Alice Shields

BIOGRAPHY

COMPOSITIONS

CDs

VIDEOS

NEWS POST

Opera

ZHAOJUN – THE WOMAN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD (2018)
2 principals, 7 instruments
libretto: Shields
25’00
CRISEYDE (2010)
5 principals, 3-voice female ensemble, 14 instruments
libretto: Shields
120’
APOCALYPSE (1994)
3 principals, 4-part mixed chorus, electric guitar, fixed audio media
libretto: Shields
107’

SHIVATANZ (1994)
1 principal, fixed audio media
libretto: Shields
14’
MASS FOR THE DEAD (1992)
3 principals, 8-part mixed chorus, 4 instruments, fixed audio media, dancers
libretto: Shields
60’05”
KOMACHI AT SEKIDERA (1990/rev.2000)
1 principal, alto flute, koto
libretto: Shields
12’
WRAECCA (1989)
3 principals, cello, piano
libretto: Alice Shields
17’
SHAMAN (1987)
4 principals, mixed chorus, 4 instruments, fixed audio media
libretto: Edward Barratt and Alice Shields
45’

Vocal Chamber Music
The Wind in the Pines (2018, in progress) for soprano & 6 instruments 15'
Aje To Ananda ("Today was a good day")(2016) for baritone & piano 6'
Komachi at Sekidera (2000) for soprano or mezzo-soprano, alto flute and koto 12'
Hindustani Songs (2012) for soprano & piano 7'
Namasté (2011) for mezzo-soprano & piano 6’
Rani Tero (2000) for alto, tambura & 4 viols (2 bass viols, treble, violone in G) 7’
Virgin Songs (1993) for soprano and piano 9'
Ave (1989) for 2 unaccompanied actor-singers 17’
Levertov Songs (1987) for mezzo-soprano & viola 12'
Neruda Songs (1980) for soprano or mezzo-soprano & cello 20'
Spring Music (1967) for soprano, oboe & trumpet 7'
Wildcat Songs (1966) for soprano & piccolo 7'

Chorus
O Gracious Light (2018) for SATB and optional keyboard accompaniment 4'
Ave Maris Stella (“Hail, Star of the Sea”) (2018) for SATB 3’
Alleluia (2018) for SATB and keyboard 2'
Pulchra Es ("She is Beautiful") (2017) for SSAATTBB with soprano solo and organ 3'

Instrumental Chamber Music
Larynx for piccolo, piano and 3 percussionists (2018) 7'
Fantasia for solo piano (2018) 8'
Quintet for piccolo, piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone & xylophone (2016)
Quartet for piano & 3 percussionists (2016) 8'
Today is Bliss for trumpet & piano (2016) 6'
Two Balkan Melodies for flute quartet 4'
Balkan Melody No.2 for Wind Quartet (flute, clarinet in Bb, alto saxophone, bassoon) 1'
Balkan Melody No.3 for Wind Quartet (oboe, clarinet in Bb, alto saxophone, bassoon) 2'
Dawn for flute & clarinet (2015) 5'
Sri Mata for violin (2015) 3'
Sri Mata for viola (2015) 3'
Sri Mata for english horn (2012) 3'
Azure for flute, violin, viola & cello (2003) 10'
Kirtannam for Flute & Oboe (2002) 5'
Anugraha – “Grace” (1994) for viola 6'
Aurora for oboe & violin (1987) 6'

Instrumental + Electronic
Kyrielle (2008) for violin & fixed audio 12’04
The River of Memory (2008) for trombone & fixed audio 12’
Mioritza – Requiem for Rachel Corrie (2004) for trombone & fixed audio 12’
Azure for flute, violin, viola, cello & fixed audio (2003) 10'

Voice + Electronic
Apocalypse Song (1994) for mezzo-soprano &fixed media 4'
Virgin Songs (1993) for soprano & fixed audio media 9'
The Red Woman ("An Bean Rua") (1993) for female narrator & fixed audio 10'13
Snow (1993) live narrator & fixed audio media 7’00
Nightway II (1989) music theater piece for 2 singers & fixed audio media 40’
The Black Lake (1984) for live tenor, cello & fixed audio media 9’00

Electronic
White Heron Dance (2017) for dance & video 14'
The Mud Oratorio (2003) for dance 58’
Shenandoah (2002) for dance 25’
Dust (2001) for dance 31’
Vegetable Karma (1999) 15’
Hälfte des Lebens (1994) 14’
The Lament of the Fairies (Port na bPucai)(1993) 13’
Newgrange (1993) with recorded soprano 10’
Voices (1989) 9’
Devouring Woman (1986) 7’
Shivra (1985) 9’
Coyote (1979) 13’
Sitar (1978) 7'
Listening (1976) music for art therapy 25’
Farewell to a Hill (1975) quadraphonic record 9’
The Transformation of Ani (1970) 9’
Dance Piece No.3 (1969) for dance 10’
Study for Voice and Tape (1968) prerecorded soprano & electronic music 7’
Domino (1967) for dance 20’
My Feathers are Growing Longer (1967) for dance 6’
Walking on the Surface of the Sun (1967) 6’

RECORDINGS
New World, Koch International Classics, CRI, Albany Records, Opus One , Tellus, Atlantic Records

Larynx

Year: 2018

Duration (in minutes): 7'39;

Difficulty: High (professional)

Publisher: American Composers Edition

Description: Larynx was composed for Chris Graham and Iktus Percussion. It’s a 7 minute long piece for piccolo, piano, and three percussionists who play glockenspiel, triangle, crotales, vibraphone and xylophone. I chose these instruments for their different abilities to create sustaining sounds or initiate attack sounds. On one end of this spectrum is the piccolo, which can fully sustain sounds, but doesn’t have much attack sound. On the opposite end is the xylophone, which being a wood instrument doesn’t sustain sound at all, and exists only as an attack sound. In between is the piano, which can sustain sounds or not sustain them, and can have either a strong attack or very little attack. The remaining instruments, when struck, increase their length of sustain from the least, glockenspiel, to triangle, vibraphone and crotales, which can resonate almost forever. About halfway through my piece, some of these metal instruments start being bowed instead of struck, and then they produce fully sustaining sounds rather like a human voice. Each section of the piece is a little dance of different sustains and attacks exchanged between all these instruments. They all coordinate with the piccolo, creating little melodies together that are punctuated by bursts of attacks like firecrackers or lightning bugs.
Why the title, Larynx? ---Because I use all these instruments as if they were voices in a small chorus of individuals, initiating and sustaining speech and song as well as they can. To speak is an elaborate neurological dance between initiating and sustaining sound in order to purvey the melody of a thought. If you’re a percussion instrument, it’s hard to speak. It’s even harder to sing. But as with humans, if you do what you are best capable of, and combine with others who have different capabilities, you have your best chance of creating melodies together.