SKU: PR.114418900

ISBN 9781491129517. UPC: 680160668632.

A welcome addition to the bass flute repertoire, Dorff’s 14-minute sonata is designed as two pairs of slow-fast movements. While composed as a complete 4-movement sonata, either half may be performed alone as a 7-minute recital work. The movement titles are: I. Sprawling, burbling; II. Sparkling, glistening; III. Under Winter; and IV. Spring Spirits.
When Peter Sheridan commissioned me to write a piece for bass flute and piano, his only requests were a sonata-like multi-movement work, and some kind of reference to New York, where we both grew up. Just the thought of a bass flute, with its broad and mighty airstream, already reminded me of the mighty Hudson River: from the dense woods of upstate New York, through the beautiful landscapes of New Paltz and Poughkeepsie, down through the celebrated Manhattan waterway.As I daydreamed how to build a sonata inspired by the Hudson, I thought of its deep primal nature carved by the Ice Age, and the life within the river and on its shores long before humans arrived. I thought of how the river’s magnetism drew Native Americans who honored and built their lives around it. I thought of beautiful trees and wildlife, the annual cycles of ecosystems, and the natural symbiosis between the river itself, the life within, and the life on land spawned by the river’s resources.I wondered what if Thoreau had sat by the Hudson rather than by Walden Pond; I wondered what if Hesse had set Siddhartha in the Hudson Valley with this river as his metaphor for the flow of life and time.I wondered whether the sonata should flow from north to south, or have chronological references. I wondered if I should allude to the many poets and painters who have drawn inspiration from the mighty Hudson. Every thought led to the river’s essence, its own spirit and life — flowing through raw nature, from skinny trickles to mightiness spawning cities; supporting subtle life, and becoming a central commons for human societies.The subtitle Spirit of the Hudson brings it all together.* * *The sonata is built in 4 movements, with formal inspiration from the Baroque: A slow Mvt. 1 “Sprawling, burbling” leads directly to the rapid Mvt. 2 “Sparkling, glistening,” followed by another slow-fast pair: Mvt. 3 “Under Winter” which leads directly into Mvt. 4 “Spring Spirits.” In addition to performances of the complete sonata, either pair of movements may be performed on its own for a shorter concert segment.SONATA (SPIRIT OF THE HUDSON) was premiered at the International Low Flutes Festival in April 2018 by its commissioner, bass flutist Peter Sheridan, with Hyeeun Hahm as pianist.

SKU: PR.114424240

ISBN 9781491137581. UPC: 680160691036.

THE BONES OF MR. FORTUNE (FREE AT LAST!) is an 11-minute concerto-like work for solo flute accompanied by symphonic winds and percussion – perfect to play with band or with orchestra, as well as with the composer’s own piano reduction. The work features lengthy cadenzas, and exhilarating dance-like sections with the ensemble. Hailstork describes the historical inspiration: Abused in life and death, an enslaved man (Mr. Fortune) was owned by a surgeon who preserved his skeleton to study anatomy. The bones remained with the doctor’s family for generations, and were given a proper burial making national news in 2013, 215 years after Mr. Fortune’s death.
Abused in life and death, an enslaved man known as Mr. Fortune was honored with an elaborate funeral more than 200 years after he died in Connecticut.Mr. Fortune was owned by Dr. Preserved Porter on a farm in Waterbury, Connecticut. When Fortune died in 1798, Porter, a bone surgeon, preserved his skeleton by having the bones boiled to study anatomy at a time when cadavers for medical study were disproportionately taken from slaves, servants and prisoners.One of Porter’s descendants gave the skeleton in 1933 to Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, where it was displayed from the 1940s until 1970. The descendant referred to the slave as “Larry” and his name was forgotten at the time.A study by forensic anthropologists at the Quinnipiac University School of Medicine concluded that Fortune was about 5 feet 5 inches tall and died at around 55 years old. He suffered a number of painful ailments, including a fracture in his left hand, a severe ankle sprain and lower back pain. “He was an individual who was in considerable distress,” a forensic professor, Richard Gonzalez said.I was taken by the bizarre story of Mr. Fortune and decided to use it as the stimulus for this work.

SKU: HL.50487697

ISBN 9790080136881. Bach (23 x 30,2 cm) inches. Hungarian, English, German. Joseph Schubert; Istvan Mariassy.

Joseph Schubert, born in Warnsdorf (Bohemia) in 1757, is related neither to his famous namesake, Franz Schubert, nor to the well-known musical family of Dresden (Davis, Franz Anton, Franz and Georgine Schubert). He received his first musical instruction from his father, a curator by profession. Then, after moving to Prague and Berlin, he developed his knowledge of violin and viola playing, as well as of composition. In 1779 he entered the service of the Markgraf of Schwerin as a viola player. He lived in Dresden from 1788, where he died on 28 July 1837, at the age of 80. In Gerber's volume Historisch-biographisches Laxicon der Tonkunstler (Leipzig 1790/92) his work in highly esteemed. Among his most important works are four operas, masses, piano works, chamber music and concertos. Gerber knew of over forty-nine concertos. Among his published works the designation opus 1 was given to two works; a set of three violin dous and the present concerto for flute and orchestra.

SKU: HL.48186558

UPC: 888680828318. 9.0x12.0x0.073 inches.

French composer, Emile Pessard (1843-1917) studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he won first prize for harmony and the 1866 Prix de Rome. Andalouse contributes to his significant catalogue of compositions. As well as composing, Pessard taught a wealth of prolific students, including Maurice Ravel and Jacques Ibert. Extracted from his Opus 20, Andalouse for Flute and Piano accompaniment displays typical French romantic features, including semiquaver flourishes, use of a wide tessitura and syncopated rhythms. For all aspiring flautists seeking alternative repertoire, Pessard's Andalouse ensures an exciting performance..