Hans Werner Henze's output is primarily dominated by large-scale, representative musical genres with a richly differentiated instrumental tonal palette: opera and other forms of musical theatre works, ballet, solo concertos and cantatas and also music for large-scale orchestra or chamber ensemble. In contrast, the chamber music works which Henze has composed throughout his entire compositional career right up to the present day have always remained somewhat on the sidelines. Many of these chamber music works had been composed for specific occasions, chiefly to honour figures who had accompanied him on longer or shorter stretches of his journey through life.

Henze composed An Brenton in July 1993 for an event commemorating the Australian violinist Brenton Langbein who had just died. The violinist had been a long-standing leader of the Collegium Musicum Zurich, the orchestra established and conducted by Paul Sacher, and was subsequently also the leader of the Basel Chamber Orchestra [Basler Kammerorchester].He additionally held a violin class at the Music Academy in Basel for a substantial period of his career. Interestingly enough, this piece is not composed for the violinist's instrument, but instead for solo viola. The work was given its first performance on 15 July 1993 by Jurg Dahler, one of the two viola players of the Chamber Musicians of Zurich [KammermusikerZurich]. This ensemble had been formed by Langbein in 1962: it frequently included compositions by Henze in its programmes and had given the premiere of Henze's music for Volker Schlondorffs Film Der junge Torless in its transformation as the Fantasia of the same name for string sextet (1967) in 1968. Langbein was the soloist in the first performance of Henze's Violin Concerto No. 2 in 1972 which had been commissioned by Paul Sacher. Henze had already made acquaintance with Langbein during the 1960s.

In My Life by the Beatles, was released on the 1965 album, Rubber Soul. It was chiefly written and sung by John Lennon, who claimed it was his first serious attempt at personal song-writing. The song features a baroque style piano solo by George Martin. The tempo was too fast for him to perform it, so he played it at half tempo and layer doubled the tape speed. The resulting tinny sound gave rise to a host of copycat harpsichord solos on contemporary pop songs.

This version of In My Life is arranged in a suitable key and range for solo Viola. Piano/Guitar chords are included above the stave.

Musicians at an early intermediate level will find In My Life ideal for formal and informal concert performance. Most of the solo is straightforward, although the transcribed piano solo is at a higher level of difficulty; these eight bars can be skipped without affecting the overall structure of the song. The overall performance time is around two and a half minutes.

Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to help with syncopated rhythms.

ISBN 9781619116931. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

This progressive scale system coordinates basic concepts from elementary to advanced scales in preparation for the Scale System by Carl Flesch. In some aspects it goes beyond the scope of the Flesch system. One-octave scales are introduced in patterns with emphasis on half steps and finger retention. The two-octave scale patterns are non-shifting. Three-octave scales are offered with traditional and modern fingerings. The double stop scales vary in fingerings in order to teach the basic concepts of double-stops. Harmonics are included beyond the scope of the Flesch system, in a basic form including natural harmonics.

German - English.

Garth Knox is one of the most prominent violists of his generation, and as former long-time member of the Arditti Quartet he has developed and maintained a fondness of contemporary music. In the mean time, he gives concerts and teaches courses all over the world.

With 'Viola Spaces' he wants to make contemporary playing techniques accessible to advanced players. The pieces, or 'playing spaces', are true concert studies, each of them dealing with specific techniques such as harmonics, pizzicato (with 9 fingers!) or tremolos which are explained in great detail.

Another volume with modern playing techniques for two violas and a volume with variations on a piece by the French viola da gamba master Marin Marais for four violas are planned.