SKU: CF.H84

ISBN 9781491165539. UPC: 680160924530.

Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. Over his long career, he added a significant catalogue of very beautiful works to the harp repertoire. Many of his solo works, almost one hundred, have been consistently in print since they were first published. But in recent years harpist Carl Swanson has discovered a treasure trove of pieces by Tournier heretofore unknown and unpublished. These include the Déchiffrages in this edition, as well as songs set for voice, harp, and string quartet, and ensemble arrangements of some of his most beloved works.All of the works that Carl Swanson found were in manuscript only. With the help of the great harpist Catherine Michel, he has put these pieces into playable form, and they are being published for the very first time. He and Catherine often had to re-notate passages to show clearly how they could be played, adding fingerings and musical nuances, tempos, pedals, and pedal diagrams.Tournier wrote these pieces when he was in his 20s, and before he became the impressionistic composer those familiar with his work know so well. They are written in the late nineteenth-century romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. They are beautiful short, intermediate level pieces by a first rate composer, and add much needed repertoire to that level of playing.
Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory with a first prize in harp in 1899. He also studied composition there and won a second prize in the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, as well as a first prize in the Rossini competition, another major composition competition of the day. From 1912 to 1948 he taught the harp class at the Paris Conservatory. But composition, and almost entirely, composition for the harp, was the main focus of his life. His published works, including many works for solo harp, a few for harp and other instruments, and several songs, number around one hundred pieces.In 2019, while researching Tournier for my edition MARCEL TOURNIER: 10 Pieces for Solo Harp, I discovered that there was a significant list of pieces by this composer that had never been published and were not included on any inventory of his music. Principal on this list were his déchiffrages (pronounced day-she-frahge, like the second syllable in the word garage).The word déchiffrage means sight-reading exercise, and that was their original purpose. Tournier numbered and dated these pieces, with dates ranging from 1900 to 1910, indicating that they were in all likelihood written for Alphonse Hasselmans’ class at the Paris Conservatory. Tournier was probably told how long to make each one, and how difficult. They range in length from two to four pages, with only one in the whole series extending to five, and from thirty to fifty-five measures, with only one extending to eight-five. The level of difficulty for the whole series is intermediate, with some at the easier end, and others at the middle or upper end.We don’t know if they were intended to test students trying to enter the harp class, or if they were used to test students in the class as they played their exams. The fact that they were never published means that students had to not only sight read them, but sight read them in manuscript form!I worked from digital images of the original manuscripts, which are in the private music library of a harpist in France. She had twenty-seven of these pieces, and this edition is the second in a series of three that will publish, for the first time, all of the ones that I have found thus far. The manuscripts themselves consist of little more than notes on the page: no pedals written in, no fingerings, few if any musical nuances and tempo markings, and no clear indication as to which hand plays which notes. These would have been difficult to sight read indeed! My collaborator Catherine Michel and I added musical nuances, fingerings, pedals and pedal diagrams, and tempo indications to put them into their current condition.At the time these were written, Tournier would have been in his twenties, having just graduated from the harp class himself (1899), and might still have been in the composition class. These are the earliest known pieces that he wrote, and they were written at the very beginning of a cultural revolution and upheaval in Paris that was to completely and profoundly alter musical composition. Tournier himself would eventually be caught up in this new way of composing. But not yet.All of the déchiffrages are written in the late romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. Each one is built on a clear musical idea, and the variety over the whole series makes them wonderful to listen to as well as to learn. They are also great technical lessons for intermediate level players.The obvious question is: Why didn’t Tournier publish these pieces, and why didn’t he list them on his own inventory of his music? Actually, four of them were published, with small changes, as his collection Four Preludes, Op. 16. These came from the ones that will be in volume three of this series from Carl Fischer. His first large piece, Theme and Variations, was published in 1908, and his two best known and frequently played pieces, Féerie and Au Matin, followed in 1912 and 1913 respectively. We can only speculate because there is so much still unknown about Tournier and about these unpublished pieces. He may have looked at them, fresh out of school as he was, as simply a way to make some quick money. The first several pieces that he did publish are much longer than any of the déchiffrages. So it could be that, because of their shorter length, as well as the earlier musical style that he was moving away from, he chose not to publish any more of them. We may never know the full story. But all these years later, more than a century after they were composed, we can listen to them for their own merits, and not measured against whatever else was going on at the time. The numbers on these pieces are the ones that Tournier assigned to them, and the gaps between some of the numbers suggest that there are perhaps thirty or more of these pieces still to be found, if they still exist. They will, in all likelihood, be found, as these were, in private collections of harp music, not in institutional libraries. We can only hope that more of them will be located in years to come.—Carl SwansonGlossary of French Musical TermsTournier was very precise about how he wanted his pieces played, and carefully communicated this with many musical indications. He used standard Italian words, but also used French words and phrases, and occasionally mixed both together. It is extremely important to observe and understand everything that he put on the page.Here is a list of the French words and phrases found in the pieces in this edition, with their translation.bien chanté well sung, melodiousdécidé firm, resolutediminu peu à peu becoming softer little by littleen diminuant becoming softeren riten. slowing downen se perdant dying awayGaiement gayly, lightlygracieusement gracefully, elegantlyLéger light, quickLent slowmarquez le chant emphasize the melodyModéré at a moderate tempopeu à peu animé more lively, little by littleplus lent slowerRetenu held backsans lenteur without slownesssans retinir without slowing downsec drily, abruptlysoutenu sustained, heldtrès arpegé very arpeggiatedTrès Modéré Very moderate tempoTrès peu retenu slightly held backTrès soutenu very sustainedun peu retenu slightly held back.

SKU: CF.CM9751

ISBN 9781491162392. UPC: 680160921140. Key: E lydian. English. The Vastness of the Universe Jonas Hallgrimsson (1807-1845).

About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.
About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.
About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.
About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.
About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.
About Jónas Halgrímsson (1807-1845) was an Icelandic poet, author and naturalist, who is considered one of Iceland's most renowned poets. Considered a Romantic writer, the strong imagery in his poetry was influenced heavily by the landscapes around him.The imagery, excitement, and curiosity of the universe leapt off the page and the music almost wrote itself. Reflecting on the cosmos and origin of the heavens, the poetry elicits excitement and stirs spatial imagery - ...speeding spark of light, ...wings swifter than wind..., ...I watched the stars...rise from the still stream of heaven... The pure and almost child-like fascination with the universe and its expansion and progression fuels the perpetual rhythm of the work as it continually pushes forward.A good friend asked if I would write a song for her ensemble. The original voicing, for SAB choir, contained parameters in that it had to be three-part with a limited range in the Bass part. With these stipulations I began to write. I searched for something that would be exciting for them and landed on Jonas Halgrimsson’s writings. I believe it is equally as exciting, accessible and challenging for tenor-bass choirs. Director’s NoteTruly consider how the work can come to ‘life’ off the page. Rise and fall with phrase and sometimes each note. The magic exists beyond the ink on the page!Consideration to range, tessitura, and content was all considered as part of this process in creating music that is accessible to all programs and ensembles.Accompaniment NoteThe accompaniment can look intimidating, but please feel free to alter the pulsing eighth notes in the left hand with the eighth notes in the right-hand so it creates a compound rhythm. So long as the momentum of the work is pressed onward, you are doing this work justice.

SKU: PR.114422880

ISBN 9781491135143. UPC: 680160686995.

LITTLE ANGEL was composed in loving memory of a friend’s daughter who was stillborn, to commemorate a life unlived. The first movement, Hopes and Dreams, opens the work with sweet optimism and charm. The second movement, Anticipation and Loss is a musical setting of joy followed by profound sadness. LITTLE ANGEL concludes with Finding Peace as the third movement opens with grief and longing, followed by a plaintive cadenza, and finally ending with peace and hope.
Little Angel was commissioned by Janelle Barrera in loving memory of her daughter Daisy Rose who was stillborn, to commemorate a life unlived.Little Angel is written for flute and piano in three movements:1. Hopes and Dreams: The first movement begins with three brief statements that are introspective and hopeful, looking toward the future, followed by a lyrical melody in 3/4 meter.2. Anticipation and Loss: The second movement opens with a playful melody in mixed meter combining simple time and compound time. At letter C, the tempo slows, and the tone becomes decidedly more serious and eventually more somber.3. Finding Peace: The third movement opens with a melody expressing grief and longing, followed by a plaintive cadenza, and finally ending with peace and hope.