Daniel Felsenfeld (born January 5, 1970) is a composer of contemporary classical music and a writer.

Biography

edit

Felsenfeld was born in Washington, D.C., raised primarily in Southern California and currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife, writer Elizabeth Isadora Gold, and child August.[1] He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he got his undergraduate degree in composition.[2] He did his Masters and Doctoral work at the New England Conservatory where he studied with Arthur Berger and Lee Hyla.[2] He is a composer[3] and is also an author, having written three books published by Amadeus Press as well as hundreds of articles. In 2007 a "Talk of the Town" piece in The New Yorker magazine noted several writers whom Felsenfeld met at the MacDowell Colony who used his last name in their novels.[4]

Music

edit

Orchestral music

edit
  • The Dresden Soul Symphony (2008, with Larry Gold) for orchestra, chorus, rock band, and four soul singers
  • Insomnia Redux; 4am (2005) for orchestra
  • Thursday Night Overture (1999) for chamber orchestra
  • The Bridge (2003) for soprano and chamber orchestra
  • Summer and All it Brings (2002) solo cantata for soprano, narrator and chamber orchestra
  • Busmeat: A Parable (1998) for orchestra
  • Nicotine Sinfonietta (1997 for chamber orchestra
  • Bad Coffee Serenade (1994) concerto for violin and chamber orchestra

Opera

edit

Chamber music

edit
  • "You.Have.No.Idea" (2009–10) for string quartet
  • All Work and No Play (2007) for piccolo and piano
  • Life Shrinks (2007) for piano, cello and percussion—music for dance
  • Living Room Suite (2006) for string trio
  • For Stephanie (2006) for string quartet
  • First Scenes from Red Room (2006) for violin and piano
  • From Maldoror (2003) for flute, oboe, piano and narrator
  • I Conquered Egypt (2000) for piano trio
  • Let Me Out (1999) for timpani, cello and bass clarinet
  • Live ‘Til Twilight (1999) for cello and piano
  • Fast Living (1999) for cello and percussion
  • Cultivating Cool (1999) for flute, clarinet, trumpet, piano, percussion and double bass
  • Smoking My Diploma (1998) for oboe, cello and piano
  • Looking for Funny Dog (1998) for flute and organ
  • O I LIKE the LIFE that I’m LEADING (1997) for flute and piano
  • Something Very Serious (1995) for violin and piano
  • Don’t Call me Sir (1994) for clarinet and piano
  • Bad Coffee Serenade (1994) for violin and piano

Solo music

edit
  • Down to You Is Up, Three Movements for solo piano (1999)
  • Air That Kills for solo violin (2000)
  • A Dirty Little Secret for solo piano (2003)
  • Insomnia Redux; 4am for solo piano (2003)
  • Obsession No. 1: Toscanini’s Glasses for solo piano (2008)
  • The Cohen Variations for solo piano (2009)
  • Hooked to the Silver Screen for solo viola (2011)

Vocal music

edit
  • "From Sleepless Nights" (2009) for mezzo-soprano and cello
  • In My Craft and Sullen Art (2008) for soprano and piano
  • The Poet's Dream of Herself as a Young Girl (2008) for mezzo-soprano and piano trio
  • Fall, Leaves, Fall (2007) for soprano and piano
  • “Aria” from Magnificat (2007) for soprano and piano
  • To a Cabaret Dancer (2007) for mezzo-soprano and piano
  • Dry Sandwiches (2007) for soprano and piano
  • Lines for Winter (2007) for tenor and piano
  • You Want a Social Life, With Friends (2007) for baritone and piano
  • Annus Mirabilis (2007) for bass and piano
  • True Love (2007) for soprano and organ
  • The Bridge (2003) cycle of five songs for soprano and piano; inspired by the poetry of W. H. Auden and Ernest Hilbert, and The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
  • New Forms of Control (2000) for female voices, two synthesizers, and percussion
  • I May Never Get Home (1999) cycle of seven songs for baritone and piano
  • Thank You, Goodnight (1999) cycle of five songs for soprano and piano
  • L’Envoi (1999) for soprano and piano
  • Sunday Night (1999) for soprano and piano
  • Elizabeth Among the Rains (1997) cycle of five songs for mezzo-soprano and piano
  • From the Letters of Heloise (1996) for soprano, clarinet, bass clarinet, percussion and strings
  • I Am Saturn (1997) cycle of three songs for soprano and piano
  • Equals (1996) for soprano and string quartet
  • Five Songs for Five Friends (1995) cycle of five songs for soprano and piano

Choral music

edit
  • Revolutions of Ruin (2008) for SATB chorus with soprano and baritone soloists and chamber orchestra
  • Manhattan Choruses (2004) for SATB chorus and organ

Books

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Felsenfeld, Daniel | The Juilliard School". www.juilliard.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  2. ^ a b "Daniel Felsenfeld | Five College New Music Festival 2024". www.5cnmf.org. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  3. ^ Compton, Shanna (2004-11-01). Gamers: writers, artists & programmers on the pleasures of pixels. Soft Skull Press. pp. 57–. ISBN 978-1-932360-57-8. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  4. ^ New Yorker article about the Felsenfeld meme
edit