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STRING QUARTET No. 1 - TEMPORAL GAMES
I – Determination
II – Dreams and Meditation
III – Destination

This work was premiered on March 15, 1996 by the Lakeside String
Quartet at the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers Annual Festival and Conference at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. The excerpt in the player is from the first of three movements titled "Determination."

The title of this piece comes from the circumstances surrounding the period in which I wrote it. The spring of 1995 was my final semester as an undergraduate and the most chaotic time of my life. I was working on four different pieces at once: too much to do in too little time. The first movement, "Determination," is characterized by several tempo changes and a high degree of syncopation, and stresses the attack sounds of the instruments. The second movement, "Dreams and Meditation," is mostly slow. Special effects and melody help create a calm and reflective atmosphere, which is representative of a break in my busy schedule. The ending of this movement sees a sudden return to the fast tempo, symbolizing my desire and need to get back to work. The final movement, "Destination," is similar to the first in its energy. Though syncopation is still a major characteristic, sections of imitative counterpoint are mixed in using some of the slow/ melodic gestures and themes from the second movement, but at a much faster tempo. The fast tempo remains fairly constant throughout, symbolizing the urgent desire to reach my goal or destination.


CAGED for Brass Quintet

This work was premiered on May 19, 1996 by The Skyline Brass. The performance took place in Jacoby Auditorium at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg Oregon. The work was commissioned by the Skyline Brass with Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America. The excerpt in the player is just part of a work with a duration of 10:00.

"Caged" is a semi-programmatic work about an animal that is suddenly captured and put into a cage. The music represents various thoughts and actions of the animal as it makes several attempts to escape, and in the end, is successful.


THE OUTING - SONATA FOR CELLO AND PIANO
I – Through the Gorge
II – Moon and Stars
III – J. Box Trail

The excerpt in the player is from the first movement, performed by Dan Maske on piano and Angela Schmidt on cello in 1997. The title comes from Dan and Angela's love for hiking, and the work was inspired by several specific hiking trips taken in northern Wisconsin.


FICTION

This work was featured on the debut release by Maske's chamber rock ensemble Far Corner. The sample in the player is just a short excerpt of a much longer composition with a duration of a little over 15:00. Far Corner's music is available from waysidemusic.com as well as all major online retailers.


ACROSS THE FROZEN NORTH – for concert band

This is a grade 3-level work, appropriate for top middle school or average high school concert bands. It has been performed by older adult community bands, and various high school groups (including a performance at Lincoln Center in New York City).

Across the Frozen North was inspired by my Siberian Husky, Solon. On a hot summer night, our air conditioning system broke. I was in the beginning stages of composing this new piece for concert band. As I sat at my computer, with numerous fans pointed at me to help cool my off, my dog Solon lay at my feet. Also to help keep cool, I imagined Solon leaping and bounding through deep snow. This helped to inspire the general character of the piece.


RUMORS – for oboe, horn, and cello

This work was performed and recorded by the Oakwood Chamber players, a Madison, Wisconsin-area contemporary chamber ensemble. The group released a CD titled "Scenes" in 2000, which features "Rumors" by Maske as well as works by Craig Bohmler, Douglas Hill, and David Drexler.

The Oakwood Chamber Players' CD "Scenes" is available CD Baby