In May of 1995 I received a Masters in Music from Rutgers University, where I studied composition with Charles Wuorinen and computer music with Ronald Surak. My major influences have been the Second Viennese School (Schönberg, Webern, Berg), Stravinsky, Milton Babbit, Charles Wuorinen, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, and others.
My most recent pieces are almost exclusively jazz tunes written for "4 on 6," the jazz quartet in which I play bass.
Below is a complete list of works in reverse chronological order. I've included the score for download in PDF format if available. Please contact me if you intend to perform any piece, if you want parts or for more information: kalbach (at) scils.rutgers.edu.
These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Title: Scrambled Eggs
Date: 9.2005
Instruments: for small combo
Score: Score + 4 parts
Note: This is an attempt to define a musical form without providing the surface,
i.e. the actual notes to be played. This must be improvised. The structure
is given to the players in words, and it follows typical jazz forms (head,
solo 1, solo 2, solo 3, drum solo, head)
Title: Enough is Enough
Date: 2.2005
Instruments: for small combo
Score: C lead sheet (1 p.); Part
in Bb (1 p.)
Note: Form - A A B C
This piece reworks themes and ideas from It's (Never) Enough, below, but also
goes in new directions. Form is similar to Bake Out.
Title: Strange Attractor II
Date: 6.2004
Instruments: for small combo
Score: C lead sheet (2 p.); Part
in Bb (2 p.)
Note: Form - A A1 B B1
Cold-Sweat Beat the whole way. Should be funky and groove.
Title: Bake Out
Date: 2.2003
Instruments: for small combo
Score: C lead sheet (2 p.) ; Guitar
(2 p.); parts in Bb (2 p.) + Eb (2 p.)
Note: Form - A B C with an intro and coda;
Influenced by elements and styles of John Scofield, Igor Stravinsky, Bootsy
Collins, Cliff Pecota, Benny Golson and Pearl Jam.
Title: Instant Sweat
Date: 7.2002
Instruments: for small combo
Score: full score (2 p.); parts in C
(2 p.) + Bb (2 p.) + Eb (2 p.)
Note: Mix of funk and rock; Inspired by John Scofield's "Boozer"
Title: Hot Off the Press
Date: 11.2001
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: full score (2 p.); parts in
C (2 p.) + Bb (2 p.)
Note: Blues in F
Title: Blooze
Date: 8.2001
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: full score (4 p.); parts in C (3 p.)
+ Bb (3 p.)
Note: Slow, bluesy; 32 bar form; D minor
Title: El Gato Triste
Date: 2.2001
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: in C (2 p.) + Bb(2 p.)
Note: Latin
Title: Strange Attractor
Date: 12.2000
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: full score (5 p.) + tenor
(2 p)
+ drums (2 p.) + guitar (2 p.)
Note: Funk/rock;
name taken from Chaos theory
Title: It's (Never) Enough
Date: 08.2000
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: in C (5 p.); in Bb (3 p.)
Note: Based on Alban Berg's Violin Concerto;
originally entitled "Es ist genug"
Title: Disfunkt
Date: 05.2000
Instruments: for bass, drums, sax and guitar
Score: full C score(5 p.);
parts in Bb (5 p.) + Eb (5 p.)
Performed: Haus 3 (Hamburg) - Summer 2000; "4 on 6" Jazz Quartet
Haus 3 (Hamburg) - Fall 2000; 4 on 6
Motte (Hamburg) - Fall 2001; 4 on 6
Note: Mixes funk, rock and swing
Title: Sponge Cake
Date: 04.2000
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: in C (1 p.); in Bb (1 p.); in Eb
(1 p.)
Performed: Haus 3 (Hamburg)- Summer 2000, "4 on 6" Jazz Quartet
Note: Up swing; based on "Confirmation" changes
Title: Above the Clouds
Date: 11.1999
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: in C (1 p.); in Bb (1 p.)
Note: Ballad
Title: Over the Top
Date: 10.1997
Instruments: for jazz quartet
Score: in C (1 p.); in Bb (1 p.)
Performed: 19 January 1997, Crescent Ave Preb. Church,
Quasimodo Jazz Quartet
Note: Medium up swing
Title: Guitar Piece
Date: 06.1997
Instruments: 1 guitar
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: 1 score (p.)
Title: Klavierstück
Date: 05.1996
Instruments: 1 piano
Duration: 3:30 (1 mvt)
Score: 4 p.
Title: Pari Delicto
Date: 02.1996
Instruments: 1 marimba, 1 violin
Duration: 11:00 (1 mvt)
Score: 1 full score
Performed: 27/4/96, Juilliard (NY, NY); Tom Fox, marimba,
Jason Pell, violin
Title: Adagio for Brass Quintet
Date: 07.1995
Instruments: 2 trumpets, 1 horn, 1 trombone, 1 tuba
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: 1 score (p.) + 5 parts (p.)
Performed: 10/9/95, Trenton Avant-Garde Festival
Title: Trio
Date: 05.1995
Instruments: 1 flute, 1 tuba, vibes/marimba (1 player)
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Note: based on same pitch material as BTU
Title: BTU
Date: 04.1995
Instruments: 1 clarinet, 1 violin, 1 piano
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Synergy
Date: 03.1995
Instruments: 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone
Duration: 9:00
Score: 1 score ( p.) + 4 parts ( p.)
Performed: 15/5/95, NYU; NYU New Music Ensemble Note: written for NJ composers
competition;
submitted as Master's thesis, accepted
Title: Fractal Piece
Date: 12.1994
Instruments: computer recording
Duration: 4:00
Score: recording
Note: composed using the Synclavier;
based on a fractal algorithm
Title: Forgetfulness
Date: 11.1994
Instruments: 1 voice (mezzo-sop) + 1 piano
Duration: 4:00 (1 mvts)
Score: 1 score ( p.) + 6 parts ( p.) for 1st mvt only
Note: text by Hart Crane
Title: Tabula Rasa
Date: 08.1994
Instruments: 1 flute, 1 horn, 1 violin, 1 cello,
1 piano, + percussion (1 player)
Duration: 15:00 (3 mvts)
Score: 1 score ( p.) + 6 parts ( p.) for 1st mvt only
Performed: 25/2/95, Rutgers (NJ); HELIX! (1st mvt only)
Note: composed using extended 12-tone and fractal techniques
Title: Stars, I Have Seen Them Fall
Date: 05.1994
Instruments: 1 voice (sop) + 1 piano
Duration: 3:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: I Have Longed to Move Away
Date: 03.1994
Instruments: 1 voice (mezzo-sop) + 1 piano
Duration: 4:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Note: text by Dylan Thomas
Title: 8 Variations on a Row
Date: 02.1994
Instruments: 1 piano
Duration: 10:00 (8 mvts)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Non Sequitur
Date: 11.1993
Instruments: 1 marimba
Duration: 10:00 (2 mvts)
Score: 17 p.
Performed: 2/94, Juilliard (NY, NY); Tom Fox, marimba;
3/94, Rutgers, Tom Fox, marimba;
2/95, Juilliard, Tom Fox, marimba
Title: Computer Pieces
Date: 11.1993 - 01.1995
Instruments: computer
Duration: varies
Score: do not exist
Note: Various short computer pieces composed using C-Music
Title: Proslambanomenos
Date: 09.1999
Instruments: 1 tuba, 1 marimba
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: 18 p., no parts
Note: Written for my tuba teacher, Scott Mendoker
Title: 5 Pieces for Piano
Date: 05.1993
Instruments: 1 piano
Duration: 8:00 (8 mvts)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Fractal Quartet
Date: 03.1993
Instruments: 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
Duration: 6:00 (1 mvt)
Score: 27 p.
Note: Makes use of fractal composing techniques;
based on an 8 pitch row
Title: 3 Pieces for Timpani
Date: 01.1993
Instruments: 5 timpani (1 player)
Duration: 11:00 (3 mvts)
Score: 12 p.
Performed: 2/93, Juilliard (NY); Tom Fox, timp;
4/93, Rutgers (NJ); Tom Fox, timp;
3/94, Rutgers (NJ); Scott Martin, timp.
Note: Written for Tom Fox
Title: Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin and Cello
Date: 12.1992
Instruments: 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 violin, 1 cello
Duration: 5:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Duo for Violin and Piano
Date: 11.1992
Instruments: 1 violin + 1 piano
Duration: 7:00 (3 mvts)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Piece for Solo Tuba
Date: 10.1992
Instruments: 1 tuba
Duration: 2:30 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Title: Solo Piano
Date: 8/1992
Instruments: 1 piano
Duration: 5:00 (1 mvt)
Score: Manuscript only
Answer: Schönberg's 4th String Quartet, 1st Movement
