and easy to come up with lyrical, mood-specific music.
If you download a score please consider paying for it. You can choose the amount.
Backpack Pieces
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Selections, demo
Download “Backpack Pieces” Score
Ten brief movements, ca. 11 minutes, written in 2011.
Featured in the Fall, 2012 issue of GFA’s Soundboard Magazine.
“We have to be grateful for talents like Michael who continue to provide us with great new sounds for the guitar. This is the kind of material our students are waiting for, refreshing, beautiful and inspired!”–Jan Depreter
Members of the Delcamp Guitar Forum banded together and commissioned this piece. I was aiming for a fun and easy score for seasoned players that could also work for some students. It was great fun to write and play, and I felt like I could have kept going on with it forever.
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Next Year
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: classical guitar, guitar composer, karmon music, michael karmon Leave a comment
Next Year (Daniel Bolshoy)
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Written in 2011 for Daniel Bolshoy, five movements, ca. 9 minutes.
“The piece is rich with tasty contrasts of rhythm and harmony, making for a set that will likely become popular program fare in a short time.”–Classical Guitar Canada
Daniel grew up in Israel, as did I, and I wanted to write music that reflects this connection. So I took the Old City as inspiration and tried to capture its elemental, strange, and unsettled essence. I enjoyed writing this piece, but I remember feeling strangely compelled to really strip things to the bone. Any kind of decorative flourish that didn’t serve a specific purpose ended up on the cutting room floor.
If you download a score please consider paying for it. You can choose the amount.
Campfire Songs
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Download “Campfire Songs” Score
Written in 2010 for the Arpeggione Duo, three movements, ca. 10 minutes.
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The Guitarist’s Guide to the Orchestra
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
II. Celesta (Michael Karmon)
Download “The Guitarist’s Guide to the Orchestra” Score
Five movements, ca. 6 minutes, written in 2010.
I sometimes miss writing for orchestra and this was a chance to pretend I’m doing it. (The movement titles are violin, celesta, marimba, cello, and flute.) This was a really fun piece to write and one that came easily, and I hope this shows in the music.
If you download a score please consider paying for it. You can choose the amount.
Rain
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: classical guitar, guitar composer, karmon music, michael karmon Leave a comment
I. Summer (Jouni Stenroos)
II. Fall
III. Winter
IV. Spring
Download “Rain” Score
Written in 2010 for James Day, four movements, ca. 10 minutes.
“Rain” was where I decided to start focusing on music that’s there for me to write, rather than on music that’s slightly out of reach. This small shift in attitude has made composing easier and more enjoyable for me. I tried to write direct and evocative music here, and I’m quite happy with how it turned out. It’s my most often performed solo piece.
If you download a score please consider paying for it. You can choose the amount.
Sonatina California
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Download “Sonatina California” Score
Written in 2009 for Michael Partington, three movements, ca. 12 minutes.
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Yovano, Yovanke
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
(Cavatina Duo)
Download “Yovano, Yovanke” Score
Written in 2006 for the Cavatina Duo, single movement, ca. 5 minutes.
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Sessions
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Download “Sessions” Score
Written in 2007 for Duo 46, four movements, ca. 13 minutes.
Mvt. I. Saturday Morning
Mvt. IV. Friday Night
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Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
(Joe Hagedorn)
Download “Six of One” Score
Written in 2006 for Martha Masters, up to twelve movements, up to 35 minutes. (Find revised versions of movements B, 4, and VIII in the suite “Still Life.”)
I started writing “Six of One” shortly after my twin sons were born, a unique and magical time. (The structure of pairs of related movements was inspired by the twins.) I wanted to immerse myself in a specific mood, explore it on a big canvass, and then let the player decide how long to sustain it. (You can play any number of movements in any order.) When asked, I cite this as my most personal piece, a kind of mission statement for what I hope to do as a guitar composer.
If you download a score please consider paying for it. You can choose the amount.
“It is beautiful and sensitive music, very well written for the instrument, very communicative and with lots of personality. I specifically enjoyed the harmonic sensitivity and the rich textures that sound so well and natural on the guitar.”–Nadav Lev
Michael Karmon 