A List of Compositions by Louise Denson


Works for Piano and Soprano Voice

 

Cooktown Cantata: Songs of Love, Place and Identity (2019/2021)

Libretto & Creative Direction - Jan Black
50-min work for soprano, baritone and tenor voice, piano, acoustic bass, cello, viola and 2 multi-wind players.
    Still the Mystery Exists
    Me Father Gave Me an Acre of Land
    In the Name of Science
    Flower of Cooktown
    Reflection
    The Picnic
    My River
    Journey into Country    
    The Land Beyond Beyond

Monsoon Time (2020)
Setting of a poem by Elvira Davis for SATB choir.

 

Fragment 40 (2016)

Settings of poems by American symbolist poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) (1886 – 1961).

            Keep Love

            Could Eros be Kept?

            Love is Bitter and Sweet

            I Had Thought Myself Frail

            What Need?

 

Time (2015)

Settings of poems by Australian multi-instrumentalist John Stefulj (b.

            Always There

            What is There Wasn’t There Once It is to Have Never Been

            It Is Now

 

Desire (2015)

Lyrics by Louise Denson, based on the writings of diarist Anaïs Nin (1903 – 1977)

            Distant Land    

            Dream 1

            Dream 2

            Joy

            One Desire

 

Four Songs for Piano and Soprano (2013)

Settings of poems by French poet/translator Denis Supersac (b. 1961)

            Son parfum

            Quand le soleil s’éteint

            Frémit mon coeur

            La lune

                                   

Non-jazz instrumental compositions


Une évolution (2021)

Five pieces for solo piano


Tipping Point (2021)
For two cellos

Salt and Light
(2020)
For clarinet and piano

Violet is a State of Mind
(2020)
Piano solo. In K. Zhukov (Ed.). Australian Women Composers’ Piano Anthology Vol. 3. Woolongong: Wirripang Pty. Ltd.

Illuminatio (1998/2019)
Piano solo. In K. Zhukov (Ed.). Australian Women Composers’ Piano Anthology Vol. 2. Woolongong: Wirripang Pty. Ltd.

Mill Life
(2018)
For 14 pianos and percussion. Site specific work for the Piano Mill, curated by Erik Griswold & Vanessa Tomlinson.


Two Boleros (arrs. 2007/2016)

Arrangements for piano trio of Soñando de tí and Contemplación

 

Resolve (2014)

For piano, drums, acoustic bass, bass clarinet, cello and violin

 

Fisherman Islands (2013)

Vignette inspired by the poetry of Samuel Wagan Watson: Smoke Encrypted Whispers  

For bassoon, bass clarinet, horn in F, oboe, piano and soprano voice.

 

Quatre vinaigrettes (1995)

Four short pieces for solo piano using 12–tone rows

 

Jazz, ‘Latin’ Jazz & Afro-Cuban compositions: Small Group arrangements (1989 – 2019)

* = recorded

 

Title

GENRE/STYle

Instrumentation

*All I Know (Lyrics – Elly Hoyt)

Jazz Ballad ¾

Rhythm + Vox

And the Moonlight

Jazz Ballad

Piano Trio

Another Bolero

Bolero

Piano Trio

*Another Cup

Afro 6/8 - fast salsa

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

A Yearning

Jazz Ballad

Piano Trio

Balance

Str 5/4

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Bolerito

Bolero

Rhythm + Flugelhorn

Bolero 17

Bolero

Piano Trio

*Bolero for Wendy

Bolero

Rhythm + Clarinet

Bright Spot

Str 8, open improv sections

Piano Trio

Brillante esta la luna (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

2:3 salsa

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Cha Cha Che

Cha cha cha

Rhythm + Flute

*Cheek

Swing

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Clean Start

Boogaloo

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Contemplación

Bolero

Piano Trio

*Colours of Your Love (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Jazz Ballad

Rhythm + Vox

Como escondír mi pena? (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Pambiche

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Cut and Dried

Blues, hard bop

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Dark Side, The

3:2 salsa

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Decir y hacer (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Tango/bolero

Piano Trio

Finding

Str 8

Piano Trio

*First Love (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Bolero

Piano Trio

*Flame Tree

Cha cha cha

 

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox

Flora australiae

3 mvt suite

Big band + wind soloist

*Frangipani

Bolero

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

From the Other Side

Jazz Ballad

Piano Trio

*Gone too Soon (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Str 8 moody

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox

*Green Tristano

Hard bop

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Hear Me! (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Afro 6/8

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox

Here We Are (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Swing, up tempo

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

He Said, She Said (Lyrics - L. Denson)

Samba

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

Hot Mambo Descarga (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

2:3 salsa

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox

*I Don’t Smoke (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Bebop contrafact

Rhythm + Bb or Eb + Vox

*I’ll Ask You One More Time (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Cha cha cha/songo

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor + Vox

Illuminatio

Jazz waltz

Piano Trio

*Ineffable

Str 8

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*In the Morning (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Vox + Flute

*Itty Bitty Boogaloo

Boogaloo

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*L’angoisse, qu’est-ce?

Post bop

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

L’armonia (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

2:3 salsa

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Lately

Str 8, moody

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Life Itself

Samba

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Light of the Heart

Jazz Ballad

Piano Trio

*Lonely Wing (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Jazz Ballad

Rhythm + Vox

*Lost my Heart (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

*Low Moon

Str 8, moody

Piano Trio

Maga et Manu

Str 8, moody

Piano Trio

*Maré de Agosto

Samba

Rhythm + Eb horn

*Maybe Tomorrow (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Jazz Waltz

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

Means to an End

Str 8, moody

Piano Trio

*Mercurio

3:2 salsa

Rhythm + 2 horns

Moving On

Swing, up tempo

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

New Sunrise

Str 8

Piano Trio

New Waltz

Jazz Waltz

Piano Trio

Nigerian Daydream

Latin/swing

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Not This Time (Lyrics – Denson/James)

Blues, Funk

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

Nova Nova

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Now You Are Gone

Bolero

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Oath

Slow, chorale

Rhythm + Vox

*Oblique Angle

Swing, up tempo

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Oh, by the way

Jazz waltz

Piano Trio

*On the Level

Str 8, 7/4 blues

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor or Alto

On the Way (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Jazz Ballad

Rhythm + Vox

*Out of My Way!

Samba

Saxophone orchestra

Paperchase

Str 8

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Parting

Str 8

Piano Trio

*Pondside

Jazz Waltz

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Prevailing Wisterly

Jazz Waltz

Piano Trio

Running Creek

Str 8

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

*Sambacita

Samba

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Samba Lucia

Samba

Piano Trio or Bb or Eb

*Sanctuary

Jazz Waltz

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Seamless Sea

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

Second Step

Str 8, moody

Piano Trio

Serious Undertaking

Jazz waltz

Piano Trio or Bb or Eb

Si te quiero (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Bachata

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor

Slow Down (Lyrics –James/Denson)

Blues, slow or funky

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

Smarten Up

2:3 salsa

Piano Trio

*Soñando de tí

Bolero

Rhythm + Flugelhorn

Souvenir de Montréal

Jazz Waltz

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Sparring, Sparing

2:3 salsa

Rhythm + Eb

Star of

Str 8

Piano solo

Suddenly the Sun Went Down

Str 8, slow

Piano Trio

Switchback

Str 8, up

Rhythm + Tpt + Tenor or Alto

Temporary Insamity

Str 8, 12/8

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

Think Twice (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Samba

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

*Time to be (Lyrics – Denson/James)

Choro/bossa

Rhythm + Bb or Eb or Vox

Unexpected, The

Jazz Waltz

Piano Trio

*Upstart

Blues, med

Rhythm + Bb or Eb

*Wild December Wind (Lyrics – Ingrid James)

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Vox

Wind

Bossa nova

Rhythm + Gtr + Vibes; or Bb or Eb

You Said (Lyrics - Louise Denson)

Swing, up tempo

Rhythm + Bb and Eb, or Vox

 

 

Arrangements for jazz/classical nonet (voice, piano, drums, acoustic bass, tenor saxophone, trumpet/flugelhorn, violin, viola, cello)

# = Originals listed above

 

Constant Craving (Lang/Mink)

Gnossienne No. 1 (Satie)

#Gone Too Soon

If You Could Read My Mind (Lightfoot)

It’s Too Late (King)

Logical Song (Hodgson)

#Maybe Tomorrow

Out of Season (Sherlock/Denson)

Russian Lullaby/Old Country (Berlin/Adderley)

San Francisco River (Moreira/Purim)

#Switchback

The Hope (Purim)

#Think Twice

#Time to Be

Trajectoire (Tcholakian/James)

#Wild December Wind

 

Arrangements for jazz/classical septet (voice, piano, drums, acoustic bass, violin, viola, cello)

# = Originals listed above

 

#Colours of Your Love

#First Love

#On the Way

Tristeza de amar (Vandré/Roberto)

 

Arrangements for big band

# = Originals listed above

 

#Flora Australiae – Eucalyptus regnans, Ozothmnus ledifolius, Bougainvillea glabra

(Commissioned by multi-wind instrumentalist Diana Tolmie)

#Another Cup

#Bolerito

#Bolero for Wendy

#Cha Cha Che

#Decir y hacer

#Flame Tree

Gnossienne No. 1 (Satie)

#I Don’t Smoke

#I’ll Ask You One More Time

#Life Itself

#Mercurio

Son of Northland (Finnish trad.)

#I Don’t Smoke

Rent-a-Crowd (Green)

#Sparring, Sparing

#Wild December Wind

 

Arrangements for saxophone quartet

# = Originals listed above

 

#Green Tristano

#Pondside

#Star of

 

Arrangements for saxophone orchestra

# = Originals listed above

 

#Bougainvillea glabra

#Out of My Way!

#Wild December Wind







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