SKU: PR.41641576L

UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.

The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.

SKU: FG.042-08325-3

ISBN 979-0-042-08325-3.

Merikanto completed the third and final version of Pan in 1924, having destroyed the earlier versions in fits of self-criticism. Its music is full of life, sprouting new impulses and possibilities, but there are also opposite forces at work, arresting the flow and nurturing meditative concen!tration.

SKU: FG.042-08310-9

ISBN 979-0-042-08310-9.

Merilainen's second orchestral concerto (the first dates from the 1950's) is a musical study of the concept of time. The strings provide an element of stasis, while other orchestral sections are used as active blocks. The extensive percussion section is used to discreetly mark the passing of time and plays on the edge of silence. The work's ending is bound together by a magical F sharp pedal-point in the horns.

SKU: HL.49004865

ISBN 9781423413134. UPC: 073999276947. 6.0x9.0x0.366 inches.

Diction lessons on each aria in the series recorded by top language coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School plus International Phonetic Alphabet and word for word translations



With these book/CDpackages that match the standard aria collections edited by Robert L. Larsen, any singer anywhere has access to the best diction coaching available at a very affordable price. Each aria is recorded twice. In the first version thecoach recites the text as an actor would speak it, showing flow of the language and the mood. The second version is a slow, deliberate lesson, allowing time for the student to repeat each line. These experienced language coachesadapt the “R” in German and French in the slow versions for singers. They also are very sensitive to liaisons between word sounds in the musical settings. The book includes International Phonetic Alphabet for each ariaand word for word translations.



The native speaking professional diction coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School are: Corradina Caporello for Italian, Pierre Vallet for French, Irene Spiegelmanfor German, Kathryn LaBouff for English, Yveta Synek Graff for Czech, and Gina Levinson for Russian. Companion to 50483986 Coloratura Arias for Soprano.

Diction lessons on each aria in the series recorded by top language coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School plus International Phonetic Alphabet and word for word translations



With these book/CDpackages that match the standard aria collections edited by Robert L. Larsen, any singer anywhere has access to the best diction coaching available at a very affordable price. Each aria is recorded twice. In the first version thecoach recites the text as an actor would speak it, showing flow of the language and the mood. The second version is a slow, deliberate lesson, allowing time for the student to repeat each line. These experienced language coachesadapt the “R” in German and French in the slow versions for singers. They also are very sensitive to liaisons between word sounds in the musical settings. The book includes International Phonetic Alphabet for each ariaand word for word translations.



The native speaking professional diction coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School are: Corradina Caporello for Italian, Pierre Vallet for French, Irene Spiegelmanfor German, Kathryn LaBouff for English, Yveta Synek Graff for Czech, and Gina Levinson for Russian. Companion to 50483986 Coloratura Arias for Soprano.

Diction lessons on each aria in the series recorded by top language coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School plus International Phonetic Alphabet and word for word translations



With these book/CDpackages that match the standard aria collections edited by Robert L. Larsen, any singer anywhere has access to the best diction coaching available at a very affordable price. Each aria is recorded twice. In the first version thecoach recites the text as an actor would speak it, showing flow of the language and the mood. The second version is a slow, deliberate lesson, allowing time for the student to repeat each line. These experienced language coachesadapt the “R” in German and French in the slow versions for singers. They also are very sensitive to liaisons between word sounds in the musical settings. The book includes International Phonetic Alphabet for each ariaand word for word translations.



The native speaking professional diction coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School are: Corradina Caporello for Italian, Pierre Vallet for French, Irene Spiegelmanfor German, Kathryn LaBouff for English, Yveta Synek Graff for Czech, and Gina Levinson for Russian. Companion to 50483986 Coloratura Arias for Soprano.

Diction lessons on each aria in the series recorded by top language coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School plus International Phonetic Alphabet and word for word translations



With these book/CDpackages that match the standard aria collections edited by Robert L. Larsen, any singer anywhere has access to the best diction coaching available at a very affordable price. Each aria is recorded twice. In the first version thecoach recites the text as an actor would speak it, showing flow of the language and the mood. The second version is a slow, deliberate lesson, allowing time for the student to repeat each line. These experienced language coachesadapt the “R” in German and French in the slow versions for singers. They also are very sensitive to liaisons between word sounds in the musical settings. The book includes International Phonetic Alphabet for each ariaand word for word translations.



The native speaking professional diction coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School are: Corradina Caporello for Italian, Pierre Vallet for French, Irene Spiegelmanfor German, Kathryn LaBouff for English, Yveta Synek Graff for Czech, and Gina Levinson for Russian. Companion to 50483986 Coloratura Arias for Soprano.

Diction lessons on each aria in the series recorded by top language coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School plus International Phonetic Alphabet and word for word translations



With these book/CDpackages that match the standard aria collections edited by Robert L. Larsen, any singer anywhere has access to the best diction coaching available at a very affordable price. Each aria is recorded twice. In the first version thecoach recites the text as an actor would speak it, showing flow of the language and the mood. The second version is a slow, deliberate lesson, allowing time for the student to repeat each line. These experienced language coachesadapt the “R” in German and French in the slow versions for singers. They also are very sensitive to liaisons between word sounds in the musical settings. The book includes International Phonetic Alphabet for each ariaand word for word translations.



The native speaking professional diction coaches from the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School are: Corradina Caporello for Italian, Pierre Vallet for French, Irene Spiegelmanfor German, Kathryn LaBouff for English, Yveta Synek Graff for Czech, and Gina Levinson for Russian. Companion to 50483986 Coloratura Arias for Soprano.

SKU: HH.HH575-FSC

ISBN 9790708185901.

Niccolò Piccinni (1728–1800) was one of the most significant figures in Italian and French opera during the second half of the 18th century. His Diane et Endymion, a three-act tragédie lyrique based on the mythological tale of love between a goddess and a shepherd, was first performed in Paris in 1784. The overture reveals the composer’s mastery in capturing both the grandeur and intimacy of the drama. After a stately introduction, graceful melodies and lively contrasting sections with vibrant orchestration set the tone for an enchanting and emotional musical journey.

SKU: LO.30-1899L

UPC: 000308093391.

This is a creative worship experience built around prayers (both sung and spoken) for our world's leaders as well as elusive goals such as peace, the end of terrorism and racism, and prayers for the needy in our world. It is global rather than nationalistic in scope and is distinctively Christian in nature, with prayers that the church may take the lead in responding to a world in need. It is an appropriate consideration for a missions or global focus, any national or patriotic thrust, as well as any general observance where an inspirational worship experience is desired.

SKU: FG.042-07993-5

ISBN 979-0-042-07993-5.

Act 1 from Klami's ballet which is skilfully orchestrated from the rehearsal score by Kalevi Aho. The subject matter for the ballet is the Forging of the Sampo from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala.

SKU: CF.CY765F

ISBN 9781491144435. UPC: 680160901937.

Shortly after the death of her mother in 1942, Talma found herself for the first time at MacDowell Colony, where she immersed herself in composing. She wrote her Piano Sonata No. 1 in 1943 and then turned to a major work, the Toccata for Orchestra. The latter won her the Juilliard Publication Prize in 1946 and almost certainly contributed to Talma being awarded back-to-back Guggenheim awards, a first for a woman composer.

SKU: HH.HH410-FSC

ISBN 9790708059875.

Ignaz Pleyel was one of the most popular and prolific composers in western Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century. This symphony in C major was written when he was 21 years old, after he had completed five years of study with Joseph Haydn.