Compositions

Ruth Lomon’s compositions include orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo works as well as multimedia works. She has been awarded commissions and grants from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, The New Mexico Arts Division, National Endowment for the Arts, residencies at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Yaddo and MacDowell.

SONGS OF REMEMBRANCE (1996)
Song cycle on poems of the Holocaust
soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass-baritone, piano, oboe and oboe d’amore 55′ TF

– You may view the score and listen to a recording of SONGS OF REMEMBRANCE by clicking HERE.  There are also some alternative versions with slightly different instrumentation. This work and others by Ruth Lomon are available for purchase via NEUMA Records & Publications.  Also, another work entitled Testimony of Witnesses is an oratorio that uses the songs of Songs of Remembrance,  but with full orchestral accompaniment, and newly composed choruses in between the songs.

About SONGS OF REMEMBRANCE
“Several of the songs are indescribably beautiful and would be a highlight of any recital on which they were to appear. Each song occupies its own world and yet the whole is stronger than the individual masterpieces that are the separate parts. Lomon’s vocal lines are eminently singable, and her word setting is beyond fine.”

[Chor der Waisen] “is both modern and timeless, the modal oriented vocal lines weaving around one another evoking the very real sense of a culture lost.”

[Survivor] “captures succinctly the howl of the survivor who ultimately cannot face having lived when so many have died.”
– John Story, Fanfare

“… mezzo Patricia Green sang impassioned songs by Ruth Lomon with a poignancy and molten resonance fully evoking the wrenching pain of losses that words alone cannot even vaguely express.”
– Cecelia Porter, Washington Post

“…for singers who wish to explore great depths of emotional expression… a spectacular, memorable work.”
– Sharon Mabry, NATS Journal of Singing

OTHER SONG CYCLES:
CANTICLES (poetry by Marguerite Bouvard) (2004) soprano and piano 8′
NOCTURNAL SONGS (Haiku poems)
(1997) mezzo-soprano and harp 15′ MS A FANTASY JOURNEY INTO THE MINDOF A MACHINE
(1985) soprano and saxophone 10′ DP
SONGS FROM A REQUIEM
(1982) soprano and piano 10′ AP
FIVE SONGS AFTER POEMS BY WILLIAM BLAKE
(1962) contralto and viola 10′ AP
TERRA INCOGNITA (1993)
for orchestra 3(Picc).2.3(Bs.Cl.).2.4.3.3(Bs.Tbn.).1.Timp.3 Perc.Cel/.Pno.Hrp.Str. 11′ AP

About TERRA INCOGNITA “Engaging and thought provoking on first hearing, Terra Incognita is a work to explore and savor; second and third hearings brought me deeper into the rich vistas of this vast landscape. It is a profound and moving work, and I hope some American orchestras will turn to performing Lomon’s music.” “Lomon twists small strands of melody into intense melodic arcs and explores sonorous effects such as echoing a chord back and forth across a section.”
– Liane Curtis, IAWM Journal

“Terra Incognita weaves polyphonic strands in and out of unison passages, constructing a rich tapestry of sound. … To achieve maximum timbral diversity, Lomon explores the sonorous qualities of the orchestra, in particular the strings, which have both a lyrical and percussive role.”
– Alexander Carpenter, MMC

WORKS FOR KEYBOARD
FIVE CEREMONIAL MASKS (1980) Solo piano 20′ AP
ESQUISSES (1992) Solo piano 11′ AP
DREAMS AND DRAMA (1994) Solo piano 4’30″ ISCM
HAIKU SONATA (1998) Solo piano 4’30″ MS
SOUNDINGS (1975) Piano, four hands 7′ AP
TRIPTYCH (1978) Two pianos 7′ MS
SEVEN PORTALS OF VISION (1982) Organ solo 28′ AP
COMMENTARIES (1988) Organ solo 11′ ZP
AWAKE! (2002) Organ solo 5′ MS
DIALOGUE (1964) Harpsichord and vibraphone 5′ MS
BASSOON CONCERTO (1979) 18′ 2(Picc.).1.3(Bs.Cl.).2.2.2.1.Timp.2 Perc.Cel.Hrp.Str.Bsn solo.

About BASSOON CONCERTO “Throughout the work Lomon shows a deft hand at orchestration, supporting the solo bassoon with a subtly balanced ensemble that highlights individual instruments in delightful combinations. Her masterful use of color lends a kaleidoscopic landscape to the work. Solo bassoonist Deborah Greitzer performs with agility and feeling.”
– Luna Pearl Woolf, IAWM Journal

“It is a three-movement concerto, [with] unusual and stark orchestral harmonies.”
– David Denton, Fanfare OTHER CONCERTOS
ODYSSEY
Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (1997) 16′ 2.2.2(Bs.Cl.).2.(Cbn).2.2.Timp.Perc.Str. Tpt. solo
commissioned by the Pro Arte Orchestra of Boston
IMPRINTS
Concerto for piano and 4 percussion (1987) 18′
1. House of Storms
2. Song to Pull Down the Clouds

SPELLS
Piano and chamber orchestra (1985) 20′ 1.1.1.1.1.1,1.perc.2.1.1.Piano solo
“New Works” commission, Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities

SELECTED CHAMBER MUSIC (MS)
Tributary (2001) three flutes, 10′
Shadowing (1995) piano quartet 13′
The Butterfly Effect (1989) string quartet 9′
Desiderata (1984) oboe and marimba 12′
Metamorphosis (1984) ‘cello and piano 17′
Janus (1984) string quartet 18′
Diptych (1983) woodwind quintet 12′
Iatiku….”bringing to life” (1983)
bs cl, mar, vib, hp, hpsd, pno 12′

PUBLISHERS

Theodore Front Music, Inc. (TF)
16122 Cohasset St.
Van Nuys, CA 91406-2989

Arsis Press (AP)
Scores available through
Empire Publishing Service (EPS)
P.O. Box 1344
Studio City, CA 91614

Dorn Publications (DP)
P.O. Box 206
Medfield, MA 02052

I Resound Press (over 30 of Ruth Lomon’s works are available here!)

The League-ISCM (ISCM)
P.O. Box 1205
New York, NY 10276

NEUMA Records & Publications

Zimbel Press (ZP)
1595 Plank Rd.
Webster, NY 14580-9237

COLLECTIONS

Arthur Schlesinger Library
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138

Gelman Library
George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052

Cullman Center
New York Public Library
New York, NY 10023