It's All in the Cards is an instrumental chamber work consisting of three movements for ten percussionists encircling the audience. The total duration of the piece is approximately thirteen minutes. Much of the rhythmic and melodic material, as well as the form, was determined by shuffling and dealing a standard deck of fifty-two cards. Other computational procedures have been used to achieve the effect of sound moving from one spatial location to another, an effect on which must be regarded as an essential factor in performance of the work.

The Sonata for Two Pianos, eighteen in duration, is in the form of a large arch. The arch is constructed by relating the last movement to the second and first movements by borrowing material from these movements. The resulting form is a large ABA comprising the entire composition. The arch is superimposed over a more traditional formal concept of sonata. A sonata-allegro form is distinguishable in the first movement, a fantasia-variations in the second, and a modified sonata-allegro in the final movement.

The first movement material is presented by the ensemble and subsequently developed by the saxophone. A majority of the saxophone passages are supported by the ensemble with unaccompanied solo passages kept to a minimum. The various sections are based more on differences in pitch and rhythm than orchestration and harmony.

New York Cycle consists of the settings of three poems for bass-baritone voice and eight instruments. The poems, each of which serves as the basis for one movement, are "The East River's Charm" by Samuel Bernard Greenberg, "Brooklyn Bridge" by Vladimir Mayakovsky, and "The Skyscraper Loves Night" by Carl Sandberg. The instrumentation employed consists of two French horns, vibraphone, timpani, and string quartet.

Concertino for Orchestra is a one-movement composition of rhapsodic character. The treatment of form and orchestration resembles that of the first movement of a concerto. The piece is in modified sonata form, containing two exposition-development sections. The orchestration employs a wide range of tonal colors, and has been used extensively in this piece to emphasize textural development. Each group of instruments is used individually in solo style, and yet the orchestral tutti never assumes the secondary role of accompaniment.

Symphony Number Five is a composition in three movements for orchestra. It is characterized by an economy of materials and a clarity of presentation of those materials. Further, the materials are expressed in a simplistic manner which avoids intricate textural content and complex melodic and harmonic structures. The symphony was chosen as a pattern of structure for this composition since it represents a microcosm of the history and development of musical style since 1760.

The Essay for Orchestra combines three contemporary styles of melodic writing into sonata form. The exposition contains three themes. The first theme is a twelve-tone row. Unlike the usual approach to serial writing, the row is used in its original form throughout the piece and is developed by rhythmic alterations. The theme never occurs in its inversion or retrograde. The second theme of the exposition illustrates a chromatic type of melody. The third theme in the exposition is constructed of ascending and descending leaps of perfect fourths interspersed with leaps of thirds and short scale lines. The constant use of this theme throughout the development section provides the composition with a melodic unity.

The composition, in three movements, is scored for flute, doubling piccolo;oboe, doubling English horn; B-flat clarinet, doubling bass clarinet; bassoon; horn; trumpet; trombone; violin; viola; cello; contrabass; piano; and percussion. The title Sinfonia Concertante is used for its specificality: a symphony of several solo instruments with traits of the classical style. The music is mock-serious and satirical at times, making light of a certain post-1945 musical gravity. The duration of the work is approximately 20 minutes.

In Celebration is a through-composed work of approximately eight minutes in length for high baritone voice and orchestra. The text is taken from the Magnificat and Psalm 150 and was chosen for its celebrative nature. In Celebration is in four continuous sections. The first section, which is an orchestral introduction, is followed by three other distinct, vocal and orchestral sections. The introduction and following two sections are rhythmic and driving in nature, each section increasing in perceived tempo until the climactic final measures of the third section. The concluding section is slow, legato and reverent in mood. The function of this section is to release the tension built from the preceding sections and to bring the piece to a joyful, yet prayerful. close.

Sound Study is a composition for large symphony orchestra in the twelve-tone idiom. It is a one-movement, monothematic piece in a large ternary form. The main body of the work is preceded by a long introduction which includes statements of the single thematic idea. The A section of the piece is scherzo-like in character and in a moderate 6/8 tempo. The theme is announced and receives a variety of treatment in this section. The B section is an extensive development of thematic material and utilizes a reverberation effect to be discussed below. A brief return of the A section brings the piece to a close.