Stacy Garrop began hiking in northern ColoradoÂ's Rocky Mountain National Park in her early 20s. From the start, she was drawn to a jagged stretch of rock formations linking Longs Peak to Pagoda Mountain, at over 13,000 feet. These formations are called the Â"Keyboard of the Winds,Â" as their thin, spindly peaks suggest splintered keys of an old, broken piano. Inspired by one particular journey the composer took through the Keyboard of the Winds en route to PagodaÂ's summit, this work is a tribute to the Keyboard of the Winds. Its fast, whirling gestures depict swirling clouds above, and the musical high points represent a hiker reaching the peak of Pagoda Mountain. These sections are set in contrast with quiet, introspective material embodying the hiker quietly surveying the grandeur and beauty of the valley below, as well as the soaring pinnacle of Longs Peak overhead. Dur.: 8'30"

The film noir genre of 1940s cinema typically includes a strong but flawed male lead (often a detective), a beautiful woman who coerces the male into committing murder or is a killer herself (a Â"femme fataleÂ"), and a twisting plot line that involves one or more homicides. These movies typically are shot in black and white, with emphasis on shadows and light, alcohol and cigarettes, trench coats and fedoras. Most of the story lines do not have happy endings. Inspired by this genre, Noir Vignettes consists of four movements, each depicting an aspect of film noir: Murder at Midnight, Loaded Gun, Femme Fatale, and Last Cigarette. Also available for doublebass and piano (114-41811, $19.99).

The film noir genre of 1940s cinema typically includes a strong but flawed male lead (often a detective), a beautiful woman who coerces the male into committing murder or is a killer herself (a "femme fatale"), and a twisting plot line that involves one or more homicides. These movies typically are shot in black and white, with emphasis on shadows and light, alcohol and cigarettes, trench coats and fedoras. Most of the story lines do not have happy endings. Inspired by this genre, NOIR VIGNETTES consists of four movements, each depicting an aspect of film noir: Murder at Midnight, Loaded Gun, Femme Fatale, and Last Cigarette. String bass parts are provided both for standard orchestral tuning and for solo tuning.

Teeny Tango packs a lot into one minute and 10 seconds! A precursor to Garrop's 2007 commissioned Tango Gardel for piano is this short, intricate dance from 2003. Amaze and delight when you master Garrop's Teeny Tango, and share the composer's love of the form. For advanced performers. Dur.: 1'10"

This tour de force consists of two movements that are complete opposites. Movement I, titled Momentum, starts with the viola and piano aggressively sharing a single note. Things start swirling out of control: the music gains greater and greater tension as the musicians turn and twist their way into ever smaller spirals, right up to the end of the movement. Movement II, titled Stasis, offers a peaceful, gentle unwinding of the pressure. Torque was commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for violist Viacheslav Dinerchtein.