Sheet Music & Scores
Music written to be performed
These entries present a selection of works from the catalog, organized by ensemble. The complete catalog, including all available scores, is in the Store.
Orchestra & Large Ensemble
Symphony No. 1
FUll Orchestra · 45 minutes · Advanced
A four-movement work that moves from the nervous uncertainty of its opening gestures to a finale that, as Pizzicato wrote, makes it "hard to suppress a smile." Recorded by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for Navona Records, 2024.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Narrator & Orchestra · 40 minutes · Advanced
This work sets Coleridge's supernatural sea narrative for narrator and full orchestra. The music functions simultaneously as ocean, as psychological weather, and as supernatural presence alongside the narrator. WTJU Public Radio described it as music that "perfectly captures that concept of unease and unspoken danger." 2024 Global Music Awards Silver Medal.
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Full Orchestra · 8 minutes · Advanced
A tone poem after Tennyson's memorial poem. The heavy hoofbeats of the cavalry form the musical backbone as the orchestral narrative unfolds, from the valiant charge through the great clash of forces to a solemn call of remembrance for the fallen.
Danube Journey
Full Orchestra · 8 minutes · Advanced
A vivid musical travelogue from Budapest to Passau along the Danube River. Seven short interconnected sections each evoke a city or landscape along the route — Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Göttweig Abbey, Český Krumlov, and Passau — culminating in a grand chorale at the rivers' confluence. Rich programmatic writing with strong narrative appeal for audiences.
Phi
Full Orchestra · 8 minutes · Advanced
From the time of the ancient world, human civilization has celebrated the special mathematical ratio called The Golden Proportion. Mathematicians use the greek symbol Phi to indicate this special number. Scientists have discovered the presence of this ratio throughout the natural world and it is an unavoidable part of being alive. This work unfolds, like the shell of a nautilus, with each section adding to the prior music in perfect proportion.
Steampunk Serenade
String Orchestra · 25 minutes · Advanced
Written in the tradition of 19th century string serenades, this five-movement work was composed in direct conversation with Dvorak's Serenade for Strings of 1875. As I wrote at the time of its premiere: "Like his work, my own had five distinct parts, called movements, that like Acts in a play stand as separate elements but must be heard together to deliver the whole."
Chamber Music
Souvenirs for Piano Qunitet
Piano Quintet · 4 movements · 20 minutes · Advanced
Four movements drawn from four different moments in time. Each one is a souvenir of a moment with corresponding musical echoes from the time. Parchment, Daggeurreotype, Wristwatch, Facemask
Piano Quintet in c-minor
Piano Quintet · 4 movements · 18 minutes · Advanced
Four movements, each a musical portrait of a universal human feeling. The catalog descriptions are yours: "A bubbling cauldron of tension and passion" (Agitation). "A melancholy boredom whose weight becomes unbearable" (Ennui). "An awe-filled contemplation of the night sky" (Wonder). "The warmth of spring after the gloom of winter" (Exuberance).
String Quartet in d-minor 'Macbeth'
String Quartet · 4 movements · 20 minutes · Advanced
A brooding, dramatic string quartet inspired by Shakespeare's Macbeth. Four movements embody impressions from pivotal moments in the play: Pride and Prophecy · The Porter's Jest · Shadows of Madness · The Fall of House Macbeth. Strong theatrical narrative makes this quartet ideal for themed programming and audience engagement.
Solo Piano
Piano Sonata in Three Acts
Solo Piano · 3 movements · 28 minutes · Virtuoso
Three movements of considerable range, composed for and recorded by pianist Benjamin Harding using the same microphone setup as engineers for Vladimir Horowitz's recordings. Harding's own description: "fresh, crafted with extreme precision, and inviting."
Pilgrim’s Progress
Solo Piano · 16 movements · 30 minutes · Advanced
Sixteen vignettes following Bunyan's allegorical Pilgrim from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Composed for a mobile application and organized as a journey, each short piece depicts a specific moment from the narrative. Individual movements may be programmed separately.
Movements: Prologue, The City of Destruction, The Slough of Despond, Mr. Legality's House, The Wicket Gate, The Interpreter's House, At the Cross, Palace Beautiful, Apollyon, The Narrow Road, Vanity Fair, The Giant Despair, The Delectable Mountains, The Shining One, The River of Death, The Celestial City.
Vocal & ChorAL
Wedding Prayer
SATB a cappella · 5 minutes · Intermediate/Advanced
Originally composed for four voices at the composer's wedding ceremony, this work weaves flowing instrumental-style lines on sustained vowels while one or two voices carry the text. It is available in both the original SATB vocal setting and the string quartet arrangement recorded on Conversations (Octave Records, 2023).
Abide With Me
Soprano & Orchestra · 8 minutes · Advanced
A setting for soprano and orchestra of Henry Lyte's text, written in the final hours of his life. The music moves from quiet apprehension through prayer and wrestling to a radiant conclusion.
Commissions & Custom Works
Interested in commissioning a new work?
Gustav Hoyer is available for commissions across all ensemble types — from solo recital works to large-scale orchestral premieres. Contact Gustav to discuss your project.