Scena della Opera (1997) for piano trio
Premier performance in Fayetteville, AR 2/99 by the Boston Mountain Chamber
Players: Jeongwon Ham, piano, Rico McNeela, violin, and Stephen Gates, cello.
Additional performance 3/99 by the same group.
Echo Fantasy (1989) for violin, cello and piano, (revised 2018)
Commissioned by Steve and Betsy Highland. Performances: 4/89 in Superior, WI
by Steve Highland, Betsy Highland and Robert Mueller; 3/90 in Lawton, OK (as
part of the regional meeting of the College Music Society); 3/92 in Ft. Worth, TX
(as part of the 1992 Region VI convention of the Society of Composers, Inc.); and
11/92 in Fayetteville, AR by the Ozark Chamber Players; 6/12 by the Interlochen
Ensemble.
ROBERT K. MUELLER
COMPOSER
ARTIST STATEMENT
I endeavor my music to be the expression of human emotion, from excitement to ecstasy, from sadness to shame, from joy to rejection, and a myriad of other feelings that are part of our human experience.
Writing almost exclusively in acoustic media, I am energized by the countless possibilities of structural, harmonic, melodic, timbral, and rhythmic sounds that can be utilized to reveal sentiments and passions (without pandering to the basest of emotions), but always with an ear to satisfying logical development and conclusion. Works that I have created for public performance include large orchestral or wind ensemble pieces, chamber music, and works for solo instrument.
It is my hope that the performers and listeners will connect with my music in a visceral way. Do they hear a melody and identify with its haunting quality? Does a chord progression “strike a chord” within their own hearts? Does a certain orchestration evince a particular mood? The great poet William Wordsworth said, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” I strive through my music to communicate the essence of human expression, from the breathings of my own heart to those of the listener.