SKU: CF.PL1056

ISBN 9781491153390. UPC: 680160910892. Transcribed by Franz Liszt.

Introduction It is true that Schubert himself is somewhat to blame for the very unsatisfactory manner in which his admirable piano pieces are treated. He was too immoderately productive, wrote incessantly, mixing insignificant with important things, grand things with mediocre work, paid no heed to criticism, and always soared on his wings. Like a bird in the air, he lived in music and sang in angelic fashion. --Franz Liszt, letter to Dr. S. Lebert (1868) Of those compositions that greatly interest me, there are only Chopin's and yours. --Franz Liszt, letter to Robert Schumann (1838) She [Clara Schumann] was astounded at hearing me. Her compositions are really very remarkable, especially for a woman. There is a hundred times more creativity and real feeling in them than in all the past and present fantasias by Thalberg. --Franz Liszt, letter to Marie d'Agoult (1838) Chretien Urhan (1790-1845) was a Belgian-born violinist, organist and composer who flourished in the musical life of Paris in the early nineteenth century. According to various accounts, he was deeply religious, harshly ascetic and wildly eccentric, though revered by many important and influential members of the Parisian musical community. Regrettably, history has forgotten Urhan's many musical achievements, the most important of which was arguably his pioneering work in promoting the music of Franz Schubert. He devoted much of his energies to championing Schubert's music, which at the time was unknown outside of Vienna. Undoubtedly, Urhan was responsible for stimulating this enthusiasm in Franz Liszt; Liszt regularly heard Urhan's organ playing in the St.-Vincent-de-Paul church in Paris, and the two became personal acquaintances. At eighteen years of age, Liszt was on the verge of establishing himself as the foremost pianist in Europe, and this awakening to Schubert's music would prove to be a profound experience. Liszt's first travels outside of his native provincial Hungary were to Vienna in 1821-1823, where his father enrolled him in studies with Carl Czerny (piano) and Antonio Salieri (music theory). Both men had important involvements with Schubert; Czerny (like Urhan) as performer and advocate of Schubert's music and Salieri as his theory and composition teacher from 1813-1817. Curiously, Liszt and Schubert never met personally, despite their geographical proximity in Vienna during these years. Inevitably, legends later arose that the two had been personal acquaintances, although Liszt would dismiss these as fallacious: I never knew Schubert personally, he was once quoted as saying. Liszt's initial exposure to Schubert's music was the Lieder, what Urhan prized most of all. He accompanied the tenor Benedict Randhartinger in numerous performances of Schubert's Lieder and then, perhaps realizing that he could benefit the composer more on his own terms, transcribed a number of the Lieder for piano solo. Many of these transcriptions he would perform himself on concert tour during the so-called Glanzzeit, or time of splendor from 1839-1847. This publicity did much to promote reception of Schubert's music throughout Europe. Once Liszt retired from the concert stage and settled in Weimar as a conductor in the 1840s, he continued to perform Schubert's orchestral music, his Symphony No. 9 being a particular favorite, and is credited with giving the world premiere performance of Schubert's opera Alfonso und Estrella in 1854. At this time, he contemplated writing a biography of the composer, which regrettably remained uncompleted. Liszt's devotion to Schubert would never waver. Liszt's relationship with Robert and Clara Schumann was far different and far more complicated; by contrast, they were all personal acquaintances. What began as a relationship of mutual respect and admiration soon deteriorated into one of jealousy and hostility, particularly on the Schumann's part. Liszt's initial contact with Robert's music happened long before they had met personally, when Liszt published an analysis of Schumann's piano music for the Gazette musicale in 1837, a gesture that earned Robert's deep appreciation. In the following year Clara met Liszt during a concert tour in Vienna and presented him with more of Schumann's piano music. Clara and her father Friedrich Wieck, who accompanied Clara on her concert tours, were quite taken by Liszt: We have heard Liszt. He can be compared to no other player...he arouses fright and astonishment. His appearance at the piano is indescribable. He is an original...he is absorbed by the piano. Liszt, too, was impressed with Clara--at first the energy, intelligence and accuracy of her piano playing and later her compositions--to the extent that he dedicated to her the 1838 version of his Etudes d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini. Liszt had a closer personal relationship with Clara than with Robert until the two men finally met in 1840. Schumann was astounded by Liszt's piano playing. He wrote to Clara that Liszt had played like a god and had inspired indescribable furor of applause. His review of Liszt even included a heroic personification with Napoleon. In Leipzig, Schumann was deeply impressed with Liszt's interpretations of his Noveletten, Op. 21 and Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 (dedicated to Liszt), enthusiastically observing that, I feel as if I had known you twenty years. Yet a variety of events followed that diminished Liszt's glory in the eyes of the Schumanns. They became critical of the cult-like atmosphere that arose around his recitals, or Lisztomania as it came to be called; conceivably, this could be attributed to professional jealousy. Clara, in particular, came to loathe Liszt, noting in a letter to Joseph Joachim, I despise Liszt from the depths of my soul. She recorded a stunning diary entry a day after Liszt's death, in which she noted, He was an eminent keyboard virtuoso, but a dangerous example for the young...As a composer he was terrible. By contrast, Liszt did not share in these negative sentiments; no evidence suggests that he had any ill-regard for the Schumanns. In Weimar, he did much to promote Schumann's music, conducting performances of his Scenes from Faust and Manfred, during a time in which few orchestras expressed interest, and premiered his opera Genoveva. He later arranged a benefit concert for Clara following Robert's death, featuring Clara as soloist in Robert's Piano Concerto, an event that must have been exhilarating to witness. Regardless, her opinion of him would never change, despite his repeated gestures of courtesy and respect. Liszt's relationship with Schubert was a spiritual one, with music being the one and only link between the two men. That with the Schumanns was personal, with music influenced by a hero worship that would aggravate the relationship over time. Nonetheless, Liszt would remain devoted to and enthusiastic for the music and achievements of these composers. He would be a vital force in disseminating their music to a wider audience, as he would be with many other composers throughout his career. His primary means for accomplishing this was the piano transcription. Liszt and the Transcription Transcription versus Paraphrase Transcription and paraphrase were popular terms in nineteenth-century music, although certainly not unique to this period. Musicians understood that there were clear distinctions between these two terms, but as is often the case these distinctions could be blurred. Transcription, literally writing over, entails reworking or adapting a piece of music for a performance medium different from that of its original; arrangement is a possible synonym. Adapting is a key part of this process, for the success of a transcription relies on the transcriber's ability to adapt the piece to the different medium. As a result, the pre-existing material is generally kept intact, recognizable and intelligible; it is strict, literal, objective. Contextual meaning is maintained in the process, as are elements of style and form. Paraphrase, by contrast, implies restating something in a different manner, as in a rewording of a document for reasons of clarity. In nineteenth-century music, paraphrasing indicated elaborating a piece for purposes of expressive virtuosity, often as a vehicle for showmanship. Variation is an important element, for the source material may be varied as much as the paraphraser's imagination will allow; its purpose is metamorphosis. Transcription is adapting and arranging; paraphrasing is transforming and reworking. Transcription preserves the style of the original; paraphrase absorbs the original into a different style. Transcription highlights the original composer; paraphrase highlights the paraphraser. Approximately half of Liszt's compositional output falls under the category of transcription and paraphrase; it is noteworthy that he never used the term arrangement. Much of his early compositional activities were transcriptions and paraphrases of works of other composers, such as the symphonies of Beethoven and Berlioz, vocal music by Schubert, and operas by Donizetti and Bellini. It is conceivable that he focused so intently on work of this nature early in his career as a means to perfect his compositional technique, although transcription and paraphrase continued well after the technique had been mastered; this might explain why he drastically revised and rewrote many of his original compositions from the 1830s (such as the Transcendental Etudes and Paganini Etudes) in the 1850s. Charles Rosen, a sympathetic interpreter of Liszt's piano works, observes, The new revisions of the Transcendental Etudes are not revisions but concert paraphrases of the old, and their art lies in the technique of transformation. The Paganini etudes are piano transcriptions of violin etudes, and the Transcendental Etudes are piano transcriptions of piano etudes. The principles are the same. He concludes by noting, Paraphrase has shaded off into composition...Composition and paraphrase were not identical for him, but they were so closely interwoven that separation is impossible. The significance of transcription and paraphrase for Liszt the composer cannot be overstated, and the mutual influence of each needs to be better understood. Undoubtedly, Liszt the composer as we know him today would be far different had he not devoted so much of his career to transcribing and paraphrasing the music of others. He was perhaps one of the first composers to contend that transcription and paraphrase could be genuine art forms on equal par with original pieces; he even claimed to be the first to use these two terms to describe these classes of arrangements. Despite the success that Liszt achieved with this type of work, others viewed it with circumspection and criticism. Robert Schumann, although deeply impressed with Liszt's keyboard virtuosity, was harsh in his criticisms of the transcriptions. Schumann interpreted them as indicators that Liszt's virtuosity had hindered his compositional development and suggested that Liszt transcribed the music of others to compensate for his own compositional deficiencies. Nonetheless, Liszt's piano transcriptions, what he sometimes called partitions de piano (or piano scores), were instrumental in promoting composers whose music was unknown at the time or inaccessible in areas outside of major European capitals, areas that Liszt willingly toured during his Glanzzeit. To this end, the transcriptions had to be literal arrangements for the piano; a Beethoven symphony could not be introduced to an unknowing audience if its music had been subjected to imaginative elaborations and variations. The same would be true of the 1833 transcription of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique (composed only three years earlier), the astonishingly novel content of which would necessitate a literal and intelligible rendering. Opera, usually more popular and accessible for the general public, was a different matter, and in this realm Liszt could paraphrase the original and manipulate it as his imagination would allow without jeopardizing its reception; hence, the paraphrases on the operas of Bellini, Donizetti, Mozart, Meyerbeer and Verdi. Reminiscence was another term coined by Liszt for the opera paraphrases, as if the composer were reminiscing at the keyboard following a memorable evening at the opera. Illustration (reserved on two occasions for Meyerbeer) and fantasy were additional terms. The operas of Wagner were exceptions. His music was less suited to paraphrase due to its general lack of familiarity at the time. Transcription of Wagner's music was thus obligatory, as it was of Beethoven's and Berlioz's music; perhaps the composer himself insisted on this approach. Liszt's Lieder Transcriptions Liszt's initial encounters with Schubert's music, as mentioned previously, were with the Lieder. His first transcription of a Schubert Lied was Die Rose in 1833, followed by Lob der Tranen in 1837. Thirty-nine additional transcriptions appeared at a rapid pace over the following three years, and in 1846, the Schubert Lieder transcriptions would conclude, by which point he had completed fifty-eight, the most of any composer. Critical response to these transcriptions was highly favorable--aside from the view held by Schumann--particularly when Liszt himself played these pieces in concert. Some were published immediately by Anton Diabelli, famous for the theme that inspired Beethoven's variations. Others were published by the Viennese publisher Tobias Haslinger (one of Beethoven's and Schubert's publishers in the 1820s), who sold his reserves so quickly that he would repeatedly plead for more. However, Liszt's enthusiasm for work of this nature soon became exhausted, as he noted in a letter of 1839 to the publisher Breitkopf und Hartel: That good Haslinger overwhelms me with Schubert. I have just sent him twenty-four new songs (Schwanengesang and Winterreise), and for the moment I am rather tired of this work. Haslinger was justified in his demands, for the Schubert transcriptions were received with great enthusiasm. One Gottfried Wilhelm Fink, then editor of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, observed of these transcriptions: Nothing in recent memory has caused such sensation and enjoyment in both pianists and audiences as these arrangements...The demand for them has in no way been satisfied; and it will not be until these arrangements are seen on pianos everywhere. They have indeed made quite a splash. Eduard Hanslick, never a sympathetic critic of Liszt's music, acknowledged thirty years after the fact that, Liszt's transcriptions of Schubert Lieder were epoch-making. There was hardly a concert in which Liszt did not have to play one or two of them--even when they were not listed on the program. These transcriptions quickly became some of his most sough-after pieces, despite their extreme technical demands. Leading pianists of the day, such as Clara Wieck and Sigismond Thalberg, incorporated them into their concert programs immediately upon publication. Moreover, the transcriptions would serve as inspirations for other composers, such as Stephen Heller, Cesar Franck and later Leopold Godowsky, all of whom produced their own transcriptions of Schubert's Lieder. Liszt would transcribe the Lieder of other composers as well, including those by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Anton Rubinstein and even himself. Robert Schumann, of course, would not be ignored. The first transcription of a Schumann Lied was the celebrated Widmung from Myrten in 1848, the only Schumann transcription that Liszt completed during the composer's lifetime. (Regrettably, there is no evidence of Schumann's regard of this transcription, or even if he was aware of it.) From the years 1848-1881, Liszt transcribed twelve of Robert Schumann's Lieder (including one orchestral Lied) and three of Clara (one from each of her three published Lieder cycles); he would transcribe no other works of these two composers. The Schumann Lieder transcriptions, contrary to those of Schubert, are literal arrangements, posing, in general, far fewer demands on the pianist's technique. They are comparatively less imaginative in their treatment of the original material. Additionally, they seem to have been less valued in their day than the Schubert transcriptions, and it is noteworthy that none of the Schumann transcriptions bear dedications, as most of the Schubert transcriptions do. The greatest challenge posed by Lieder transcriptions, regardless of the composer or the nature of the transcription, was to combine the vocal and piano parts of the original such that the character of each would be preserved, a challenge unique to this form of transcription. Each part had to be intact and aurally recognizable, the vocal line in particular. Complications could be manifold in a Lied that featured dissimilar parts, such as Schubert's Auf dem Wasser zu singen, whose piano accompaniment depicts the rocking of the boat on the shimmering waves while the vocal line reflects on the passing of time. Similar complications would be encountered in Gretchen am Spinnrade, in which the ubiquitous sixteenth-note pattern in the piano's right hand epitomizes the ever-turning spinning wheel over which the soprano voice expresses feelings of longing and heartache. The resulting transcriptions for solo piano would place exceptional demands on the pianist. The complications would be far less imposing in instances in which voice and piano were less differentiated, as in many of Schumann's Lieder that Liszt transcribed. The piano parts in these Lieder are true accompaniments for the voice, providing harmonic foundation and rhythmic support by doubling the vocal line throughout. The transcriptions, thus, are strict and literal, with far fewer demands on both pianist and transcriber. In all of Liszt's Lieder transcriptions, regardless of the way in which the two parts are combined, the melody (i.e. the vocal line) is invariably the focal point; the melody should sing on the piano, as if it were the voice. The piano part, although integral to contributing to the character of the music, is designed to function as accompaniment. A singing melody was a crucial objective in nineteenth-century piano performance, which in part might explain the zeal in transcribing and paraphrasing vocal music for the piano. Friedrich Wieck, father and teacher of Clara Schumann, stressed this point repeatedly in his 1853 treatise Clavier und Gesang (Piano and Song): When I speak in general of singing, I refer to that species of singing which is a form of beauty, and which is a foundation for the most refined and most perfect interpretation of music; and, above all things, I consider the culture of beautiful tones the basis for the finest possible touch on the piano. In many respects, the piano and singing should explain and supplement each other. They should mutually assist in expressing the sublime and the noble, in forms of unclouded beauty. Much of Liszt's piano music should be interpreted with this concept in mind, the Lieder transcriptions and opera paraphrases, in particular. To this end, Liszt provided numerous written instructions to the performer to emphasize the vocal line in performance, with Italian directives such as un poco marcato il canto, accentuato assai il canto and ben pronunziato il canto. Repeated indications of cantando,singend and espressivo il canto stress the significance of the singing tone. As an additional means of achieving this and providing the performer with access to the poetry, Liszt insisted, at what must have been a publishing novelty at the time, on printing the words of the Lied in the music itself. Haslinger, seemingly oblivious to Liszt's intent, initially printed the poems of the early Schubert transcriptions separately inside the front covers. Liszt argued that the transcriptions must be reprinted with the words underlying the notes, exactly as Schubert had done, a request that was honored by printing the words above the right-hand staff. Liszt also incorporated a visual scheme for distinguishing voice and accompaniment, influenced perhaps by Chopin, by notating the accompaniment in cue size. His transcription of Robert Schumann's Fruhlings Ankunft features the vocal line in normal size, the piano accompaniment in reduced size, an unmistakable guide in a busy texture as to which part should be emphasized: Example 1. Schumann-Liszt Fruhlings Ankunft, mm. 1-2. The same practice may be found in the transcription of Schumann's An die Turen will ich schleichen. In this piece, the performer must read three staves, in which the baritone line in the central staff is to be shared between the two hands based on the stem direction of the notes: Example 2. Schumann-Liszt An die Turen will ich schleichen, mm. 1-5. This notational practice is extremely beneficial in this instance, given the challenge of reading three staves and the manner in which the vocal line is performed by the two hands. Curiously, Liszt did not use this practice in other transcriptions. Approaches in Lieder Transcription Liszt adopted a variety of approaches in his Lieder transcriptions, based on the nature of the source material, the ways in which the vocal and piano parts could be combined and the ways in which the vocal part could sing. One approach, common with strophic Lieder, in which the vocal line would be identical in each verse, was to vary the register of the vocal part. The transcription of Lob der Tranen, for example, incorporates three of the four verses of the original Lied, with the register of the vocal line ascending one octave with each verse (from low to high), as if three different voices were participating. By the conclusion, the music encompasses the entire range of Liszt's keyboard to produce a stunning climactic effect, and the variety of register of the vocal line provides a welcome textural variety in the absence of the words. The three verses of the transcription of Auf dem Wasser zu singen follow the same approach, in which the vocal line ascends from the tenor, to the alto and to the soprano registers with each verse. Fruhlingsglaube adopts the opposite approach, in which the vocal line descends from soprano in verse 1 to tenor in verse 2, with the second part of verse 2 again resuming the soprano register; this is also the case in Das Wandern from Mullerlieder. Gretchen am Spinnrade posed a unique problem. Since the poem's narrator is female, and the poem represents an expression of her longing for her lover Faust, variation of the vocal line's register, strictly speaking, would have been impractical. For this reason, the vocal line remains in its original register throughout, relentlessly colliding with the sixteenth-note pattern of the accompaniment. One exception may be found in the fifth and final verse in mm. 93-112, at which point the vocal line is notated in a higher register and doubled in octaves. This sudden textural change, one that is readily audible, was a strategic means to underscore Gretchen's mounting anxiety (My bosom urges itself toward him. Ah, might I grasp and hold him! And kiss him as I would wish, at his kisses I should die!). The transcription, thus, becomes a vehicle for maximizing the emotional content of the poem, an exceptional undertaking with the general intent of a transcription. Registral variation of the vocal part also plays a crucial role in the transcription of Erlkonig. Goethe's poem depicts the death of a child who is apprehended by a supernatural Erlking, and Schubert, recognizing the dramatic nature of the poem, carefully depicted the characters (father, son and Erlking) through unique vocal writing and accompaniment patterns: the Lied is a dramatic entity. Liszt, in turn, followed Schubert's characterization in this literal transcription, yet took it an additional step by placing the register of the father's vocal line in the baritone range, that of the son in the soprano range and that of the Erlking in the highest register, options that would not have been available in the version for voice and piano. Additionally, Liszt labeled each appearance of each character in the score, a means for guiding the performer in interpreting the dramatic qualities of the Lied. As a result, the drama and energy of the poem are enhanced in this transcription; as with Gretchen am Spinnrade, the transcriber has maximized the content of the original. Elaboration may be found in certain Lieder transcriptions that expand the performance to a level of virtuosity not found in the original; in such cases, the transcription approximates the paraphrase. Schubert's Du bist die Ruh, a paradigm of musical simplicity, features an uncomplicated piano accompaniment that is virtually identical in each verse. In Liszt's transcription, the material is subjected to a highly virtuosic treatment that far exceeds the original, including a demanding passage for the left hand alone in the opening measures and unique textural writing in each verse. The piece is a transcription in virtuosity; its art, as Rosen noted, lies in the technique of transformation. Elaboration may entail an expansion of the musical form, as in the extensive introduction to Die Forelle and a virtuosic middle section (mm. 63-85), both of which are not in the original. Also unique to this transcription are two cadenzas that Liszt composed in response to the poetic content. The first, in m. 93 on the words und eh ich es gedacht (and before I could guess it), features a twisted chromatic passage that prolongs and thereby heightens the listener's suspense as to the fate of the trout (which is ultimately caught). The second, in m. 108 on the words Betrogne an (and my blood boiled as I saw the betrayed one), features a rush of diminished-seventh arpeggios in both hands, epitomizing the poet's rage at the fisherman for catching the trout. Less frequent are instances in which the length of the original Lied was shortened in the transcription, a tendency that may be found with certain strophic Lieder (e.g., Der Leiermann, Wasserflut and Das Wandern). Another transcription that demonstrates Liszt's readiness to modify the original in the interests of the poetic content is Standchen, the seventh transcription from Schubert's Schwanengesang. Adapted from Act II of Shakespeare's Cymbeline, the poem represents the repeated beckoning of a man to his lover. Liszt transformed the Lied into a miniature drama by transcribing the vocal line of the first verse in the soprano register, that of the second verse in the baritone register, in effect, creating a dialogue between the two lovers. In mm. 71-102, the dialogue becomes a canon, with one voice trailing the other like an echo (as labeled in the score) at the distance of a beat. As in other instances, the transcription resembles the paraphrase, and it is perhaps for this reason that Liszt provided an ossia version that is more in the nature of a literal transcription. The ossia version, six measures shorter than Schubert's original, is less demanding technically than the original transcription, thus representing an ossia of transcription and an ossia of piano technique. The Schumann Lieder transcriptions, in general, display a less imaginative treatment of the source material. Elaborations are less frequently encountered, and virtuosity is more restricted, as if the passage of time had somewhat tamed the composer's approach to transcriptions; alternatively, Liszt was eager to distance himself from the fierce virtuosity of his early years. In most instances, these transcriptions are literal arrangements of the source material, with the vocal line in its original form combined with the accompaniment, which often doubles the vocal line in the original Lied. Widmung, the first of the Schumann transcriptions, is one exception in the way it recalls the virtuosity of the Schubert transcriptions of the 1830s. Particularly striking is the closing section (mm. 58-73), in which material of the opening verse (right hand) is combined with the triplet quarter notes (left hand) from the second section of the Lied (mm. 32-43), as if the transcriber were attempting to reconcile the different material of these two sections. Fruhlingsnacht resembles a paraphrase by presenting each of the two verses in differing registers (alto for verse 1, mm. 3-19, and soprano for verse 2, mm. 20-31) and by concluding with a virtuosic section that considerably extends the length of the original Lied. The original tonalities of the Lieder were generally retained in the transcriptions, showing that the tonality was an important part of the transcription process. The infrequent instances of transposition were done for specific reasons. In 1861, Liszt transcribed two of Schumann's Lieder, one from Op. 36 (An den Sonnenschein), another from Op. 27 (Dem roten Roslein), and merged these two pieces in the collection 2 Lieder; they share only the common tonality of A major. His choice for combining these two Lieder remains unknown, but he clearly recognized that some tonal variety would be needed, for which reason Dem roten Roslein was transposed to C>= major. The collection features An den Sonnenschein in A major (with a transition to the new tonality), followed by Dem roten Roslein in C>= major (without a change of key signature), and concluding with a reprise of An den Sonnenschein in A major. A three-part form was thus established with tonal variety provided by keys in third relations (A-C>=-A); in effect, two of Schumann's Lieder were transcribed into an archetypal song without words. In other instances, Liszt treated tonality and tonal organization as important structural ingredients, particularly in the transcriptions of Schubert's Lieder cycles, i.e. Schwanengesang, Winterreise a...

SKU: HL.44011762

UPC: 884088896591. 9x12 inches. English(US)/Deutsch/Francais/Nederlands.

The hymn Nun ruhen alle Walder (Now All Forests Rest), arranged by J.S. Bach (No. 6, So sei nun, Seele, deine, from Cantata BWV 13), is a guiding light throughout this four-movement composition. Pütz wrote this work as a musical outcry against the wilful, profit-driven destruction of our environment. When Bach used the word ruhen (to rest) over 350 years ago, it probably had a different nuance from the meaning it has today. At the beginning of the 21st century - the so-called age of progress - nun ruhen alle Walder should mean now all forests die . Massive industrialization and globalization, coupled with pure greed, corruption, political scandals, an ever-wideninggap between the rich and poor, and other such senseless human actions, are pushing our blue planet closer and closer to the point of no return. This work is not intended to be a ranting accusation. It should remind us of the beauty and harmony that can exist all around us in nature, if we take care of it. Pütz hopes that this will, one day, help put a greater emphasis on humanity's survival, and coexistence with nature rather than the exploitation described earlier. All four texts were created by Australian poet Graeme King, whose works were discovered by Pütz, by chance on the internet. Pütz was especially captivated by King's clarity, and intrigued by the possibilities of adapting and melding the strong rhythmical structure of King's writing with his own musical language. The four movements are as follows: 1. Tears of Nature 2. Grrrevolution 3. Stand up! 4. Tomorrow The world premiere of Four Earth Songs took place on 7 July 2009 at the 14th WASBE-Conference in Cincinnati (USA). This work is dedicated in friendship to Jouke Hoekstra, conductor, and the Frysk Fanfare Orkest (the Frisian Fanfare-Orchestra).

De hymne Nun ruhen alle Walder, gearrangeerd door J.S. Bach (nr. 6, So sei nun, Seele, deine, uit cantate BWV 13), is de leidraad in deze vierdelige compositie. Putz schreef het werk als een muzikaal protest tegen de moedwillige,op winstbejag gebaseerde vernietiging van ons milieu. Toen Bach het woord 'ruhen' (rusten) meer dan 350 jaar geleden gebruikte, lag er waarschijnlijk een andere nuance in dan tegenwoordig. Aan het begin van de 21e eeuw - dezogenaamde eeuw van de vooruitgang - zou 'nun ruhen alle Walder' zelfs kunnen betekenen: 'nu sterven alle bossen'. De grootschalige industrialisatie en globalisering, in combinatie met pure hebzucht, corruptie, politieke schandalen,een groeiende kloof tussen arm en rijk, en andere dwaze menselijke verrichtingen, brengen onze blauwe planeet steeds verder in de problemen, tot er misschien geen weg terug meer is. Dit werk is niet bedoeld als een beschuldigendetirade. Het moet ons wijzen op de schoonheid en harmonie die in de natuur om ons heen kan bestaan, als we er goed voor zorgen. Putz hoopt dat er op een dag meer nadruk gelegd zal worden op het overleven van de mensheid invreedzame co-existentie met de natuur, zonder de eerdergenoemde uitbuiting. Alle vier de teksten zijn geschreven door de Australische dichter Graeme King, wiens werk Putz bij toeval tegenkwam op het internet. Hij werd getroffendoor Kings helderheid en raakte geintrigeerd door de mogelijkheid de sterke ritmische structuur van Kings teksten om te zetten in zijn eigen muzikale taal. De vier delen zijn de volgende: 1. Tears of Nature 2. Grrrevolution 3.Stand up! 4. Tomorrow De wereldpremiere van Four Earth Songs vond plaats op 7 juli 2009 tijdens de 14e WASBE Conference in Cincinnati (VS). Dit werk is in vriendschap opgedragen aan dirigent Jouke Hoekstra en zijn Fryskt Fanfare

Der Choral Nun ruhen alle Walder, hier in einer Bearbeitung von J.S. Bach (Nr. 6 So sei nun, Seele, deine aus der Kantate BWV 13), zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch diese viersatzige Komposition, die als musikalischer Aufschrei (Anfang!) gegen die mutwillige, profitgesteuerte Zerstorung unserer Umwelt gedacht ist. Sicher hatte das Wort ruhen vor über 350 Jahren, als der Liedtext entstand, eine andere Bedeutung als heute. Zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts, im sogenannten Zeitalter des Fortschritts, müsste es leider wohl eher heissen: Nun sterben alle Walder... Massive Industrialisierung, Globalisierung, aber auch Profitgier, Korruption, politische Unfahigkeit,krasse Unterschiede zwischen arm und reich, und schlussendlich die Uneinsichtigkeit des einzelnen Menschen haben dazu geführt, dass der Blaue Planet heute kurz vor dem Kollaps steht. Dieses Werk soll jedoch nicht nur anklagen, es soll auch die verbliebenen Schonheiten unserer Natur aufzeigen, in der Hoffnung, dass es einmal gelingen wird, die Rettung der Natur und den Schutz der Umwelt über die oben genannten Interessen zu stellen. Alle vier Texte stammen aus der Feder des australischen Dichters Graeme King, dessen Werk der Komponist durch einen glücklichen Zufall im Internet entdeckte. Besonders inspirierend war die Direktheit von Graemes Aussagen, aber auch die kraftvolle Rhythmik seiner Verse mit den daraus resultierenden Moglichkeiten der musikalischen Umsetzung. Die vier Satze sind wie folgt überschrieben: 1. Tears of Nature 2. Grrrevolution 3. Stand up! 4. Tomorrow Die offizielle Uraufführung von Four Earth Songs fand am 7. Juli 2009 statt, anlasslich der 14. WASBE-Konferenz in Cincinnati (USA). Das Werk ist dem Dirigenten Jouke Hoekstra und dem Frysk Fanfare Orkest (Friesischen Fanfareorchester) in aller Freundschaft gewidmet.

Le cantique Nun ruhen alle Walder, dont la ligne melodique fut reprise par Jean-Sebastien Bach pour son choral So sein nun, Seele, deine (Choral ndeg6 - Cantate BWV 13), est le fil conducteur de cette oeuvre en quatre mouvements concue comme un cri contre la destruction volontaire de la nature pour le profit. Plus de trois siecles nous separent du temps de Bach. Si les mots sont restes les memes, leur sens primitif connait cependant quelques nuances. Ainsi, au XXIe siecle - considere comme le << siecle du progres >>, il conviendrait de traduire Nun ruhen alle Walder (les forets se reposent ) par Les forets se meurent. La mondialisation et l'industrialisation massiveassociees a l'avidite predatrice, a la corruption politique, aux actions humaines irrationnelles et au fosse grandissant entre riches et pauvres conduisent notre planete bleue a se rapprocher chaque jour un peu plus du point de non retour. Cette composition n'est pas une accusation acerbe, mais plutot une exhortation a prendre soin de cette beaute si harmonieuse que nous offre la nature. Et peut-etre, prendrons-nous enfin conscience de l'importance d'une situation de coexistence avec la nature, necessaire pour la survie de l'espece humaine, et non d'exploitation qui conduit a la destruction. Un jour, alors qu'il naviguait sur Internet, Marco Pütz decouvrit l'oeuvre du poete australien Graeme King. Fascine par la clarte de l'ecriture et le rythme des vers, Marco Pütz imagina les multiples possibilites d'adaptation et de mise en musique qu'offrent les poemes de King. Il choisit quatre poemes sur la nature pour creer son oeuvre Four Earth Songs (Quatre chants de la terre). 1. Tears of Nature (Les larmes de la Nature) 2. Grrrevolution 3. Stand up! (Levez-vous !) 4. Tomorrow (Demain) Four Earth Songs est dedie amicalement a l'Orchestre de Fanfare de Frise (Frysk Fanfare Orkest) et a son chef, Jouke Hoekstra. L'oeuvre a ete donnee en creation mondiale par l'orchestre dedicataire a l'occasion de la 14eme Convention de la WASBE a Cincinnati aux.

SKU: CZ.9798396293144

ISBN 9798396293144.

Discover the spirit of America with Thirty Famous Patriotic Songs for Piano Accompaniment (Strings), a remarkable collection of melodies that celebrates the land of the brave and the home of the free. This comprehensive book brings together some of the most beloved patriotic tunes that honor the USA, making it the perfect companion for occasions like July Fourth or any time of the year when you want to express your love for your country.
With Thirty Famous Patriotic Songs for Piano Accompaniment (Strings), you can immerse yourself in the rich musical heritage that has resonated with Americans throughout history while providing accompaniment for a number of different woodwinds and brass. The book features timeless classics like Amazing Grace, My Country Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful, and The Star-Spangled Banner, which will evoke a deep sense of national pride with every note.
To enhance your musical experience, mp3 accompaniment tracks are available online, allowing you to perform these iconic songs with full instrumental support. This accompaniment book ensures that pianists have the sheet music they need to master these patriotic melodies and provide musical background for instrumental solos.
From the stirring Battle Cry of Freedom to the soul-stirring Eternal Father, Strong to Save, Thirty Famous Patriotic Songs for Piano Accompaniment (Strings) encompasses a diverse array of compositions that capture the essence of the American spirit. Whether you're commemorating the sacrifices of the armed forces with The Marine's Hymn or embracing the lively spirit of American folk with Oh! Susanna and Yankee Doodle, this collection has it all.
Experience the pride and joy of being an American with Thirty Famous Patriotic Songs for Piano Accompaniment (Strings). Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of American history, as reflected in the music that has accompanied the nation through triumph and adversity. Let the melodies of liberty, unity, and patriotism resonate within your heart as you sing or play these beloved songs. Celebrate the legacy of a nation with Thirty Famous Patriotic Songs for Piano Accompaniment (Strings) and let the music of America inspire you.

SKU: CF.H84

ISBN 9781491165539. UPC: 680160924530.

Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. Over his long career, he added a significant catalogue of very beautiful works to the harp repertoire. Many of his solo works, almost one hundred, have been consistently in print since they were first published. But in recent years harpist Carl Swanson has discovered a treasure trove of pieces by Tournier heretofore unknown and unpublished. These include the Déchiffrages in this edition, as well as songs set for voice, harp, and string quartet, and ensemble arrangements of some of his most beloved works.All of the works that Carl Swanson found were in manuscript only. With the help of the great harpist Catherine Michel, he has put these pieces into playable form, and they are being published for the very first time. He and Catherine often had to re-notate passages to show clearly how they could be played, adding fingerings and musical nuances, tempos, pedals, and pedal diagrams.Tournier wrote these pieces when he was in his 20s, and before he became the impressionistic composer those familiar with his work know so well. They are written in the late nineteenth-century romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. They are beautiful short, intermediate level pieces by a first rate composer, and add much needed repertoire to that level of playing.
Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory with a first prize in harp in 1899. He also studied composition there and won a second prize in the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, as well as a first prize in the Rossini competition, another major composition competition of the day. From 1912 to 1948 he taught the harp class at the Paris Conservatory. But composition, and almost entirely, composition for the harp, was the main focus of his life. His published works, including many works for solo harp, a few for harp and other instruments, and several songs, number around one hundred pieces.In 2019, while researching Tournier for my edition MARCEL TOURNIER: 10 Pieces for Solo Harp, I discovered that there was a significant list of pieces by this composer that had never been published and were not included on any inventory of his music. Principal on this list were his déchiffrages (pronounced day-she-frahge, like the second syllable in the word garage).The word déchiffrage means sight-reading exercise, and that was their original purpose. Tournier numbered and dated these pieces, with dates ranging from 1900 to 1910, indicating that they were in all likelihood written for Alphonse Hasselmans’ class at the Paris Conservatory. Tournier was probably told how long to make each one, and how difficult. They range in length from two to four pages, with only one in the whole series extending to five, and from thirty to fifty-five measures, with only one extending to eight-five. The level of difficulty for the whole series is intermediate, with some at the easier end, and others at the middle or upper end.We don’t know if they were intended to test students trying to enter the harp class, or if they were used to test students in the class as they played their exams. The fact that they were never published means that students had to not only sight read them, but sight read them in manuscript form!I worked from digital images of the original manuscripts, which are in the private music library of a harpist in France. She had twenty-seven of these pieces, and this edition is the second in a series of three that will publish, for the first time, all of the ones that I have found thus far. The manuscripts themselves consist of little more than notes on the page: no pedals written in, no fingerings, few if any musical nuances and tempo markings, and no clear indication as to which hand plays which notes. These would have been difficult to sight read indeed! My collaborator Catherine Michel and I added musical nuances, fingerings, pedals and pedal diagrams, and tempo indications to put them into their current condition.At the time these were written, Tournier would have been in his twenties, having just graduated from the harp class himself (1899), and might still have been in the composition class. These are the earliest known pieces that he wrote, and they were written at the very beginning of a cultural revolution and upheaval in Paris that was to completely and profoundly alter musical composition. Tournier himself would eventually be caught up in this new way of composing. But not yet.All of the déchiffrages are written in the late romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. Each one is built on a clear musical idea, and the variety over the whole series makes them wonderful to listen to as well as to learn. They are also great technical lessons for intermediate level players.The obvious question is: Why didn’t Tournier publish these pieces, and why didn’t he list them on his own inventory of his music? Actually, four of them were published, with small changes, as his collection Four Preludes, Op. 16. These came from the ones that will be in volume three of this series from Carl Fischer. His first large piece, Theme and Variations, was published in 1908, and his two best known and frequently played pieces, Féerie and Au Matin, followed in 1912 and 1913 respectively. We can only speculate because there is so much still unknown about Tournier and about these unpublished pieces. He may have looked at them, fresh out of school as he was, as simply a way to make some quick money. The first several pieces that he did publish are much longer than any of the déchiffrages. So it could be that, because of their shorter length, as well as the earlier musical style that he was moving away from, he chose not to publish any more of them. We may never know the full story. But all these years later, more than a century after they were composed, we can listen to them for their own merits, and not measured against whatever else was going on at the time. The numbers on these pieces are the ones that Tournier assigned to them, and the gaps between some of the numbers suggest that there are perhaps thirty or more of these pieces still to be found, if they still exist. They will, in all likelihood, be found, as these were, in private collections of harp music, not in institutional libraries. We can only hope that more of them will be located in years to come.—Carl SwansonGlossary of French Musical TermsTournier was very precise about how he wanted his pieces played, and carefully communicated this with many musical indications. He used standard Italian words, but also used French words and phrases, and occasionally mixed both together. It is extremely important to observe and understand everything that he put on the page.Here is a list of the French words and phrases found in the pieces in this edition, with their translation.bien chanté well sung, melodiousdécidé firm, resolutediminu peu à peu becoming softer little by littleen diminuant becoming softeren riten. slowing downen se perdant dying awayGaiement gayly, lightlygracieusement gracefully, elegantlyLéger light, quickLent slowmarquez le chant emphasize the melodyModéré at a moderate tempopeu à peu animé more lively, little by littleplus lent slowerRetenu held backsans lenteur without slownesssans retinir without slowing downsec drily, abruptlysoutenu sustained, heldtrès arpegé very arpeggiatedTrès Modéré Very moderate tempoTrès peu retenu slightly held backTrès soutenu very sustainedun peu retenu slightly held back.

SKU: BO.B.3662

The Sonatas de Paris are divided into two books. Comellas began the series in early 1952 and they were finished in 1955. As with most of his works, he composed without having a plan to premier them or a commission. So upon having them completed, he filed them away. On many occasions, his close friend Jordi Giro would read thrue the pieces or Anna Ricci would sing his songs, but very little of his music was performed during his life time.

The two books entitled Sonatas de Paris are really to books with totally different character. The first book is made up of short piano pieces in a neo baroque style. More than following strict forms of the baroque suite, the pieces are more a evoking of the baroque style. Book one loosely follows the idea of a suite or ordre, where as book two is much freer in structure being made up of various pieces, a few in memory of his favored composers (Albeniz, Debussy, and Granados) ending with a group of four dances, Las indias danzantes [Dances of the Indian girls], that refer to an Indian dance. This group of dances is not really playable by one pianist and seems to be really meant to be performed piano 4 hands, but since there is no note about this in the score it is hard to say. A few of these pieces were performed by Rosa Sabater in Paris in 1980.

The present edition is based on manuscripts that are in the Joan Comellas deposit in the National Catalonian Library in Barcelona.

SKU: BT.DHP-1043758-120

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Singapore Rhapsody is an exciting work in two movements based on popular Malaysian folksongs. The songs that occur in the first movement are Rasa Sayang eh (a love song), Gelang Sipaku Gelang (a song about community spirit), Suriram (a song about a girl proclaiming her virtues) and Di-Tanjung Katong (a love song that takes place at the Cape Katong on the southeast coast of Singapore). The second movement features Lenggang Kangkung, which literally means “The swaying of the watercress,” Katang Lompat (a moralistic song about the symbolism of the frog) and finally Kenek kenek-lah Udang (a wedding song). Each movement of this enchanting work can be performed separately but acomplete performance will be the crowning moment of any concert.

Dit tweedelige werk is gebaseerd op populaire Maleisische volksliedjes. De liedjes uit het eerste deel zijn Rasa Sayang eh (een liefdesliedje), Gelang Sipaku Gelang (een liedje over gemeenschapszin), Suriram (overeen meisje dat haar eeuwige vriendschap aanbiedt) en Di-Tanjung Katong (een liefdeslied dat zich afspeelt aan de zuidoostkust van Singapore). Deel twee bestaat uit Lenggang Kangkung (letterlijk ‘het zwaaien vande waterkers’), Katang Lompat (over de symboliek van de kikker) en Kenek kenek-lah Udang (een bruiloftslied). De twee delen van Singapore Rhapsody kunnen prima los van elkaar worden uitgevoerd.

Jacob de Haans Komposition besteht aus zwei Sätzen, die auf malaysischen Volksliedern basieren: zwei Liebeslieder, ein Lied über die Freundschaft, zwei Lieder über die Natur sowie ein Hochzeitslied. Die beiden Sätze von Singapore Rhapsody sind nicht untrennbar miteinander verbunden; sie können daher auch problemlos getrennt voneinander aufgeführt werden. Bringen Sie mit dieser Rhapsodie etwas Exotik in Ihr nächstes Konzert!

Singapour, la cité du Lion, est l’un des plus importants carrefours d’Asie. Singapour mélange habilement les cultures chinoises, malaises, indiennes et occidentales. La musique traditionnelle est l’image de la multiethnicité de cette ville-état. Les deux mouvements de cette composition s’inspirent de chants traditionnels malais. Le premier mouvement développe quatre chants traditionnels de caractère contrastant et contrasté. Le second mouvement est basé sur les chants Lenggang Kangkung (qui dépeint le gracieux mouvement du cresson de rizière), Katang Lompat (une chanson moraliste qui évoque le symbolisme de la grenouille) et un chant de mariage. Les deux mouvements de cetterhapsodie ne sont pas intimement liés. Il est donc possible de les interpréter séparément.

Singapore, la citt del leone, è uno dei più importanti crocevia dell’Asia. Singapore mischia abilmente le culture provenienti dalla Cina, dalla Malesia, dall’India a quelle occidentali. La musica tradizionale è l’immagine delle molte etnie di questa citt -stato. I due movimenti di questa composizione si ispirano a canti tradizionali della Malesia. Il primo movimento sviluppa quattro canti tradizionali di carattere contrastante e contrastato. Il secondo movimento è basato sui canti Lenggang Kangkung e Katang Lompat, che, come d’abitudine in oriente, descrivono animali e l’ambiente in cui vivono legandoli a simbolismi, e un canto tradizionale in occasione di matrimoni. I duemovimenti di questa rapsodia non sono legati tra loro, rendendo possibile eseguirli separatamente.

SKU: CN.S11103

Before the days of photography, the great state occasions were captured in paintings and tapestries. In this Suite, the composer has imagined the pomp and splendor of the English court at work and play, capturing each mood in a short movement.

Stuart Johnson has the fine ability to capture moods and scenes in music. He was born in Staffordshire, the county for which he was Director of Music until his retirement in 1997. After experience as a player in brass bands, he served in the band of the King's Dragoon Guards before training as a teacher and working in schools. Following a period as a lecturer at Northumberland College of Education he became Music Adviser to the Metropolitan District of Sandwell prior to his appointment to Staffordshire. He has long experience as a conductor, particularly in the choral and band fields and also wide experience as an adjudicator and examiner. He has written prolifically for bands and orchestras and his didactic publications are used in many countries. He has over eighty published compositions and arrangements, many of which have been broadcast on radio or television. His commissioned works include the cantata David and Goliath which was first performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Oregon Overture for wind orchestra, Landscapes, Sinfonietta No 2, Wessex Dances and A Castle Suite. Stuart Johnson has recently completed several commissions, funded by National Lottery grants, for bands in Cumbria, the Isle of Wight, and Staffordshire. Requiem for Soprano, Chorus and Orchestra, was premiered successfully in front of a capacity audience in Lichfield Cathedral in March 1997, and received its first London performance at St. John's Smith Square in March 1998. This prestigious venue also saw the first performance of Songs and Sonnets for unaccompanied mixed choir in 2001. Stuart Johnson has written extensively for the theatre, his music for the production of Anna of the Five Towns was used for both the radio and television adaptations His music ranges in style from the evocative and demanding Sinfonietta for Wind Orchestra, which has received many performances since its premiere in the Royal Festival Hall, including a broadcast by the Band of the Scots Guards, to his ubiquitous Bandstand Boogie which has set feet tapping all over the world. Apart from the latter his most performed work is probably Circus Suite which was the British Youth Band Championship test piece in 1980. Northumbrian Suite and Landscapes have also been used as National Brass Band Championship test pieces. The Flint Knappers commissioned as a test piece for the 1998 East Anglian Band Festival was selected as a test piece for the 1999 Australian Championships. Before the days of photography, the great state occasions were captured in paintings and tapestries. In this Suite, the composer has imagined the pomp and splendor of the English court at work and play, capturing each mood in a short movement.