20 Easy to Intermediate Pieces from four Centuries. Par NEUMANN EVA-MARIA (Arr.). Making music in a quartet uniquely nurtures young string players’ musical development, ensemble playing, listening to each other, and intonation. So, what could be more obvious than introducing the scoring of this genre, often referred to as chamber music’s supreme discipline, as early as possible. Indeed, composers have all along advised the classical string quartet’s outstanding compositions, but they are hardly easy to play for beginners. Here, with the present collection, is where Eva-Maria Neumann comes in. The two volumes include A total of 20 easy to intermediate arrangements of pieces from Bach to Bartók, together with specifically composed ones in string-quartet friendly keys - Reading scores and individual parts - additionally, individual part for violin III instead of viola - Tips on warming up, intonation, bowing, fingering, tempos, dynamics, and playing musically - Specific instructions for the individual pieces - Lists of supplementary original literature The pieces are also effective as scored for chorus./ Recueil / Quatuor à Cordes

Study score also available TP540.Like Dvo ák?s third and fourth quartets (in D major and E minor respectively) String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat was probably composed between 1868 and 1870 when the young and still inexperienced composer was openly responding to stimuli from his musical surroundings and excitedly adopting new compositional techniques. All three quartets were long considered lost - it was even said that Dvo ák destroyed them. But copies of the parts resurfaced in the archive of the Prague Conservatory and have served as the principal source for this new publication.This edition presents the musical text from theAnton n Dvo ák Complete Edition together with a new foreword by Hartmut Schick (Ger/Cz/Eng).

Dvo ák?s String Quartet No.5 in F minor of 1873 represents musically speaking a fundamental re-orientation of the composer. It has nothing that reminds one of his excessive admiration for the music of Wagner and Liszt. Instead Dvo ák re-establishes contact with the classical String Quartet tradition.The autograph score once in the possession of Dvo ák?s heirs is no longer accessible. This edition is based on the posthumously printed edition of 1929.

When Dvo?ák suddenly became internationally famous in 1878 with his Slavonic Dances, he received, among other things, a request for a new string quartet from Jean Becker, the first violinist of the renowned Florentine Quartet. The composer promptly began working in December 1878 and was able to complete the new piece three months later. Dvo?ák complied in a special way with the wish for a composition in ?Slavonic style?: each of the four movements is informed by melodies and rhythms in the style of Czech folk dances and songs. Since then, opus 51 has not only ranked among the most important works in Dvo?ák?s ?Slavonic period?, but also among the most popular in his chamber music oeuvre in general. Besides the first editions of the score and parts, all surviving autograph sources were consulted for this Henle Urtext edition.

During his time in America (1892-95) Dvorák suffered with homesickness. It was whilst living in New York that he began his String Quartet In A Flat Major but he did not complete the piece until afterhis return to Bohemia in December 1895.There is no trace of the influence of Indian or African-American music in this his final chamber work; rather the piece is striking for the amount of cantabile themes and motives and their contrasting and artistic treatment. It seems that his relief at seeing his children and family again directly influenced the work. Dvorák himself wrote in a letter during its composition that 'Almighty God hasgranted us this cheerful moment and thus we all feel unutterably happy'.This Henle publication is the first Urtext edition of the Quartet since 1955.