Steve Goss

composer

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Five Step Tango

2025 | 15 mins | for three guitars and baritone guitar (or four guitars)

La Cumparsita (Rodríguez)
Chopin Milonga (Chopin)
El Choclo (Villoldo)
Tango-Ballad (Weill)
Tango Pathétique (Beethoven)

Five Step Tango is a set of tangos for three guitars and baritone guitar (or four guitars) comprising arrangements and reworkings or pre-existing music.
The piece was commissioned by Guitar Trek, who will give the premiere in Australia – details soon.

Wessex Wyverns

2025 | 18 mins | for solo flute, solo guitar, and two guitar ensembles.

Fanfare: King Arthur and Sir Lancelot
Ouroboros
The Wells Misericords
King Alfred the Great’s Battlesong
The Norton Fitzwarren Rood Screen
The Feast for the Wyvern of Worminster Sleight
The Somerset Wyvern

Wessex Wyverns was commissioned by Vince Smith for WAGO. It draws on many Wyvern stories and on Wyvern symbolism in heraldry. The premiere will take place in August 2025 as part of the Ammerdown Guitar Summer School.

Joni

2022 | 8 mins | for three guitars and baritone guitar

Listen Listen CD CD CD

Joni is was commissioned by Guitar Trek as part of a project celebrating popular song from the last 100 years. Joni is based on various songs by Joni Mitchell. The single came out on the ABC label on 8th September 2023, with the album following on 20th October.

Tarot

2019 | 15 mins | for four guitars (doubling quint-bass and Baroque guitar) and percussion

Wheel of Fortune
Temperance
The Magician
The Lovers
The Fool
The Devil
Death

Listen Watch Listen Score CD

Tarot is a set of pieces based on 7 tarot cards. The order of the movements and the number of movements played is determined by the dealing or choosing of cards.

The work was commissioned by the Barrios Guitar Quartet who gave the first performance at the 9th International. Friedberg Guitar Symposium on 14th September 2019. Tarot is recorded on «tarot» Aurea Vox (2021-7) and published by Doberman DO 1393 © 2021.

Canción y Joropo

2019 | 7 mins | for four guitars

Canción
Joropo

Score Notes

Commissioned by Pixaudio for a documentary film about the composer Antonio Lauro. The first performance was given by the Mēla Guitar Quartet. on 5th May 2019, at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London. Published by Doberman Editions DO 1612

Minimal Effort

2018 | 7 mins | for guitar orchestra

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Commissioned by Julia Pernet and the Tucson Guitar Society. The first performance was given by the Tucson Guitar Society Orchestra conducted by Jose Luis Puerta, on Saturday December 15, 2018, at the Holsclaw Hall, Tucson, AZ. Published by Doberman-Yppan DO 1308 © 2021.

Cantigas de Santiago (arr. Wright)

2017 | 20 mins | for three guitars

Quen a Virgen ben servirá
Ondas do mare de Vigo
Como póden per sas culpas
Kyrie Trope
A madre de Deus
Ay ondas que eu vin veer
Non é gran cousa se sabe

Watch Score Notes

The original version of ‘Cantigas de Santiago’ was commissioned by David Russell, who gave the first performance at Milton Court, Barbican Centre, London, UK, 31st January 2015. This arrangement was made Richard Wright for his students at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England. Published by Doberman-Yppan © 2018

Mahler Lieder

2011 | 17 mins | for four guitars

Von der Jugend
Waltz
Ich atmet’ einem linden Duft
Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt
Um Mitternacht
Ländler

“Mahler Lieder persuasively captures the flavour of the originals. It comes off extraordinarily well.” Gitarre und Laute

Listen Watch Listen Score Notes CD

Commissioned by the International Mahler Centenary Conference, UK and the Brno International Guitar Festival, Czech Republic for the Tetra guitar quartet. First performance 8th July 2011. Recorded on About Time, Tetra Guitar Quartet, BGS Records © 2013. Published by Doberman-Yppan, Canada © 2013

Gnossiennes after Erik Satie

2002 | 14 mins | for four guitars

Gnossienne 3
Gymnopédie 3
Gnossienne 4
Gymnopédie 1
Gnossienne 2

“A radical lens is taken to Satie in Goss’s Gnossiennes. Satie’s radical and visionary music is treated to increasingly clear interventions undertaken with great sympathy and not a little reverence along with a distinct degree of cheek at times.” Classical Guitar Magazine

Listen Watch Listen Score CD CD Notes

Commissioned by Chameleon Arts. First performed by the TETRA Guitar Quartet at the Purcell Room, London 7th October 2002. Recorded by Tetra on Carmen (CADCD0460 © 2004) and on El Calor del Día by the Barrios Guitar Quartet (BGQ 191111 © 2011). Published by Doberman-Yppan ISBN 978-2-89503-722-4 © 2015

Lachrymae

2001 | 5 mins | for four guitars

“This piece is drawn from the works of Dowland and takes as its starting point the faint resonances that emanate from lute basses. It is a mesmerising palate-cleanser. Very highly recommended.” Classical Guitar Magazine

Listen Listen Score Notes CD CD

Commissioned by the Guildford International Festival. First performed by the TETRA Guitar Quartet at the Electric Theatre, Guildford, 21st March, 2001. First American performance given by the Lamont School of Music Guitar Ensemble, Denver Colorado, November 2002. Recorded on Carmen(CADCD0460 © 2004). Published by Doberman-Yppan © 2014

Carmen Fantasy

1998 | 22 mins | for four guitars

Torero
Habanera
Aragonaise
Seguidilla
Gypsy Song

“This party-piece of the year achieves the impossible… flair, quick thinking and a feel for colour are everywhere… part satire, [it] cleverly deconstructs the opera and other composers’ Spanish fantasies.” BBC Music Magazine

Listen Watch Listen Score Notes CD CD CD CD

Commissioned by Carlton Home Entertainment. First performed by the TETRA Guitar Quartet, Fairfield Halls, Croydon, 4th March 1999. Recorded on Carmen Fantasy (Hallmark, 30368 01352 © 1999) and on Carmen (CADCD0460 © 2004). Published by Doberman-Yppan ISBN 978-2-89503-720-0 © 2015

Tempo of Three Quartered

1993 | 9 mins | for three eight-part guitar orchestras

Commissioned by the Northumberland International Guitar Summer School with funds from Northumberland County Council. First performed 6th August 1993, The Queen’s Hall, Hexham.

Under Milk Wood Variations

1989 | 14 mins | for four guitars and (optional) narrator

First Voice
Mr Mog Edwards and Miss Myfanwy Price
Lord Cut-Glass
Captain Cat and Rosie Probert
Mrs Dai Bread Two
Mr Waldo

“ Under Milk Wood Variations is based on the radio drama Under Milk Wood by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. It is one of Goss’s earliest works, written for narrator and guitar quartet. The music for each movement serves as a sort of musical portrait of various personages in the town. Among them is the notably eccentric “Lord Cut-Glass,” who keeps more than sixty clocks in his house, all set to different times. It sounds a bit problematic to me. Quite a cool piece.” Soundboard

Listen Watch Listen CD CD

Commissioned for the TETRA guitar Quartet by the Dylan Thomas Society of Great Britain. First performed at St John’s, Smith Square, London, 24th Ferbuary 1990. Recorded on TETRA (Tantallon CDDB2 © 1991). Published by Editions Orphée 494-02831 (EICM-21) © 2009. Recorded on Landscape and Memory, Deux-Elles (DXL 1202© 2024).