SKU: HL.49018716

ISBN 9790220132339. 9.25x12.0x0.3 inches.

Richard Ayres' Three Small Pieces for String Quartet each have distinct characters that illustrate the composer's vivid imagination and skill for combining energetic, touching and sometimes wild music. The first piece is a short tribute to the Romanian singer Maria Tanase, a long forgotten performer who was once a star in her country. The second is a rough, fast and folk-like section in 11/16 time and the third, subtitled 'Countess Eva von Spendu (on a horse) gallops through the forest (pausing four times to contemplate natural splendour)', contains (in the words of the composer) 'hunting gallops, a Feldmanesque 19 bar blues, some devilish fiddling, moments of repose and contemplation, and a lyrical finale.'.

SKU: BR.DV-31106

For a successful approach to quartet playing

ISBN 9790200415827. 9 x 12 inches.

Making music in a quartet uniquely nurtures young string players' musical development, ensemble playing, listening to each other, and intonation. So, what could be more obvious than introducing the scoring of this genre, often referred to as chamber music's supreme discipline, as early as possible.

Indeed, composers have all along advised the classical string quartet's outstanding compositions, but they are hardly easy to play for beginners. Here, with the present collection, is where Eva-Maria Neumann comes in.

The two volumes include

• A total of 20 easy to intermediate arrangements of pieces from Bach to Bartok, together with specifically composed ones in string-quartet friendly keys  
• Reading scores and individual parts
• additionally, individual part for violin III instead of viola
• Tips on warming up, intonation, bowing, fingering, tempos, dynamics, and playing musically
• Specific instructions for the individual pieces
• Lists of supplementary original literature

The pieces are also effective as scored for chorus.