Reviews
Desire to Sleep (Opera in One Act) 2003
("Juventas Contemporary Music Ensemble" US premier) "Without a doubt, the most affecting piece of the evening was next: Desire to Sleep, by Moshe Shulman. It was a sort of operatic scene-within-a-scene, starting with a maid exhaustedly rocking a baby to sleep while slipping in and out of consciousness herself. Her master comes in and beats her for her negligence but when he leaves, she falls asleep and dreams of a scene wherein she has become her own mother, taking care of her ill father (played by the same fellow who had played the master in the beginning of the scene) in his last moments of life. She wakes up, and the scene concludes in the room where it began, with the baby still in the crib. The piece is an insightful and moving meditation on the ambiguities of consciousness/unconsciousness dichotomy, and how that ambiguity speaks to the relationship between life and death. The often-beautiful music powerfully evoked the lethargic and irresistible calls of sleep, the chaos of waking existence, and the cyclical nature of life. Both of the singers (Anne Byrne and Bülent Güneralp) were outstanding dramatically and musically. They were supported by cellist Michael Dahlberg, bassist Jonathan Davies, bassoonist Adrian Morejon, violist Elizabeth Stefan, percussionist Brian Calhoon, and the violinist and clarinetist from the previous piece." The Boston Musical Intelligencer DECEMBER 9, 2012 by Sam Bodkin |
|
Argentine Tango (for accordion/bandoneon, violin, piano and double bass) 2011
("Musical Feast" world premier) "The young Buffalo-based composer Moshe Shulman dedicated his Argentine Tango to Argentine/German composer Mauricio Kagel and all tango musicians in the world. Shulman himself will play the accordion part, along with violinist Charles Castleman, double bassist Julia Shulman, and pianist Eric Huebner, in a work which is described as being energetic, at moments even brutal, while also being at the same time overly melancholic, as any genuine tango should be. In an interesting twist on tradition, the score calls for the musicians to both behave and vocalize according to how playing this passionate music makes them feel. Shulman recently composed and performed the very effective music for Subversive Theatre's unforgettable production of Marat/Sade." ARTVOICE November 17, 2011 by Jan Jezioro |
|
compositions
Seven Prophetesses (2016) for voice, harp and string quartet (2015 Fromm Commission recipient, performed by: Anne Harley, Soprano; Barbara Pöschl-Edrich, harp; Miranda Shulman, violin I; David Felberg, violin II; Shanti Randall, viola; James Holland, cello (New Mexico, UNM 2017)
Praxis (2016) for bandoneon and cello (Shulman/Golove)
Tzipora in the Desert (2015) for voice, violin and piano (Ice)
For Silvina (2015) for violin solo and ballet dancer
In Defence (2013) for 3 violas and dancer 10/2013 ‘Musical Feast’, Buffalo, NY
Song of Songs (2012) for Violin Solo and Soprano, commissioned , performed and recorded by Anne Harley
Kivunim (2011) for Violin Solo and Orchestra, recorded by Slee Sinfonietta (James Baker) and soloist - Yuki Numata (Buffalo, NY)
Parallels (2011) for Violin Solo and electronics, performed by Yuki Numata (Buffalo, NY)
Secret Messages I (2011) for Violin Solo, commissioned and performed by Charles Haupt at Burchfield Penney Gallery, Buffalo, NY. (03/10/11)
Secret Messages II (2010) for Trumpet and Percussions, commissioned and performed by Jon Nelson and Tom Color Duo 2011
La Sérénade (2010) for Woodwind Quartet, commissioned and performed by Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne 2010 (Québec, CA. July 2010)
Subito (2009) commissioned and performed by Meridian Brass Quintet (Buffalo, NY. June 2009)
Construction III (2009) UB percussion ensemble (Buffalo, NY 2009)
Construction III (2009) performed by Mark Pekarski Percussion Ensemble (Moscow, Russia 2009)
Four Descriptive songs (2008) performed by Amanda DeBour (Buffalo, NY 2008)
Vibrations (2008) – for strings, commissioned and performed by Freisinger Chamber Orchestra in First Church in Boston, MA
Frozen Moments (2003) for for flute, violin, cello and piano. Performed by Juventas New Music Ensemble (Boston, MA, 207)
Плач при выносе/Mourning (2006) for voice, accordion and folk percussions. (Boston, MA, 2006)
“Desire to Sleep” (2003) Opera in One Act.
Characters (2002) Performed in a concert series by Israeli Sinfonietta of Beer-Sheva conducted by Yaron Traub (Beer-Sheva, Tel-Aviv, Israel)
Seven Prophetesses (2016) for voice, harp and string quartet (2015 Fromm Commission recipient, performed by: Anne Harley, Soprano; Barbara Pöschl-Edrich, harp; Miranda Shulman, violin I; David Felberg, violin II; Shanti Randall, viola; James Holland, cello (New Mexico, UNM 2017)
Praxis (2016) for bandoneon and cello (Shulman/Golove)
Tzipora in the Desert (2015) for voice, violin and piano (Ice)
For Silvina (2015) for violin solo and ballet dancer
In Defence (2013) for 3 violas and dancer 10/2013 ‘Musical Feast’, Buffalo, NY
Song of Songs (2012) for Violin Solo and Soprano, commissioned , performed and recorded by Anne Harley
Kivunim (2011) for Violin Solo and Orchestra, recorded by Slee Sinfonietta (James Baker) and soloist - Yuki Numata (Buffalo, NY)
Parallels (2011) for Violin Solo and electronics, performed by Yuki Numata (Buffalo, NY)
Secret Messages I (2011) for Violin Solo, commissioned and performed by Charles Haupt at Burchfield Penney Gallery, Buffalo, NY. (03/10/11)
Secret Messages II (2010) for Trumpet and Percussions, commissioned and performed by Jon Nelson and Tom Color Duo 2011
La Sérénade (2010) for Woodwind Quartet, commissioned and performed by Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne 2010 (Québec, CA. July 2010)
Subito (2009) commissioned and performed by Meridian Brass Quintet (Buffalo, NY. June 2009)
Construction III (2009) UB percussion ensemble (Buffalo, NY 2009)
Construction III (2009) performed by Mark Pekarski Percussion Ensemble (Moscow, Russia 2009)
Four Descriptive songs (2008) performed by Amanda DeBour (Buffalo, NY 2008)
Vibrations (2008) – for strings, commissioned and performed by Freisinger Chamber Orchestra in First Church in Boston, MA
Frozen Moments (2003) for for flute, violin, cello and piano. Performed by Juventas New Music Ensemble (Boston, MA, 207)
Плач при выносе/Mourning (2006) for voice, accordion and folk percussions. (Boston, MA, 2006)
“Desire to Sleep” (2003) Opera in One Act.
Characters (2002) Performed in a concert series by Israeli Sinfonietta of Beer-Sheva conducted by Yaron Traub (Beer-Sheva, Tel-Aviv, Israel)