Currently Jason Andrews is a candidate to graduate from Florida Southern College with a Bachelor’s in Music Composition on December 13th, 2008. After completion he plans to attend the University of South Florida to continue his education and get his Master’s in Music Composition.

On April 25, 2008 he had most of his pieces preformed and recorded at the Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall located on the Florida Southern campus. Besides working to finish up my final projects to graduate I am working on the second movement of Triove entitled “The Wants of Some Desires”. The lyrics for this are also written by Billy Corgan in his books of poetry entitled “Blinking with Fists”.

A few months later he preformed his Classical Guitar Recital on November 3, 2008. A few of the pieces preformed included: Brouwer’s Estudes Simples V & VI, Vivaldi’s Concerto in Re Majeur and a few of his own compositions.

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The 25 Estudes Op. 60 was composed by Matteo Carcassi and is considered by many to be a collection of his most famous works. The purpose of these pieces is to blend the technical aspects of the guitar with lush Romantic Melodies. The first piece preformed, No. 3, has a brilliant, beautiful melody that carries throughout the piece. The tempo is relatively slow but overall it is a brilliant piece. No. 7 is another short piece that contrasts the first. It’s faster and carries the melody primarily through the bass line. The final piece, No. 19, is the shortest piece between the three. It offers a great, slow-moving melody in the high range of the instrument. In these pieces Carcassi was able to demonstrate the full aspect of the guitar’s potential from the fantastic melodies it can create to the expanded harmony.

Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance was originally transcribed from lute tablature for guitar by Oscar Chilesotti and was later edited by Alan Neidle. The first piece entitled Vaghe belleze et bionde treccie d’oro vedi che per ti moro roughly translates to “I wander the world looking for your golden blonde braids in the night.” It is set in a slow Adante making it an emotionally powerful piece that grasps one’s being. The second piece, Bianco fiore translates to “white flower”. It’s a faster and shorter piece that was originally written by Cesare Negri (1535-1605), a Renaissance choreographer. In it contains many of the general style characteristics of renaissance music. The piece itself almost brings one back in time. The Danza is another short piece. The style brings the first two pieces together using many strummed chords injected with a short scale fragments.

Estudios Sencillos was composed by Leo Brouwer in 1973 for solo guitar. There are a total of twenty pieces in this work ranging in style and difficultly. Being a 20th Century Composer, Brouwer used all the tools at his disposal in guitar compositions including nontraditional chords and chord progressions. Etude V is a short piece in which the mood is reflected greatly by use of dynamics and accents. The second piece by Brouwer is Etude VI. This is a longer piece with a dream-like feel to it which comes from arpeggiated chords carried throughout the entire piece.

If Heaven Were to Know was composed by Jason Steven Tienes Andrews from 2006-2008. It expresses the loss of a loved one. Each movement adds another instrument to the musical textures. The Prelude is the piece that ties all other movements together by including the first and last instruments together (piano and guitar). This speaks of the time before loss and how simple life can be.

Musical Couch is based on a simple melody that Andrews had written years ago in high school. He then used it as part of a theory project to accompany an instrument with piano. It’s a comical, upbeat piece that ends as abruptly as it starts.

Concerto n Ré Majeur was written for mandolin (lute) and orchestra by Antonio Vivaldi. This version is transcribed by Emilio Pujol for guitar and piano. It is one many famous Concertos composed by Vivaldi but the only composed for the lute. The first movement, Allegro, is fast-paced and beautiful. He was really able to bring out the full potential of the guitar’s melodic abilities in this movement as the piano plays a supportive role. Largo is the second movement and much slower than the rest. It is also the longest of the three. Although slower, this piece captures the mind and drives an anticipation for the climax; ending harmoniously at the destination. The last movement is also entitled Allegro. It is the shortest of the three movements. Although the melody stays with the guitar the piano is never far behind with either a similar arpeggio or style. This entire piece is wonderful down to the last note.

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Many new, exciting and inventive operas came from the mind of George Caspar Schurman. He was one of the predecessors of Keiser to Hamburg’s opera theater. Although he was only there for a short while his more prominent works were done in his later years. Schurman was noted for his unique structure and care in voice writing as well as his orchestration. The operas that he produced had magnificent string arrangement which rivaled that of Johann Sebastian Bach. In one of his more famous pieces, Ludovicus Pius, oder Ludewig der Fromme, one could hear (or even view with a score) the grand counter point the created (Oxford 318, 319, 320). The bass line is relatively simple. However, the violins are in great form weaving in and out of those simple lines. Additionally, he employed pizzicato strings for its expressive nature in Act I of Ludovicus Pius (321).

Lastly, a composer that was renown by all including Franz Schubert, Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach: Georg Philipp Telemann. He had written hundreds of pieces including forty operas. In 1721 he took residence in Hamburg. A year later he took over as director for Hamburg’s opera house(“Composers” 380, 381). In his operas it is evident that Telemann had a wide range of talents. He wrote in all styles from traditional German folk songs to the elaborate Italian style. His counter point nearly rivaled that of Bach’s (Oxford 316, 317). He also has mastered the different genres of operas. He wrote many comedies, tragedies, etc.

Although beginning of opera has its roots in at the turn of the seventeenth century in Italy it branched out heavily throughout Germany, more specifically in Hamburg. The German composers of this era pushed opera to a place that even the “inventors” could never have gone. The Germans brought their heritage, their thought and innovation into the opera were it would forever leave a mark. They brought more counterpoint, well organized orchestration along with sustained drama and comedy. They had built upon the Italian ideas, improved them and then broke them. For they were outside the box of Italy. Rules, especially in the sense of music, are only put in place so that way they could be bent and broken.

Alle, John Gage, Ed. Webster’s Dictionary. Owings Mills: The Literary Press. 1997.

Ewen, David. The New Encyclopedia of the Opera. New York: Hill and Wang. 1971.

—. Great Composers. New York: The H. W. Wilsom Company. 1966

Hogwood, Chistopher. Handel. Great Britain: The Pitman Press. 1984

Oxford University Press. Opera and Curch Music 1630-1750. The New Oxford History of Music Ser. 5. New York: Lewis & Fortune, 1975.

Weisstein, Ulrich, ed. The Essence of Opera. London: The Free Press of Glencoe. 1964.

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In 1696 Keiser followed his mentor to Hamburg where he became part of the renown opera house. Immediately he got to work and within that year he had Mahumeth II produced in that theater. Reinhard Keiser, although considered a second-rate composer in the twenty-first century, was praised by many for his work. He pushed German music further away from the styles of Italy. Instead of using typical Italian melodies and songs that were based on Greek mythology, Keiser leaned towards German folk lore and history. Additionally, his orchestration was unsurpassable for years to come (“Composers” 198). Keiser demanded much more from his performers than previous composers had. His music was much more difficult and required great feats of virtuosity (Oxford 309). Reinhard also had the ability to create genuine moods that reflected human emotions throughout his operas. Not only could he create them but he had a profound ability to sustain these moods when necessary, a feat that was not easy to accomplish (312). The boundaries were pushed once again.

During this time Handel join Hamburg’s opera orchestra as a violinist in 1703. There he wrote his first opera, Almira in 1705 (“Encyclopedia” 292). The librettos from which it was based was written by Friedrich Christian Feustking and derived from the Venetian libretto by Guilio Pancieri (Hogwood 26). It’s a three act opera that was primarily sung in German with few Italian arias and a single aria that was sang in both German and Italian. The Opera involved dance as well, including ballet, to a saraband and chaconne which had brought all three parts of the opera together again. Almira was an instant success. It ran for twenty nights after its opening (Hogwood 26, 27; “Encyclopedia” 23). Despite the success, the opera took much criticism for its text by Feustking (Hogwood 26).

After his success with Almira, Handel proceeded to write another opera called Nero (Weisstein 62). The libretto was provided by that same author that had written Almira. Nero was not as big of a success. It was preformed for but only three nights. Since then the music to this piece and the next has been lost. Fortunately enough, a libretto of good quality has been preserved. The cast seems to be even larger than that of Almira and with more ballet present. This time, however, Handel himself is quoted for the criticism of his own opera for the same reason in the prior. “How is a musician to create anything beautiful if he has no beautiful words? …There is no spirit in the verse, and one feels vexation in setting such to music.” Again Handle began working on another opera while in Hamburg. As stated above the music for this one has been lost too. What little remains of this opera is hardly positive. Mattheson, a friend of Handel, is reported to have complained about it being “too long-winded” (Hogwood 27, 28).

Regretfully, in the following years Hamburg’s opera house began its decline (Hogwood 29). Through Keiser’s inability to separate the producer and the composer he brought the opera house to its knees. Each time he saved himself and the opera theater through marriage in a wealthy wife (“Encyclopedia 342, 342). Reinhard left the theater in 1717 and for several years it switched directors. Finally it closed in 1739 just before Keiser’s death (“Composers” 198). This was the end of its sixty year reign as “the” German opera theater for the baroque period.

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Opera, in it’s conventional form, had first appeared in 1597 in Italy and later expanded toward Germany, France and England (“Encyclopedia” 491). Opera began just three years before the first years of what we now consider to be the Baroque Period (1600-1750 AD) in music. The word “baroque” according to Webster’s Dictionary means: “a jeweler’s trade term for ill-shaped pearls.” This term is in reference to general sound of the music that was composed within this era. Although it had intellectually surpassed that of the prior generations it still did not have the lush and extravagant harmonies of the Classical period. Specifically the German Baroque opera is of great importance.

It is often thought that opera is the combination of all the arts into one: music, drama, and visual art. Despite this belief opera in itself is dominated by music. The drama is primarily sung and accompanied by an orchestra; with visual art not even being present in certain instances. Tension and relief itself can be and is created through use of chords, progressions, tempo, dynamics, etc.

The first ever German Opera was Dafne, written by Heinrich Schutz in 1627 (“Encyclopedia“ 629). It was composed thirty years after the first Italian opera was written. In Greek Mythology, Dafne is the daughter of Peneus (a river god). She is followed indefinitely by Apollo (the sun god) and saved only when her mother, Gaea, turns her into a laurel tree (158). Ironically, it was based upon that very same libretto by Rinuccini that had been translated into German. Making it both the first Italian and German opera. Schutz had composed the music in this opera for the marriage of the daughter of Saxon Elector to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (Oxford 303; “Encyclopedia” 629).

Unfortunately, in the forty-four years following there hadn‘t been a “real“ opera produced. There had been, however, many librettos that were set to music. Historians consider these German librettos to be nothing more than amateur material, including a libretto set entirely to music: Sigmund Theophil Staden’s Seelewig that was written in 1644 (Oxford 303, 304).

The next and second German opera to be composed was in likeness to Schutz. It shared the same title, however, it was set to a different libretto written by Opitz in 1627. This version was longer than the original one that Schutz used. This Dafne was composed by Giovanni Andrea Bontempi and Marco Gioseppe Peranda in 1671. The song style within this opera seems to reflect upon the style of Monteverdi than that of typical German characteristics. It is unclear whether either intellectually knew Monteverdi but it is certain that his style had a profound influence upon these two gentlemen. Not more than two years later both Bontempi and Peranda wrote another opera called Jupiter and Jo. Little is known of the music for this opera, for only the libretto remains (Oxford 304).

In 1677 the first German opera house had be established in Hamburg Germany. Shortly after it’s opening in 1678 Hamburg became the center to all opera in Germany (Oxford 304). However, it took almost another twenty years for the German Baroque opera to take another step forward. Reinhard Keiser was born just a year after Jupiter and Jo was produced in Saxony and he become “the” operatic composer and producer of his time. He wrote over one hundred operas in his sixty-five years of living. Three of which had been completed by the age of twenty. His first ever being Basilius (“Composers” 198).

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Well I’ve already disclosed to you my 2 favorite songs: Bush - Machinehead & Smashing Pumpkins - Stand Inside Your Love. To top it off here’s my 3rd favorite song: Elliot Smith - King’s Crossing.

It is a very popular song among people who have already heard it. For those of you who haven’t or have never even heard of Elliott Smith before, you’re missing out. He was a very gifted and talented singer/songwriter. Born in 1969 he wrote, recorded and preformed several albums including my favorite “From a Basement on the Hill” which wasn’t even put out into the media until after his death in 2003. The reason for this being that Elliott recorded most of the instruments himself and so very few knew of his “in progress” works.

I have been so captured by this song that lately I’ve been contemplating rearranging it for tenor and orchestra. It’s a very moving and very powerful piece that brings literally brings tears to my eyes. The emotions involved in it are so strong that it’s hard to hold back the pure passion you feel or the overwhelming sadness depending on the part of the song you are at. It’s something the world needs to hear.

The king’s crossing was the main attraction
Dominoes falling in a chain reaction
A scraping subject ruled by fear
Told me whiskey works better than beer

The judge is on vinyl, decisions are final
And nobody gets a reprieve
And every wave is tidal - if you hang around
You’re going to get wet

I can’t prepare for death any more than I already have
All you can do now is watch the shells
The game looks easy, that’s why it sells

Frustrated fireworks inside your head
Are going to stand and deliver, talk instead
The method acting that pays my bills
Keeps a fat man feeding in Beverly Hills

I got a heavy metal mouth that hurls obscenity
And I get my check from the trash treasury
Because I took my own insides out

It don’t matter ’cause I have no sex life
And all I want to do now is inject my ex-wife
I’ve seen the movie and I know what happens

It’s Christmas time, and the needles on the tree
A skinny Santa is bringing something to me
His voice is overwhelming, his speech is slurred
And I only understand every other word

Open your parachute and grab your gun
Falling down like an omen, a setting sun
Read the part and return at five
It’s a hell of a role if you can keep it alive

But I don’t care if I fuck up
I’m going on a date with a rich white lady
Ain’t life great?
Give me one good reason not to do it
(Because I love you)
So do it

This is the place where time reverses
Dead men talk to all the pretty nurses
Instruments shine on a silver tray
Don’t let me get carried away
Don’t let me get carried away
Don’t let me be carried away

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Part three deserves this entire section of the piece all to itself. The story of Adam and Eve is spread throughout Christianity from its basic tales to lore to the explanation of why man is sinful from birth. The story of the Creation could not be told without this part for it also shows the creation of our faith and the start of our society as a whole. Adam and Eve even try to answer the question that man has been asking why we were put on the Earth. “God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (The Holy Bible, Genesis 2:15).

It’s almost as if Mozart had written the melodies in the third part of Haydn’s “The Creation.” The melodies are absolutely gorgeous, lush and full of life. The orchestra is full, supportive and even takes on a few soloistic qualities that it had rarely done prior. This part also introduces two new soloist in the form of Eve as a Saprano and Adam as a Baritone. Although a little bottom heavy the soloists now have a full range to themselves as well as the chorus and the orchestra. Haydn balances it out rather well using the interaction between superbly and by having Uriel only narrating at the beginning and the end of part three.

Numbers twenty-nine and thirty are by far the most climatic part of the entire piece. Adam and Eve proclaim their bliss for the Lord with a magnificent orchestration of the chorus behind them and solidify their praise and worship. These two numbers build from one note to the next. The intensity makes you want a resolution but at the same time for it never to end. It finally does wind down with the orchestra finishing it off on the tonic of C Major.

Immediately following the climax of the piece is Adam and Eve realizing their duty upon the Earth and what God has intended them to do. They pledge their obedience to the Lord and are happy to do so. Still, though, they disobey their god. Haydn expresses their mischievousness through playful violins on sixteenth notes. Yet, although they had not been as loyal as they had told their Lord this number is consistently pleasant sounding in a major key. It is not until Uriel’s recite in number thirty-two does the realization of what Adam and Eve had done hits the audience. However, this recite is short and followed up by the chorus in a glorious prayer exclaiming, “Let His name resound on high. Jehovah’s praise for ever shall endure. Amen.”

“So far as genius can exist in a man who is merely virtuous, Haydn had it. He went as far as the limits that morality sets to the intellect,” said Friedrich Nietzsche in 1878 (Wagner). This statement could not be truer. Haydn had set the standard for much of the music in the Classical Era, but also he had gone past that, years into the future creating techniques that were rarely duplicated until far after his death. “The Creation” is a testament to that and a prime example of the sheer genius of Franz Joseph Haydn.

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“A genius on paper,” sums up Johann Sebastian Bach is as little words as possible. He’s a composer with such a tremendous influence that musicologist, students, scholars and musians are still studying his works 258 years after his death. His 2-part inventions and fugues are among the very first thing any serious music student will be introduced to. They are of such importance because they are, in my opinion, the backbone of a large majority of music; both popular and classical.

The piece by Bach that I’m introducing today is known as Saint Matthew’s Passion (or Matthaeus Passion). Although a majority of people who recently get introduced to Classical Music don’t necessarily like vocal and/or choir pieces this one is worth listening to. The piece is simply beautiful. It’s a magnificent work that has influences countless composers and musicians alike throughout the centuries and will continue to do so. The text is literally taken from the Bible and put to a choir and orchestra. If you notice in this recording they are using at least some authentic instruments.

What I like most about it is the elegance that it has. Even though I am not what one might call a Christian man, this piece still has a profound effect on me. I listen to it and feel inspired. I feel inspired to do great things. Even if it doesn’t have the same effect on you I’m sure that you can at least appreciate it’s beauty. There aren’t many works like it in the world; nor will there likely be many more. It had that greatness.

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Although having a limited range, Billie Holiday, brings songs alive with her extraordinary love for the lyrics. Billie has a beautiful voice and puts all herself into it. Additionally not a single recording of hers is the same, which makes this CD an excellent choice for it shows all her different styles and versions for the same song.

There are two versions of “Baby I Don’t Cry Over You” contained within this album. The original recording of this is in a slow, rather somber mood. The piano is light and harmonic. She sings as if she’s more than upset over a man yet is trying her best to get over. The song seems almost bluesy especially with the piano and guitar solos near the end of the song. The second version, which was previously unreleased, has Billie Holiday sounding as if she didn’t even care about the man in the first place and that she is on top. It is more upbeat and punctuated. Also the bolo solos in this are just as bluesy but with a more syncopated rhythm.

“Deep Song” has a very somber, dissonant harmony that Billie Holiday seems to be trying to pull herself out of without success. The tonality of it leans more towards the bass and deeper instruments.
“That Ole Devil Called Love” has a major sounding accompaniment and harmony. However, Holiday keeps touching upon minor modes within the piece.

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I’m taking a break from my usual talk to bring to everyone a little insight into me and my writings:

Today (June 30th) is a very special day for me. Four years ago my mother had succumb to her cancer. She had been fighting it valiantly for years but eventually it proved to be too much. Although I miss her deeply I had decided years ago that it was not a day to mourn nor a day to regret nor feel sorry for myself. It is a day to celebrate. For life, her life, is worth celebration.

Since then I’ve done my best to live my life they way I want to and to push myself towards my dreams. If she believed in me even through her pain how could I not believe in myself? So here I am. With my music. Writing music. Writing about music. This is my dream and whether you like me and my music or not I will not give up. Do I want you to like my music? Of course! I want the world to like it, although that is piratically impossible, I strive to create the best music I can.

Not only did my mom inspire me to pursue my dream in writing music but she inspired me to be better and to be me. In remembrance of my mother and her strength I began writing the piece “If Heaven Were To Know.” It started out as a single theory project with not more than twelve measures and turned into a five movement piece. Each movement tells a different part of the story as well as a different emotion. It has gone through several changes over the years including changing instruments, adding movement and even complete rewrites of some movements. I actually took a heavy pounding from my composition teacher for the title because she thought it left me too open to criticism and too vulnerable. After much thought and consideration I ended up keeping the title for it was meant to be. From then on I also endured the cringes she produced every time the piece’s title was mentioned.

The piece has a subtle theme to it and has a slight theatrical feel. The original idea was to add one instrument every piece. Starting with solo piano, the next movement adding viola, the next adding percussion and the last adding in guitar. However as the piece progressed I decided to add in a new movement and have it as guitar and piano. It ties all the pieces together piano being the first and guitar beings the last. Also the piano represents my mother in a way because she was actually a organ minor. Not to mention the keyboard I use to compose most of my music was her’s. The guitar is meant to represent me for obvious reasons.

Although there’s already a short description on the program notes for my recital I’m going to expand on each piece more.

The first movement of “If Heaven Were To Know” is appropriately entitled “Prelude” for it is just that. It’s an introduction to the time before we had known of her cancer. It’s a relatively happy and/or upbeat piece with a little innocent melody popping up here and there. The piano and the guitar “converse” with each other while exchanging the melody and harmony with each other. The balance wasn’t the best in the recording I have but then again nothing is perfect. Daniel Bates, piano and Jon McCormmick, guitar did a wonderful job together.

(More to Come)

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Now that we are moving into a more popular form of Popular Music most everyone should have heard of this song by now. This is Finger Eleven’s Paralyzer and there is not a person I know who doesn’t like this song. Why is that? It’s really a rare to find a song that is actually liked in it’s entirety by so many people, especially when people are now so picky about their music.

It’s quite simple actually: people want to dance. Every new form and/or genre of music originated as a new dance, if you think about it. The music of the renaissance originated as dance music (and according to the movie “A Knight’s Tale” it was line dancing o.0). The waltz originated as a dance and just like some popular music today it too was looked down upon. Rock and Roll started as dance music in the 1950’s with the gitter bugs. The list can go on.

So now more about “Paralyzer”. It’s a great song. It makes you want to dance. And even more so it makes me want to dance which is unheard of! The pulse is really strong in it, especially in the drums and the bass guitar. However one of the guitars has an almost constant syncopation (off-beat) that really pushes one to want to dance. Maybe this is where classical music needs to go again: making people want to dance. Film scores can only do so much.

I hold on so nervously
To me and my drink
I wish it was cooling me
But so far, has not been good
It’s been shitty
And I feel awkward, as I should
This club has got to be
The most pretentious thing
Since I thought you and me
Well I am imagining
A dark lit place
Or your place or my place

Well I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

I hold out for one more drink
Before I think
I’m looking too desperately
But so far has not been fun
I should just stay home
If one thing really means one
This club will hopefully
Be closed in three weeks
That would be cool with me
Well I’m still imagining
A dark lit place
Or your place or my place

Well I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

We’ll I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

Not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

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