SKU: MN.CH-1295

Spanish.

Muero Porque No Muero was written for the Gregg Smith Singers on the occasion of their fortieth anniversary. The text is by St. Teresa d'Avila. Her meditations and poetry are rife with ambiguous language at once sacred and profane creating a unique sensuality. Consider the sexual implications of the phrase I die because I do not die bearing in mind the medieval double meaning of the phrase to die. The principal theme of the music is presented in fragments emerging over stark harmonies. As the texture grows thicker with Spanish-influenced flourishes and polytonal accompaniment the full melodic episode rises only to subside once again into the complaint: Muero porque no muero.

SKU: CL.RWS-2241-00

A highly energetic concert opener, High Vibration is a bright and fast fanfare that will leave your audience in awe. This brilliantly scored fanfare will showcase the intensity of the brass section, the sweeping flourishes of the woodwind section, and the metallic nature of keyboard and auxiliary percussion. High Vibration emphasizes consistent transitioning from compound meter to simple meter exposing the ensemble to multiple time signatures and metric modulation.

SKU: HL.48185288

UPC: 888680858773. 9.0x12.0x0.06 inches.

French pianist and composer, Serge Lancen (1922-2005) studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he won first prize for composition in 1949. His professional career saw him winning many prizes for his compositions and For Raphaele remains popular in the Harp repertoire. As exemplified in For Raphaele, Lancen's compositional style remained attached to the French characteristics, featuring luscious melodies, balance and clarity of tone. With a typical performance lasting about 2 and a half minutes, Pour Raphaele demonstrates the versatility of the Harp, addressing flourishes, dotted rhythms, syncopation and variations in dynamics. For all intermediate harpists, Lancen's For Raphaele is a delightful addition to the instrument's repertoire. .

SKU: CL.011-4869-01

Heralding Angels is a regal presentation of the traditional holiday favorite by Felix Mendelssohn capturing the glory of the text with fanfares, trills and carefully crafted flourishes! The trumpet descant and percussion add to the majesty of this classic holiday work. With moderate ranges, ample doubling of parts, limited independence, and 2nd clarinet below the break, this well-known piece is accessible to many bands. A great choice to introduce and reinforce a variety of eighth and sixteenth note rhythmic combinations. Sure to be a favorite at the annual winter concert!

SKU: PR.114422710

ISBN 9781491136072. UPC: 680160688227.

DUO’s succinct movement titles (I. Here, II. Open, III. Stark, IV. Ardent) tease at revealing the grand and heartfelt inspiration for exuberant romanticism in this sonata-like work of symphonic proportions and depth. Charles Gibb is both an accomplished pianist and an award-winning flutist, who has written of this compelling major addition to the literature: “This work is a journey. What journey and whose journey does not matter. It is my journey, it is your journey. It is the journey of those who came before us, and of those who will come after us. I wrote this hoping that we can find each other along the road, so we can realize that we don’t need to go on the journey alone.” Gibb’s DUO is sure to become a favorite major work for flute recitalists.
This work is a journey. What journey and whose journey does not matter. It is my journey, it is your journey. It is the journey of those who came before us, and of those who will come after us. I wrote this hoping that we can find each other along the road, so we can realize that we don’t need to go on the journey alone.“Here” begins with three notes that shape the rhythmic and harmonic content of the entire work. Melodies and harmonies including the tonic, dominant, and leading tone can be found in each of the four movements. The first moments of this movement introduce the melody, offering itself unencumbered and uninhibited. It shows itself as it is. The melodies soar, the harmonies become voiced more intricately, and the opening theme repeats in full grandeur. The momentum slows down, and the movement ends with a sense of completion, yet remains unbalanced.A striking piano gesture launches “Open,” the idea of instability reflected with the flowing flute trills and unclear meter patterns in the piano. The sensation of an unsteady grace in 5/8 time arrives with a piano ostinato. The melody is expressive, yet insecure and unbalanced due to changing meters. After a grand pause, the movement transitions to 4/4 time with the flute switching between duplet and triplet flourishes. After a rapid descent in the flute, the opening gesture returns, changed and abruptly interrupted.The third movement, “Stark,” is very static, beginning plainly but markedly. The falling fifth calls out continually throughout the movement, searching, lost. Melodies appear in pieces, some smooth and flowing, others rather disjunct. The piece climaxes with a line of mournfulness, yet revealing a deeper strength through intense projection of tone in the high register. However, the static harmonies return, this time unsteady all the way to its foundation. This destabilization repeats, and then quietly recedes.“Ardent” is the longest of the movements and spans a wide range of musical emotion. Part of the movement is fast paced, energetic, and balances order and disarray. However, once the chaos dies down, a gentle, expressive theme comes in. The theme itself is very resolute; it is order appearing from the pandemonium. Conflict returns, and order and chaos become less distinguishable from one another, and soon fuse together. However, order returns with new meaning, synthesized with previous musical content, creating a truer, deeper sense of awareness or understanding. A moment of ambiguity arises, but the flute persists, supported by the sensitive but firm figuration in the piano, and resoundingly comes to a close, unburdened and at ease.

SKU: PR.11641145S

ISBN 9781491136553. UPC: 680160689408.

The Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra Op.50 was commissioned by Jan Gippo, principal Piccolo of the St. Louis Symphony, who gave the premiere of the work on August 18th, 1996, in New York City with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra conducted by Glenn Cortese. The occasion was the annual convention of the National Flute Association, who sponsored the commission.Jan Gippo had enthusiastically pursued the idea of commissioning a Piccolo concerto from me ever since he played orchestral Piccolo in the premiere of my Concerto for Flute with James Galway and the St. Louis Symphony. Won over by his enthusiasm, I agreed to write this work for an instrument which has had virtually no concerto repertoire since the baroque era. In doing so I was eager to stress the lyrical and expressive qualities of an instrument which is too often stereotyped as being useful for only brilliant and ornamental flourishes.The work falls into three movements which are united by thematic and motivic materials, significant among which is a twelve note row which forms the basis of the second movement’s variations. The final movement, which puts the seriousness of the first tow movements aside for an unbridled romp, makes use of three explicit musical quotations at strategic structural moments, one of which is an implicit homage to Shostakovich, who quoted from the same work in his own second Violin Concerto.Orchestration of the Concerto was completed at the Loew’s Hotel in Monte Carlo, where I was situated for the rehearsal period of my opera The Picture of Dorian Gray.The Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra has been recorded for release on the BMG label by James Galway with the London Mozart Players conducted by the composer.

SKU: FJ.B1861S

English.

Dynamic and highly spirited, the bold opening quickly sets the stage for lush harmonies, driving rhythms and a variety of tonal colors. An excellent way to announce the beginning of your concert while leaving plenty of endurance for the rest of the program!

SKU: KJ.GB904

A jubilant variation fantasy on original themes!