Audio Clips:

I. Gary's Song

II. Rib-Roll-Aki-Oli

M.O.N.K. (2010)

Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra

I. Gary's Song
II. Rib-Roll-Aki-Oli

flute, oboe, B-flat clarinet, bassoon, F horn, percussion (tmp, tri, SD, sus cym, glock, xyl, wind chimes), and strings

Duration: 19 minutes

In the big picture, M.O.N.K. is a tribute to brotherhood. Gary's Song is an elegy for a best friend. It portrays the closeness of a loving brother, the generosity of his spirit, and the humbling experience of loss.  (Gary's Song was originally scored for strings in 2009.  It will eventually become the second movement of a symphony.)

Rib-Roll-Aki-Oli is a set of variations on a song inspired for his zest for life. (The theme's first five notes also serve as the opening motive of the first movement.) The song spontaneously evolved over the years, among three brothers, out of joy, laughter, and the love of life. It's composition often took place while eating Chinese appetizers- spare rib, egg roll, beef teriaki, and Peking ravioli. Sometimes fun and boisterous, sometimes reflective and tender, they are all born of love, and affirm the important connection between family and friends.

"Richard Maltz's M.O.N.K.... satisfyingly peaceful and reverential... a mix of joviality and pensiveness... pleasant and accessible.

Lehigh Valley Music