SKU: CF.CM9750
ISBN 9781491162385. UPC: 680160921133. Key: F major. English. Robert Frost.
About the workFew American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines. The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference.Rehearsal notesResearch strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout.Z. Randall Stroope.
SKU: CF.YPS228
ISBN 9781491157961. UPC: 680160916566. 9 x 12 inches.
Ninja is a Grade 2 piece playable by any young band, due to extensive doublings throughout. The mood of the piece is mysterious, reflecting the image of ninjas being seen one moment and gone the next. Flute 3 is not essential as it doubles the oboes, but is useful in case you have a lot of flutes or due to a limited number of oboes. If you donat have a bass clarinet, baritone saxophone or bassoons, those parts are covered in the low brass. The timpani part is optional, and the piece wonat suffer if you donat have access to that percussion. The optional F-chime and gong only play in the final measure of the piece. While adding a notable effect at the end, those instruments wonat be missed if you donat have them available. The tom-tom part can be played on a snare drum with the snares off or may be played on a tenor drum. Care should be taken that accented notes are emphasized, but never become ponderous. The half notes at the beginning of the piece should not be accented. The theme is introduced in the first twelve measures, and at m. 13 many of the instruments trade the melody for half notes and vice-versa. Be careful that the percussion section never becomes overpowering. At m. 25, care should be taken that there is quite a volume difference between ff and mp. Think of this representing the ninjas being seen one moment and being hidden the next. The double staccato figures at m. 33 should not be accented. Trumpets and trombones at m. 37 should not be overly legato, but certainly shouldnat be treated as staccatos. Being aware of not accenting notes that donat have accents will make the accents at m. 49 more dramatic. Please note that the legato notes at mm. 58 and 60 are not to be accented.Ninja is a Grade 2 piece playable by any young band, due to extensive doublings throughout. The mood of the piece is mysterious, reflecting the image of ninjas being seen one moment and gone the next. Flute 3 is not essential as it doubles the oboes, but is useful in case you have a lot of flutes or due to a limited number of oboes. If you don't have a bass clarinet, baritone saxophone or bassoons, those parts are covered in the low brass. The timpani part is optional, and the piece won't suffer if you don't have access to that percussion. The optional F-chime and gong only play in the final measure of the piece. While adding a notable effect at the end, those instruments won't be missed if you don't have them available. The tom-tom part can be played on a snare drum with the snares off or may be played on a tenor drum. Care should be taken that accented notes are emphasized, but never become ponderous. The half notes at the beginning of the piece should not be accented. The theme is introduced in the first twelve measures, and at m. 13 many of the instruments trade the melody for half notes and vice-versa. Be careful that the percussion section never becomes overpowering. At m. 25, care should be taken that there is quite a volume difference between ff and mp. Think of this representing the ninjas being seen one moment and being hidden the next. The double staccato figures at m. 33 should not be accented. Trumpets and trombones at m. 37 should not be overly legato, but certainly shouldn't be treated as staccatos. Being aware of not accenting notes that don't have accents will make the accents at m. 49 more dramatic. Please note that the legato notes at mm. 58 and 60 are not to be accented.Ninja is a Grade 2 piece playable by any young band, due to extensive doublings throughout. The mood of the piece is mysterious, reflecting the image of ninjas being seen one moment and gone the next.Flute 3 is not essential as it doubles the oboes, but is useful in case you have a lot of flutes or due to a limited number of oboes. If you don’t have a bass clarinet, baritone saxophone or bassoons, those parts are covered in the low brass. The timpani part is optional, and the piece won’t suffer if you don’t have access to that percussion. The optional F-chime and gong only play in the final measure of the piece. While adding a notable effect at the end, those instruments won’t be missed if you don’t have them available. The tom-tom part can be played on a snare drum with the snares off or may be played on a tenor drum.Care should be taken that accented notes are emphasized, but never become ponderous. The half notes at the beginning of the piece should not be accented. The theme is introduced in the first twelve measures, and at m. 13 many of the instruments trade the melody for half notes and vice-versa. Be careful that the percussion section never becomes overpowering.At m. 25, care should be taken that there is quite a volume difference between ff and mp. Think of this representing the ninjas being seen one moment and being hidden the next. The double staccato figures at m. 33 should not be accented. Trumpets and trombones at m. 37 should not be overly legato, but certainly shouldn’t be treated as staccatos. Being aware of not accenting notes that don’t have accents will make the accents at m. 49 more dramatic. Please note that the legato notes at mm. 58 and 60 are not to be accented.
SKU: CF.YPS228F
ISBN 9781491157978. UPC: 680160916573. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: PR.110418370
ISBN 9781491135075. UPC: 680160686247.
Composed as an organ solo by the 17-year-old Ives for his own performance purposes, the beloved Variations on America is a treat for any occasion, whether a holiday concert, a serious recital, or other special event. Danny Holt’s transcription for Piano, Four Hands adds a dazzling new option to play at home or on stage, taking best advantage of Ives’ tremendous contrasts in color, dynamics, and texture.Composed when Charles Ives was a teenager, Variations on “America†is both a convenient introduction to Ives’ body of work, and an early example of his iconoclastic musical voice and creative genius. Just a few years after composing this piece, Ives would leave home to study music at Yale. But until then he had been taught by his father, George (who had been a bandmaster in the Civil War). George subjected the young Ives to experiments such as singing a song in one key while being accompanied in another, or arranging for two marching bands to converge on a town center, with the resulting cacophony that ensued.The Variations exemplifies an early period of experimentation in Ives’ work, spurred on by the unusual pedagogy of his father. The piece is particularly notable for its use of bitonality in the two interludes, subtly foreshadowing more well-known examples by Stravinsky, Bartók, and others by approximately two decades.The bitonal interludes were so ahead of their time, in fact, they were omitted from the first copy that was submitted to a publisher in 1892. (Alas, the piece was rejected even despite these “shocking†elements having been left out, and it wasn’t published until more than five decades later.) There is some ambiguity about when exactly Ives added the interludes into his manuscript copy, though ample evidence suggests he had performed the piece with the interludes around the time he notated the piece in 1891-92. In any case, in light of this piece and his other polytonal explorations from the last decade of the 19th century, it seems fair to give Ives credit for being a pioneer in this area!This arrangement for Piano, Four Hands, closely follows Ives’ original version for organ, setting aside William Schuman’s popular adaptation for symphony orchestra and William Rhoads’ band transcription of the Schuman orchestration. Pianists will find that the piece translates well to the instrument. Ideally, the choreography and logistics of elbow-to-elbow four-hands playing approximates the wild joy one gets from watching an organist play the piece (e.g., the elaborate pedal part in the final variation).In preparing this publication, attention was paid to details in the dual Critical Editions (Presser 443-41003) of both Ives’ manuscript edition and the 1949 publication edited by organist E. Power Biggs (who is credited with discovering what had been a long-lost, forgotten work.) But as with much of Ives’ output, attempting to create a true ‘urtext’ score is a futile endeavor, and especially with a piece such as this one – in which Ives incorporated improvisation in live performance – seems unnecessary anyhow. True die-hards are of course encouraged to consult the critical editions and even find inspiration in the orchestrated version. Generally, performers are advised to be wild, have fun, and not to be too rigid in their interpretive choices.Dynamics in this arrangement mostly follow the organ score closely. Pianists will use good judgment about pedaling throughout, which should be straightforward and intuitive. Courtesy accidentals have been provided frequently – without parentheses – balancing the need for extra clarity in the context of Ives’ murky musical language, and a desire to avoid unnecessary clutter.A few notes that might inform interpretive decisions:mm. 15-16: There are inconsistencies here between Ives’ original manuscript and the 1949 Biggs edition, regarding the top voice in m. 15, beat 3 (C# vs. Cn) and m. 16 (D Major vs. D Minor).mm. 76-84 & 143-146: In both Interludes, Ives emphatically notates extreme dynamic contrast, in order to highlight the bitonality. Although it may seem counterintuitive (or even a misprint, as has apparently been misconstrued by some), performers are urged to follow the composer’s marking!m. 109: Two-note slurs have been added here for clarity and consistency with other similar passages, though they do not appear in either the original manuscript or Biggs.m. 112: The last two eighth notes of Primo appear as 16ths in the original manuscript.mm. 183-186: The original manuscript has a slightly different bass line.mm. 184 & 186: Primo gestures have been re-written to be slightly more idiomatic for Piano, Four Hands.m. 186: The breath mark at the end of this bar does not appear in either the manuscript or Biggs, but is an editorial suggestion – aside from being appropriately dramatic, it will indeed be necessary in a reverberant hall!I would like to thank Steven Vanhauwaert, the other half of my piano duo, 4handsLA, for his input on early drafts of this arrangement.— Danny Holt, April 2022.
SKU: MB.95077M
ISBN 9780786686773. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.
In this book three time National Flatpicking Guitar Champion Steve Kaufman presents rousing guitar solos on 24 gospel favorites. Each song is shown with a melody part in notation and tablature, lyrics, an accompaniment part in tablature and a stirring flatpicking solo in notation and tablature. The audio recording is designed for listening first and second as an instructional tool. All 24 songs are played through three times at least. The first time is as it appears in the book and the two versions that follow are improvised versions. Making this a listening tool and an ear training tool. Recorded Digital to Analog in true stereo sound. This recording can be used with either Flatpickin' the Gospels or Autoharping the Gospels. Includes access to online audio and video.     .
SKU: BT.MUSM570361922
English.
The song repertoire has its origins in the late nineteenth century when every household had a piano and for much of the twentieth century, singers and their pianist collaborators were able to create recital programmes from a deep reservoir of European and North American song. The recital genre became more sophisticated as the century progressed and metamorphosed from a miscellaneous collection of lollipops to something altogether more sophisticated, often featuring elaborate themes which would enable the music to be presented in a variety of new contexts. In the twenty first century opportunities for recitalists are fewer and programmes still tend to focus on the much-loved butwell-explored repertoire. We hope this collection will contribute to a broadening of possibilities for recitalists or anyone who just wants something new to sing. There are several songs for voice and piano but some require other instruments. There is a wide range of styles. We have resisted the temptation to grade them by difficulty, as our criteria were more broadly performative and musical rather than didactic. All selected composers have a particular sympathy for the singing voice, so there is nothing that cannot be sung by a competent performer. The songs generally have a designated voice type, but this shouldn't be thought of as prescriptive; they are designed to be flexible and to offer the maximum opportunity for creative interpretation. They range from the curious and quirky to the virtuosic and challenging, the intense and mysterious to the sad and the light-hearted. We hope that many performers will find their tastes represented here. Compiled by David Blake and John Potter. Edited by Michael Hooper.
SKU: FG.55011-676-4
Juhani Nuorvala (b. 1961) wrote The Five Chords That Shook My World (2020) for pianist Nicolas Horvath's Hommage a Glass project and it is dedicated to him. It's a fantasy meditation on the Train/Spaceship chords in Einstein, that repeating five-chord progression (Fm - Db - A - B7 - E) about which the composer has said that there's something strange, because it never fails to lift the audience to its feet. The duration of the piece is c. 6'30'', and it was premiered by Emil Holmstrom at RUSK festival (Pietarsaari, Finland) 20th November 2020. A notable variety of influences - microtonality, American minimalism, New Romanticism, popular music, techno - has been regarded as a special feature of Nuorvala's idiom. Despite this he is not a collage artist; instead he has blended various ingredients to create a mode of expression entirely his own. Nuorvala's works are often marked with frenzied rhythmic drive. He makes music using elements and materials that both the mind and the body respond to. He finds these elements not only in old or new classical music but in various forms of urban popular music, such as the electronic music of modern dance clubs.
SKU: CF.SPS89F
ISBN 9781491156490. UPC: 680160915033. 9 x 12 inches.
Program Notes This composition for wind ensemble is partially inspired by my home town of Sebastian, specifically its location on the east coast of the state of Florida. My childhood included many quick trips to both the nearby Indian River and the beaches on the coast, so swimming and the water were integral parts of my experience growing up. This work is my musical expression of diving underwater and getting swept up by a fast current and discovering wonders beneath the surface. Dive! has two central components: a constant, driving eighth-note pulse and a main theme which is fragmented and passed around at first, but then is presented completely by the low reeds around a minute and a half into the piece. The steady eighth-note pulse reflects the swift current that a diver might follow, while the main theme represents all the wonders that might be hidden under the water. Performance Notes Ideally, the Trombone 3 part should be played on a Bass Trombone. However, if one is not available there are cues for notes that are beneath a tenor trombone's range. Make sure the vibraphone is heard clearly throughout the piece, as this particular sound is very important to the overall color of this piece. The Percussion 5 part requires two performers as some of the hits happen too quickly for one player to switch between instruments. The most important component of this work is the steady eighth-note pulse, and this pulse never changes even though the meter changes frequently to odd or uncommon time signatures; if the eighth notes remain constant and driving, the meter changes will not pose much of a problem. .Program NotesThis composition for wind ensemble is partially inspired by my home town of Sebastian, specifically its location on the east coast of the state of Florida. My childhood included many quick trips to both the nearby Indian River and the beaches on the coast, so swimming and the water were integral parts of my experience growing up. This work is my musical expression of diving underwater and getting swept up by a fast current and discovering wonders beneath the surface.Dive! has two central components: a constant, driving eighth-note pulse and a main theme which is fragmented and passed around at first, but then is presented completely by the low reeds around a minute and a half into the piece. The steady eighth-note pulse reflects the swift current that a diver might follow, while the main theme represents all the wonders that might be hidden under the water.Performance NotesIdeally, the Trombone 3 part should be played on a Bass Trombone. However, if one is not available there are cues for notes that are beneath a tenor trombone's range.Make sure the vibraphone is heard clearly throughout the piece, as this particular sound is very important to the overall color of this piece. The Percussion 5 part requires two performers as some of the hits happen too quickly for one player to switch between instruments.The most important component of this work is the steady eighth-note pulse, and this pulse never changes even though the meter changes frequently to odd or uncommon time signatures; if the eighth notes remain constant and driving, the meter changes will not pose much of a problem.       .
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