ProgramNotes

Sergei Rachmaninoff?s Alla Marciain g Minor is arguably one of his most popular pieces that is still playedtoday. This prelude was included asnumber 5 in his Opus 23, a set of ten preludes for solo piano. Rachmaninoff himself premiered this preludein Moscow in 1903, along with Preludes 1 and 2 from this set. It begins with quiet yet decisive sixteenthnote figures setting the mood for a minor march. Following this, the relative major Eb comesin full force expanding this sixteenth note figure with a descant-like melody. After a return to g minor, the energy of theopening march dissipates as a new lyrical melody takes the forefront,accompanied by sweeping arpeggios. Thissection is much melancholier than before. As this theme fades, the march returns slowly out of the mist that theprevious section created. It builds tothe return of the Eb major section that leads into a continuation of the marchtheme. This fades into a quick risingfigure to finish the prelude. Thisarrangement captures both the energy of the march and the beauty of the lyricalmiddle section.



Instrumentation

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets (B flat)

2 Bassoons

4 Horns (F)

3 Trumpets (B flat)

2 Trombones

1 Bass Trombone

1 Tuba

Timpani

Snare Drum

Tambourine

Harp (substitute piano ifnecessary)

Violins I and II

Viola

Violincello

Double Bass

ISBN 9781513459462. 8.75x11.75 inches.

This exceptional collection of 41 truly beautiful airs and ballads from the British Isles offers both well-known tunes by the prolific blind Irish harpist, Turlough OCarolan and rarely heard melodies by anonymous composers; all have stood the test of time. Arranged for soprano or tenor recorder, these include OCarolans classically influenced Lord Inchiquin and Eleanor Plunkett as well as O Gentle Dove and Cuckoo Dear both examples of the strong tradition of song in Wales. Among other tunes, the haunting modal melodies of The Dark Slender Boy and Enchanted Valley express the melancholic heart and soul of the British Isles. A few of these songs have taken on a life of their own in modern times. Bonny at Morn, a popular traditional tune of northern England and Scotland, was arranged for soprano voice and harp by the 20th century British composer, Benjamin Britten. The Skye Boat Song originally recounted Bonnie Prince Charles Edward Stuarts journey to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the historic Battle of Culloden. Later, the song evolved into a lilting lullaby and was more recently used as the theme song for the popular Outlander television series. Departing slightly from recorder notation practice, author Marcia Diehl has judiciously arranged these melodies complete with spare slur markings to aid the amateur player in authentically and musically rendering these tunes.