MUSIC BY PHILIP WESTIN |
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| Below is a partial listing of music by Philip Westin. | |
MUSICAL THEATRE |
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| MARIE'S ORCHARD | |
In April 2008, Heartland, a full-length operetta with music by Philip Westin (see below), was one of four works selected in a national competition to be included in the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop at Disney Studios in Burbank, California. As a direct result of the ASCAP/Disney workshop, Center Stage Opera commissioned Marie's Orchard. Envisioined as a reworking of Heartland into a full-blown opera, the libretto by Dylan F. Thomas was inspired by Willa Cather's novel, O Pioneers! As work on the piece progressed, although Westin chose to retain some musical elements from Heartland, for the most part Marie's Orchard is a completely new piece. Center Stage Opera will premiere Marie's Orchard in a fully staged production at the Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park, California, in October 2010. The title role of Marie has been tailored especially for Shira Renee Thomas, who sang the role at the ASCAP/Disney workshop. In addition to Ms. Thomas, Mathew Edwardsen will sing the role of Emil Bergson, Carl King will perform the role of Frank Shabata, with Adrien Roberts as Angelique Cevalier, Eric Carampatan as Amedee Chevalier, and Bruce Wright as the Preacher. Brian Onderdonk will conduct the Center Stage Opera Orchestra and Dylan F. Thomas will direct the production. |
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| HEARTLAND | |
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Heartland is a full-length Musical Theatre work based on the Willa Cather novel, O Pioneers! The libretto was written by Burt Peachy. Completed in 2006, the work was realized in a studio demonstration recording in mid 2007. In April, 2008 it was one of four works selected in a national competition to be presented at the ASCAP/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop at Disney Studios headed by Grammy and Acdemy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz and featuring a world-renowned cadre of panelists. During the recording sessions, filmmaker Alex D'Lerma captured scenes and interviews of some of the performers by Karen Sharp, radio personality and host of KOST-103.5’s Lovesongs on the Coast. He then used that footage to develop a documentary, The Making of Heartland. |
ORCHESTRA |
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| TIMOTHY AND THE MAGIC GARDEN | |
Timothy and the Magic Garden was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, Hector Salazar. The 32-minute piece, intended to introduce children to the orchestra, received its World Premiered on February 7, 2009 by the Carson-Dominguez Hills Symphony Orchestra with Karen Sharp, radio personality and host of KOST-103.5’s Lovesongs on the Coast narrating and Maestro Salazar conducting. Two days prior to the premiere, the work was performed at three childrens' concerts in the city of Carson, California. The charming story is by Westin's long-time friend and collaborator, Burt Peachy. The work is scored for 2 Flutes (2nd flute doubling piccolo), 2 Oboes (2nd oboe doubling English Horn), 2 Clarinets (2nd clarinet doubling Bass Clarinet), 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 2 Tenor Trombones, Tuba, 2 Percussionists (three players preferred), Harp, and Strings. A Tone Poem version of the work without narration is also available. |
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| ELLISHA'S SONG | |
Ellisha's Song was written for and is dedicated to his best friend, partner, lover, and wife, Ellisha. |
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CHORAL & VOCAL |
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| SALUTE TO AMERICA | |
| Salute to America was completed in mid 2008. Scored for SATB chorus and orchestra, the 20-minute work is a setting of a patriotic text by Burt Peachy. | |
| TO MY PATIENT GARDENER | |
| To My Patiend Gardener was written as a wedding piece, and is a setting of a poem by Burt Peachy. Scored for baritone and piano, the piece was completed in early 2008 and premiered at the wedding of Peachy and Chuck Spence in November 2008. | |
| SONG OF ADORATION | |
| Song of Adoration was completed on July 4, 1976. It is scored for childrens' choir, SATB chorus and orchestra. Much of the work was a re-working of Venite, written in 1968 (see below), with soloists and some music removed and new music added. Westin prepared a performing edition of the piece for wind ensemble and organ, which was premiered and recorded by the combined choirs at the First Presbyterian Church of Anaheim, California with Philip Westin conducting in 1977. | |
| SUPPLICATION | |
| Supplication was written for the Cerritos Master Chorale. A setting of a text by Westin's long-time friend and colleague, Burt Peachy, it is scored for soprano solo, SATB chorus, and orchestra. The work was completed in 1982, and was premiered by the Cerritos Master Chorale and Symphony Orchestra in 1983, with Ann Gresham as the soprano soloist and Westin conducting. | |
| MASS | |
| Mass was commissioned by James H. Vail, Organist and Choirmaster at St. John's Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. Intended to be performed as a mass during the communion service, It is scored for soprano solo, SATB chorus and organ. It was completed in 1970 and premiered at the Church the same year with Sara McFerrin as Soprano Soloist and James H. Vail conducting from the organ console. | PETER PIPER |
| Peter Piper was commissioned by Sullins College in Bristol, Virginia in 1968. It was premiered by the Sullins College Women's Chorus the following year with Harold Daugherty conducting. | |
| VENITE | |
Venite was completed in 1968 as part of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Composition at USC. Scored for soprano, alto, and tenor soloists, SATB chorus and orchestra, the piece was premiered on May 15, 1968 at Bovard Auditorium on the USC campus with Ingolf Dahl conducting the USC Concert Choir and Symphony Orchestra. The text is the opening canticle from the Anglican Service of Morning Prayer, and consists of Psalms 95 and 96. |
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WIND ENSEMBLE |
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| IN MEMORIAM INGOLF DAHL | |
| Commissioned by the California Wind Symphony, In Memoriam Ingolf Dahl was completed in 1972 and premiered by that organization at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center with Philip Westin conducting. Scored for large symphonic wind ensemble, the 12-minute piece is an ode for Westin's friend and mentor, Ingolf Dahl. | |
| SYMPHONY FOR BAND | |
| Symphony for Band was commissioned by the Larry Curtis and the California State University Long Beach Symphonic Wind Ensemble. It was completed in 1973 and premiered by that organization with Larry Curtis conducting. The CSULB Symphonic Band played the work as a centerpiece of their tour of Switzerland and Austria with Curtis conducting later that year. The work is in three movements. | |
| BALLET FOR BUBBLES: AN ODE TO A LIBERATED HIPPO | |
| Ballet for Bubbles was arranged for symphonic band, based upon music from Westin's Brass Quintet (see below), as a commission from Larry Curtis and the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA). It was premiered by the ISOMATA Wind Ensemble later that year. The piece is based upon a news story that gained national attention about a hippopotamus that escaped from a wild animal park in Irvine, California in February 1978. Finding refuge in a rain-filled pond, she eluded capture for 19 days. Bubbles was finally taken down with tranquilizer darts; but tragically, she collapsed in an unnatural position, and died from suffocation. The work is in four movements: 1. The Escape; 2. The Pursuit; 3. An Evening Stroll; and 4. Epilogue. In 2005, Ellisha Westin wrote a story to be narrated for the piece. | |
| THE SIXTH DAY | |
| The Sixth Day was commissioned by Larry Curtis and the California State University Long Beach Symphonic Wind Ensemble. It was completed in 1974 and premiered by the CSULB Wind Ensemble with Curtis conducting. The piece was inspired by Genesis 1:26-31: "...And God said, Let us make man in our image, ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ... And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." | |
| TO MARCEL WITH LOVE | |
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To Marcel with Love was written while Westin was on a tour of Switzerland and Austria with Larry Curtis and the CSU Long Beach Wind Ensemble performing some of his music. Because Marcel, the tour guide, was such a caring individual, Westin composed this short piece while sitting in the bus traveling to the final concert in order for the Wind Ensemble to say "thank you" to him at that concert. Upon return to the US, the piece was recorded by Curtis and the CSULB Wind Ensemble. |
FILM |
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| GOD'S LITTLE MONSTER | |
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Westin wrote the musical score to God's Little Monster, a film by Alex D'Lerma. Completed in May 2006, the film received an award by the Independent Film Festival of North Texas in October 2006. |
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| SONATA FOR PIANO | |
| Commissioned by pianist Robert Bowman, the Sonata for Piano was completed in 1969. It was premiered by Bowman at California State University Chico one year later. | |
| BRASS QUINTET | |
| Westin's Brass Quintet was commissioned by the Eastern Brass Quintet. It was completed and premiered in 1973. The piece is four movements long and is scored for the traditional brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba). | |
| INTERMEZZO | |
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Intermezzo is a short piece for solo piano. It was completed in 1977, while Westin was teaching at Cerritos College. |
| SEXTET | |
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The Sextet was completed in 1970 as part of the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Composition from USC. It was premiered in April 1970 on the USC campus. It is scored for flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, and horn. |
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