SKU: HL.49016259

ISBN 9783795781071. 5.0x7.5x0.538 inches. German.

Als Johannes Brahms im Jahre 1876 seine 1. Sinfonie der Offentlichkeit vorstellte, war dies ein lang erwartetes Ereignis. Zwar war der Komponist schon eine geraume Zeit beruhmt und hatte sich in fast allen musikalischen Gattungen hervorgetan: er hatte Klaviersonaten, Lieder, Konzerte sowie Orchester- und Chorwerke (u.a. das Deutsche Requiem) vorgelegt und mit drei Streichquartetten Beitrage zu einer Gattung geliefert, die seit Beethovens spaten Quartetten als kunstvollste und intimste musikalische Gattung uberhaupt galt. Nur eine Sinfonie hatte er noch nicht komponiert, denn er gehorte zu den Komponisten, denen die Schwierigkeit bewusst war, mit einem sinfonischen Werk gegenuber dem Beethovenschen Erbe bestehen zu konnen.Giselher Schubert schildert diese Umstande in diesem Buch und verdeutlicht, dass ein selbstkritischer Komponist, wie es Brahms ausgepragt war, sich so lange Zeit schwer tun musste, bis er glaubte, den Erwartungen von Freunden und Fachleuten entsprechen zu konnen. Er beschreibt neben der Entstehungsgeschichte dieser Sinfonie, der schon bald der Beiname die Zehnte (Beethovens) gegeben wurde, die Quellenlage, gibt kommentierend die Reaktionen auf die ersten Auffuhrungen wieder und stellt Betrachtungen an zu einer Analyse des Werkes. Anregungen zur weiteren Beschaftigung mit dieser Sinfonie geben in einer Auswahl Literaturverzeichnis und eine Diskographie. Anhand der vollstandig wiedergegebenen Partitur kann der Leser den Notentext beim Horen verfolgen und die analytischen Kommentare nachvollziehen.

SKU: PR.416415760

UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 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: RU.5240S

SKU: CL.016-0067-00

SKU: PO.PEP05S

ISBN 9781877218057.

Preface to the Collected EditionOver the span of his composing career, Larry Carrol Pruden (1925-82) completed some 60 works, including music for piano, chamber ensemble, orchestra, stage and film. The scope of the ten-volume Collected Edition incorporates every work that the composer is known to have considered complete, and a very few incomplete works which the editors felt warranted inclusion. The works in the latter category are either virtually complete or have been deemed worthy of inclusion due to the significance that the composer is known to have attached to them.Throughout Pruden's output, whether the music is modest in scale and purely functional (civic fanfares and radio advertising jingles, for example) or more extended and overtly serious in tone (such as the larger works for orchestra and strings), his vivid response to urban society and rural life in New Zealand is revealed. With Douglas Lilburn, John Ritchie and others, Larry Pruden belongs to the earliest generation of New Zealand composers to discover a genuine vernacular, and in his music is reflected the trail-blazing spirit of the pioneers, their passion for creativity and their rebelliousness of spirit.The scores in the Collected Edition are based on Pruden's underlying autograph or holograph manuscripts, which have been consulted extensively throughout the editorial process. Comparison has been made to all extant forms of each title, published and unpublished. In some cases, several variants exist, and the goal has been to determine as far as possible the composer's final intention and to convey this comprehensively in the published score. Emendations have been made to account for the composer's revisions and for certain errors and inconsistencies, and each volume includes a short commentary and editorial notes on the source materials.In consultation with the Estate of Larry Pruden, Promethean Editions appointed an Editorial Panel and an Advisory Panel to oversee publication of the Collected Edition. The role of the Editorial Panel has been to undertake the research into the composer's archival and manuscript materials and to make the necessary editorial decisions and ensure the accuracy of the musical and textual content of the Edition. The Advisory Panel has been responsible for monitoring the overall approach to the project and for ensuring the maintenance of a wider perspective.

SKU: RM.BEET03499-CH

SKU: PR.11641867S

UPC: 680160683208.

Contextures: Riots -Decade '60 was commissioned by Zubin Mehta and the Southern California Symphony Association after the successful premiere of the Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Orchestra. It was written during the spring and summer months of 1967. Riots stemming from resentment against the racial situation in the United States and the war in Vietnam were occurring throughout the country and inevitably invaded the composer's creative subconscious. Contextures, as the title implies, was intended to exploit various and varying textures. As the work progressed the correspondence between the fabric of music and the fabric of society became apparent and the allegory grew in significance. So I found myself translating social aspects into musical techniques. Social stratification became a polymetric situation where disparate groups function together. The conflict between the forces of expansion and the forces of containment is expressed through and opposition of tonal fluidity vs. rigidity. This is epitomized in the fourth movement, where the brass is divided into two groups - a muted group, encircled by the unmuted one, which does its utmost to keep the first group within a restricted pitch area. The playful jazzy bits (one between the first and second movements and one at the end of the piece) are simply saying that somehow in this age of turmoil and anxiety ways of having fun are found even though that fun may seem inappropriate. The piece is in five movements, with an interlude between the first and second movements. It is scored for a large orchestra, supplemented by six groups of percussion, including newly created roto-toms (small tunable drums) and some original devices, such as muted gongs and muted vibraphone. There is also an offstage jazz quartet: bass, drums, soprano saxophone and trumpet. The first movement begins with a solo by the first clarinetist which is interrupted by intermittent heckling from his colleagues leading to a configuration of large disparate elements. The interlude of solo violin and snare-drum follows without pause. The second movement, Prestissimo, is a display piece of virtuosity for the entire orchestra. The third movement marks a period of repose and reflection and calls for some expressive solos, particularly by the horn and alto saxophone. The fourth movement opens with a rather lengthy oboe solo, which is threatened by large blocks of sound from the orchestra, against an underlying current of agitated energy in the piano and percussion. This leads to a section in which large orchestral forces oppose one another, ultimately bringing the work to a climax, if not to a denouement. Various thematic elements are strewn all over the orchestra, resulting in the formation of a general haze of sound. A transition leads to the fifth movement without pause. The musical haze is pierced gently by the offstage jazz group as if they were attempting to ignore and even dispel the gloom, but a legato bell sound enters and hovers over both the jazz group and the orchestra, the latter making statements of disquieting finality. Two films were conceived to accompany portions of Contextures. The first done by Herbert Kosowar, was a chemography film (painting directly into the film using dyes and various implements) with fast clips of riot photographs. The second was a film collage made by photographically abstracting details from paintings of Reginald Pollack. The purpose was to invoke a non-specific response - as in music - but at the same time to define the subject matter of the piece. The films were constructed to correspond with certain developments in the piece and in no way affect the independence and musical flow of the piece, having been made after the piece was completed. Contextures: Riots - Decade '60 is dedicated to Mehta, the Southern California Symphony Association and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King came the afternoon of the premiere, April 4, 1968. That evening's performances, and also the succeeding ones, were dedicated to him and a special dedication to Dr. King has been inserted into he score. All the music that follows the jazz group - beginning with the legato bell sound playing the first 2 notes to We shall overcome constitutes a new ending to commemorate Dr. King's death.

SKU: CF.PO192F

ISBN 9781491157374. UPC: 680160915934.

Program note: Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas. The Composer: Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation. At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee. To the Conductor: You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability.  .
Program note:Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas.The Composer:Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation.At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee.To the Conductor:You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .

SKU: PR.496001100

ISBN 9781491121405. UPC: 680160680740.

A commission by a consortium of orchestras led to Leshnoff's first Violin Concerto. For its premiere by the Columbus Symphony (Markand Thakar, conducting), Leshnoff consulted soloist Charles Wetherbee, after which the Concerto underwent extensive rewrite. This revised version would lead to standing ovations and critical acclaim. As Wetherbee has noted, From the first time I heard Jonathan's music, I felt there was something in it that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It feels like it's coming from the heart. Violin Concerto No. 1 is recorded on the Naxos all-Leshnoff album with Distant Reflections.

SKU: HL.49010049

ISBN 9790200205084. UPC: 884088085896. 5.25x7.5x0.137 inches.

With more than 1,200 titles from the orchestral and choral repertoire, from chamber music and musical theatre, Edition Eulenburg is the world's largest series of scores, covering large part of music history from the Baroque to the Classical era and looking back on a long tradition.