SKU: HL.48025369

UPC: 196288194309.

Simon Laks (1901-1983), who came from an assimilated Jewish family in Warsaw, composed arrangements of both Jewish and Christian folk songs which captivate by their subtle piano writing. His Eight Jewish Folk Songs from 1947, composed two years after his liberation from the Auschwitz death camp, are classics of the repertoire. Another real gem is his version of the Polish Christmas carol Jezusek (Little Jesus), which was rediscovered only recently as part of the complete recording of Laks' songs. Still very popular in Poland today, the pastorale with the original title Oj maluski, maluski originates from the Podhale region of southern Poland. Laks' piano accompaniment is especially enchanting, with its canonically treated secondary part and cleverly used chromatic suspensions and passing notes, which allude to the future suffering of Christ without taking away any of the melody's warmth. HolgerGroschopp, who has been studying the works of Simon Laks as an interpreter and arranger for a long time, let himself be inspired by Laks' artful arrangement and wrote the present free arrangement as a 'song without words'.

SKU: BT.SCHBB4400394

SKU: HL.48025288

ISBN 9783793144106. UPC: 196288172123. 9.0x12.0x0.088 inches.

Grand Rag is part of a project in which 67 composers each composed a piece for solo musicians of ANAM (Australian National Academy of Music) in 2021. Elena Kats-Chernin wrote her piece in close collaboration with clarinettist Oliver Crofts for his creative and virtuoso skills. As in many of her ragtimes, the composer is interested in powerful expression and working with a limited tonal material. The clarinet part alternates between low and high registers in various sections. The piano is an equal partner, with clusters and clashing rhythms, pedal points as well as an unusual trill fantasy.