SKU: CF.CAS34

ISBN 9780825861055. UPC: 798408061050. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: E minor.

Cliffhanger is a programmatic work for string orchestra that harkens back to the days of silent film. One of the lasting images of that time period is the Saturday afternoon matinee, where each episode ended on a cliffhanger until it could be continued next week. This piece tells the familiar story of the damsel in distress who is tied up to the train tracks as a train is approaching. Nicely done!.
Cliffhanger is a programmatic work for string orchestra that harkens back to the days of silent film. One of the lasting images of that time period is the Saturday-afternoon matinee, where each episode ended on a cliffhanger until it could be continued next week. This piece tells the familiar story of the damsel in distress who is tied up to the train tracks as a train is approaching.The opening of the piece sets the scene with danger and desperation. By m. 6, our hero is making his way on horseback to rescue the fair maiden. This main melody is developed and passed around the ensemble until m. 36, at which point despair sets in. The music is rich with romantic harmonies and inner lines. Be sure to bring out these inner lines to add to the passion and drama of the moment. It continues to build until a thunderous arrival at m. 49. From there we return to our hero, who is now getting close to the train tracks to save the fair maiden. The tension becomes the highest at m. 61, when we are still not sure if our hero will make it in time. But alas, at m. 68 he swoops in to save the day and rescue the fair maiden. Of course, they live happily ever after.My hope is that your ensemble will have some fun with this style of music. It was adapted from an arrangement I wrote for the new pipe organ at the Walk Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. They wanted some scary train music to show children how the organ was used back before movies had sound. Strings provide a heightened sense of drama with this genre of music.

About Carl Fischer Concert String Orchestra Series

This series of pieces (Grade 3 and higher) is designed for advancing ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by:

• Expanded use of rhythms, ranges and keys but technical demands are still carefully considered
• More comprehensive bowing techniques
• Viola T.C. included
• Careful selection of keys and degree of difficulty for advancing musicians

SKU: PE.EP67890

ISBN 9790300747613. 297 x 420mm inches. English.

Libretto by James Fenton

In a make-believe world, based loosely on Bombay and Kashmir, the story of Haroun is a tale of a fight between the free imagination and the powers that oppose it. Haroun's father, Rashid, the Shah of Blah, is a professional and gifted story-teller, a popular figure much in demand at public events. Feeling neglected, his wife is persuaded to leave him and run away with a neighbor. After this, Rashid loses confidence in his powers of story-tellling, haunted by his son's question: 'What's the use of stories that aren't even there?' Rashid is due to speak at a political rally to be held by the sinister politician, Snooty Buttoo. He is told that if he does not come up with his usual fund of tales, his tongue will be cut out. As Rashid despairs, Haroun determines to rescue his father's talent - a project in which he learns that the Ocean of the Sea of Stories, the source of all stories, is being polluted by the enemy of all stories, the evil Khattam Shud. In a series of brilliant imagined adventures, Haroun succeeds in defeating the powers of darkness, and restoring happiness to his family, and to the city where he lives.

Salman Ruishdie's children's book, written in the aftermath of the fatwa, has an effervescent style which is full of rhymes and wordplay. The libretto stays very close to the spirit of the original, conjuring up a fantasy world in which, nonetheless, one never loses sight of harsh political reality and the great issues of freedom of speech and imagination. -- James Fenton, 1998

SKU: HL.4008705

UPC: 196288190851.

Lord of the Flies is intended to be a small symphonic poem describing different episodes of the book: the despair of the children stranded on the island, the use of the unifying conch and symbol of democracy, the adventures, and the formation of the camp and finally the savagery of the clan of Jack which undeniably leads to chaos. The finale is mysterious and half-tone, imbued with both the relief of having been rescued, and a deep sadness linked to the tragic events that have occurred on the island. All the main themes and elements developed in the work come from the idea “d-e-f”, exposed from the first bars. The orchestration is intended to be variable in geometry and avoids the main technical difficulties related to the instruments. However, the composer wanted to find as many colors as possible and avoided confining himself to too “simple” harmonies. Lord of the Flies: a piece accessible to most concert bands.