SKU: BR.EB-9413

ISBN 9790004188873. 9 x 12 inches.

For a long time after Romanticism had come to the fore, it was generally agreed that Brahms somehow did not get it: History and Progress - it was thought - were proceeding along one clear path and Brahms - who was composing sonatas and symphonies instead of nocturnes and symphonic poems - had taken the wrong way. Almost one century later, Schonberg wrote an essay, Brahms, der Fortschrittliche (Brahms, the progressive), in which he explained that it wasn't like that at all.Fully assuming the risk to appear somehow irreverent, I have to confess: Over the years, I came to the conclusion that the present - and the future - can be created only by loving the past. As Brahms had shown us, it is only by accepting the challenge of taking our heritage into our own hands, that we can create something new. We cannot avoid engaging with the past. Therefore, starting with my Sinfonia n. 1, I began to flirt with such a strong and effective musical structure like the sonata form. I re-read and freely transformed it, because it is a sturdy and resilient structure, but also a theatrical and colorful one. For me, it is a happy structure. And I think that today more than ever we need something like this: We need to find places - even imaginary ones - where we can give happiness a form of its own.Nicola Campogrande, December 2020

World premiere: Bologna/Italy, Streaming, April 11, 2021Commissioned by the Fondazione Musica Insieme.

SKU: BA.BA11086

ISBN 9790006564446. 32.5 x 25.5 cm inches.

A suite whose movements always deliver something other than what they seem to promise. But throughout, the two instruments and respectively their players act like two people in very specific situations:

I.: The opening movement is reserved for the piano; the initially earnest, solitary cantilena intensifies creating expectation. Suddenly
II.: the violin sounds. Its moving figures replace the now silent piano, also soloistically.
III. „Passacaglia“: The title is taken literally – the two instruments/persons encounter each other in the street. Two musical characters who meet at a specific point, recognize each other, but move on again, each one by itself.
IV. „Rondo“: The two of them dance together. Before me, I saw people dancing the Sardana – a round dance – in front of the cathedral of Barcelona. Four themes in different time signatures circle ceaselessly between the two instruments.
V. „Fuga“: At last, regardless, panic flight – again the title is taken literally ... Human, only too human …

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: FG.55011-694-8

ISBN 9790550116948.

The volume G of the Colourstrings Violin ACB tutors by Géza Szilvay studies every position of the violin in a separate volume. It offers art-pedagogical material in order to read confidently in the positions, to master the shifting movements and to understand why and when to use a particular position. Colourstrings Violin ABC: Piano accompaniments for the book G5 (ISMN 9790550116948) includes the piano accompaniments of the performing pieces included in Colourstrings Violin ABC: Book G5 – Sixth and Seventh Positions.

Click “sample to have a look inside and “table of contents to see the complete list of the pieces included.

More about the Colourstrings method: https://www.fennicagehrman.fi/sheet-music/colourstrings/ Contents in alphabetical order:
Bériot, Charles de: Air varié
Bohm, Carl: Introduction and Polonaise
Brahms, Johannes: Hungarian Dance No. 5
Dancla, Charles: Second Solo
Drdla, Frantisek: Souvenir
Glazunov, Alexander: Spanish Serenade
Kodály, Zoltán: Kallo Double Dances I-III
Kuula, Toivo: Chanson sans paroles
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Minuet
Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista: Siciliana
Pugnani-Kreisler: Tempo di Minuetto
Rachmaninov, Sergei: Vocalise
Sibelius, Jean: Romance
Sonninen, Ahti: Karelian Dance
Wieniawski, Henryk: Mazurka
Žilinskis, Arvīds Mazurka.

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/6p5YIe17ci0UMuo2RqZgjR
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/transfigured-life-still-life-world-premiere-recording/1738035953
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Transfigured Life - Still Life, Op. 165 (violin and piano) - David Braid

I 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 and 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/6p5YIe17ci0UMuo2RqZgjR
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/transfigured-life-still-life-world-premiere-recording/1738035953.

SKU: BO.B.3673

It is a work for violin and piano inspired directly by Paganini's Capriccio No. 13, known as La risata del diavolo and one of the most renowned capriccios from the series of twenty-four composed by the celebrated Genovese violinist and composer. In my version for violin and piano, I have singled out the two essential features of the work: the third notes on a double string that emulate the devil's laughter, and the quick eighth notes that follow, all of it within a light and humorous chromaticism.

Il diavolo begins with a slow and fragmented but suggestive violin cadenza. It then follows the Allegro deciso, built on the two features mentioned above. In the central part, yet another violin cadenza of a similar character but which recalls the devil's laughter more evidently. The Allegro deciso goes on up to a carefree and virtuosic finale.

The work is dedicated to violinist Jesus Reina.

SKU: HL.14047780

ISBN 9788759837511. 10.0x14.5 inches. English.

Program Note: Resurrection is the act of bringing something back to practice, notice, use or vibrancy - never mind raising the dead. I've brought new life to two forgotten works of mine by subtly merging them into each other and touching them up with 20 extra years of craftmanship. So they're reworked; reimagined - but still a Blast from the Past: I've remained true to the way we used to do it back in the 90ties. -Niels Marthinsen.

SKU: FG.55011-500-2

ISBN 9790550115002.

Even though I was and remain a proponent of absolute music, the things that we see and experience inevitably colour and energise our thought processes. The grand old man of Finnish Modernism Paavo Heininen (b. 1938) turned his impressions of Boston into violin sonatas op. 134 (2016). All the three sonatas - Boston Sonata, Boston Variations and Boston Ballade - were premiered in one concert in Helsinki celebrating the composer's 80th birthday in May 2018 by Kaija Saarikettu (violin) and Juhani Lagerspetz (piano).