SKU: HL.49008028
ISBN 9790001032001. UPC: 884088079352. 9.0x12.0x0.095 inches.
Festing: Sarabande * Handel: Aria und Rondinella * Lampe: Schwanengesang * Mossi: 2 Gavottes * Putti: Intermedio * Veracini: Largo.
SKU: PR.414411630
ISBN 9781491114551. UPC: 680160089956. 9.5 x 13 inches.
EXCURSIONS is a one-movement work exploring two “characters.” A rhapsodic, descending passage is introduced by the cello, followed by a static, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello. Their individual developments are separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. The composer has written: “This is analogous to situations in life: we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option and forfeiting the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination… or can we? It is symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place.”.Excursions for violin, cello and piano, is a one-movement work of tripartite structure in which materials explored in the first of three large sections are brought back in the last section. The traditional statement-contrast-restatement form, which is readily suggested by such a description, is, however, not at all in the mold in which the work is cast. Rather, my aim was to subject the essential materials of the piece (two “characters” –the rhapsodic, descending passage played by the cello in the very opening and, later, a static, slow moving, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello) to two entirely different developments separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. This is analogous to an exploration of the ramifications that two divergent choices made by the same person might lead to. In life, as we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option usually means having to forfeit the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination…or can we? It is, I believe, symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place: in composing Excursions, it seemed absolutely inescapable that at the end the slow, contrasting middle sections – both more resigned and peaceful than the battling spirits of the outer parts – should return briefly to end the work. The piano trio combination (once highly favored, but to this composer still as challenging today) is approached here as a collaborative effort of three equal soloists – partners. Of the available pairings, the two strings find themselves occasionally approached as a team pitted against the piano. The cello-piano combination is also not uncommon here, and there is an extended violin cadenza toward the end of the piece. The writing for the three instruments is closely and at times interlinked, but the players are all instructed to play from scores. Excursions was first performed at Brandeis University in 1982.
SKU: HL.48025035
ISBN 9783793142607. UPC: 196288020790. 9.0x12.0x0.171 inches.
With Berlin Music, Brett Dean wrote a threefold homage: to the classical duo consisting of violin and piano; to the violin virtuoso Midori, for whom the piece was written; and to the city of Berlin, where he lived between the mid-1980s and 2000 and whose rich cultural life he owes much to his development as a musician and composer. The first four, relatively short movements of the five-movement work form a suite of character pieces, which is followed by a longer final movement. In summary, this turns out to be the actual main movement from which all motifs and harmonies emerged in a compositional manner. This includes tuning down the G side by a whole tone - an apparently small difference, but one that has a major effect on the timbre and resonance of the instrumentand suddenly makes previously impossible interval sequences playable. In addition, the violin in the third movement (a moto perpetuo in which Dean bows to Ravel's violin sonata) has to play with a practice damper, while the pianist changes the instrument and plays on a standing piano that is dampened by a pedal and placed next to the concert grand Expressing nervous energy in tight college spaces.
SKU: HL.14004213
9.0x12.0x0.175 inches.
Five Pieces for Violin and Orchestra was commissioned by Frederick Grinke and completed on 20 December 1961. The BBC Symphony Orchestra with Frederick Grinke (violin) and conducted by the composer, gave the first performance on 31 July 1962 at the Royal Albert Hall, London during the BBC Proms season. This work is so constructed that each piece is complete in itself and can be played separately, while at the same time the whole set of five constitutes a structural unit. A basic motif consisting of a rising semitone followed by a falling tone, and its inversion plays an important part in every piece. Thus the first piece, which is of a slow and meditative character, begins with this theme in the bass. It is also heard in the first entry of the solo part, and thereafter every episode is in some way derived from it. The next piece, a vigorous and strongly marked 'allegro', uses the semitone of the original figure as its starting point. A second theme appears, first on the horns and is later taken up by the solo violin, while a third section has the initial idea as its accompaniment. Next comes an extended scherzo in free form very closely based on initial motif. The fourth is a purely melodic piece containing allusions in its middle section to the basic figure. Here the strings only are used for accompaniment. In the first section, violas and cellos are divided in the middle section, and all the strings are used in the last, which is otherwise an almost exact repetition of the opening. The Finale is a lighter movement than the others, concerned mainly with giving the soloist material for display, but not unconnected with what has gone before.
SKU: PR.164002390
UPC: 680160038091.
I became interested in the work of Plato through my friend and collaborator, the writer and philosopher Paul Woodruff. Paul's new translation, with Alexander Nehamas, of the Symposium gave me insights into ancient Greek ways of thinking about Love, Beauty, and Wisdom -- and managed to keep the earthy, and often bawdy side of it all in full view. But their new translation of Plato's later dialogue Phaedrus went even further: the beauty of the speeches is breathtaking, and the discourse itself is enough to keep one awake at night. Basically the Great Speech of Socrates in the Phaedrus dialogue has to do with the place of Eros in the world, and with the conflict in the soul between fleshly pleasure and philosophic discovery. I will not attempt to encapsulate this brilliant discourse in a program note: suffice it to say that reading it gave rise to my two-sided work for clarinet, violin, and piano, Phaedrus. The first movement represents the Philosophic life, and is thus subtitled Apollo's Lyre (Invocation and Hymn). It begins with an unaccompanied melody for the clarinet, which (after a pair of harp-like flourishes for the piano, expands into an accompanied canon. The voices in the dialogue (clarinet and violin) follow each other by a prescribed number of beats, but the music is totally devoid of any meter at all. The piano, representing the lyre, accompanies this lyric love-feast with repeated strummed chords. The canon has three large sections, and ends with violin echoing the unaccompanied clarinet invocation as the sound of the lyre fades. The second movement, called Dionysus' Dream-Orgy (Ritual Dance) presents, after a brief introduction, another kind of unmetered music. Rather than long lyric flights of philosophic song, however, this time we hear a unison dance of unbridled energy and sensual transport. The piece soon forms itself into a loose arch form, with contrasting metered dance sections divided by the unison unmetered orgy tune. Midway through the movement, Apollo's melody returns from the first movement, but it is a temporary reminiscence. The orgiastic dance returns, reaches a climax, and ends with a stomping of feet. While Plato asserts that a proper balance between lust and reason is necessary in all men, he (naturally) gives the nod to Philosophy as the better choice in which to live. Not so in my music: the two sides are meant to coexist and to complement each other. No sides are taken. Phaedrus was commissioned of the Verdehr Trio by Michigan State University. It is dedicated to the Vedehr Trio with great affection and admiration.
SKU: HL.49045822
ISBN 9781540024749. UPC: 888680737764. 9.25x12.0x0.29 inches.
The Kreutzer Sonata was originally dedicated not to Rudolphe Kreutzer (who never performed it) but to George Bridgetower, a famed 18th-century Afro-European concert violinist. In an early draft, Beethoven jokingly labeled the piece in starkly racialized terms: Sonata Mulattica composed for the mulatto Brischdauer, big wild mulatto composer.Beethoven and Bridgetower performed the premiere, which was by all accounts a success, and even featuring some improvised embellishment by the violinist. While celebrating afterwards, the two quarreled about what Beethoven construed as Bridgetower's insult of a female acquaintance; the composer then revoked the original dedication, adding Kreutzer's name instead. The work gained acclaim, while Bridgetower's career languished; he eventually died in poverty.Bridgetower has been the subject of considerable research and speculation, most notably in poet Rita Dove's book, Sonata Mulattica. From our 21st-century vantage, considering Bridgetower's unique circumstance, we can only see him as an ambiguous figure who, in embodying difference, provoked inspiration, fantasy, desire, anger and, finally, erasure.My piece is a collection of imaginings about George Bridgetower. It is not programmatic, but it takes on an episodic character, assembled from contrasting fragments. The dance rhythms, recurring figures and gestural contours are intended to feature the embodied expertise and expressivity of the performers, who at times must access liminal sounds and execute complex synchronies. I am grateful to Jenny Koh and Shai Wosner for involving me in their beautiful, virtuosic music-making.
SKU: DY.DO-1525
ISBN 9782897963057.
J'aime les formes musicales concises telles que le Prélude et la Fugue, où il y a une idée claire et directe, suivie d'une autre plus complexe et développée.Conformément à cette idée, cette œuvre se compose de deux pièces distinctes, la première - Transfigured Life - vise à attirer l'auditeur avec son rythme rapide et dansant et sa partie de violon simple et mélodique. Il se «transfigure» via quelques courts intermèdes au piano solo en seulement deux notes alternées pour terminer - qui sont le cœur de l'idée originale, maintenant clarifiée en effaçant tout le reste.Le deuxième morceau - Still Life - conserve son sentiment de quiétude grâce à une ligne de piano simple qui laisse beaucoup d'espace à la partie contrastée (mais encore une fois simple) du violon. En tant que pièce absolue et non programmatique, le titre fait référence uniquement à la couleur et au rythme atmosphériques ; c'est à l'auditeur de voir la « nature morte » de son choix dans son esprit.Une note sur les performances :Malgré ma référence à des lignes « simples » et l'évitement déterminé par l'œuvre des grincements modernistes traditionnels, l'œuvre présente certains défis d'exécution en termes de phrasé et d'ensemble qui nécessitent des compétences et une musicalité considérables. L'œuvre a eu le privilège d'être récemment enregistrée par le violoniste Ezgi Sarıkcıoğlu et la pianiste Rossitza Stoycheva, et est disponible sur toutes les principales plateformes :https://open.spotify.com/album/6p5YIe17ci0UMuo2RqZgjRhttps://music.apple.com/gb/album/transfigured-life-still-life-world-premiere-recording/1738035953Envoyer des commentairesTransfigured Life - Still Life, Op. 165 (violin & piano) - David BraidI am keen on concise musical forms such as Prelude and Fugue, where there is one clear straightforward idea, followed by another that is more involved & developed. In keeping with that idea, this work consists of two distinct pieces, the first - Transfigured Life - aims to draw in the listener with its quick, dancing rhythm and simple, melodic violin part. It 'transfigures' via a few short solo piano interludes into just two alternating notes to end - which are the core of the original idea, now made clear by clearing everything else out of the way.The second piece - Still Life - retains its sense of stillness through an uncomplicated piano line that gives lots of space for the violin's contrasting (but again simple) part. As an absolute, not programmatic, piece the title refers to the atmospheric colour and pacing only; it's up to the listener to see 'Still life' of their choosing in their own mind.A note on performance: Despite my reference to 'simple' lines, and the work's determined avoidance of mainstream modernist squeak - the work has certain performance challenges of phrasing and ensemble that requires considerable skill and musicianship. The work has had the privilege of being recently recorded by violinist Ezgi Sarıkcıoğlu and pianist Rossitza Stoycheva, and is available on all major platforms:https://open.spotify.com/album/6p5YIe17ci0UMuo2RqZgjRhttps://music.apple.com/gb/album/transfigured-life-still-life-world-premiere-recording/1738035953.
SKU: IM.3842
Two contrasting works: the rustic fiddle drones evoked in Sielanka (La Champetre) and the wistful, dance-like Chanson Polonaise.
SKU: BR.EB-8327
ISBN 9790004176351. 9 x 12 inches.
Tommaso Giordani wrote sonatas - here for violin or flute - that are typical examples of early Classical chamber music: their scoring is flexible, they are fun to play, and their technical demands are moderate. The Sonatas Op. IVa show that Giordani is a Haydn contemporary who can really hold his own. Giordani's chamber-music works with obbligato piano were actually very important for the development of chamber music. Too bad Giordani did not contend himself with writing more of these enchanting ensemble sonatas rather than investing in dubious opera projects and going bankrupt. That was no way to become a serious Classical composer!Tommaso Giordani wrote sonatas - here for violin or flute - that are typical examples of early Classical chamber music: their scoring is flexible, they are fun to play, and their technical demands are moderate.
SKU: HL.50489273
ISBN 9790080076538. Bach (23 x 30,2 cm) inches. Matyas Kovacs.
Pal Jardanyi (1920 - 1966) was one of the most distinguished figures in Hungarian music during the years following the Second World War. He was an innovative researcher in the field of folk music, an eminent music critic, and a multifaceted teacher. Throughout a short creative life he pursued his own artistic and political beliefs, founded on the musical ideas of Bartok and Kodaly.
SKU: AP.12-0571541887
ISBN 9780571541881. English.
Thomas Adès's Violin Concerto Concentric Paths, written in 2005, is one of the most important additions to the violin concerto repertoire since Ligeti's. Cast in three contrasting movements?each linked by a preoccupation with circling musical figures? the concerto, subtitled Concentric Paths now occupies a place in standard repertoire. Two lithe, rhythmically driven movements, Rings and Rounds bookend Paths, an intensely emotional and gritty exploration of passacaglia-like sequences, which peaks in a lyrical outpouring of exceptional beauty. This is the violin part and piano reduction. In just 20 minutes, this three-movement piece does something magical. The way it swirls ethereally in the first movement, exerts a tragic and vice-like grip in the chaconne-like second part and finally propels you into the uninhibited flight of the finale is like being spun into an infinite space. The Guardian (Tom Service).
SKU: PR.144407050
UPC: 680160655519. 9 x 12 inches.
Celebrating 30 years, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society commissioned a work of 20-25 minutes for violin and piano from James Primosch, University of Pennsylvania professor of music. Primosch had originally thought to create a new sonata, but what developed is more appropriately a set of five character pieces, two of which were directly inspired by poems. Five Poems was premiered in May, 2016, and Primosch's thoughts are recorded at his website: https://jamesprimosch.com/2016/05/10/five-poems-premiere/.Upon receiving a commission from the Philadelphia Chamber MusicSociety for a violin and piano piece in honor of its 30th anniversary, myplan was to write a sonata, a term suggesting a relatively abstractdiscourse. But as the piece developed, the movements struck me ascharacter pieces rather than music employing a more “symphonic”approach. When specific poems started to attach themselves in my mindwith two of the movements, the overall title Five Poems became clear.The title of the second movement is a line from Susan Stewart’s“Descent”, which deals with Aeneas’s visit to the underworld. The musicis alternately fiercely driving and quite still, though tense. RobertFrost’s Nothing Gold Can Stay summons fleet scale passages framinglyrical counterpoint. The remaining movements do not refer to specificpoems, but have titles reflecting their expressive tone. Dreamscape ismusing with an improvisatory violin line over shifting pairs of pianochords. Nightsong is a bluesy lullaby that turns highly dramatic.Vision begins with a closely argued struggle but breaks through tosomething spacious and clear.
SKU: HL.49044450
ISBN 9790001198639. 9.0x12.0x0.124 inches.
This work is part of a cycle of five short pieces for a single instrument and piano, focused on the five ages in the cosmogony of Ancient Mexican civilisation. The peoples of the Mexican highlands believe that time follows specific cycles and that the world was created following the pattern of 'trial and error'. The creation of the world is divided into several periods which are termed 'suns' (we are currently living in the fifth phase named 'Ollin'). Each period will be brought to an end through a natural catastrophe.Solei-Feu refers to the first attempt to create a world out of a rain of fire (nahui quiahuitl).The element of fire is reflected in the musical soundscape of this work, constructed from rampant, rhythmic motifs, fragmented splinters, spinning upswings and impacts reverberating through space. An intimate dialogue develops between violin and piano on the basis of extremely simple figures. Interconnecting lines and dense musical material are thrown against each other in a play of contrasting registers and blended tonal colouring, creating a mysterious and disturbing mythological universe coloured by its ontological pessimism. Thierry PecouSoleil-Feu refers to the first attempt to create a world out of a rain of fire (nahui quiahuitl) as described in the cosmogony of Ancient Mexican civilisation. The element of fire is reflected in the musical soundscape of this work; rampant, rhythmic motifs, fragmented splinters, spinning upswings and impacts reverberating through space create a mysterious and disturbing mythological universe coloured by its ontological pessimism. Thierry Pecou.
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