SKU: SU.80601640

Cello & Piano Composed: 1942 Published by: E.B. Marks.

SKU: HL.48025367

UPC: 196288194286.

Simon Laks (1901-1983), who moved from Warsaw to Paris in 1926 at the age of 25, belonged to the large group of composers from Central and Eastern European countries who went down in 20th-century music history as the “École de Paris”. Slavic temperament amalgamated in their music with French esprit, the folklore of their native countries combined with the stylistic elements of neoclassicism and jazz typical of the time. As a member of the “Association of Young Polish Musicians”, Laks quickly made his way into French musical life. However, his career was ended with the beginning of World War 2 due to the collaboration of the Vichy government with Nazi Germany. Internment in 1941 was followed by deportation to Auschwitz in 1942. Laks survived the Shoah as a member and later leader of a camp band in Birkenau, which he testified to in his moving book Music in Auschwitz. After the traumatic experiences, Laks did not return to regular compositional activity until the 1960s, producing an opera, songs, and chamber music works, some of which were awarded important composition prizes. At the peak of this optimistic creative phase, he composed incidental music for Peretz Hirschbein's famous Yiddish comedy Dem Schmids Techter (The Blacksmith's Daughters), which premiered in New York in 1918, for a new production of the play at the Théâtre de'l’Entrepôt in Paris. Along with Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes and Shostakovich's cycle From Yiddish (Jewish) Folk Poetry, it is one of the most significant 20th-century explorations of art music with Jewish folklore – homage to a culture irreparably destroyed. From the original score, Holger Groschopp compiled two suites, for violoncello and piano and piano solo, that capture the essence of Lak's enchanting drama music. The premiere recording of the suites with Holger Groschopp and Adele Bitter was awarded the Opus Klassik 2023 in the category Editorial Achievement of the Year.

SKU: CF.BF141

ISBN 9781491159989. UPC: 680160918584.

The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance.

The first movement, Prayer, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski's (1912-1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu. This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both Prayer and Janowski's Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos.

The second movement, Supplication (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, Jewish Song, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience.

The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch's most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917.

Though the popularity of Bloch's oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America's composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.
The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance. The first movement, Prayer, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski's (1912-1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu. This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both Prayer and Janowski's Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos. The second movement, Supplication (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, Jewish Song, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience. The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch's most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917. Though the popularity of Bloch's oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America's composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.
The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance.The first movement, “Prayer”, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, “The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski’s (1912–1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu.” This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both “Prayer” and Janowski’s Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos.The second movement, “Supplication” (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, “Jewish Song”, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience.The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch’s most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917.Though the popularity of Bloch’s oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America’s composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.

SKU: CF.B3473

ISBN 9781491161999. UPC: 680160920679. Key: C major.

Composed in 1924, Ernest Bloch’s Méditation Hébraϊque is a plaintive and reverent musical reflection that flows through many emotions in a series of uninterrupted movements: Moderato, Allegro deciso, and Moderato. Passionate rubato phrases are flecked with light touches of ornamentation, much like the inflections of a cantor's voice. Hemiola rhythms, dynamic swells, and contrapuntal interaction with the piano lead the soulful voice of the cello to its upper range in a dramatic dialogue that eventually descends to a more subdued and stately resolution. Cellist and teacher Julian Schwarz provides practical fingerings and phrase markings to achieve the alternating bright and warm tone that are essential to adequately express the sacred beauty  of the music. .

SKU: BT.EMBZ14768

Not many people know that Franz Liszt arranged some of his piano pieces for the cello, with piano accompaniment, and that these versions of the works appeared in print during the maestro's lifetime. Árpád Pejtsik selected two of these for this volume compiled to mark Liszt's jubilee: Elegies I and II. The other compositions by Liszt that appear in the collection were likewise originally works for piano: the Ave Maria and Cantique d'amour (pieces from the Harmonies poétiques et religieuses cycle) were transcribed by a pupil of Liszt, Robert Pflughaupt the cello version, transposed into G major, of the E Major Consolation is by Jules de Swert, solo cellist in the Weimar orchestraof those days that of the Angelus (the opening piece in Volume 3 of the cycle entitled Years of Pilgrimage ) is by Lothar Windsperger, a German composer who lived at the turn of the 19th-20th century. The Valse oubliée No. 1 was transcribed by Liszt s virtuoso piano pupil Ferruccio Busoni Notturno, which became famous as the third piece in the Liebesträume series, is a transposed version of the original song ( O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst ) made by the editor of this volume.

Not many people know that Ferenc Liszt arranged some of his piano pieces for the cello, with piano accompaniment, and this version of the works appeared in print during the maestro's lifetime. Árpád Pejtsik selected two of these forthis volume compiled to mark Liszt's jubilee: Elegy I and Elegy II. The other compositions by Liszt that appear in the collection were likewise originally works for piano: the Ave Maria and Cantique d'amour(pieces from the Harmonies poétiques et religieuses cycle) were transcribed by a pupil of Liszt, Robert Pflughaupt; the cello version, transposed into G major, of the E major Consolation is by Jules de Swert, solo cellistin the Weimar orchestra of those days; that of the Angelus (the opening piece in Volume 3 of the cycle entitled Years of Pilgrimage) is by Lothar Windsperger, a German composer who lived at the turn of the 19th-20thcentury.

Nur Wenigen ist bekannt, dass Liszt einige seiner Klavierstücke auch für Violoncello mit Klavierbegleitung bearbeitet hatte, und dass diese Version der Werke noch zu Lebzeiten des Komponisten in Druck erschien. In diesem Band nahm Árpád Pejtsik zwei dieser Stücke, die I. und II. Elegie auf. Die anderen Liszt-Kompositionen in der Sammlung sind auch ursprünglich Klavierwerke: der Bearbeiter ist beim Ave Maria und Cantique d'amour (Stücke aus dem Zyklus Harmonies poétiques et religieuses) der Liszt-Schüler Robert Pflughaupt. Von Jules de Swert, der damals Solocellist des Weimarer Orchesters war, wurde die in G-Dur transponierte Violoncelloversion der E-Dur Consolation, und vonLothar Windsperger, dem an der Wende zum 20. Jahrhundert lebenden deutschen Komponisten, das Angelus (das Eröffnungsstück des III. Bandes des Zyklus Pilgerjahre) bearbeitet.