SKU: HL.50487759
ISBN 9790080140994. A/4 inches. Hungarian, English. Laszlo Tihanyi.
The piece was composed at the request of violinist Eszter Perenyi, my colleague at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, and was several times amond the optional pieces of the yearly violin competition for students. It was inspired by the famous 63rd poem of Catullus that tells the story of Attis: the hero of the Greek mythology arrives at the Mount Ida in Frygia, to the invitation of the goddess Cybele, and becomes her lover. The Gallas, certitude priests of Cybele chase him into delirious dance, by the end of which he castrates himself. On waking from his paralysed dream he entreats in vain for his virility and freedom to Cybele, he will remain servant of the goddess for eternity. My work tells the story in four parts: 1) Attis' ecstasy 2) Dance of the Gallas 3) Attis' dream 4) Attis' entreaty. The Catullian galliambic metric that first appears in the 'prologue' of the piece, becomes the organisational principle of almost all musical aspects of it. (Hungaroton HCD 32484).
SKU: HL.50600895
ISBN 9790080149249. 12.25x9.25x0.405 inches. Mate Bella.
Trance means an altered state of mind in which a person becomes capable of communicating with spirits by the means of a ritual. Echo like sounds have a significant role in the piece, they were achieved by aleatoric as well as metric materials. Our prehistoric ancestors experienced echo as a side effect of rituals they performed, basically they heard the echo of their own voices but they believed these sounds came from their ancestors. As 2013 was the 90th anniversary of Gyorgy Ligeti's birth, my piece pays respect to his musical heritage. In this regard the piece references Ligeti's artistic aesthetics and in some cases uses direct musical quotations.(Mate Bella, 2013)The work won first prize at the 2013 New Hungarian Music Forum In memoriam Gyorgy Ligeti composer's competition in chamber music category. It was premiered by Katalin Kokas and the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gergely Vajda on 25 September 2013 in Budapest.
SKU: PR.144407530
ISBN 9781491136614. UPC: 680160687992.
A violinist herself, Lauren Bernofsky has described SONATA FOR SOLO VIOLIN as drawn from autobiographical inspiration, including gestures from Bachâ??s beloved Partita in E Major. Bernofsky opens with a Preludio movement whose references to Bach may be disguised, but they are surely lurking. The second movement is lusciously contrapuntal with the idiomatic finesse of a violinist composing for her own instrument, while musically journaling the emotional pain of living through 2020. The third and final movement is aptly marked â??white-hot,â? and the music certainly is.My SONATA FOR SOLO VIOLIN was commissioned by violinist Megan Healy as part of The Maud Powell Project, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The project included the creation of five new works for solo violin inspired by and dedicated to the memory of pioneering American violinist Maud Powell (1867-1920). Healy premiered the sonata on May 8, 2021 at PianoForte Studios in Chicago.Among the works Powell most frequently performed in her recitals was the â??Preludioâ? movement from Bachâ??s E major Partita, and I decided to refer to that music in my own first movement, also titled â??Preludio.â? The beginning subtly reflects Bachâ??s opening three-note motive, wherein the music dips down a semitone and then comes back up. This melodic material returns throughout the movement in various forms. I also refer to Bachâ??s sixteenth-note dominated texture, and the gesture in the third measure, which outlines a perfect fifth and then fills it in with notes that alternate between a scale and a pedal tone. The corresponding passage in my piece occurs in the same place, measure 3. Apart from these references to Bach, my sonata is much more modern sounding, especially in its chromatic character.I was still thinking of Bachâ??s solo violin writing while composing the second movement, particularly the polyphonic nature of the slow movements, where the melodic interest moves around between the voices. Emotionally, I wanted my movement to reflect the acute sadness I had been experiencing over the political and social situation in the United States as I wrote the piece. I realized that this is a historically noteworthy time in U.S. history, marked not only by political unrest, but also by a challenge to the very values that I consider essential to what makes a person fundamentally human. I wanted to create a record of that pain in my music.The final movement is marked â??White-hot.â? It is imbued with a relentless, passionate intensity. Wanting again to reflect aspects of our own time, I included glissandi that refer to rock music, specifically the â??fall-offsâ? I frequently hear played by electric guitarists. I borrowed from another (completely different) musical tradition as well, one that is near-and-dear to my heart: Klezmer. Klezmer (Eastern European Jewish folk music) is characterized in part by scales colored by augmented seconds, and is often performed by solo instrumentalists who improvise embellishments like quick grace notes. The second, more lyrical theme in this movement is my nod to Klezmer style.While this piece is an homage to Maud Powell, I also think of it as my own musical autobiography, as it combines some of my favorite aspects of music, and is played on my own instrument.
SKU: PR.416411770
UPC: 680160091508.
I was tempted to call the piece Throw Back because it consciously employs rhythmic and harmonic approaches characteristic of the earlier part of the twentieth century, much of which plays a part in forging my musical personality. Going along with the impetus, I have paid homage by subtly interpolating stylistic or actual references to such unexpected bedfellows as Scriabin, Ravel, Debussy, Piston, Roussel, and Ysaye. I hope I will be musically forgiven. In one continuous movement, there are three definite internal sections: Presto-Largo-Allegro. The first section opens with a very soft percussion cadenza. If the acoustics allow it, the player will use sponge pottery mallets (sponge-headed mallets employed to smooth the interior of a pot as it is being spin-dried). No matter how hard the percussionist strikes the drums, the dynamic cannot go above pp (pianissimo). This cadenza serves as a basis for the first movement. The elements of the cadenza are taken by the orchestra to make the first major statement, similar to the classical concerto; but rather than making a restatement, the soloists, when they come in, begin with variational ideas. The second section is given over to the soloists, and is lyrical. The third section begins with an alternation between strict rhythmic pulsation and free-sounding timbres, as if reluctant to leave the second section behind. The rhythmic aspect takes over more and more as the piece progresses toward its conclusion. Double Play was commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with financial assistance from the Northwest Area Foundation. It received its premiere on January 7, 1983, in St. Paul, with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; Pinchas Zukerman, violinist; Marc Neikrug, piano; and the composer conducting.
SKU: CA.2703511
ISBN 9790007199166. Key: C major. Language: Latin.
Of the 19 Masses by Dittersdorf which have been handed down, the present Mass, which is being published for the first time, enjoyed a special popularity during the composer's lifetime and it was even performed for the coronation of emperor Franz II in the Frankfurt Cathedral. This solemn, prestigious Mass shows evidence of choral movements in traditional contrapuntal church style as well solo parts with a modern, cantabile character. In addition, the Gloria includes a lengthy virtuosic violin solo, which also lends the work a concertante character (Dittersdorf was a professional violinist). Score and part available separately - see item CA.2703500.
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.â€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: HL.233289
12.0x9.25x0.43 inches.
Score and separate parts with spiral-bound keyboard/organ part. Number 5, 1950 was Mark Rothko's last painting before the breakthrough into his mature format. In it the luminous color fields of a classic Rothko are inscribed across the middle with three delicate lines. Describing this painting and its pivotal position in Rothko's work, Brian O'Doherty observes: 'After this, the lines disappear completely.' In recent years gesture and figuration have disappeared from my music. What used to be background has emerged to become a musical world composed entirely of floating color fields. In this new world I've changed media, moving from the orchestra to smaller combinations of acoustical instruments and electronically-processed sounds. I still think in orchestral terms, but this hybrid medium allows me to create orchestral textures for more practical and readily available ensembles. Initially I imagined this as a kind of monolithic music -an entire piece as one rich and complex sound. Then I came to hear it as homophonic or heterophonic. And now - in this musical world that I thought was completely free of lines - I've come to hear a polyphony of harmonic clouds. Maybe the lines never disappear completely. Maybe Christian Wolff was right when he quipped: 'No matter what we do, sooner or later it all sounds melodic.' - John Luther Adams.
SKU: HL.48023884
9.25x12.0x0.053 inches.
This composition for solo violin was written in 1987 for the violinist Roger Zahab who performed the world premiere in New York. As is typical of Ursula Mamlok, the work of about 5 minutes' duration is very short. In one movement, divided into five short sections, she sums up her musical cause in an extremely virtuoso manner: A powerful opening theme, which varies several times, is followed by a quiet, lyrical passage which uses similar musical ideas, however. In the following, the formal contrast disappears due to the increasing fusion of opening theme and slower episode before the main theme is taken up again in the final section in a very dramatic form.
SKU: HL.49001794
ISBN 9790001117388.
Because of its scoring, this uncomplicated little six-movement suite in a folkloric style is, above all, suitable for the first ensemble playing in violin lessons. As vigorous effective music, it suits, in particular, the needs of young players.
SKU: PR.114418750
ISBN 9781491129524. UPC: 680160655489. 9 x 12 inches.
The seven-movement in the snowy margins might be considered a sort of atomic suite, as each movement is succinct, yet a microcosmic powerhouse inspired by “The Comet,” by Polish writer and Holocaust victim Bruno Schulz. Hersch’s intensity is expressed through dramatically captivating violin gestures, pushing the boundaries of texture, technique, and emotion.Michael Hersch’s in the snowy margins was written in 2010. Like much of his work, it is grounded in literature and art. The title is drawn from a short story, The Comet by Polish writer, poet, and artist, Bruno Schulz (1892-1942). This forms the last of his collection The Street of Crocodiles, published in 1934. Schulz was shot by a Nazi officer in 1942.Both the title of Hersch’s work, and the ‘motto’ found on the composer’s manuscript (‘Thus far and no further. But what has become of the end of the world…’) are to be found in The Comet. It’s interesting that in in the snowy margins, unlike his earlier Fourteen Pieces which were inspired by the poetry of Primo Levi, Hersch chose to not title each individual movement with a quote. However his choices of text are applied, there is a clear quality of distillation. In every case, the texts which the composer has chosen to eschew lie beneath the music, akin to the greater mass of an iceberg, submerged, but imminent.Hersch also has very particular taste in visual art, and there seems to be common ground between the intensely expressionist drawing of Schulz, and those of Michael Mazur, which inspired his string quartet Images from a Closed Ward. The parallels between these artists reflect common traits shared between these two pieces, which provide a window on how the music should be approached, expressively and technically. I would argue, that from a violinist’s point of view, this pertains directly to how bow and left hand should approach the string: the febrile vibrancy of both Mazur and Schulz’s pencil and charcoal strokes, perhaps what T.S. Eliot called the ‘circulation of the lymph’, in every gesture, speaks to the intense experience, physically and emotionally, of playing (and hearing) this music. There is an intense sense of ‘truth to materials’ at every moment, the sense that every note sings on the edge of, or even beyond, total collapse.— Peter Sheppard-Skaerved.
SKU: PR.114422260
ISBN 9781491133866. UPC: 680160683352. 9 x 12 inches.
Legends of the phoenix are found in stories from ancient Egypt and Greece. While each culture possesses a range of stories encompassing the myth, these tales tend toward similar traits: a sacred bird with brilliantly colored plumage and melodious call lives for typically 500 years, then dies in a nest of embers, only to be reborn among the flames. Phoenix Rising consists of two movements: I. Dying in Embers represents an old phoenix settling on top of a pile of embers and breathing its last breath; II. Reborn in Flames depicts the newly-born phoenix getting its first taste of flight.Legends of the phoenix are found in stories from ancient Egypt and Greece. While each culture possesses a range of stories encompassing the phoenix myth, these tales tend to share similar traits: a sacred bird with brilliantly colored plumage and melodious call lives for typically five hundred years; then the bird dies in a nest of embers, only to be reborn among the flames.In Egyptian stories, the phoenix gathers scented wood and spices for its funeral/rebirth pyre, then collects the ashes from its earlier incarnation and flies them to the temple of the sun in Heliopolis to offer as a tribute to the sun god.In Greek myths, the phoenix was approximately the size of an eagle and was adorned with red and gold feathers; it would fly from either India or Arabia to Heliopolis to give its offering. The bird’s association with immortality and resurrection are particularly intriguing aspects of these tales, giving numerous writers (including William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling) a rich resource for their own stories.Phoenix Rising consists of two movements. I. Dying in embers represents an old phoenixwho is settling on top of a pile of embers and breathing its last breath. II. Reborn in flames depicts the newly-born phoenix getting its first taste of flight.Phoenix Rising was commissioned by saxophonist Christopher Creviston, who has recorded the work on the Blue Griffin label. The composer has also made editions of the work for flute and for clarinet (also available from Theodore Presser Company).
SKU: HL.49047398
ISBN 9798350127898. UPC: 842819121244. 9.0x12.0x0.061 inches.
This work for solo violin was commissioned by American Violinist Wendy Case for her CD of works for solo violin by living composers titled The Tiger and The Clover released in February 2022 by the label Blue Griffin. Just as Wendy proposed this new work, I heard the news that the Polish poet Adam Zagajewski who I had met through mutual friends, had died. I had long admired his essays that thoughtfully and with grace and ease, merged the past with the present in the way that only a poet can, lifting the reader onto a plain of images, thoughts and words that conjure seamless journeys through time, space and the imagination. His essays often refer to the music of Bach and I found myself writing this piece inhabited by the physical pleasure of playing Bach's suites for Lute transposed for the guitar. The piece revolves around a simple repetitive semiquaver motif playing with the Aeolian mode starting on G. The motif ascends and descends playing with and against the low G string to extend itself away from the home mode, then returning and gradually extending into quavers to reach the key of E major while hinting at A minor. The repetitive nature of the piece invites the player to explore variations in sound quality and dynamics and to enjoy the effect of the notes playing against each other as they rise and fall away but always maintain a constant tempo and rhythm.
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.14021026
8.25x11.5x0.017 inches.
This unaffected but effective piece is a homage to the late Marjorie Linklater, a much-loved friend from Orkney, and a charming set-piece for violinists of moderate ability. The slow introductory adagio serves the function of a fond elegy, proving the simple effect of moving between D minor and D major. It serves the songful quality of the violin, as does the wistful central episode of the main sequence; but an exuberant love of the dance is the essence of the allegro, with the high, bright sonority of the instrument very much to the fore. It was first performed by Julia Robinson Dean at the St Magnus Festival, Orkney, on 21st June 1998. Arranged for solo violin. Duration c. 4 minutes.
SKU: HL.50511753
ISBN 9790080141267. Bach (23 x 30,2 cm) inches. Hungarian, English. Laszlo Tihanyi.
Three compositions which belong together were written by Tihanyi in 1991-1992: Winterszenen, Nachtszene (night Scene) and Irrlichtspiel (Will o? the wisp). The Irrlichtspiel composition for violin solo and 19 instruments ensemble, came out of the notes for the song entitled Irrlicht in the fifth scene of Winterszenen (...this composition exactly follows the musical process of Winterreise by Schubert...). Here, the starting point was the refrain-like, pregnant rhythm motive, attached to the piano introduction of the Schubert song. At the end of the first part called Prelude, a miniature exposition prepares for the five developments. Their titles are: Adagio, Capriccio, Monolog, Pantomime and Postludio. World premi?re: Budapest, 30 April, 1996. Ildiko Line ? violin, Budapest Sinfonietta, conducted by Gergely Vajda.
SKU: HL.14023605
ISBN 9780711992412. 9.25x12.0x0.38 inches.
Drowning By Numbers, arranged by the composer from his sound-track for the film by Peter Greenaway for Violin, Viola, and Chamber Orchestra. This work was commissioned by the London Mozart Players, and first performed December 1998 at the Warwick Arts Centre. Duration 20 minutes. Full Score and parts are available on hire from the publishers. Instrumentation: Solo Violin, Solo Viola, 2 Flutes, Oboe, Cor Anglais, 2 B Flat Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in C, Bass Trombone, Piano, Strings (8.6.4.4.2).
SKU: PR.41641366L
UPC: 680160585755.
From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notion of writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures. The notes of the violins open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes: 1 st movement: A-D-A 2nd movement: D-G-D 3rd movement: E-A-E The overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movements primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is defined by distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgiving ferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes from the previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notion of writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures. The notes of the violinas open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes: 1 st movement: A-D-A 2nd movement: D-G-D 3rd movement: E-A-E The overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movementas primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is defined by distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgiving ferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes from the previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notion of writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures. The notes of the violin's open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes: 1 st movement: A-D-A 2nd movement: D-G-D 3rd movement: E-A-E The overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movement's primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is defined by distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgiving ferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes from the previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notionof writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures.The notes of the violin’s open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes:1 st movement: A-D-A2nd movement: D-G-D3rd movement: E-A-EThe overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movement’s primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is definedby distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgivingferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes fromthe previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.
SKU: SU.29110060
1. Sidestep Reel - In 19th Century America, the Afro-Celtic fiddle style was the centerpiece of many a dance. Reels and hornpipes were very popular forms. Their repetitive, even-metered rhythms were easy and fun to dance to, and their infectious singable melodies stayed in the mind and on the tongue. More adventurous fiddlers were given to syncopating on these forms by accenting off beats and by embellishing melodies with oddmetered note groupings. Syncopation is a fundamental rhythmic attitude of jazz and this movement is a celebration of that art. The melodic language is a home-grown concoction of commonality between traditional reels and hornpipes and the Baroque, Ragtime and the quartal concepts of Modern Jazz. 2. As the Wind Goes - the wistful late night song of a lullabye, a campfire song, a ballad...a spiritual. It is sung as if on the wind, yearning to experience once again that which will only ever again live as memory. 3. Jones’ Jig - the Irish Jig, the African 6/8 bell pattern, the shuffle rhythm of jazz and the drum style of Elvin Jones all play around with the relationship of 3 in the time-space of 2. The juxtaposition, negotiation and reconciliation of these opposing rhythmic perspectives create interesting musical relationships all over the globe. 4. Nicola’s Strathspey - In the traditional Strathspey, improvised embellishments, syncopated dotted rhythms and the use of space between notes create expectation, momentum and surprise. These same elements and their effect on the listener are the same in the blues. It seems like a natural marriage. 5. Bye Bye Breakdown - This is good ol’, Saturday night barn dance, hoedown fiddling. It revels in the whining cry of open double stops, in all types of musical onomatopoeia from train sounds to animal calls to country whistling, and in the steady 2/4 rhythm that is as basic as walking. The harmonic framework of several popular fiddle and folk tunes provide a practical grid for the cutting of challenging melodic and rhythmic figures. It is designed to tire fiddler and dancers out. Then we stomp our way home in varying states of delight and disrepair.Solo Violin Duration: 24' Composed: 2018 Published by: Wynton Marsalis (administered by Skayne's Music).
