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Color'tudes "Five Attitudinal Colors""
for bass clarinet and piano
Piano incl. single part
Difficulty: very difficult
NDV BP0497
Colors influence a wide array of aspects of the human condition, most notably moods and
emotions as well as one’s sense of taste and time perception. Too numerous to mention in this
preface are the thousands of other ways colors influence our lives. This suite of five character
pieces for bass clarinet and piano musically personifies attributes of the respective colors. The
temperaments of the movements range from thoughtful and pensive to playful and spirited.
Color'tudes was composed for bass clarinetist Dr. Karl Kolbeck. He and Dr. Angela Miller-Niles
premiered it on April 23, 2021 at Wayne State College.
About the Composer
Howard J. Buss (b.1951) is recognized internationally as a composer of contemporary
classical music. His compositions have received critical acclaim and have been performed in
more than 50 countries. His music is frequently featured at national and international music
conventions and festivals. Faculty musicians from major universities as well as current and
former members of organizations such as The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota
Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vancouver
Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, etc have
performed them. A copy of his patriotic composition Fanfares is included in the Presidential
Collection of Ronald Reagan. Buss’ more than 190 published works include instrumental solos,
chamber music, symphonic, choral, and band compositions.
Buss has received numerous awards and his commissioned works include original
compositions as well as arrangements. His works are frequently included and analyzed in
doctoral dissertations, lectures, professional music journals, and music literature bibliographies,
and his compositions have been recorded on the Albany, Bottega Discantica (Italy), Crystal,
Capstone, DUX (Poland), Equilibrium, HoneyRock, 4-Tay, IBS Classical (Spain), PL
Productions, C. Alan Publications, Ravello (PARMA), and Urania (Italy) labels.
Howard J. Buss received his B.A. in Applied Music from West Chester University, M.M.
in Performance and M.M. in Composition from Michigan State University, and D.M.A. in
Composition from the University of Illinois. He is the founder and editor of Brixton Publications
(ASCAP) and Buss Publications (BMI), which publish contemporary American concert music.
