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: AP.20718

UPC: 038081219486. English.

This high-energy holiday medley combines the well-known tunes, Up on the Housetop, Jingle Bells, and Jolly Old St. Nicholas in a 1950s rock and roll style. The open fifth, eighth note accompaniment should be played with a bounced bow at the frog. Pay careful attention to the staccato notes during the driving eighth note melodies. Students will love this Chuck Berry meets the holidays setting of traditional tunes. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

SKU: AP.38406S

UPC: 038081438634. English. Traditional Scottish.

Conjure images of bagpipes, drums, and parades, and enjoy familiar Scottish music in this lovely arrangement of an ancient tune. All parts remain in 1st position. The optional percussion will add to the mood but is also cued in the lower strings.

About Orchestra Expressions

Play great songs such as Over the Rainbow, Batman, This Land Is Your Land, and Star Wars (Main Title). Listen to and play a variety of styles of music: popular, traditional, classical, folk and patriotic. Read and write music; compose and improvise. Perform in a concert and play for your family and friends. Be a conductor of the orchestra. Learn about composers, such as Antonin Dvorak, Johann Pachelbel, Jacques Offenbach, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Giuseppe Verdi, George M. Cohan, George Frideric Handel, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, Georges Bizet, Neal Hefti, and John Williams. Discover how music and art are related. Learn about a variety of musical ensembles including string orchestra, full orchestra, mariachi band, steel drum band, dixieland jazz band, rock band, and more. Play music from around the world, including North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

SKU: HL.49008436

ISBN 9790001133500. 8.25x11.75x0.122 inches.

A special tribute is paid to the great musician Rostropovich with bells ringing out in celebration, as indicated in the subtitle to the score, and with the fact that in the bombastic final section of this one-movement piece all the musicians * apart from the wind players * are supposed to play and sing at the same time.

SKU: AP.45834S

UPC: 038081526461. English.

The keyboard music of English composer William Byrd (1543--1623) has long been regarded as some of the most representative works produced during the late Renaissance period. The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, the quintessential source of music for this idiom of the time, is also the source of the three Byrd titles included in this suite: The Bells, John, and Sellinger's Round.

The arrangements by Douglas E. Wagner are richly scored to flatter the sound of ensembles of any size. Care has been taken to eliminate technical obstacles for younger players, with musically interesting individual parts a strong consideration. (4:25).

SKU: PE.EP73403

ISBN 9790577018331. 297 x 420 mm inches. English.

Rihards Dubra (born Latvia, 1964) wrote his piano concerto – Liepaja Concerto No. 3 – in 2012. A 33-minute work for solo piano and symphony orchestra comprising triple wind and brass, percussion, harp and strings, the concerto starts with a mournful piano melody. It has an elemental beauty – we hear water in the sonorities of harps and chime-bells, earth in the rhythmic formulae, and fire in his colourful harmonic sequences – ending with a majestic and vibrant conclusion.

This full score (EP 73403) is now available as part of the Peters Baltic Library.

• Peters Baltic Library is a new series of full scores of orchestral music by contemporary composers from the Baltic States.
• Published in partnership with the leading music publisher from the region: Musica Baltica.
• Peters Baltic Library presents a rich selection of compositions that demonstrates both the distinctiveness and the variety of stylistic approaches adopted by the region's most prominent composers.

SKU: SU.28120090

Orchestra Duration: 46' Composed: 2004 Published by: Alla Pavlova Music Alla Pavlova has written music for the ballet Sulamith, based on the 1923 story by Russian writer Alexandre Kuprin about the love of King Solomon for Sulamith, a servant from his vineyard. Instrumentation is for full symphony (winds: 3.2.3.2.; brass: 4.; 4.3.1.; Timp.; Perc. (Bells; Bass-dr.; Snare-dr; Susp.cymb.; Triangle; Tambour.; Tom-tom; Tam-tam; Vibroph.; Glock.); Hp; Pn; Organ (or Harmon.); Strings). The Sulamith Suite (which has been recorded by the Moscow Philharmonic for Naxos) can be heard at http://www.allapavlova.com/listen.html. Performance materials available on rental only:.

SKU: KJ.O1057C

Tintinabulations is a light novelty piece containing the stylistic variations from the familiar holiday song Jingle Bells. The first portion of the piece goes back in time to the early 1800's and adopts the style of Gioacchino Rossini. This it seques to the elegance of waltz music from the days of the Strauss family. Progressing into the twentieth century, Jingle Bells becomes a jazzy delight featuring a special tuba solo. As the piece comes to a climatic ending, the familiar melody takes on the lively sound of Country-Western music. With bells in the background throughout most of the piece, the definition of tintinabulations comes to mind; the ringing sound of bells.

SKU: SU.90810130

Instrumentation: 3fl(picc), 2ob, 2cl, 2bn; 4hn, 3tpt, 3tbn(bs), tba; timp, 4perc, pno; strings Duration: 7' Full Score & Parts: available on rental Composed: 2003 Published by: Subito Music Publishing Composer's Note: Maintaining a persistent beat throughout, Fantasy for Orchestra begins with a dramatic and highly energetic theme stated immediately in the violins. The range of expression is wide, moving from dance-like rhythms -- making use of irregular meters -- to rather dreamy textures. Throughout much of the work, even in the softer, more fantasy-like middle section, the use of percussion -- gongs, cowbells, and various drums -- is prevalent.
--N.G.

SKU: AP.33649S

UPC: 038081379968. English.

Imagine spending the Christmas holidays in an old wild west town, with cowboys and Indians, wagon rides, gunfights, and, of course, a visit from Old St. Nick. Based on Jingle Bells with snippets of other well-loved Christmas tunes woven in, this piece is sure to make the audience smile as they experience Christmas and the Old West in a new way!