SKU: PR.114422690
UPC: 680160684809. 9 x 12 inches.
In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont,Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists thegift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided withstudio space, housing, and meals so that we can work continuously on our projects. I havebeen in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previousexperiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 peopleliving within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up forabundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife. I composed the sextet Postcardsfrom Wyoming to offer three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects ofmy residence. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement of the original sextet,was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lightsdimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie.This edition is part of The Solitude of Stars Project that I undertook during the 2020COVID-19 pandemic, which consists of a series of arrangements that I made forcolleagues and friends.In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists the gift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided with studio space, housing, and meals so that we can work continuously on our projects. I have been in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previous experiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a 20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 people living within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up for abundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife. I composed the sextet Postcards from Wyoming to offer three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects of my residence. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement of the original sextet, was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lights dimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie. This edition is part of The Solitude of Stars Project that I undertook during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which consists of a series of arrangements that I made for colleagues and friends.In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont,Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists thegift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided withstudio space, housing, and meals so that we can work continuously on our projects. I havebeen in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previousexperiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 peopleliving within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up forabundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife. I composed the sextet Postcardsfrom Wyoming to offer three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects ofmy residence. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement of the original sextet,was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lightsdimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie.This edition is part of The Solitude of Stars Project that I undertook during the 2020COVID-19 pandemic, which consists of a series of arrangements that I made forcolleagues and friends.
SKU: PR.114423360
UPC: 680160686285.
When the Newport Music Festival commissioned me for a piano trio in honor of their 2021 season, I looked for a topic that would celebrate an aspect of the Newport community. While researching the area, I was struck by the nine lighthouses situated around the island. The dual nature of lighthouses was particularly appealing to me: not only do they serve a vital role in the navigation of ships around rocks and land, but they are also a beautiful sight, particularly at night when their blinking beacons are clearly visible to the eye. It occurred to me that lighthouses link the past with the present, and will endure long into the future, with their beacons serving the same purpose for every generation.I became fascinated with the lighthouse on the property of Castle Hill Inn, located at the opening of the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay. This squat thirty-four foot granite structure was erected in 1890 on a very picturesque spot, right at the water’s edge. Its “characteristic,†the nautical term for each lighthouse’s unique light sequence that allows ships to identify the lighthouse, is to alternate on for three seconds, then off for three seconds. The lighthouse has also served as the starting and finish line for numerous high profile yacht races, as well as survived a massive hurricane in 1938, though the lighthouse keeper’s nearby residence wasn’t so lucky. American novelist Thornton Wilder wrote much of his 1973 novel Theophilus North while staying at the Castle Hill Inn; a passage from the book perfectly captures the dual nature of lighthouses:“At a later visit I was able to engage the pentagonal room in a turret above the house; from that magical room I could see at night the beacons of six lighthouses and hear the booming and chiming of as many sea buoys.â€In Beacon of the Bay, we first hear the lighthouse’s characteristic as its ruby light blinks on and off. This is followed by a simple theme that represents the lighthouse performing its solitary duty. As the piece progresses, we hear waves playfully lapping around its base, then yachts gracefully floating by; this is followed by a violent storm that churns the waves with so much force that they crash against the lighthouse’s granite body. But the steadfast lighthouse holds firm to the rocks, grandly blinking its ruby light. The music quiets back down to its simple theme, with yachts sailing by once more as the piece concludes.
SKU: PR.164002390
UPC: 680160038091.
I became interested in the work of Plato through my friend and collaborator, the writer and philosopher Paul Woodruff. Paul's new translation, with Alexander Nehamas, of the Symposium gave me insights into ancient Greek ways of thinking about Love, Beauty, and Wisdom -- and managed to keep the earthy, and often bawdy side of it all in full view. But their new translation of Plato's later dialogue Phaedrus went even further: the beauty of the speeches is breathtaking, and the discourse itself is enough to keep one awake at night. Basically the Great Speech of Socrates in the Phaedrus dialogue has to do with the place of Eros in the world, and with the conflict in the soul between fleshly pleasure and philosophic discovery. I will not attempt to encapsulate this brilliant discourse in a program note: suffice it to say that reading it gave rise to my two-sided work for clarinet, violin, and piano, Phaedrus. The first movement represents the Philosophic life, and is thus subtitled Apollo's Lyre (Invocation and Hymn). It begins with an unaccompanied melody for the clarinet, which (after a pair of harp-like flourishes for the piano, expands into an accompanied canon. The voices in the dialogue (clarinet and violin) follow each other by a prescribed number of beats, but the music is totally devoid of any meter at all. The piano, representing the lyre, accompanies this lyric love-feast with repeated strummed chords. The canon has three large sections, and ends with violin echoing the unaccompanied clarinet invocation as the sound of the lyre fades. The second movement, called Dionysus' Dream-Orgy (Ritual Dance) presents, after a brief introduction, another kind of unmetered music. Rather than long lyric flights of philosophic song, however, this time we hear a unison dance of unbridled energy and sensual transport. The piece soon forms itself into a loose arch form, with contrasting metered dance sections divided by the unison unmetered orgy tune. Midway through the movement, Apollo's melody returns from the first movement, but it is a temporary reminiscence. The orgiastic dance returns, reaches a climax, and ends with a stomping of feet. While Plato asserts that a proper balance between lust and reason is necessary in all men, he (naturally) gives the nod to Philosophy as the better choice in which to live. Not so in my music: the two sides are meant to coexist and to complement each other. No sides are taken. Phaedrus was commissioned of the Verdehr Trio by Michigan State University. It is dedicated to the Vedehr Trio with great affection and admiration.
SKU: AP.36-52710047
ISBN 9781628762655. UPC: 746241220431. English.
Eight beautiful arrangements of well-known American hymns and spirituals. Hymns included: 1. How Firm a Foundation 2. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 3. Spiritual 4. Simple Gifts 5. There is a Fountain 6. Be Thou My Vision 7. Holy Manna 8. Shall We Gather at the River?
These products are currently being prepared by a new publisher. While many items are ready and will ship on time, some others may see delays of several months.
SKU: AP.36-52710444
ISBN 9781633610644. UPC: 679360734711. English.
In this second volume of perennial wedding favorites, we are proud to offer selections to expand your repertoire and enhance these celebratory occasions. Violinists must be comfortable playing through fifth position, and the piano accompaniment is moderately difficult.
SKU: AP.36-52710595
ISBN 9781633610002. UPC: 679360611197. English.
Volume 1 begins with open strings and basic notation, rhythms, and bowing skills. New notes, notation, and bowing skills are added in logical progression, reinforcing both right- and left-hand technique and developing the cognition for string performance. This book introduces students to: the basic major and minor tetrachords on all four strings; essential rhythmic notation from whole notes through eighth-note patterns; left-hand techniques such as easily played double stops, left-hand pizzicato, differentiating whole and half steps; and a variety of bow techniques. Audio available online.
SKU: PR.414411630
ISBN 9781491114551. UPC: 680160089956. 9.5 x 13 inches.
EXCURSIONS is a one-movement work exploring two “characters.†A rhapsodic, descending passage is introduced by the cello, followed by a static, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello. Their individual developments are separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. The composer has written: “This is analogous to situations in life: we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option and forfeiting the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination… or can we? It is symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place.â€.Excursions for violin, cello and piano, is a one-movement work of tripartite structure in which materials explored in the first of three large sections are brought back in the last section. The traditional statement-contrast-restatement form, which is readily suggested by such a description, is, however, not at all in the mold in which the work is cast. Rather, my aim was to subject the essential materials of the piece (two “characters†–the rhapsodic, descending passage played by the cello in the very opening and, later, a static, slow moving, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello) to two entirely different developments separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. This is analogous to an exploration of the ramifications that two divergent choices made by the same person might lead to. In life, as we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option usually means having to forfeit the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination…or can we? It is, I believe, symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place: in composing Excursions, it seemed absolutely inescapable that at the end the slow, contrasting middle sections – both more resigned and peaceful than the battling spirits of the outer parts – should return briefly to end the work. The piano trio combination (once highly favored, but to this composer still as challenging today) is approached here as a collaborative effort of three equal soloists – partners. Of the available pairings, the two strings find themselves occasionally approached as a team pitted against the piano. The cello-piano combination is also not uncommon here, and there is an extended violin cadenza toward the end of the piece. The writing for the three instruments is closely and at times interlinked, but the players are all instructed to play from scores. Excursions was first performed at Brandeis University in 1982.
SKU: PR.144407050
UPC: 680160655519. 9 x 12 inches.
Celebrating 30 years, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society commissioned a work of 20-25 minutes for violin and piano from James Primosch, University of Pennsylvania professor of music. Primosch had originally thought to create a new sonata, but what developed is more appropriately a set of five character pieces, two of which were directly inspired by poems. Five Poems was premiered in May, 2016, and Primosch's thoughts are recorded at his website: https://jamesprimosch.com/2016/05/10/five-poems-premiere/.Upon receiving a commission from the Philadelphia Chamber MusicSociety for a violin and piano piece in honor of its 30th anniversary, myplan was to write a sonata, a term suggesting a relatively abstractdiscourse. But as the piece developed, the movements struck me ascharacter pieces rather than music employing a more “symphonicâ€approach. When specific poems started to attach themselves in my mindwith two of the movements, the overall title Five Poems became clear.The title of the second movement is a line from Susan Stewart’s“Descentâ€, which deals with Aeneas’s visit to the underworld. The musicis alternately fiercely driving and quite still, though tense. RobertFrost’s Nothing Gold Can Stay summons fleet scale passages framinglyrical counterpoint. The remaining movements do not refer to specificpoems, but have titles reflecting their expressive tone. Dreamscape ismusing with an improvisatory violin line over shifting pairs of pianochords. Nightsong is a bluesy lullaby that turns highly dramatic.Vision begins with a closely argued struggle but breaks through tosomething spacious and clear.
SKU: FP.FDC24
ISBN 9790570504336.
An imaginative first violin book, featuring 12 music sketches with fingering and tips on technique and reading music, inspired by the composer's experience teaching a young boy named Peter, and the musical pictures they painted together.Composer and critic Cyril Carr Dalmaine graduated from the Royal College of Music and was Music master at Uppington School before going on to become chorus master to the BBC. He is most famous for coining the term 'Lord Haw-Haw' in his work as radio critic of the Daily Express under the pseudonym Jonah Barrington, in reference to the Nazi propaganda broadcasts of William Joyce during the Second World War.Dalmaine was also a record presenter in the pre-1955 days and responsible for the 'discovery' of the then deceased Italian tenor, Alessandro Valente, giving Valente enjoyed a considerable posthumous vogue. As a composer Dalmaine wrote chamber music, and transcribed the cantatas of J.S. Bach to piano as well as a wide range of piano and string works published by Forsyth. His works such as Variation from Versailles and Pathway to the Proms remain in print and are well worth re-discovering, while his arrangements of popular classics in our Silhouette Series remain best sellers.
SKU: PR.114419280
ISBN 9781491132357. UPC: 680160676125.
Inspired by Chinese tradition, this concerto-like dance suite includes: 1. Lion Dance, 2. YangKo, and 3. Muqam. Each movement draws from melodies and rhythms characteristic of various regions of China many centuries ago. CHINESE FOLK DANCE SUITE is available for violin with full orchestra, or as a recital work with piano.Supported by a major commissioning award from the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress, Chinese Folk Dance Suite is written for solo violin and orchestra; it was premiered by The Women’s Philharmonic with violin soloist Terrie Baune, conducted by Apo Hsu, on March 10, 2001, at Yerba Buena Center For the Arts Theater in San Francisco.Inspired by various Chinese traditional folk dances, the suite has three movements:I. Lion Dance. Traditionally, people dance with richly decorated hand-made lions, accompanied by percussion ensemble, to celebrate happy occasions and major festivals throughout the country. In this composition, I use Chinese drum and other percussion instruments in the background, to form a dynamic and rhythmic texture responding to the solo part, which imitates the tunes played on the suona (traditional Chinese trumpet). The pitch materials came from the traditional Guangdong tune “Dragon Boat Racing,†and the Chaozhou tune “Lion Playing Ball.â€II. YangKo. Originating in northern China, this is a major folk dance form in mass performance popularized in the country. In YangKo performance, people play rhythmic patterns on the drums hung around their waists while singing and dancing. In the second movement, I imagined a warm scene of YangKo dancing in distance. The solo violin plays a sweet and gracious melodic line while all members of the orchestra sing non-pitched syllables in different layers as the soft background, to imitate the percussion sound which produces the ever-going pulse.III. Muqam. This large-scale music and dance form, from the Uygur nationality in Xinjiang province, originated in the 15th century. My third movement use a 7/8 meter and the melodic style of Muqam music. The fiery dancing gesture culminates in the sustained climax section at the end of the work, after a colorful violin cadenza in both improvisational singing style and polyphonic writing with woven lines.
SKU: HL.49019599
ISBN 9790001191043. UPC: 841886019546. 9.0x12.0x0.187 inches. Eds. Wolfgang Birtel and Ida Bieler.
Karol Szymanowski (1882-1932) is regarded as one of the most important Polish composers since Chopin. He received his formative musical training in Warsaw where he lived for many years and was also director of the Conservatoire and Music Academy. His compositional oeuvre comprises a large variety of styles: Szymanowski first leaned towards Chopin and Scriabin, then studied Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky, finally finding a style in which he combined impressionism and expressionism. His 'Mythes' for violin and piano from 1915 fell in a transitional period, turning away from late German Romanticism. They are expressive miniatures full of tonal refinement and impressionist charm and, thanks to their accessible virtuosity, perfect performance pieces. Contents: I. La Fontaine d'Arethuse • II. Narcisse • III. Dryades et Pan.
SKU: AP.36-52710599
ISBN 9781633610040. UPC: 679360611654. English.
This volume continues the development of playing skills found in Book 1 and progresses to more complex rhythms, left-hand finger patterns and techniques, bowing techniques, and preparation for shifting. Book 2 introduces students to: long and controlled bow strokes, slurred legato and staccato bow strokes, string-crossing slurs, and producing dynamic contrasts; new rhythmic patterns including dotted notes, triplets, sixteenth notes, swinging eighth notes, and syncopated rhythms; new time signatures including 6/8 and 3/8, along with cut time for cello/bass; and major and minor left-hand string patterns, extended fingerings, and beginning octave harmonics and shifting. Online audio available.
SKU: HL.49045998
ISBN 9781540034960. UPC: 888680790998. 9.0x12.0x0.142 inches.
In The Diamond Sutra, an early Buddhist text also known as The Diamond that Cuts Through Illusion, the Buddha leads his interlocutor, the Elder Subhuti, through a series of questions and provocations. The Buddha then concludes the session by offering this teaching to those assembled:All composed things are like a dream,a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning.That is how to meditate on them;that is how to observe them.This duo piece is in four sections, corresponding roughly to these four disparate visions of impermanence: four distinct moments of interplay between form and emptiness, four corners of a diamond. This series of images is itself a 'composed thing,' gathering dissimilar elements into a unified system. It suggests that the things we make are similar to things that exist beyond intention. The Buddha's utterance helps us hear so-called 'composition' and 'improvisation' - or the encompassing category, 'music' - as part of an even larger aggregate: that which forms and recedes.- Vijay Iyer.
SKU: AP.36-52710030
ISBN 9781633619579. UPC: 679360704073. English.
All 1st position, compatible with Suzuki Book #1; violin plays melody with simple accompaniments. Includes optional descant for violin. Hymns included: Jesus Loves Me; I Sing the Mighty Power of God; Take My Life, and Let it Be; Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus; Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee; Amazing Grace; For the Beauty of the Earth; Holy, Holy, Holy; Be Thou My Vision; Fairest Lord Jesus.
SKU: PR.14440517S
UPC: 680160667888. 9 x 12 inches.
In 1979, Martin produced a set of three quintets, in consideration of Gorky's piece Nighttime Enigma Nostalgia. Each is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. There are passages in Nostalgia that build using two layers, a louder foreground and a quieter background. Both of these layers are independent of specific instruments, in other words, the various instruments jump in to play a role in either layer, then jump to the other layer. It is as if the ensemble has doubled. The technical musical term for multiple instruments interweaving to produce a single thread or idea is called Klangfarbenmelodie (tone-color-melody). Because there are two layers (louder and softer), both using this technique, Nostalgia is a unique example of 'double Klangfarbenmelodie.' The piece ends with a series of intense rhythmic pulsations and several apocalyptic fanfares. (From the performance notes.).
SKU: FG.55011-719-8
ISBN 9790550117198.
Other Finnish works for violin contains twelve pieces for violin and piano. Though brief in duration, most of them were written for concert use, being rich and expressive and, in some cases, technically quite demanding. Others are delightful salon pieces. This volume was compiled by violinist Mirka Malmi and edited by her with pianist Tiina Karakorpi. Many of the women of Finnish origin who wrote music in the 19th and early 20th century were cosmopolitan by nature. They studied and found employment in the cultural metropolises of central Europe. Because of their gender, they generally had no opportunities for employment in national cultural institutions in Finland. Their music was mainly published outside Finland, and in most cases they enjoyed a broad network of connections, an expansive cultural sphere and a successful career.
SKU: PR.14440516S
UPC: 680160667864. 9 x 12 inches.
In 1979, Martin produced a set of three quintets, in consideration of Gorky's piece Nighttime Enigma Nostalgia. Each is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. As the title suggests, the music is in a state of perpetual questioning using a variety of approaches. For example, Enigma opens using ostinati (plural of ostinato) that do not match in length, like a staircase with each step a different height. Additionally, the music has sudden starts and stops, again unexplained. There are dramatic and powerful explosive passages that are interrupted. The technique, used to create this feeling of a perplexed music world where things seem often not to make sense and to be left unresolved, is called in poetry and literature, anticlimax. In Enigma, the music suggests one direction; then refuses to continue, striking out in another direction. Artists use approaches such as this to force themselves into creative circumstances that they otherwise might not have discovered. (From the performance notes.).
SKU: M7.APUE-516186
ISBN 9781875516186.
Lyrical Violin Legends is an exciting collection of 20 works for violin and piano, featuring exclusively commissioned works by contemporary composers and inspiring new arrangements of 19th and 20th century compositions. Listen to the legends, discover beautiful scenes and enjoy lively dances through the alluring lyricism of this music. These exclusive commissioned works and new arrangements are suitable for intermediate level players. The violin part includes biographies of all composers and notes/ performance suggestions for each work. All pieces in Lyrical Violin Legends have free violin & piano recordings to listen to, as well as free piano backing tracks to play along with. Composers: Johannes Brahms, Antonin Dvorak, Hans Engelmann, Sally Greenaway, Greg Harradine, Jolin Jiang, Scott Joplin, Elena Kats-Chernin, Toivo Kuula, Rachel Laurin, Edward MacDowell, Felix Mendelssohn, Merryl Neille, Heather Percy, Gary Schocker.
SKU: AP.36-60710011
ISBN 9798888521892. UPC: 676737626686. English.
Austrian-born American violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) is considered among the best virtuosic violinists in history. While he did write some operettas, vocal works, and a smattering of pieces for other instruments, it is unsurprising that most of his output was for the violin. In the earlier part of his career, he wrote a number of pastiches in the style of other well-known composers, going so far as to ascribe the work to them rather than to himself. In 1935, Kreisler revealed that he had composed these select works, answering his critics by pointing out that they had deemed to music worthy under the other composers' names, and that the name changes, the value remains. Among these such works is his Concerto in C, IFK 42, which Kreisler falsely attributed to Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi. In three movements, the work exists with both string orchestra accompaniment and this Master reprint edition for violin and piano.
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