List of compositions by Lukas Foss
The early works of Lukas Foss are neoclassical in style, using controlled improvisation and chance procedures with the twelve-tone technique and serialism, while his later works are polystylistic.
Stage
The Tempest ; incidental music to the play by William ShakespeareThe Heart Remembers, ballet for piano Within These Walls, ballet for piano Gift of the Magi, ballet Capriccio, ballet for cello and piano The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, opera in two scenes ; libretto by Jean Karsavina, after the short story by Mark Twain; premiere May 18, 1950, Indiana UniversityGriffelkin, opera in 3 acts ; libretto by Alastair Reid after H. Foss; November 6, 1955, premiere on NBC televisionIntroductions and Good-byes, a nine-minute opera ; libretto by Gian Carlo MenottiOrchestra
Two Pieces The Prairie ; orchestral suite from the cantataOde- Symphony No. 1 in G major Pantomime ; concert suite from the ballet Gift of the MagiRecordare Parade ; from the opera Griffelkin
- Symphony No. 2 "Symphony of Chorales" For 24 Winds ; 2 versionsBaroque Variations
- # On a Handel Larghetto
- # On a Scarlatti Sonata
- # On a Bach Prelude: Phorion Geod for large orchestra in four groups with optional chorus Fanfare Salomon Rossi Suite Folksong Quintets for orchestra ; composer's transcription of Brass Quintet Exeunt For 200 Cellos Griffelkin ; concert suite from the operaMarch for small orchestra ; from the opera GriffelkinAmerican Fanfare ; also version for amplified harp or electric guitar, double bass, amplified piano, synthesizer or electronic organ and symphonic band
- Symphony No. 3 "Symphony of Sorrows" for speaker ad libitum, obbligato piano and large orchestra Phorion ; version of On a Bach Prelude from Baroque Variations
- Symphony No. 4 "Window to the Past" Symphonic Fantasy For Aaron for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, violin, viola, cello, double bass, arrangement of ''Gift of the Magi''
Concert Band
American Fanfare for amplified harp or electric guitar, double bass, amplified piano, synthesizer or electronic organ and symphonic band ; also version for orchestra- ''Concerto for Band''
Concertante
- Concerto No. 1 for clarinet and orchestra ; version for piano and orchestra Three American Pieces for flute or violin and small orchestra ; also for violin and piano
- Concerto for oboe and orchestra Elegy for clarinet and orchestra
- Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra ; modeled after Beethoven's Emperor ConcertoCello Concert for solo cello and orchestra
- Concerto for solo percussion and large or small orchestra Orpheus for cello or viola or violin and chamber orchestra ; also version titled Orpheus and Euridice Night Music for John Lennon for brass quintet and orchestra Orpheus and Euridice for 2 violins, chamber orchestra and tape ; 2nd version of Orpheus Renaissance Concerto for flute and orchestra
- Concerto No. 2 for clarinet and small orchestra ; arrangement of chamber work, TashiFor Lenny, Variation on "New York, New York" for obbligato piano and orchestra ; also version for solo pianoAmerican Landscapes, concerto for guitar and small orchestra Elegy for Anne Frank for chamber orchestra and piano solo, speaker ad libitum ; portion from Symphony No. 3; composed to commemorate 60th birthday anniversary of Anne FrankConcerto for the Left Hand for piano left hand and orchestra For Tōru for flute and string orchestra or string quintet Capriccio for cello and small orchestra Celebration for brass quintet and orchestra Solo Transformed for piano and small orchestra ; original version for solo piano; also version titled Solo Observed for piano and small ensemble
Chamber music
- Sonata for violin and piano Four Preludes for flute, clarinet and bassoon Intermezzo for cello and piano ; composer's transcription from the incidental music The TempestDuo for cello and piano Three Pieces for violin and piano ; orchestrated as Three American Pieces; also version titled Three Early Pieces for flute and piano
- # Early Song
- # Dedication
- # Composer's Holiday
- String Quartet No. 1 in G major Capriccio for cello and piano Studies in Improvisation for clarinet, horn, cello, piano and percussion Echoi for clarinet, cello, percussion and piano Elytres for flute, 2 violins and chamber ensemble Non-Improvisation for clarinet, cello, piano or harpsichord, electronic organ, percussion ad libitum Paradigm for percussionist-conductor, electric guitar or electric sitar and three other instruments capable of sustaining a sound MAP , musical game for 4 virtuoso performers and electronic tapes Ni bruit ni vitesse for 2 pianos and 2 percussionist La Grotte des Vents for wind quintet
- String Quartet No. 2 "Divertissement pour Mica"
- String Quartet No. 3 Curriculum Vitae for accordion ; also version titled Curriculum Vitae with Time-Bomb Music for Six for any 6 treble-clef instruments Brass Quintet ; composer's orchestral transcription Quintets Round a Common Centre for 1 or 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, mezzo-soprano ad libitum, speaker ad libitum ; commissioned for the 1980 Olympic GamesCurriculum Vitae with Time-Bomb for percussion solo and taped or live accordion ; 2nd version of Curriculum Vitae for accordion Solo Observed for piano and small ensemble ; original version for solo piano; also version titled Solo Transformed Percussion Quartet
- Trio for horn, violin and piano Saxophone Quartet Tashi for clarinet, piano and string quartet Chaconne for guitar Central Park Reel for violin and piano For Toru for flute and string quintet
- String Quartet No. 4 ; commissioned by the Buffalo Chamber Music Society for their 75th season
- String Quartet No. 5 Anniversary Fanfare for Aaron Copland for 3 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones, tuba and 2 percussionists Today for 2 or more performers
Organ
Four Études- ''War and Peace''
Piano
Foss's solo piano music forms a relatively small part of his compositional output. Still, it demonstrates, as a whole, his lighter, neoclassical stylistic practice and associated techniques. This repertoire spans a 50-year period from 1938 to 1988 and includes:Four Two-Part Inventions Grotesque Dance Sonatina Set of Three Pieces for 2 pianos Passacaglia Fantasy Rondo Prelude in D Scherzo Ricercato Solo ; also versions titled Solo Observed and Solo TransformedFor Lenny, variation for solo piano on Bernstein's song "New York, New York"; also version for obbligato piano and orchestraThe piece that stands apart from this largely neoclassical repertoire is Solo, a hybrid minimalist and twelve-tone work employing as a guiding technical principle the gradual transformation of several pitch collections. At the conclusion of Solo, these pitch collections change from serial to tonal, effecting a remarkable surprise. Of For Lenny, the opera composer Daniel Felsenfeld has written that Foss "is loving and careful with his treatment, avoiding vulgarity or navel gazing and offering instead a calm treatment of this famous tune".
The world-premiere recording of Foss's complete extant piano works was released in 2002 by the Sonatabop.com recording label based in Milwaukee. This recording was completed in honor of Foss's 80th birthday; the project was conceived by pianist Daniel Beliavsky, who in collaboration with producers Donald Sipe and Yuri Beliavsky recorded the repertoire in the summer of 2002. Naxos's release of Foss's complete piano works dates from early 2005, over two years after Sonatabop's recording. Despite this chronology, Naxos inserted a false claim into the CD materials that its release is the first. Several reviews make note of this discrepancy, including one by John France on the British music site MusicWeb-International, and one by Peter Grahame Woolf on another British site, Musical Pointers.