Music
Composition and ArrangementComposing for Film & Television
blood and iron portrait
Blood & Iron
A three-part documentary on German militarism from Bismarck to Adenauer.
PORT_CHICAGO_MUTINY
Only in America portrait
bad boy made good
alexandre-debieve-L27cgeEEYT8-unsplash
Potpourri
Industrial, theatrical, advertising, libraries, games, etc.
What do I do?
My music runs the gamut from the very simple and lyrical to the highly experimental. My influences range from Gregorian chant and medieval troubadors to the post-Webern serialists and minimalists of the late 20th century, with everything in between.
I am as comfortable with jazz, rock, folk, blues, new age, ambient, and electronica as I am with classical forms, and the scores I’ve written for television and multimedia reflect that range.
My specialty is creating authentic-sounding instrumental music with electronic instruments: “orchestral sound on a MIDI budget”.
Film, Television, and Radio
Original scores except as noted
When Comedy Went to School, documentary by Ron Frank and Mevlut Akkaya, about the history of stand-up comedy in the Catskills. “Hilariously funny and delightfully nostalgic.”—About.com. Theatrical release, 2013
Ballet mécanique, 1924 film by Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy. Editing and mixing new recording of original music by George Antheil to fit film. Anthology Film Archives, New York. Premiered May 5, 2001, at Brandeis University, as part of Boston Cyberarts Festival; and September 5, 2001, at Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, as part of Unseen Cinema festival; subsequent world tour of 25 museums, 2001-2005.
Bad Boy Made Good, documentary directed by Ron Frank about the history and revival of the Ballet mécanique. Premiered at the New Haven Film Fest, 2003, where it won first audience prize. Shown on PBS and released on DVD, 2006. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
How to Know God, documentary by Deepak Chopra based on his best-selling book, 2006
Off the Chain, documentary about Pit Bulls by Bobby J. Brown and Troy Garity, 2005
The Eternal Road: An Encounter with the Past, Frank Productions/PBS, 2000. Television documentary about, and using the music from, Kurt Weill/Franz Werfel opera. Premiered at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The Port Chicago Mutiny, Frank Productions/Discovery Networks, 1999. Television documentary.
Mars: Planet of Dreams, Set Productions/The Learning Channel, 1998. Television documentary.
Jerusalem 3000, Set Productions/Jerusalem Foundation, 1997. Documentary film. Premiered at Avery Fisher Hall, New York, 1997.
A Note To You, Northeastern University/National Public Radio, 1996. Closing theme.
Blood & Iron: The Story of the German War Machine, Krossfire Productions/Arts & Entertainment Network/History Channel/Discovery Channel Europe/France 3, 1994. Television documentary.
What’s the Score, WGBH-FM, Boston, 1992. Call-in musical quiz show.
Terra X, The Discovery Channel, 1989-1996. Weekly series.
Land and Life, The International Channel, 1989-90. Weekly series.
The Eleventh Commandment, Set Productions/Connecticut Public TV, 1988. Television documentary.
Night Music, WGBH-FM, Boston, 1984. Opening theme.
Multimedia
The Universe DVD, a journey through space with exciting new images from the Hubble telescope, from Tim Tully, Kathy Marty, and Universe Productions, 2002.
More Irish Stories for Children, CD by Sharon Kennedy, Rounder Records, 2001.
The Patchwork Quilt, CD of stories for children by Sharon Kennedy, Rounder Records, 1997. Grammy® nominee.
Curious George Goes to the Circus , reading game on CD-ROM, Houghton Mifflin Interactive, 1997.
Axe, interactive music game on CD-ROM, Harmonix Music, Cambridge, MA, 1997.
Dylan’s Day Out, Do You Want to Be My Friend?, and Look What I Can Do, books on tape, Harcourt Brace, 1996. Original compositions.
Experience, educational CD-ROM, Ivy Software, Boston, 1996.
Managing Pain Before It Manages You, book on tape, and various meditation tapes, Department of Behavioral Medicine, Deaconess Hospital, Boston/Guilford Press, 1994-7.
RehabiliTapes, Omni Rehab Systems, 1995.
Get Ready For Boston, music and stories CD and CD-ROM, Troubador, Inc., Boston, 1995.
Whale Discovery Center, Plymouth, MA, 1991. Interactive museum exhibits.
Jewish Tales from the Heart and Watermelon and Other Stories, stories for children by Betty Lehrman, 1990/2.
Interactive language games, Learningways, Cambridge, MA, 1991.
Waiting for Elijah, stories for children by Judith Black, 1990.
Record Albums and Library Music
Ballet mécanique and other works for player pianos, percussion, and electronics, CDeMusic / EMF Media, 2000.
QuickTunes, multimedia music library on CD-ROM; Music Data Corp./Passport Designs, 1991.
All Stars and Power Spectacular, co-composer with Keith Mansfield, KPM Music Libraries, 1989.
On Stream, KPM Music Libraries, 1988.
The Celtic Macintosh, “the world’s first all-MIDI album”, KPM Music Libraries, 1986.
Lecturing before the world premiere of George Antheil’s
original Ballet mécanique, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1999
Concert Works
Ballet Mécanique, computerization of multiple pianola parts of first version (1923-4) of composition by George Antheil. Commission by G. Schirmer & Co., New York City. Published 2003.
Premiered at University of Massachusetts Lowell, November 18, 1999. Simultaneous Webcast on WGBH Radio Online. Also performed by American Composers Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, New York City, April 2, 2000; San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Davies Hall, June 11, 2000; Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Symphony Hall, May 3, 2001 and Jordan Hall, November 15, 2009; London Sinfonietta, Royal Festival Hall, March 12, 2004; dozens of others through 2013. Click here for complete history and upcoming performances.
Also, creation of samples of siren and airplane propellors; design and construction of computer-controlled “bell box” for subsequent performances.
Edit of music to fit film Ballet mécanique by Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy (published 2004).
Edit of music for installation of an all-robotic ensemble to perform the piece, commissioned by the National Gallery of Art, 2006.
Recording of Lowell performance available at antheil.org.
Saltarello, Presto, arrangement of Finale of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”) for 16 player pianos, 1999. Recording available here.
King Frank, improvisation for 5 performers and computer, based on the works of Frank Zappa, 1997. Commission by the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
I Dig A Pygmy, tribute to John Lennon, 1990/1993. Commission by the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
IRT (“In Real Time”) for algorithmic composition program and MIDI instruments, 1988. Commission by the Boston Computer Society, NEWCOMP, and Association for Small Computers in the Arts.
SongSuite, for two computers, voice processor, recorder, and MIDI instruments, 1987. Commission by the Audio Engineering Society.
Five For Four, for percussion quartet and tape, 1976. Commission by the Purchase Percussion Ensemble.
Electric Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, 1973. Commission by Columbia Composers.
Preparing for a performance of SongSuite, for two computers, synthesizers, and multiple input devices. New York, 1987