DMA Recital: Nightsongs by Richard Peaslee

Due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, my recital was live-streamed via Twitch from the high school band room where I teach. Many thanks to Danielle Guina for her amazing piano skills and all of her hard work. Nightsongs – Richard Peaslee (1930-2016) Richard Peaslee was a 20th century composer who wrote for theatre, Broadway, the Royal Shakespeare company, jazz, and much more. He received his undergraduate degree in composition from Yale University and his master’s from The Julliard School. He also studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Nightsongs is a beautiful piece for trumpet/flugelhorn and piano. It highlights the mellow mid-register sound of the flugel horn, the sharp, articulated timbre of the trumpet, and pushes the limits of the flugelhorn in range. The ever-changing time signatures, two-over-three feel, and different horns allow for a variety of character changes throughout the piece.