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Daniel Kelp,
Performing Arts Review
"Rhythm and its changeability excite the music of American composer David
S. Bernstein. A mind teeming with interesting ideas and fascinating ways
to structure them, Bernstein’s sound layering can be dense; in its
darkest corners, lots of raw but always keenly focused power. Because he
is also a master of color, imagery, and nuanced memory, episodes of
transcendent beauty dot the landscape of Bernstein’s music, enriching
the narrative, and igniting the imagination. Discussions take place,
seasons change, there is questioning and doubt; the composer's musical
world is all too human, immediate and engaging. The form and sensibility
of Bernstein’s craft, his gift for clear messaging, make a first
encounter immediately satisfying."
[...] >go to full review
As a creative artist, David Bernstein is unusually versatile in his choice of musical genres -- from intimate chamber combina tions to pieces for full band and orchestra; from music for films and video productions to theater, dance, and opera. Among his distinctive works is an animated film cho sen for a top spot in the Datsun Film Com petition and screened at the Director's Guild in Hollywood. He has scored com mercials for Goodyear, American Greetings, Classic Video, Ohio Farmers' Insurance, and others.
Besides the opera trilogy entitled Poe 2, Hawthorne 1, his compositions
include
eight works for orchestra. His fourmove
ment composition for soprano, tenor, bari tone, narrator, and a large
orchestra, "As Snow Before A Summer Sun," was adapted
for television and shown on PBS stations
in Ohio. The libretto was derived by the
composer from Dee Brown's book, "Bury
My Heart at Wounded Knee," an historical
account of the nineteenthcentury subju
gation of Native Americans.
David Bernstein's many chamber music
compositions include his Silhouette series for solo instruments,
including flute, oboe, tuba, guitar, and violin; plus duets for trom
bone and percussion as well as flute and viola. His Quadralogues quartet
series fea tures the piano within various instrumen tal combinations:
violin, viola, cello; flute, oboe, percussion; trumpet, clarinet, cello.
Other chamber music includes two piano
trios, a string trio, a woodwind trio and an extensive work for piano
with five multiple percussionists. There are works for piano with French
horn, with clarinet and a large chamber composition entitled "Two Tan
dems" -- a work featuring a trumpet with
four instrumental trios.
To all of these different musical genres -- each posing its own special
challenges -- he has brought technical expertise,
an eclectic style appropriate to the material, an un usual awareness of
music's historical
sweep, continuity, crossinfluences and a
flair for instant communication. Dr.
Bernstein's large and varied output has re ceived hundreds of
performances in pres
tigious venues around the world. Distin
guished musical organizations have pro
grammed his work, including the Musart
Series of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Eastman Percussion Ensemble,
the Akron
Symphony Orchestra under Louis Lane and
the Cleveland Chamber Symphony under
Edwin London.
Bernstein has received twelve awards
from ASCAP, four individual artist awards from The Ohio Arts Council,
commissions
and grants from The Akron Symphony Or
chestra, The Fortnightly Musical Club of
Cleveland, The Mirapaul Foundation, The
Ohio Music Teachers Association, The
White Oak Trio, The Jerome Foundation
and a number of fellowship grants from
The University of Akron. He has traveled
widely and given lectures on his music in Vienna, Paris, Warsaw, Posnan,
Crakow,
including educational institutions: The
Eastman School of Music, The University
of Alberta, The University of Southern Cali fornia, New York University,
The University of Kentucky and many others. His music is published by G.
Schirmer, Acoma Produc
tions, Ludwig Music Publications, Willis
Music, Abingdon Press, LawsonGould,
Dorn Productions, Music for Percussion,
Inc. and Clear Note Publications.
In addition to composing, Dr. Bernstein
has been active for many years conducting, narrating, teaching,
lecturing, administrat ing, producing and directing. In 1972 he joined
the faculty of the University of Ak ron. From 1983 he served as
Professor of Music and Chairperson of the Theory and
Composition Department.
A native of Boston, Bernstein is a gradu ate of the Florida State
University School of Music with bachelor's and master's de grees. He
earned his doctorate in music in 1974, with distinction, from the
Indiana University School of Music. In June of 2000, after a faculty
tenure of nearly three de cades, Dr. Bernstein retired from his posi
tion at the University of Akron. Before his early retirement he was
awarded the Cleve land Arts Prize as a gesture of appreciation for his
notable contributions to the musi cal life of Northeastern Ohio.
In 2006, Dr. Bernstein moved to the Port land, Oregon area, a move that
he describes as one of the best decisions of his life. Since coming to
the Pacific Northwest, he has
joined CASCADIA COMPOSERS in which
he is active as an organizer for new music concerts. He continues his
work as a free lance composer.
Notes by Klaus G. Roy -
supplemental notes by the composer
more info:
www.davidbernsteinmusic.com
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STREAMING AUDIO SAMPLES If not installed, download free player (links
below). |
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 mp3
(32kbps) audio |
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Late Autumn Moods and Images
[12:23] for Violin, Cello and Piano Inés Voglar, vln.; Nancy Ives, vcl.; Alexandre Dossin, pno. [ 1 ] Movement I |
LISTEN |
| [ 2 ] Movement II | LISTEN |
| [ 3 ] Movement III | LISTEN |
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Petite Suite Chromatique
[11:49] for Cello and Piano Hamilton Cheifetz, vcl.; Susan DeWitt Smith, pno. [ 4 ] Movement I |
LISTEN |
| [ 5 ] Movement II | LISTEN |
| [ 6 ] Movement III | LISTEN |
| [ 7 ] Movement IV | LISTEN |
| [ 8 ] Movement V | LISTEN |
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Quadralogues III [20:00]
for Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano Ines Voglar, vln; Nancy Ives vcl.; Joel Belgique, vla; Alexandre Dossin, pno. [ 9 ] Movement I |
LISTEN |
| [ 10 ] Movement II | LISTEN |
| [ 11 ] Movement III | LISTEN |
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Quadralogues II [10:40]
for Flute, Oboe, Percussion and Piano David Buck, fl.; Karen Wagner, ob.; Joel Bluestone, perc.; Susan DeWitt Smith, pno. [ 12 ] Movement I |
LISTEN |
| [ 13 ] Movement II | LISTEN |
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Sound Sculptures
[13:28] for Clarinet and Piano Barbara Heilmair, cl; Susan DeWitt Smith, pno. [ 14 ] Movement I |
LISTEN |
| [ 15 ] Movement II | LISTEN |
| [ 16 ] Movement III | LISTEN |
| [ 17 ] Movement IV | LISTEN |
| [ 18 ] Movement V | LISTEN |
| [ 19 ] Movement VI | LISTEN |
| Joel Belgique, viola A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, Joel Belgique is a member of fEARnoMUSIC, has performed at Italy's Spoleto Festival, Alaska's CrossSound Festival, Wyoming's Grand Teton Music Festival, and Michigan's Interlochen Center for Arts and is Principal Viola of the Oregon Symphony and the Oregon Symphony String Quartet. |
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| Joel Bluestone is a co-founder and Percussionist with fEARnoMUSIC. His project The_Waters_Bluestone_Duel (percussion + live electronics) takes him all over the world. He is head of the Percussion department at Portland State University. Current love: performing and traveling all over the world with San-Diego-based Swarmius, where a sonic fusion of Hip-Hop and House-Lounge-Techno meets Modern-Classical. |
| David Buck David Buck is the newly appointed Principal Flute of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as Principal Flute in 2012. He previously held principal positions with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Oregon Symphony. A graduate of The Juilliard School, where he earned a Bachelor of Music and a Graduate Diploma, he took a hiatus from his studies at Juilliard after his sophomore year to serve as Associate Principal flutist with the Honolulu Symphony. He has also had the opportunity to appear as a guest principal with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra among others. |
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| Hamilton Cheifetz is native of Chicago. He studied with Janos Starker at Indiana University and later became teaching assistant to Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi at the University of Western Ontario. Winner of the Piatigorsky Prize at Tanglewood, he toured the US and Canada on the Music from Marlboro series and performed at the White House. Mr. Cheifetz has appeared as guest artist with the Toronto, Oregon, and Milwaukee Symphonies and toured nationally with the Paul Winter Consort. |
| Alexandre Dossin, born in Porto Alegre, Brazil is Prof. of Piano at University of Oregon School of Music. He is a graduate from University of Texas-Austin and Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Russia. Awards include: 1st Prize & Special Prize, (2003) Martha Argerich International Piano Competition; Silver Medal, Maria Callas Grand Prix; 3rd Prize & Special Prize, Mozart International Piano Competition. |
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| Barbara Heilmair Tanret is Assistant Professor of Clarinet & Music History at Portland State University. Her international career as performer, as educator and scholar, includes teaching at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and at the California State University in Long Beach (CSULB); symphonic work includes Bavarian State Theater, Salzburg Mozarteum, Tyrol International Music Festival (IOE), Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Opera Pasadena, Mozart Classical Orchestra, among others. |
| Nancy Ives performs with fEARnoMUSIC, is Principal Cello of the Oregon Symphony and has been featured soloist with the Oregon Symphony, Cascade Festival Orchestra, Clark College Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony. She is a member of the Rovetti Quartet and Trio Arete and has appeared with Chamber Music Northwest, Third Angle, New Music at Willamette, Music in Context, Friends of Chamber Music, the Oregon Symphony String Quartet, and the Astoria Festival. |
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| Susan DeWitt Smith performed throughout the US and New Zealand, including the Hot Springs Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, New Zealand's Nelson Music Festival, Olympic Music Festival and as soloist with Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Palomar Symphony, San Diego Symphony and the Oregon Symphony. |
| Ines Voglars is Artistic Director and Principal Violinist of fEARnoMUSIC. A Venezuelan native, she is also a member of the Oregon Symphony violin section, has been a guest with the OSO String Quartet, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and is Concertmaster for the Astoria Music Festival. She was formerly a member of the prestigious Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and the Free Marz String Trio. |
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| Karen Wagner Oboist Karen Wagner has been a member of the Oregon Symphony since 1999. She received her bachelor's degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and then pursued a master's degree at the University of Southern California as a student of Allan Vogel. Karen was awarded three consecutive fellowships to the Aspen Music Festival, where she studied with John de Lancie, and has also worked extensively with John Mack, Richard Killmer and Elaine Douvas. |