Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

BIOGRAPHY
COMPOSITIONS
CDs
VIDEOS
NEWS POST

Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz began her musical career as a singer, graduating from Brooklyn College, City University of New York with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music. Under her professional name Gladys Young she toured the United States, Europe, and Israel, as a folk singer-instrumentalist, accompanying herself on guitar, auto-harp, 300-year old lyre, and Arab drum. As a composer Ms Moskowitz has written music which glorifies the human voice, using classical, folk, and jazz elements to create beautiful “drama in music.” She has also written the libretto for two chamber operas and a two-act music drama. Her satirical chamber opera, “Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling” (based on the children’s story) was premiered by the Bluegrass Opera and Orchestra in Lexington, Kentucky. “The Fountain of Youth,” a Chamber Opera (based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment“) received a grant for a workshop performance and was also awarded a special commendation by the Nancy Van de Vate International Opera Competition for Women. “The Masque of the Red Death,” a Renaissance-style Music Drama in two acts, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe received a premiere Halloween performance by the Suliivan County Dramatic Workshop, South Fallsburg, New York. Arias from her operas have been performed in New York City, and at concerts with the Delaware Valley Chamber Orchestra. The composer’s dramatic settings of Art Songs for voice and piano by American poets have been performed in New York City, at universities, and in Europe. Her poignant setting of the anti-war poem “Grass” by Carl Sandburg was sung by the Belgium soprano Francoise Vanhecke in New York City and at concerts throughout Europe. “Three Love Songs” on poems by Sara Teasdale, for soprano and piano were sung by Siri Howard at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall , NYC. Among her later compositions “Three Songs of Passion” for soprano, flute, cello and piano captures emotions the poet experiences in her love affair, from the joy of “Life Sentence,” to the sensual pleasure of “Utopia,”ending with the death of her beloved in “Manic Screaming.”NOTE: For perusal scores, please contact the composer.

Time and Tide (Syd Charlow)

Year: 2018

Duration (in minutes): 3:25

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Score PDF: time_tide_8-31-19-5.pdf

Masque of the Red Death, A Music Drama

Year: 2014

Duration (in minutes): 38'39; & 43'39;

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: choral, musical theater

Score PDF: masque_of_the_red_death-act_i_w_pages_removed-5.pdf

Text PDF: notes_for_masque_of_the_red_death_chamber_opera-5.pdf

Description: A music drama based on the Edgar Allan Poe story.
One Act version (38:14)
Two Act version (43:35)
(Includes the Four Poe love songs listed separately in the catalog of works)

Four Poe love songs

Year: 2014

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Instruments: baritone voice, mezzo soprano, piano, soprano, tenor voice

Score PDF: bridal_ballad_mezzo_sop-pno-5.pdf

Description: Four love songs from the musical drama, The Masque of the Red Death
Romance (bar, sop duet, pno, 3:41)
I Saw Thee (tenor aria, pno, 1:46)
Bridal Ballad (sop or mezzo aria, pno, 3:14)
To Helen (sop, ten, bar trio pno, 2:48)

Three Songs of Passion (Cheri Yuzik)

Year: 2009

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano, solo voice(s) with solo instruments

Instruments: cello, flute, piano, soprano, tenor saxophone

Description: "LIFE SENTENCE" A flowing flute added to voice and piano creates a
sensuous feeling of everlasting love..followed by the passion of
sexual desire in "UTOPIA... A Tango of Love". In "MANIC SCREAMING," the
singer cries out in pain at the loss of her beloved. Her anguish is
captured by the piano in dissonant intervals and repetitive motion of
sixteenth notes, echoed by the cello reflecting her turbulent
emotions.
Life Sentence (sop/mezzo w/ fl or ten sax, 1:41)
Utopia… A Tango of Love (sop/mezzo, pno, 1:25)
Manic Screaming (sop/mezzo w/cello 1:11)

Chicken Little, The Sky Is Falling

Year: 2008

Duration (in minutes): 35:55:00

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra, young audiences

Instruments: baritone voice, bass voice, mezzo soprano, piano, soprano, tenor voice

Score PDF: cl_p1-64-5.pdf

Description: A satirical chamber opera (based on the children’s story). Audio features the Bluegrass Opera & Orchestra.
(PDF Score of opera is for pno/vocal)

Three Love Songs on poems by Sara Teasdale

Year: 2008

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Description: Joy (2:00)
Advice to a Girl (2:23)
Gifts (1:30)

Psalm 23

Year: 2007

Duration (in minutes): 3:07

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with chamber ensemble

Instruments: oboe

Description: A dramatic and moving lyrical interpretation of the psalm for solo voice with
instrumental accompaniment. (Audio features tenor Marshal Cooper)

Grass (Sandburg)

Year: 2004

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: orchestra and chamber orchestra, solo voice(s) with piano

Instruments: piano, soprano

Score PDF: grass_sandburg-5.pdf

Description: Sop and piano (2:12) or
Ten with chamber orchestra (2:52)
Art song on poem by Sandburg

Fountain of Youth

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 50:16:00

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Instruments: baritone voice, bass voice, piano, soprano

Score PDF: fountain_of_youth_pno_voc_score_smaller-5.pdf

Description: Based on the story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Four old people are given the opportunity to drink water from the Fountain of Youth and to become young again. BUT of course as the saying goes (and the story) If we had the chance to live our lives
over again, we would probably make the same mistakes. (Audio 3 features the full audio). In "I Was a Prosperous Merchant" the baritone bemoans his fall from a successful (unscrupulous) merchant to poverty. "I Have Wasted my Best Years" the tenor sadly (nostalgically) recalls his lustful past.

I was a prosperous merchant

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 3:40

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Description: A baritone aria from the chamber opera The Fountain of
Youth

I Have Wasted My Best Years

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 2:56

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Description: Tenor aria from the chamber opera The Fountain of Youth

Sun (Sonia Buckley)

Year: 2000

Duration (in minutes): 1:24

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano, solo voice(s) with solo instruments

Instruments: any woodwind, flute, mezzo soprano

Playful Trio

Year: 1997

Duration (in minutes): 2:54

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: woodwind trio

Instruments: bassoon, clarinet, flute

Description: "A PLAYFUL TRIO" or CATCH ME IF YOU CAN a short lively piece with
bouncy rhythms and dissonant intervals conjures up a picture in music
of the composer's two little daughters, Melody and Donna, played by
the bassoon and clarinet as they try to catch their more agile friend
Nancy played by the flute, in an active game of tag.

Masque of the Red Death, Act. II Sc. 2

Year: 2014

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: The Masque of the Red Death is an original music drama in two acts by Gladys Moskowitz based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. This is a co-production with the Delaware Valley Opera and the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop on Nov 8, 2014 at the Tusten Theater in Narrowsburg, NY.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/wjpWSFQJADg

I Am Afraid

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: From the chamber opera "Chicken Little, the Sky is Falling"

Video URL: https://youtu.be/07RrTbF6h5I

I was a man of wealth and power

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Excerpt from the chamber opera "THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH." Based on the short story "DR HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Video URL: https://youtu.be/cntoIWvhDwM

I Saw Thee

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/XPiODkumIPY

Three Songs of Passion

Year: 2021

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Composed by Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz on poems by Cheryl Yuzik is a trilogy of art songs for soprano or mezzo soprano which transports the listener through the joy of love and the pain when it has gone. The music becomes the vehicle by which the listener can identify with the poet and singer. "Life Sentence" adds flowing lush harmonies to the piano accompaniment creating a sensuous feeling of enduring love. It is followed by the emotional ardor of sexual desire in "Utopia" A Tango of Love for piano and voice. In "Manic Screaming" we feel the anguish of the singer as she cries out in pain at the loss of her beloved. Her torment is captured in dissonant intervals and the repetitive motion of sixteenth notes that reflect her turbulent emotions, accompanied by the piano.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/zB2ZE3LFZJ8

Time and Tide

Year: 2021

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/V9j0wK4OZFo

Grass

Year: 2004

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: First Belgian Performance of "More than a Voice, " 2004. Arena Theatre Kortrijk (Belgium)

Video URL: https://youtu.be/UTLXzAn-kNo

Bridal Ballad

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/hbnN5B0imFA

Grass

Year: 2018

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Grass by Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz, Composer, with Poem by Carl Sandberg. Composers Concordance Presents: Generations VIII -Art Songs on June 16th, 2018. Goddard Riverside - The Bernie Wohl Center, New York City, New York. Performance filmed by Eddie Papetti. ComposersConcordance.com

Video URL: https://youtu.be/JupdYyujR3c

BIOGRAPHY
Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz began her musical career as a singer, graduating from Brooklyn College, City University of New York with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music. Under her professional name Gladys Young she toured the United States, Europe, and Israel, as a folk singer-instrumentalist, accompanying herself on guitar, auto-harp, 300-year old lyre, and Arab drum. As a composer Ms Moskowitz has written music which glorifies the human voice, using classical, folk, and jazz elements to create beautiful "drama in music." She has also written the libretto for two chamber operas and a two-act music drama. Her satirical chamber opera, "Chicken Little The Sky Is Falling" (based on the children's story) was premiered by the Bluegrass Opera and Orchestra in Lexington, Kentucky. "The Fountain of Youth," a Chamber Opera (based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment") received a grant for a workshop performance and was also awarded a special commendation by the Nancy Van de Vate International Opera Competition for Women. "The Masque of the Red Death," a Renaissance-style Music Drama in two acts, based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe received a premiere Halloween performance by the Suliivan County Dramatic Workshop, South Fallsburg, New York. Arias from her operas have been performed in New York City, and at concerts with the Delaware Valley Chamber Orchestra. The composer's dramatic settings of Art Songs for voice and piano by American poets have been performed in New York City, at universities, and in Europe. Her poignant setting of the anti-war poem "Grass" by Carl Sandburg was sung by the Belgium soprano Francoise Vanhecke in New York City and at concerts throughout Europe. "Three Love Songs" on poems by Sara Teasdale, for soprano and piano were sung by Siri Howard at the Renee Weiler Concert Hall , NYC. Among her later compositions "Three Songs of Passion" for soprano, flute, cello and piano captures emotions the poet experiences in her love affair, from the joy of "Life Sentence," to the sensual pleasure of "Utopia,"ending with the death of her beloved in "Manic Screaming."NOTE: For perusal scores, please contact the composer.
COMPOSITIONS

Time and Tide (Syd Charlow)

Year: 2018

Duration (in minutes): 3:25

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Score PDF: time_tide_8-31-19-5.pdf

Masque of the Red Death, A Music Drama

Year: 2014

Duration (in minutes): 38'39; & 43'39;

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: choral, musical theater

Score PDF: masque_of_the_red_death-act_i_w_pages_removed-5.pdf

Text PDF: notes_for_masque_of_the_red_death_chamber_opera-5.pdf

Description: A music drama based on the Edgar Allan Poe story.
One Act version (38:14)
Two Act version (43:35)
(Includes the Four Poe love songs listed separately in the catalog of works)

Four Poe love songs

Year: 2014

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Instruments: baritone voice, mezzo soprano, piano, soprano, tenor voice

Score PDF: bridal_ballad_mezzo_sop-pno-5.pdf

Description: Four love songs from the musical drama, The Masque of the Red Death
Romance (bar, sop duet, pno, 3:41)
I Saw Thee (tenor aria, pno, 1:46)
Bridal Ballad (sop or mezzo aria, pno, 3:14)
To Helen (sop, ten, bar trio pno, 2:48)

Three Songs of Passion (Cheri Yuzik)

Year: 2009

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano, solo voice(s) with solo instruments

Instruments: cello, flute, piano, soprano, tenor saxophone

Description: "LIFE SENTENCE" A flowing flute added to voice and piano creates a
sensuous feeling of everlasting love..followed by the passion of
sexual desire in "UTOPIA... A Tango of Love". In "MANIC SCREAMING," the
singer cries out in pain at the loss of her beloved. Her anguish is
captured by the piano in dissonant intervals and repetitive motion of
sixteenth notes, echoed by the cello reflecting her turbulent
emotions.
Life Sentence (sop/mezzo w/ fl or ten sax, 1:41)
Utopia… A Tango of Love (sop/mezzo, pno, 1:25)
Manic Screaming (sop/mezzo w/cello 1:11)

Chicken Little, The Sky Is Falling

Year: 2008

Duration (in minutes): 35:55:00

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra, young audiences

Instruments: baritone voice, bass voice, mezzo soprano, piano, soprano, tenor voice

Score PDF: cl_p1-64-5.pdf

Description: A satirical chamber opera (based on the children’s story). Audio features the Bluegrass Opera & Orchestra.
(PDF Score of opera is for pno/vocal)

Three Love Songs on poems by Sara Teasdale

Year: 2008

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano

Description: Joy (2:00)
Advice to a Girl (2:23)
Gifts (1:30)

Psalm 23

Year: 2007

Duration (in minutes): 3:07

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with chamber ensemble

Instruments: oboe

Description: A dramatic and moving lyrical interpretation of the psalm for solo voice with
instrumental accompaniment. (Audio features tenor Marshal Cooper)

Grass (Sandburg)

Year: 2004

Duration (in minutes): various

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: orchestra and chamber orchestra, solo voice(s) with piano

Instruments: piano, soprano

Score PDF: grass_sandburg-5.pdf

Description: Sop and piano (2:12) or
Ten with chamber orchestra (2:52)
Art song on poem by Sandburg

Fountain of Youth

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 50:16:00

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Instruments: baritone voice, bass voice, piano, soprano

Score PDF: fountain_of_youth_pno_voc_score_smaller-5.pdf

Description: Based on the story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Four old people are given the opportunity to drink water from the Fountain of Youth and to become young again. BUT of course as the saying goes (and the story) If we had the chance to live our lives
over again, we would probably make the same mistakes. (Audio 3 features the full audio). In "I Was a Prosperous Merchant" the baritone bemoans his fall from a successful (unscrupulous) merchant to poverty. "I Have Wasted my Best Years" the tenor sadly (nostalgically) recalls his lustful past.

I was a prosperous merchant

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 3:40

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Description: A baritone aria from the chamber opera The Fountain of
Youth

I Have Wasted My Best Years

Year: 2003

Duration (in minutes): 2:56

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: opera, orchestra and chamber orchestra

Description: Tenor aria from the chamber opera The Fountain of Youth

Sun (Sonia Buckley)

Year: 2000

Duration (in minutes): 1:24

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: solo voice(s) with piano, solo voice(s) with solo instruments

Instruments: any woodwind, flute, mezzo soprano

Playful Trio

Year: 1997

Duration (in minutes): 2:54

Difficulty: Medium (college/community)

Category: woodwind trio

Instruments: bassoon, clarinet, flute

Description: "A PLAYFUL TRIO" or CATCH ME IF YOU CAN a short lively piece with
bouncy rhythms and dissonant intervals conjures up a picture in music
of the composer's two little daughters, Melody and Donna, played by
the bassoon and clarinet as they try to catch their more agile friend
Nancy played by the flute, in an active game of tag.

CDs
VIDEOS

Masque of the Red Death, Act. II Sc. 2

Year: 2014

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: The Masque of the Red Death is an original music drama in two acts by Gladys Moskowitz based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. This is a co-production with the Delaware Valley Opera and the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop on Nov 8, 2014 at the Tusten Theater in Narrowsburg, NY.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/wjpWSFQJADg

I Am Afraid

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: From the chamber opera "Chicken Little, the Sky is Falling"

Video URL: https://youtu.be/07RrTbF6h5I

I was a man of wealth and power

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Excerpt from the chamber opera "THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH." Based on the short story "DR HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Video URL: https://youtu.be/cntoIWvhDwM

I Saw Thee

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/XPiODkumIPY

Three Songs of Passion

Year: 2021

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Composed by Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz on poems by Cheryl Yuzik is a trilogy of art songs for soprano or mezzo soprano which transports the listener through the joy of love and the pain when it has gone. The music becomes the vehicle by which the listener can identify with the poet and singer. "Life Sentence" adds flowing lush harmonies to the piano accompaniment creating a sensuous feeling of enduring love. It is followed by the emotional ardor of sexual desire in "Utopia" A Tango of Love for piano and voice. In "Manic Screaming" we feel the anguish of the singer as she cries out in pain at the loss of her beloved. Her torment is captured in dissonant intervals and the repetitive motion of sixteenth notes that reflect her turbulent emotions, accompanied by the piano.

Video URL: https://youtu.be/zB2ZE3LFZJ8

Time and Tide

Year: 2021

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/V9j0wK4OZFo

Grass

Year: 2004

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: First Belgian Performance of "More than a Voice, " 2004. Arena Theatre Kortrijk (Belgium)

Video URL: https://youtu.be/UTLXzAn-kNo

Bridal Ballad

Year: 2020

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Video URL: https://youtu.be/hbnN5B0imFA

Grass

Year: 2018

Composer: Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz

Description: Grass by Gladys Smuckler Moskowitz, Composer, with Poem by Carl Sandberg. Composers Concordance Presents: Generations VIII -Art Songs on June 16th, 2018. Goddard Riverside - The Bernie Wohl Center, New York City, New York. Performance filmed by Eddie Papetti. ComposersConcordance.com

Video URL: https://youtu.be/JupdYyujR3c

NEWS POST