SKU: HL.14027993

ISBN 9788759811832. English.

Premiered at the festival 'Magma Berlin 2002' by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson, 29th November 2002.

3 Flutes, 1st and 2nd also Alto Flutes in G, 3rd also Piccolo
3 Oboes, 3rd also Cor Anglais in F
3 Clarinets in Bb, 3rd also Bass Clarinet in Bb
3 Bassoons, 3rd also Contra Bassoon

4 Horn in F
3 Trumpets in Bb
3 Trombones
1 Tuba

Timpani

4 Percussion, four players
Player 1 - Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Water Chime, Bell Tree, Japanese Wood Blocks, Cymbal (Suspended), TamTam (Medium)
Player 2 - Triangle, Tubular Bells, Crotales, Marimba, Chinese Cymbal
Player 3 - TamTam (Large), Java Gong(Large, very low), Bell Lyra (Handheld), Sizzle Cymbal
Player 4 - Bass Drum, Glockenspiel, Xylophone

1 Harp

1 Piano, also Celesta

Strings - 16/14/12/10/8

All transposing instruments are notated in their relevant transpositions.
Any accidental apply only to the note that it immediately precedes, except tied notes.
Naturals appear occasionally 'for safety'.

'LISTENING EARTH' is a symphonic drama, a one- movement composition in four parts based on the work by two writers, Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and W.H.Auden (1907-1973). Joseph Addison is not particularly well known; he was English, a classical scholar, essayist, poet and politician, but one of his hymns was used by Benjamin Britten. in his setting of a Thomas Tallis canon.
The hymn is singularly beautiful and being a composer always inspired by extramusical stimuli such as poems, nature, paintings, I was immediately convinced when I carne across the Addison hymn, that here was exactly what I wanted to use as my major source of inspiration for this piece, commissioned by and written for The Berlin Philharmonic.
I don't refer to the hymn in its entirety, but have chosen the following 3 excerpts, all acting as mottos for the first three sections of the piece, thus turning the piece into a straightforward tonepoem in the classical.

SKU: BA.BVK01950

ISBN 9783761819500. 19 x 12.5 cm inches. Language: German. Preface: Tarkmann, Andreas N.

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto op. 64, is a key work of the 19th century, adhering to the classical style of Beethoven while pointing the way to the romantic ethos of Brahms. It has long been known that Mendelssohn performed the work with three soloists in succession: Ferdinand David, who worked closely with the composer during its composition and played it at the premiere; the 'child prodigy' Joseph Joachim; and Hubert Leonard, a young Belgian virtuoso about whom little is known.

As proof sheets for the Violin Concerto in E minor were long considered lost, it could be described as somewhat of a sensation when proofs for the solo violin part resurfaced together with a letter from Mendelssohn to Leonard.

The letter informs us that the composer invited Leonard to his home in Frankfurt in order to make his acquaintance. It was already known that Mendelssohn had given proof sheets to David; now we know that he also gave some to Leonard.

The recently discovered proofs reveal how Leonard played the concerto with Mendelssohn on that memorable evening in February 1845. Besides containing bowing marks and fingering, they also show how Leonard executed shifts of position and where he employed open strings. Furthermore modifications made to dynamic markings and additional legato bowing are shown.

It is safe to assume that all of this was done with Mendelssohn's approval. That the young violinist made a positive impression on the composer is confirmed in the latter's correspondence following their joint performance. Mendelssohn is full of praise for Leonard's playing and offers to lend his support in finding employment in Germany.

This revised edition of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (only the orchestral parts remain unchanged) includes a separate booklet on performance practice.

The editor, Clive Brown, is an acknowledged expert on Romantic performance practice.

- New source situation owing to recently rediscovered proofs
- Revised Urtext edition
- With a separate booklet on performance practice (Eng/Ger).