DONALD ERB
DONALD ERB
Described by Nicolas Slonimsky in the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians as a "significant American composer," Donald Erb was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1927. His orchestral music has been played by literally every major orchestra in the United States and by many eminent ensembles in Europe and Australia. He received major commissions from the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Houston Symphony among many others. His composition The Seventh Trumpet has been performed more than two hundred times by over fifty orchestras in the United States and abroad, and was chosen as the United States representative to UNESCO in 1970. Among his orchestral works are ten concertos, which have been premiered by such artists as Lynn Harrell, Richard Stoltzman, Stuart Dempster and the brass section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Erb’s early interest in electronic music led to the completion of Reconnaisance, one of the first chamber works for live synthesizer and acoustic instruments. Written in 1965, Reconnaisance was premiered on Music in Our Time in New York with Robert Moog operating the synthesizer. It was presented at Expo '67 in Montreal and, later, on Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles. Mr. Erb's chamber music has been performed by major artists around the world at the Warsaw Autumn, Darmstadt and Tanglewood Festivals and by the groundbreaking Group for Contemporary Music. His early experience as a jazz trumpeter inspired Erb’s many compositions in that medium, including one for jazz great Jim Hall, a longtime friend.
Donald Erb taught composition for over forty years at such schools as Southern Methodist University, Indiana University, Melbourne University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He held the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music where, in 2000, his lasting contributions to the conservatory were celebrated with a concert in his honor and the creation of a scholarship in his name. Mr. Erb was in demand as a visiting lecturer and gave master classes and concerts at well over one hundred colleges, universities and conservatories in the United States. In addition to his work in the classroom, Mr. Erb served as Composer-in-Residence for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and authored the major article on orchestration for the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Mr. Erb not only helped to pioneer the acceptance of electronic sounds in conventional music circles, but also helped to extend the use of traditional instruments beyond their normal limits. His works often require instrumentalists to play in unusual ranges or in unconventional ways — piano strings may be struck with mallets; trumpet mouthpieces may be removed and played without the trumpet. The total effect is extremely colorful, demonstrating the composer’s expert sensitivity to sound. Although Erb sometimes used aleatoric methods, his compositions always have form as well as freedom; he never lost control of them. Of his music, Mr. Erb had said: "A craftsman can create entertainment, but you need more than that to create art. You need an emotional, inspirational quality, because in and of itself craft means nothing. There has to be something inside you pushing out or all a person will ever write is a craftsman-like piece. And that's not quite good enough."
Donald Erb died in the early morning on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at his home in Cleveland Heights at age 81. A cardiac arrest suffered in 1996 severely curtailed his activities as both a composer and lecturer.
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Compendium for Band (1962) -- 5'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Concert Piece I for Alto Saxophone and Stage Band (1966) -- 6'
Published: #145-40013
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#145-40013F)
Set of parts (#145-40013P)
Spacemusic for Band (1963) -- 2'30"
Published: #145-40011
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#145-40011F)
Set of parts (#145-40011P)
Stargazing for Band and Electronic Tape (1966) -- 3'
Published: #145-40009
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#145-40009F)
Set of parts (#145-40009P)
Cassette Tape (#145-40009T)
Symphony for Winds for High School or College Wind Ensemble or Band (1989) -- 10'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: York Community High School
Premiere Information: York Community High School Band
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Score and parts (#145-40027)
Set of parts (#145-40027P)
Full Score - Large (#145-40027S)
Full Score - Study (#145-40027F)
The Purple-Roofed Ethical Suicide Parlor for Wind Ensemble and Electronic Tape (1972) -- 10'
Picc. 2Fl. 2Ob. 3or6BbCl.(6 preferred) B.Cl. 2Bsn. A.Sax. Ten.Sax. 3or6BbTpt.(6 preferred) 4Hn. 2Tbn. B.Tbn. Bari. Tu. Cb. Pno.(must be Grand) Elec.Pno. Timp.(d. sm.Triangle, Police Whistle) 2Perc.
Published: #145-40017
Commission Information: Commissioned by the Lowell State Wind Ensemble in Lowell, Massachusetts and was premiered by that group under the direction of Willis Traphagen.
Additional Information: N.B. All woodwind players play 16oz. Pop bottles filled with different levels of water
Perc. I: Xylophone, Bass Drum, 2 Tom toms, 2 Woodblocks, Bongos, Slide Whistle, Triangle (lg.), Suspended Cymbal (lg.), Gallon Milk Jug, Harmonica
Perc II: Glockenspiel, Gong, Vibraphone, Triangle (med.), Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal (med.), Gallon Milk Jug (with Perc. I), Glass Wind Chimes
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#145-40017F)
Set of parts (#145-40017P)
Cassette Tape (#145-40017T)
…And Then, Toward the End… for Trombone and 4-track Pre-recorded Trombones (1971) -- 8'
Published: #144-40042
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40042S)
A Book of Fanfares for Brass Quintet (1987) -- 8'
Published: #144-40157
• Reviews
Andante for Piccolo, Flute, and Alto Flute
(1 player) (1966) -- 1'30"
Published: #144-40040
Antipodes for String Quartet and Percussion Quartet (1963) -- 11'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Premiere Information: Music in Our Time, New York
Aubade for Organ with Bells and Wine Glasses (1985) -- 5'
Published: #144-40490
• Recordings
Aura for String Quintet (1981) -- 11'
Published: #144-40108
Commission Information: Nashville Symphony
Premiere Information: Nashville Symphony, Michael Charry, conductor
Aura II A Fantasy for Cellist and Friends (1982) -- 10'
Published: #144-40171
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40171S)
Basspiece for String Bass and 4-track Pre-recorded String Bass (1969) -- 9'
Published: #144-40035
Celebration Fanfare for Brass, Organ and Percussion (1990) -- 4'
3Tpt. 3Hn. 2Tbn. Tuba 3Perc. Org.
Published: #144-40219
Commission Information: For the Cleveland Museum of Art 75th Anniversary
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40219P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40219S)
Changes for Clarinet and Keyboards (1994) -- 10'
Published: #144-40253
• Recordings
Children's Song for 2 Violins (1995) -- 3'
Published: #144-40274
Conversations for 2 Flutes (1962)
Published: #144-40417
Correlations for Piano Solo (1959) -- 6'
Published: #140-40032
Dance Pieces for Violin, Piano, Trumpet and Percussion (1963) -- 7'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41143)
Deja Vu Six Etudes for Double Bass (1981) -- 9'
Published: #144-40093
Dialogue for Violin and Piano (1958) -- 8'
Published: #144-40034
Diversion for Two for Trumpet and Percussion (1966) -- 6'
Published: #144-40025
• Recordings
Drawing Down the Moon for Piccolo and Percussion (1991) -- 15'
Published: #144-40194
Premiere Information: International Flute Convention, Washington, DC
• Recordings
Fanfare (1971) -- 2'
3Tpt. 2Hn. 2Tbn. Tuba Timp. Perc.
Published: #144-40041
Premiere Information: Members of the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Louis Lane
• Recordings
Five Red Hot Duets for Two Contrabassoons (or 1 Contra and 1 Bassoon, or 2 Bassoons) (1989) -- 11'
Published: #144-40200
• Recordings
Four Duets (1960)
Published: #144-40383
Four for Percussion for Celesta, Harp, Piano, 4 Timpani and 4 Percussion (1962) -- 10'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Four Timbre Pieces for Cello and Double Bass (1989) -- 14'
Published: #144-40222
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40062S)
Hexagon for Flute, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Cello and Piano (1963) -- 6'
Published: #144-40386
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40386P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40386S)
Illawarra Music for Bassoon, Piano, and Page Turner/Harmonica (1992) -- 8'
Published: #144-40252
Mirage for Flute, Bassoon, Trumpet, Trombone, Keyboards, and Percussion (1977) -- 8'
Published: #144-40068
Commission Information: Las Vegas Chamber Players
Premiere Information: Las Vegas Chamber Players
Music for Mother Bear for Alto (or C) Flute (1970) -- 4'
Published: #144-40037
Music for Violin and Piano (1959) -- 9'
Published: #144-40033
Premiere Information: Music in our Time, New York
Nebbiolina for Organ and 8 Bell Ringers (1980) -- 11'
Published: #143-40003
Commission Information: Cleveland Museum of Art, Walter Blodgett Fund
Premiere Information: AGO Convention, Minneapolis
• Recordings
Phantasma for Flute, Oboe, String Bass, and Harpsichord (1965) -- 7'
Fl./Picc./A.Fl. Ob./E.H. Cb. Hpsd.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41144)
Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Alto Saxophone, and String Bass (1961) -- 8'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Quintet (1976) -- 8'
Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, Piano/Electric Piano
Commission Information: Bowdoin College
Premiere Information: Aeolian Chamber Players at Bowdoin College
Additional Information: Published: 144-40084
• Recordings
Reconnaissance (1967) -- 14'
Violin, String Bass, Piano, Percussion, and 2 Moog Synthesizers
Premiere Information: Music in Our Time, New York
Additional Information: Published: 444-41026 (full score and parts)
444-41026S (full score)
Remembrances for 2 Trumpets (1994) -- 20'
Published: #144-40271
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40088S)
Sonata for Harp (1995) -- 16'
Published: #144-40287
Commission Information: Yolanda Kondonassis and Meet the Composer
Premiere Information: Yolanda Kondonassis
• Recordings
Sonata for Solo Violin (1994) -- 15'
Published: #144-40275
Premiere Information: Gregory Fulkerson; Haverford College, PA; December 2, 1994
• Recordings
Sonatina for Trumpet and Piano (1954)
Additional Information: Published: 144-40453
Souvenir for Tape, Instruments and Lighting (1970) -- 8'
Published: #144-40027
Available Separately:Cassette Tape (#144-40027T)
String Quartet No. 1 (1960) -- 14'
Published: #144-40038
Premiere Information: Music in our Time, New York
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40038P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40038S)
String Quartet No. 2 (1989) -- 23'
Published: #144-40195
Commission Information: Naumberg Foundation
Premiere Information: Cavani Quartet
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40195P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40195S)
String Quartet No. 3 (1995)
Published: #144-40315
Commission Information: Koussevitzky Foundation
Premiere Information: Audubon Quartet
• Recordings
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40315P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40315S)
String Trio for Violin, Cello and Electric Guitar (1966) -- 8'
Published: #444-41003
Premiere Information: Music in Our Time, New York
• Recordings
Suddenly It's Evening for Cello (1997)
Published: #144-40388
Commission Information: Fromm Foundation
• Recordings
Summermusic for Piano Solo (1966) -- 6'
Published: #140-40037
• Recordings
Sunlit Peaks and Dark Valleys for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (1995) -- 14'
Published: #144-40310
Commission Information: Verdehr Trio and Michigan State University
Premiere Information: Verdehr Trio; Miller Theater at Columbia University; February 29, 1996
• Recordings
The Devil's Quickstep (1982) -- 9'
Fl./Picc./G Harmonica, Vln. Hp./Slide Whistle, Cl./B.Cl./C and C# Harmonicas, Vcl./Ab Harmonica, Kbd. Perc.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: National Endowment Consortium
Premiere Information: Voices of Change
• Recordings
The Last Quintet for Woodwind Quintet (1982) -- 11'
Published: #144-40107
Commission Information: Nashville Symphony
Premiere Information: Nashville Symphony, Michael Charry, conductor
Available Separately:Cassette Tape (#144-40107T)
The Rainbow Snake for Trombone, 2 Percussion, and Keyboards (1985) -- 9'
Published: #144-40142
Commission Information: International Trombone Association
• Recordings
Available Separately:Errata Sheet (#144-40142E)
The St. Valentine's Day Brass Quintet (1981) -- 9'
Published: #144-40136
Commission Information: Nashville Symphony
Premiere Information: Nashville Symphony, Michael Curry, conductor
• Recordings
The Towers of Silence for Electronic Quartet (1974) -- 8'
Amp. String Bass, Elec. Piano., 2Perc., 4 Harmonicas
Published: #144-40094S
Commission Information: NEA
Premiere Information: Northern Illinois University
Additional Information: (Score)
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40094P)
Three Pieces for Brass Quintet and Piano (1968) -- 8'
Published: #144-40026
Commission Information: Wisconsin State University at River Falls
Premiere Information: Wisconsin State University at River Falls
• Recordings
Available Separately:Set of parts (#144-40026P)
Full Score - Large (#144-40026S)
Three Pieces for Harp and Percussion Ensemble (1981) -- 8'
Published: #144-40110
Commission Information: Nashville Symphony
Premiere Information: Nashville Symphony, Michael Charry, conductor
Three Poems for Violin and Piano (1987) -- 15'
Published: #144-40158
Commission Information: Library of Congress McKim Commission
Premiere Information: Miriam Fried, violin, James Tocco, piano
• Recordings
To Warsaw with Love (Z Milosci Do Warsawy) for Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Trombone and Electronic Sounds (1971) -- 13'
Published: #144-40045
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40045S)
Cassette Tape (#144-40045T)
Trio for Violin, Piano/Electronic Piano and Percussion (1977) -- 15'
Published: #144-40193
Commission Information: Cleveland Arts Council
Premiere Information: Isaac Stern/Violin, Richard Wiener/Perc., Eunice Podis/Pno., ABC-TV
• Recordings
Trio for Two for Alto Flute/Percussion and String Bass (1968) -- 5'
Published: #144-40036
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#144-40036S)
Views of Space and Time for Violin, Keyboards, Harp, 2 Percussion, Amplification (1987) -- 17'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Michelson-Morley Centennial Celebration
VII Miscellaneous for Flute and String Bass (1964) -- 7'
Published: #144-40032
Watchman Fantasy for Amplified Piano with digital delay, Violin, Synthesizer (1988) -- 1'
Published: #144-40197
Commission Information: National Endowment Consortium
Premiere Information: James Buswell, Gregory Fulkerson, Ronald Copes
• Recordings
Woody for Clarinet (1988) -- 13'
Published: #144-40175
• Recordings
• Reviews
Autumnmusic (1973) -- 20'
3 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1; Timp. Perc. Hp. Str. Elec.Tape
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: New Haven Symphony
Premiere Information: New Haven Symphony, Frank Brieff, conductor
• Recordings
Bakersfield Pieces (1962) -- 10'
3 2 2 2 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. Perc. Pno. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Chamber Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra (1961) -- 11'
Solo Pno.; Picc. Fl. 2Ob. Bsn. 2Hn. Tpt. Tbn. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Christmas Music (1967) -- 7'
3 2 2 2 - 2 2 1 0; 2Perc. Pno./Cel. Hpsd. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Cleveland Orchestra, for its 50th anniversary
Premiere Information: Cleveland Orchestra, Louis Lane, conductor
• Recordings
Concertant for Harpsichord and Strings (1963) -- 5'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Concerto for Brass and Orchestra (1986) -- 19'
3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Kbd. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Premiere Information: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41057)
Solo Part (#446-41057P)
Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1984) -- 13'
Solo Cl.; 2(Picc.) 2 3 2(Cbsn.) - 2 2 2 0; Timp. 2Perc. Kbd. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Academy of London Orchestra
Premiere Information: Academy of London Orchestra, Richard Stoltzman, clarinet, Richard Stamp, conductor
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41136)
Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra (1984) -- 13'
Solo Cbsn.; 3 2 3 2 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Pno.(El.Pno.) Cel. Org. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Houston Symphony
Premiere Information: Houston Symphony, Sergiu Commissiona, conductor
• Recordings
Available Separately:Solo Part (#144-40153)
Full Score - Large (#446-41120)
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41137)
Concerto for Orchestra (1985) -- 20'
3 3 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Kbd. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Premiere Information: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Shaw, conductor
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41138)
Concerto for Solo Percussionist and Orchestra (1966) -- 10'
Solo Perc.; 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. Pno. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Detroit Symphony
Premiere Information: Detroit Symphony, Sixten Ehrling, conductor
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41019)
Solo Part (#446-41019P)
Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1976) -- 17'
Solo Tbn.; 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Pno.(Cel.) Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Stuart Dempster and the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund
Premiere Information: St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41134)
Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (1980) -- 15'
Solo Tpt.; 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. Perc. Pno.(El.Pno.) Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Baltimore Symphony
Premiere Information: Baltimore Symphony, Sergiu Commissiona, conductor
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1992) -- 25'
Solo Vln.; 3 3(E.H.) 3(B.Cl.) 3(Cbsn.) - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 4Perc. Pno. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Grand Rapids Symphony
Premiere Information: Grand Rapids Symphony, Miriam Fried, violin, Catherine Comet, conductor; April 16, 1993
• Recordings
• Reviews
Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra (1975) -- 13'
Solo Vcl.; 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 2Perc. Cel.(Pno.) Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Lynn Harrell and Ford Foundation Young Artist’s Commission
Premiere Information: Rochester Philharmonic, David Zinman, conductor
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41139)
Evensong Laus amicorum (In Praise of Friends) (1993) -- 25'
3(Picc./A.Fl.) 3(E.H.) 3(B.Cl.) 3(Cbsn.) - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Pno.(Synth.) Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Cleveland Orchestra, for its 75th anniversary
Premiere Information: Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor; May 5, 1994
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41097)
Klangfarbenfunk I for Rock Group, Pre-recorded Tape and Orchestra (1970) -- 16'
Rock Group: Gtr. (A.Fl.), Fender Bass (T.Sax), Hn. Tbn. El.Org. (El.Pno.), Perc.
Orch.: 2 2 3 3 - 2 2 2 1; Hp. (Amp.) Timp. Perc. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Detroit Symphony
Premiere Information: Detroit Symphony, Sixten Ehrling, conductor
Music for A Festive Occasion for Orchestra and Audience (1975) -- 7'
3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Pno.(Cel.) Str.;El. Tape; 20-40 Audience Volunteers with Water Goblets Imitating Glass Harmonicas
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: TRW, Inc.
Premiere Information: Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel, conductor
Prismatic Variations (1983) -- 16'
3 3 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Kbd. Hp. Str. and approx. 100 Children in Audience
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: St. Louis Symphony
Premiere Information: St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Recordings
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41135)
Ritual Observances (1991) -- 30'
3(Picc.) 3 4 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Kbd.(Pno. w/Lid removed, Synthesizer) Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: St. Louis Symphony
Premiere Information: St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, conductor; April 30, 1992
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41116)
Full Score - Large (#446-41141)
Full Score - Study (#446-41176)
Solstice for Chamber Orchestra (1988) -- 12'
2Picc. 2E.H. 2B.Cl. 2Cbsn. - 2 2 0 0; Timp. Perc. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Ohio Chamber Orchestra
Premiere Information: Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Dwight Oltman, conductor
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41142)
Sonneries for Orchestra (1981) -- 18'
3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Rochester Philharmonic
Premiere Information: Rochester Philharmonic, David Zinman, conductor
The Dreamtime (1985) -- 9'
3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 3Perc. Kbd. Hp. Str. plus 4Perc.4Tbn. in Audience
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: New England Conservatory Orchestra
Premiere Information: New England Conservatory Orchestra
Available Separately:Full Score - Large (#446-41140)
The Seventh Trumpet for Orchestra (1969) -- 16'
3 3 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. Perc. Pno./Cel. Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Dallas Symphony
Premiere Information: Dallas Symphony, Donald Johanos, conductor
• Recordings
• Reviews
Available Separately:Full Score - Study (#446-41018)
Treasures of the Snow (1973) -- 10'
3 2 3 2 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 2Perc. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Bergen Youth Orchestra, with support from the New Jersey Arts Council
Premiere Information: Bergen Youth Orchestra, Eugene Minor, conductor
Cummings Cycle for Mixed Chorus and Orchestra (1963) -- 8'
3 2 2 2 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. 2Perc. Pno. Cel. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
God Love You Now for Chorus with Hand Percussion and Harmonicas (1971) -- 5'
Published: #342-40099
Honor, Honor for Voice and Strings -- 5'
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Kyrie for Chorus with Piano, Percussion and Electronic Tape (1967) -- 4'
Published: #342-40026
Available Separately:Set of parts (#342-40026P)
Cassette Tape (#342-40026T)
New England's Prospect for Triple Chorus, Optional Children's Choir, Narrator and Orchestra (1974) -- 30'
16 Harmonicas, Solo A.Sax. 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1; Timp. Perc. Pno.(Cel.) Hp. Str.
Available from the Presser Rental Library
Commission Information: Cincinnati May Festival
Premiere Information: Cincinnati Orchestra, James Levine, conductor
LS 772:
Louisville Orchestra
Pantheon PFN-2241:
Nashville Contemporary Brass Quintet
 | Aura II A Fantasy for Cellist and Friends |
| Trio for Violin, Piano/Electronic Piano and Percussion |
| Aubade for Organ with Bells and Wine Glasses |
LS 772:
Louisville Orchestra
LS 772:
Louisville Orchestra
Leonarda LE331:
London Philharmonic, Harold Farberman, cond.
LS 772:
Louisville Orchestra
| Evensong Laus amicorum (In Praise of Friends) |
| Phantasma for Flute, Oboe, String Bass, and Harpsichord |
"Few composers today know the orchestra and its possibilities as expertly as Mr. Erb does. Along with this, and his heightened sense of making an orchestra come alive, he has something to say."-John Ardoin, The Dallas Morning News"In a world overpopulated by cookie-cutter composers, Erb is an original."-Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)"Erb is one of the most vigorous, vital and constructive forces in American music today. He knows how to write a tough piece, the sort of music you might expect born in a town best known for steel mills. He is not afraid of giving form and substance to his work by using the conventions of tonality, but his writing is harmonically very free and imaginative."-Robert C. Marsh, Chicago Sun-Times
"Erb's music is not 'about' anything, except the exploration, development, and interplay of musical ideas. His musical constructs are so full of energy, craft and logic that they come to be about the much larger issues art addresses."-Joseph Rothstein, The Honolulu Advertiser
| Aura II A Fantasy for Cellist and Friends |
"No other composer has such a keen ear for unusual sonorities; Erb turns combinations which appear ridculous on paper into subtly colored ensembles"-James H. North, Fanfare
"…Erb has become a master of the long line and of developmental thematic treatment - something the former avant-garde tends to have trouble with."-D. Moore, American Record Guide
"I know of no other Erb work of such sheer sonic beauty."-James H. North, Fanfare
"This is a thoughtful work, a sensitive work, a wonderfully imaginative work, but it also is a big, attention-grabbing, marvelously soul-satisfying score that makes you want to cheer."-Robert C. Marsh, Chicago Sun Times
"This is music with character, music that holds up to scrutiny…What endures is the solidity of its structure, that sureness of its pacing, the sheer effectivenss of its gestures."-James Wierzbicki, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Far from coming away from this work recalling a theme or two, one is left with a feeling of exhiliration and exhaustion, of having witnessed a spectacle that defies unaided comprehension."-Michael Bryant, Clarinet and Saxophone
"What Mozart is to melody, Erb is to orchestral color. Mozart can make a melody sing, but Erb can make an orchestra sparkle."-Jeff Kaczmarczyk, Grand Rapids Press
"They share a characteristic of Erb's best work which I can only describe as an inner life; one feels oneself to be in the presence of a living, breathing animal, sinuous and muscular, and of enormous vitality. It is a feeling one gets from Le Sacre du printemps, although Erb's music is totally different from Stravinsky's. This is awe-inspiring music, which stretches the boundaries of the listener's imagination. It is not for the faint of heart."-James H. North, Fanfare
"…orchestrated with extreme brilliance and has a great deal of character…a whiz-bang of a piece, the work of a composer who knows exactly how to get what he wants and, furthermore, a work that has real communicative power."-Harold Schonberg, New York Times
"The important thing is that our ears are stretched an our imaginations stimulated; now that is something worth celebrating"-Robert Finn, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"Music of earth-shattering intensity and suspense is never in abundant supply. But whenever a sonic jolt is needed, we know we can turn to Donald Erb. The composer…is almost obscenely skillful at forcing the listener to sit up and take notice…For all of its crashing sonorities, the 11-minute symphony also contains writing of unusual subtlety. Erb never seems to be at a loss for spicy ideas that add flavor to the soup. He doesn't waste anything, and his language builds firm layer upon layer."-Donald Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
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