SKU: PR.416415760

UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 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.51489817

UPC: 840126932782. 6.75x9.5x0.341 inches.

The premiere of this work in December 1813 ranks among the greatest successes Beethoven ever celebrated in public as a composer. One reviewer wrote at the time that in its themes the new symphony was “so favourable and easily comprehensible that every music lover falls for the powerful allure of its beauty.” The incisiveness of the themes is fundamentally related to the basic ostinato rhythms, which help shape each movement’s distinctive character. Richard Wagner even called the composition, with its ecstatic finale, an “apotheosis of the dance.” Based on the musical text of the Beethoven Complete Edition and furnished with a new preface, this recently prepared edition reflects the latest in Beethoven scholarship. Now, in this study edition, it is available to everyone at a reasonable price and in a handy format.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489818

UPC: 840126932744. 6.75x9.5x0.25 inches.

Sandwiched between the popular Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9, the relatively short Eighth Symphony finds itself in a difficult position even now. Right after the premiere in February 1814, one critic opined that it had made “no splash.” At first glance it makes recourse to already outmoded forms and genres, even reviving a minuet for the third movement (in lieu of a slow movement) after an Allegretto scherzoso. But Beethoven engages intensively with music history, breaking apart traditional procedures and patterns and finding new, surprising solutions that make his Eighth a milestone in symphonic history. Based on the musical text of the Beethoven Complete Edition and furnished with a new preface, this recently prepared edition reflects the latest in Beethoven scholarship. Now,in this study edition, it is available to everyone at a reasonable price and in a handy format.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489071

UPC: 840126989397. 6.75x9.5x0.268 inches.

The twelve “London Symphonies” comprise the sublime final statement of Haydn's symphonic oeuvre. They were written for the London impresario Johann Peter Salomon, and Haydn himself conducted their premieres during his lengthy stays in the English metropolis in 1791/92 and 1794/95. The E-flat-major Symphony no. 103 was composed in 1795 as the penultimate of the London Symphonies. It owes its epithet to its unique beginning; a solo drumroll in the timpani ushers in the slow introduction. This opening bar, marked with Haydn's heading “Intrada” and a pause, even inspires many a performer to venture a short timpani improvisation. This study edition adopts the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition, thereby guaranteeing the highest scholarly quality. An informative preface and a brief Critical Report make the handy score an ideal companion for all current and soon-to-be Haydn fans.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489819

UPC: 840126932737. 6.75x9.5x0.712 inches.

After the first sketches had been put to paper in 1815, Beethoven only finally put the finishing touches to his last completed symphony in 1824. With its extended finale in which soloists and choir perform, building the bridge to the symphonic cantata with their invocation of fraternity, it marks a caesura in the history of the symphony that echoed long into the nineteenth century. The main theme of the ode “To Joy” by Friedrich Schiller, set to music in the final movement, has become one of the most popular melodies in all of classical music and today serves as the official anthem of Europe. Based on the musical text of the Beethoven Complete Edition and furnished with a new preface, this recently prepared edition reflects the latest in Beethoven scholarship. Now,in this study edition, it is available to everyone at a reasonable price and in a handy format.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489061

UPC: 840126932836. 6.75x9.5x0.22 inches.

The twelve “London Symphonies” comprise the sublime final statement of Haydn's symphonic ouvre. They were written for the London impresario Johann Peter Salomon, and Haydn himself conducted their premieres during his lengthy stays in the English metropolis in 1791/92 and 1794/95. Probably composed in the winter of 1791/92, the Symphony in D major no. 93 was, with its easily accessible (butby no means simple!) musical structure, perfectly tailored to London tastes, which demanded melodic clarity and expressive pathos. The Baroque echoes of Handel in the slow introduction to the first movement and in the festive mood of the finale with its timpani and trumpets would have been well received - no wonder the symphony had to be repeated multiple times in the same season after its performance in 1792! This study edition adopts the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition, thereby guaranteeing the highest scholarly quality. An informative preface and a brief Critical Report make the handy score an ideal companion for all current and soon-to-be Haydn fans.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51487451

UPC: 196288158110. 6.75x9.5x0.294 inches.

Thanks to its skilful combination of Romantic melody and sparkling virtuosity, Koussevitzky’s Double Bass Concerto op. 3 has been one of the most popular works of its genre since its Moscow premiere in 1905. No wonder, for the virtuoso double bass player Koussevitzky had composed it for his very own instrument. As early as 1906/07 a first piano reduction was published in Moscow, followed by a second in 1910 in Leipzig. However, both contain so many mistakes in the solo part that there is still uncertainty about the correct musical text in many passages to this day. The double bass player Tobias Glöckler has therefore prepared his Urtext edition using several sources: as well as the manuscript performance material and the piano reductions published during the composer's lifetime, he has also studied recordings with Koussevitzky as soloist - thereby finally producing a thoroughly-researchedUrtext edition of the orchestral score and piano reduction of this classic of the double bass literature. As with all double bass concertos published by Henle Publishers, this edition also contains the piano reduction by Christoph Sobanski in two keys (E minor and F sharp minor) for performance with solo or orchestral tuning.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489062

UPC: 840126951950. 6.75x9.5x0.263 inches.

The twelve “London Symphonies” comprise the sublime final statement of Haydn's symphonic oeuvre. They were written for the London impresario Johann Peter Salomon, and Haydn himself conducted their premieres during his lengthy stays in the English metropolis in 1791/92 and 1794/95. To this day, the G-major symphony, first performed in March 1792, numbers among Haydn's most popular works. It owes its English nickname “Surprise” to the striking tutti chords in the Andante, which apparently caught the audience off guard. Haydn had consciously incorporated this effect at a later stage - and was thus subsequently also perfectly willing to authorize this nickname that had been dreamt up by a London musician. This popular work also spread rapidly through German-speaking countries, where it is still firmly established in the repertoire as the “symphony with the drumbeat.” This study edition adopts the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition, thereby guaranteeing the highest scholarly quality. An informative preface and a brief Critical Report make the handy score an ideal companion for all current and soon-to-be Haydn fans.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.51489068

UPC: 840126951967. 6.75x9.5x0.278 inches.

Haydn arrived in London at the beginning of February 1794 for his second stay in England. Two movements of the Symphony in G major Hob. I:100 had already been completed by then, and the finished work was premiered on 31 March. The trumpet fanfare in the second movement and the use of “janissary” percussion gave the symphony its nickname “Military Symphony,” which Haydn himself even used. Its success in London was enormous; in 1794/95 alone, the work was performed nine times and thus quickly became one of the most popular Haydn symphonies of all time. To everyone wishing to become more acquainted with this symphony, let this inexpensive study edition be commended - with reliable commentaries on its genesis, sources, and edition as well as an unassailable musical text taken from the Haydn Complete Edition.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)