Compositions – Chamber Ensembles

1. August 12, 1952: The Night of the Murdered Poets for Narrator and Chamber Ensemble (1978)

Debuted with Richard Dreyfuss as narrator; composer conducting; The Lindenbaum Center, New York, November 18, 1978. Subsequent performances around the country including the Chicago Sinfonietta, Washington D.C., Houston and Kansas City.

The recording here features Eli Wallach as narrator and was issued by Grenadilla Records.

2. Music for a Finite Space for Piano and String Quartet (1965)

Guarini Quartet with composer as pianist Villa Aurelia, Rome — April, 1967.

3. Suite Nonsense for Chamber Ensemble and Narrator (1965)

Villa Aurelia, Rome, composer conducting members of Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma — April, 1968

4. Variations for an Infinite Space for Strings and Winds (1970)

Debuted with members of Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; composer conducting. Wise Auditorium, Jerusalem — May 1971

Recording below is from a later performance at Peabody Conservatory, 1975.

5. Humanoid Ritual Dances for Prepared Piano, Percussion and Tape (1971)

Debuted with composer as pianist; Pamela Jones as percussionist, U. S. Cultural Center, Tel Aviv — November, 1971.

Recording below is from a later performance at Peabody Conservatory, 1972

6. Great Mother Goose Sweetmerge and Grand Foog for Pop-Vocal, Piano and Tape (1971)

Debuted with composer on Piano and Vocal; U. S. Cultural Center, Tel Aviv — November, 1971. Recording below is from a later performance at the Peabody Conservatory, 1972.

7. Scales and All for Alto Sax, Vibe, Bass and Percussion (1972)

Peabody Conservatory students with composer conducting, Peabody Concert Hall, Baltimore — February, 1974.

8. Oogamous for Piano, Vibraphone, Bass and Percussion (1972)

Peabody Conservatory students with composer as pianist, Peabody Concert Hall, Baltimore — February, 1974.

Oogamous means “relating to or denoting reproduction by the union of mobile male and immobile female gametes (sperm and egg).” In Cotel’s own words, “Later in this piece, musical cells begin to wander among the various musical entities and we get a frenetic result…The friction that is generated by the various elements in this musical ensemble losing their cooperative framework results in the release of a high degree of musical energy, a kaleidoscopic release which builds up to an ever-increasing high point. What you have here in effect is zillions of little musical cells proliferating.”

Audio commentary from Moshe Cotel about this composition:

9. Five Quatrains

Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Soprano & Robert Sirota, conductor – premiered at the Adelman Recital Series, Peabody Conservatory, January 10, 1997.

Lyrics for this piece are based on Quatrains from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam.

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