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: HL.14032192

ISBN 9788759858394. 12.0x16.5x0.78 inches. International (more than one language).

Symphony No. 6 for orchestra, 1997-99. Preface / Program Note:... with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day(New Testament, 2 Peter 3:8)My SYMPHONY NO. 6 was commissioned by the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Gteborg Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, to be premiered at the millenium 2000.The subtitle AT THE END OF THE DAY can be understood literally or it can mean when all is added up. However, in my opinion, nothing ever quite adds up, there is always something missing, any ending will be provisional ...This symphony appears to end only a few minutes into the first movement, the first passage, as the music fades away to almost-silence, after a start of flying colours. But then there is still something, a small motive (first heard in the initial sound-waves) which reappears, hesitant, but persistent, and this embryo is what leads on the musical progression. An agitated section of many instrumental voices comes next, until all the voices become obsessed with the same phrase, a see-saw motive based on thirds. This section evolves into almost martial ferocity, when broken off by a tutti descent into an extreme bass-world (a bass-world which actually permeates the whole symphony, emplyoing instruments that I have never used before: double-bass tuba, double-bass trombone, double-bass clarinet, and bass flute).The second movement, the second passage, apparently takes off where the first passage ended, but now the events are more ambiguous, and the same music may be perceived as fast-moving one moment and slow-moving the next. This section is a kind of passacaglia, the characteristic baroque bass-variation.Without a break follows the third and last passage, in a contrasting high register. The music is rhythmically knotty as well as freely flowing. As in the beginning of the symphony, a never-ending descent or fall breaks off the events, and at the very end a delta of new beginnings, of other worlds, is revealed ....The symphony is dedicated to Helle, my wife. - Per Norgard.

SKU: PR.466000370

UPC: 680160099290.

SKU: HL.49006356

ISBN 9790001068871. 8.25x12.0x0.088 inches.

The European Hymn is the hymn not only of the European Union but of Europe in a broader sense. The melody has been taken from the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1823.In the last movement of this symphony Beethoven set music to the 'Ode to Joy' by Friedrich von Schiller from 1785. This poem sprang from Schiller's idealistic vision of men who become brothers - a vision Beethoven shared with him.In 1972 the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' as its anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert von Karajan was commissioned to arrange three instrumental versions - for solo piano, wind orchestra and symphony orchestra. Without words, in the universal language of music, the anthem is an expression of the idealistic values of freedom, peace and solidarity which Europe stands for.In 1985 the heads of state and government adopted the hymn as the EU's official anthem. It does not replace the national anthems of the member states, but rather celebrates common values as well as unity in diversity.The score of this offical anthem is exclusively available from the Schott publishing house.

SKU: SU.32040140

2222; 4331; timp, 2 perc, pno; stgs Duration: 13'30 Composed: 2016 Published by: Amy Mills Music, LLC Like a modern Pictures at an Exhibition…. Ha Shamayim is an original piece for orchestra that was inspired by photographs taken by the Hubble space telescope. Each section is inspired by one photo; the title of each section is the title that NASA gave to the photograph. The words Ha Shamayim are Hebrew for The Heavens. They are written in Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The words are also seen in Psalm 19. Section I: Warped Edge-On Galaxy ESO 510-G13 The piece begins in outer space with its glistening stars. Glissandi are used to depict the strange but beautiful warp seen in the photograph. Section II: Galaxy Fires at Neighboring Galaxy Suddenly the piece erupts as one galaxy fires blue gas at its neighbor. They engage in a cosmic battle. Section III: Youthful-looking Galaxy May Be an Adult The adolescent galaxy is personified by a humorous, gawky melody reminiscent of teenage boys who walk on feet that are still too big. Occasionally there is an argument with an authority figure, but the joy of exploring the universe quickly returns. Section IV: Star Birth in Galaxy M83 The dramatic photograph looks like a womb with veins. The music begins on one note, then it begins to explore the initial swelling and stretching. It morphs into an energetic fast theme, still growing. Ultimately it becomes glorious and expansive, like the new star. Section V: String of ‘Cosmic Pearls’ Surrounds an Exploding Star The first theme is a happy circle dance inspired by the circle of white dots in the photograph. The second theme is noble and joyful. It is reminiscent of the melody in the famous chorus in Haydn’s The Creation with the words from Psalm 19, The heavens are telling the glory of God. The music then has flashbacks to the earlier sections, and ends in triumph. The five sections in Ha Shamayim are continuous with no breaks. Difficulty Level: 5 (Advanced/Professional) See composer website for audio sample. Performance materials available on rental only:.

SKU: PR.41641345L

SKU: HL.35032262

ISBN 9781540027139. UPC: 888680746728. 9.0x13.5x2.261 inches. Joseph M. Martin/Heather Sorenson.

The Christmas story is told with fresh perspective in this collaborative cantata from Joseph Martin and Heather Sorenson. Throughout time, God has touched and motivated hearts through dreams and visions. Christmas Dreams visits these moments in scripture and connects the experiences of ancient times with our modern journey of faith, pointing to Christ, in whose birth the hopes, yearnings and dreams of all the world are fulfilled. Using traditional carols, newly composed seasonal selections and thoughtful narration, this rich work delivers a tapestry of sound and emotion. Share this cantata with your people and help them discover God's graceful touch in their lives! Songs include: Christmas Dreams Overture; Advent Dreams; The Promise and the Prayer; A New Morning of Promise; Zechariah's Song; Mary's Dream; All Through the Night; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; The Magi's Epiphany; Christmas Dreams; A Gentle Christmas Blessing.

SKU: HL.4491448

UPC: 888680009595. 10.5x14 inches.

Performance time - ca. 7:00 Performance time - ca. 4:30

SKU: LO.30-2425L

UPC: 000308121858.

Fill your sanctuary with Palm Sunday majesty and excitement with this anthem from Joe Martin. The first of three verses is a lively call-and-response setting of the scripture: “Who is this King of glory?” The contrasting middle verse is an inventive pairing of the traditional hymn tune LEONI with the text “All Glory, Laud and Honor.” The final verse returns the lively theme of the first in counterpoint with drum-like hosannas. An energetic accompaniment that ties all three verses together, whether provided by piano alone or orchestra, makes this anthem the perfect choice for Palm Sunday. (From the cantata Who Is This King? SATB – 55/1096L; SAB – 55/1097L.) Instrumentation: 2 Flutes, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, Bassoon, 2 F Horns, 3 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, 2 Percussion, Violin 1 & 2, Viola, Cello, Bass.