SKU: PR.114419850
ISBN 9781491135808. UPC: 680160681044. 9 x 12 inches.
Both a spectacular concerto for saxophone, and a dramatic tone poem on Roman mythology, QUICKSILVER is a 23-minute concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by one of the sax literature’s most commissioned and admired composers.Through worded captions as well as gorgeously expressive tone painting, Movement 1 depicts the birth and childhood pranks of Mercury, Movement 2 shows him escorting souls to the gates of the Underworld, and Movement 3 is a phantasmagoric finale portraying Mercury as messenger amid the conflicts of other mythological figures. There are many YouTube performances available, both in the original version with Wind Ensemble, and with Piano.In addition to being another name for the element mercury, “quicksilver†is used to describe something that changes quickly or is difficult to contain. My concerto of the same name was inspired by the Roman god Mercury, as well as the mercurial nature of the saxophone: unpredictable, very lively, and volatile. Mercury (known as Hermes in Greek mythology) is best known for his winged shoes, which allowed him to fly swiftly as the messenger of his fellow Olympians. Mercury had other duties too, including serving as the god of merchants, travelers, and tricksters; he also ushered souls of the departed to the Underworld.Quicksilver tells three tales of the Roman god. The first movement (Antics of a Newborn God) opens with the birth of Mercury; after he takes his first steps, he toddles around, gleefully looking for mischief. He stumbles across a herd of cows that belong to his brother Apollo; Mercury slyly lets the cows out of their pen before toddling onward with his mischief-making.In the second movement (Guiding Souls to the Underworld), Pluto, god of the Underworld, bids Mercury to bring him fresh souls. The movement begins with death-knells tolling for humans who are about to die; Mercury picks up these souls and leads them down to the gates of the Underworld.The third and final movement (Messenger of Olympus) depicts Mercury as he is busily running errands for various gods and goddesses. We first encounter him mid-flight as he dashes to earth to find Aeneas, a Trojan lieutenant who had been run out of Troy by the invading Greeks. Aeneas is on a quest to find land on which to establish a new city that would eventually become Rome. While traveling, he is distracted from his quest when he meets the beautiful queen Dido. They live together for many years before Mercury intervenes; he chastises Aeneas for giving up on his quest and persuades him to pick it up again. As Aeneas mournfully resumes his journey, we hear Dido perish of a broken heart. Mercury then takes to the skies to seek out Perseus, who is preparing to kill Medusa, the hideous gorgon who has snakes for hair and a gaze that turns those who catch her glance into stone. Mercury advises Perseus on how to slay Medusa and lends Perseus his sword to do the deed. We hear Perseus victorious in the beheading of Medusa, after which Mercury takes to the skies once more to fly home to Olympus.
SKU: BT.AMP-408-400
ISBN 9789043148504. English-German-French-Dutch.
Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series, Philip Sparke’s 15 Easy Christmas Carols is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play just over an octave. Specifically tailored to suit the individual instrument, this book introducesthe beginning player to the world’s most popular Christmas tunes by selecting simple yet attractive melodies that fit their limited range. This book will provide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method and includes both pianoaccompaniment and a demo/play-along CD.Philip Sparkes 15 Easy Christmas Carols sind Teil der Anglo Music Play-Along Reihe und richten sich an junge Instrumentalisten, die den Tonumfang von einer Oktave beherrschen. Auf jedes Instrument zugeschnitten, führen diese Ausgaben,für die einfache und zugleich ansprechende Melodien ausgewählt wurden die sich für diesen begrenzten Tonumfang eignen, den Anfänger an die weltweit beliebtesten Weihnachtslieder heran. Dieser Band bietet wertvolles Ergänzungsmaterial, das zu jederInstrumentalschule passt und sowohl eine Klavierbegleitung als auch eine Play-Along-CD enthält.Faisant partie de l’Anglo Music Play-Along Series, les 15 Easy Christmas Carols(15 chants de Noël faciles) de Philip Sparke visent les jeunes instrumentistes qui arrivent jouer un peu plus d’une octave. Adapté pourconvenir chaque instrument spécifique, ce recueil introduit le joueur débutant aux chants de Noël les plus populaires en sélectionnant des mélodies simples les plus intéressantes qui correspondent leur registre limité. Ce recueil fournit dumatériel supplémentaire indispensable qui complète n’importe quelle méthode pédagogique et inclut un accompagnement pour piano ainsi qu’une version sur CD avec démos.
