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: SP.TS022

ISBN 9781585600489. UPC: 649571100223.

Unlike many collections which feature obscure titles, Exceptional Classics for Flute, arranged by Tony Santorella and Jonathon Robbins features a broad assortment of well-known classics originally written for piano. This best selling title contains works from a variety of major composers, which by its nature, provides examples of music written from several different eras. This eliminates the need for multiple teaching materials and is a great resource for teaching young horn players early, easy, original classics. Exceptional Classics for Flute published by Santorella Publications is a required text for many state audition lists and is suggested by music educators associated with the highly regarded NYSSMA organization. The accompanying CD is an acoustic piano accompaniment and extremely helpful towards learning these important masterpiece themes. Little Cradle Song, Schumann - Russian Folk Song, Beethoven - Tell Me, Fair Ladies from The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart - The Organ Grinder, Tchaikovsky - Allegro, Mozart - Minuet, Bach - Minuet, Haydn - Russian Song, Tchaikovsky - Serenade, Mozart - Gavotte, Bach - German Dances, Haydn - Andante from The Surprise Symphony No. 94, Haydn - Waltz, Beethoven - German Dance, Schubert - Ecossaise, Beethoven - Canon In D, Pachelbel - Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9, Beethoven - Two Minuets, Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Bach - Andante, Mozart - Aria, Bach - Serenade from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mozart - Norse Song, Schumann - Old French Song, Tchaikovsky - Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens, Beethoven - The Wild Horseman, Schumann - Two Minuets from The Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach, Bach.

SKU: SP.TS027

ISBN 9781585600496. UPC: 649571100278.

Unlike many collections which feature obscure titles, Exceptional Classics for Clarinet, arranged by Tony Santorella and Jonathon Robbins features a broad assortment of well-known classics originally written for piano. This best selling title contains works from a variety of major composers, which by its nature, provides examples of music written from several different eras. This eliminates the need for multiple teaching materials and is a great resource for teaching young horn players early, easy, original classics. Exceptional Classics for Clarinet published by Santorella Publications is a required text for many state audition lists and is suggested by music educators associated with the highly regarded NYSSMA organization. The accompanying CD is an acoustic piano accompaniment and extremely helpful towards learning these important masterpiece themes. Little Cradle Song, Schumann - Russian Folk Song, Beethoven - Tell Me, Fair Ladies from The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart - The Organ Grinder, Tchaikovsky - Allegro, Mozart - Minuet, Bach - Minuet, Haydn - Russian Song, Tchaikovsky - Serenade, Mozart - Gavotte, Bach - German Dances, Haydn - Andante from The Surprise Symphony No. 94, Haydn - Waltz, Beethoven - German Dance, Schubert - Ecossaise, Beethoven - Canon In D, Pachelbel - Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9, Beethoven - Two Minuets, Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Bach - Andante, Mozart - Aria, Bach - Serenade from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mozart - Norse Song, Schumann - Old French Song, Tchaikovsky - Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens, Beethoven - The Wild Horseman, Schumann - Two Minuets from The Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach, Bach.

SKU: FP.FMP03

ISBN 979-0-57050-218-9.

Sixteen sets of sight-reading tests, each containing eight exercises and a short piece.