SKU: PR.144407380

ISBN 9781491133903. UPC: 680160683475. 9 x 12 inches.

In her powerful Foreword to the music, violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins has written: “There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them.” The tragedy of Elijah McClain’s murder has moved us all, and for many musicians the image of this gentle young man playing his violin for kittens at an animal shelter has added a poignant extra layer. Zwilich was a professional violinist before turning exclusively to composing, and A LITTLE VIOLIN MUSIC is a memorial from the heart of one violinist to another.
[THESE NOTES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLICATION; OK TO QUOTE A BIT AND GIVE AUTHOR CREDIT]We often research important pieces of music to gain some glimpse into the mind of the composer by understanding the times in which a piece was written. The times that brought this piece into being, 2020, has been a year like no other in our lifetimes.With the suffering of a once in a century pandemic raging in ever higher waves, and millions of people around the world confined to their homes with a shared attention span for the first time in generations, we watched in horror the 8 minute 46 second killing of George Floyd, a man previously unknown to us, but now unwillingly joining a long list of names of unarmed African Americans killed by police. The anguished backlash of citizens around the world, from Japan to New Zealand to Germany to the United States, of every age, color, and creed, has rallied for weeks and months on end to demand enough and that “Black Lives Matter.”And yet, in the midst of it all is an America starkly divided against itself with some defiantly pushing back, emboldened by authoritarian-style government actions against its own citizens occurring all over the country. It is against this backdrop that we ever had a chance to know of Elijah McClain. Here in quarantine I sometimes practice my scales in front of the news. And one day the mirror image looking back at me from the screen was a slight young man, warm, affable brown eyes, and also a violin under his chin. The newsreel-style camera pan so familiar now, I knew the only reason we were gazing upon his unfamous face was that he too had been killed by police nearly a year before. But the revelation of it in the broadcast hit me particularly hard.Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who is not only one of the great composers of our time, is also a dear friend, and called me the next day, also deeply saddened by the news. It was from Ellen that I learned that Elijah used to play for the kittens at the local animal shelter so they wouldn’t be lonely. This kind, gentle soul was aggressively taken into police custody while saying, “I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking... I’m going home.” He was never seen alive again.Ellen and I spoke of the sadness and the injustice of this several times. She felt a powerful calling to contribute something in a statement and the result is the piece you now hold in your hands. I am deeply honored to be the dedicatee of the piece, to have worked together with Ellen on some of the final details, and to pen this score note. As an invited alumna of the Eastman School of Music, I premiered the work for their virtual event on Diversity and Inclusion. Each time I play it, there is a persistent lump in my throat because Ellen has captured something poignant and powerful here.There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them. We humbly offer this piece in memory of Elijah McClain.Foreword © 2021 by Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Used by permission.

SKU: GH.GE-11358

ISBN 979-0-070-11358-8. A4 inches.

Work comment by the composer:
The lonely one was composed during May and June of the year 2000. It was written for Annika Gustafsson, to whom it is also dedicated. It was world-premiered on December 1 the same year in Caroli Church in Malmo. After that I had composed The Threat of War that was a dramatic and massive work for orchestra, I wanted to focus on melodic as well as harmonic and rhyhtmical processes combined with a inner dramatic content. In this case the solo violin works as a narrator where the piece itself is like a monologue without words.
In the score there are imprinted expressions like racontare (tellingly), piacevole (pleasingly) och sospirare(sighing).
The lonely one is divided in three sections.
1. Doloroso (Painful) - the violin plays almost imperceptly sighing glissandi that forms the basic material of the work. Its character is constantly searching. It leads up to the section Risoluto (Resolute) that has a very determined and edgy expression.
2. Misterioso (Mysteriously) - the materials from the previous section are now further developed. It builds up and breaks down during the course of the journey. Eventually it reaches a climax on a high d.
3. Calmando e espressivo (Calmingly and expressive) - From the high d it is stepping down to a recapture on material from the first part slightly changed and moody character. It dies out slowly with the lonely notes.

Benjamin Staern

SKU: HL.48024637

ISBN 9781540055583. UPC: 888680946166.

According to Geza Szilvay, the Colourstrings (r) method can make a violin player of almost anyone with motivation. The key to maintaining musical culture lies with the teacher. The Colourstrings (r) is a teaching method developed by Geza and Csaba Szilvay. Themethod is ideal for preschool beginners and can be used effectively in instrumental teaching throughout the school years. It createsan environment in which singing, playing games and instrument live side by side, for the happiness of the child. The Handbook for Teachers and Parents brings together the entire Colourstrings(r) series for the violin. The Handbook guides the teachers and parents through books A-F and Yellow Pages I-III, offering expert advice and methodological support to teaching in Colourstrings(r) method. The method makes use of colourful teaching materials and supports learning by appealing to many senses. Founded on the principles ofZoltan Kodaly, Colourstrings (r) develops the capacity for internal listening so that the child learns to visualize the notes heard and to aurilize the notes on the page. The method has been fostered by ESTA, ASTA, AUSTA, ISME, NMPU and IKS. The Colourstrings(r) approach developed by the Szilvay brothers has gained an international reputation and is now taught all over the world. A number of special Colourstrings(r) institutions - schools, centres and societies - have been established in several European countries in order to implement and further this child-centred teaching concept.

SKU: HL.49043939

ISBN 9783795747329. 9.25x12.0x0.245 inches. German.

The six-volume edition of 'Systematische Violintechnik' [Systematic Violin Technique] covers all aspects of violin playing, thus providing the comprehensive groundwork for learning, teaching and performing musicians. The volumes contain a wealth of suggestions of how to edit technically demanding passages in musical masterpieces in a reasonable and perfect way. The simple idea to base the violin technique on the combination of changes of bowing, strings, fingers and position is developed systematically and, like a 'medicine cabinet for violinists', provides a collection of exercises that can be used purposefully. At the same time, 'Systematische Violintechnik' provides a complete and indispensable overview of all technical elements and their connections. An elaborate and field-tested practising material by Prof. Helmut Zehetmair (Mozarteum Salzburg) and Prof. Benjamin Bergmann (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz).Vol. 5 covers the coordination of two changes each (of bowing, strings, fingers and position).

SKU: JK.09177

Psalm 119:165, Psalm 119:97-104.

Violin obbligatos to accompany Hymnplicity Ward Choir Book 10 (#01769). Created to add color and warmth to the arrangements.
Arrangements in this packet:
Come, O Thou King of Kings
Count Your Blessings
Each Life that Touches Ours for Good
Israel, Israel God Is Calling
Now Let Us Rejoice
Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings
Arranger: Brent Jorgensen
Difficulty: Medium/Easy
Reference: Psalm 119:165, Psalm 119:97-104.

SKU: HL.49007122

ISBN 9783795722197. UPC: 196288077480. 9.0x12.0x0.282 inches. German.

The most important aspect of the violin method 'Die frohliche Violine' is the fun of learning to play the violin: The textbook is aimed at an early playful beginning with the instrument. Over the course of the lessons, the pupils are deliberately addressed in a language that corresponds to their age. Furthermore, the method provides a stylistically varied range of classical and folkloristic instrumental pieces, and always gives a lot of interesting information on the music and its composers.Vol. 1: Detailed introduction to the bow hold - songs and instrumental pieces, using exclusively the first type of fingering while focussing on rhythmic, melodic and technical variety - playful touching and feeling of violin-playing techniques such as pizzicato, position playing, harmonics and double stops. Vol. 1 is accompanied by a CD (T 3272) containing all songs and pieces with funny dialogues spoken by children. A motivating addition to violin lessons and a great gift idea!

SKU: FG.55011-907-9

ISBN 9790550119079.

Kalevi Aho's Three pieces for young violin players (2023) celebrates the full potential of open strings, first position, glissandos that end up on natural harmonics. The young violin player gets the tell three stories:

I Storming (Myrsky)
II Meowing (Kissa naukuu)
III Rain making (Sadetanssi)

Premiere by the pupils of Pirkanmaa Music Institute at Tampere Biennale (Finland) in March 2024.