SKU: HL.49046544

ISBN 9781705122655. UPC: 842819108726. 9.0x12.0x0.224 inches.

I composed the Piano Concerto in two stages: the first three movements during the years 1985-86, the next two in 1987, the final autograph of the last movement was ready by January, 1988. The concerto is dedicated to the American conductor Mario di Bonaventura. The markings of the movements are the following: 1. Vivace molto ritmico e preciso 2. Lento e deserto 3. Vivace cantabile 4. Allegro risoluto 5. Presto luminoso.The first performance of the three-movement Concerto was on October 23rd, 1986 in Graz. Mario di Bonaventura conducted while his brother, Anthony di Bonaventura, was the soloist. Two days later the performance was repeated in the Vienna Konzerthaus. After hearing the work twice, I came to the conclusion that the third movement is not an adequate finale; my feeling of form demanded continuation, a supplement. That led to the composing of the next two movements. The premiere of the whole cycle took place on February 29th, 1988, in the Vienna Konzerthaus with the same conductor and the same pianist. The orchestra consisted of the following: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, percussion and strings. The flautist also plays the piccoIo, the clarinetist, the alto ocarina. The percussion is made up of diverse instruments, which one musician-virtuoso can play. It is more practical, however, if two or three musicians share the instruments. Besides traditional instruments the percussion part calls also for two simple wind instruments: the swanee whistle and the harmonica. The string instrument parts (two violins, viola, cello and doubles bass) can be performed soloistic since they do not contain divisi. For balance, however, the ensemble playing is recommended, for example 6-8 first violins, 6-8 second, 4-6 violas, 4-6 cellos, 3-4 double basses. In the Piano Concerto I realized new concepts of harmony and rhythm. The first movement is entirely written in bimetry: simultaneously 12/8 and 4/4 (8/8). This relates to the known triplet on a doule relation and in itself is nothing new. Because, however, I articulate 12 triola and 8 duola pulses, an entangled, up till now unheard kind of polymetry is created. The rhythm is additionally complicated because of asymmetric groupings inside two speed layers, which means accents are asymmetrically distributed. These groups, as in the talea technique, have a fixed, continuously repeating rhythmic structures of varying lengths in speed layers of 12/8 and 4/4. This means that the repeating pattern in the 12/8 level and the pattern in the 4/4 level do not coincide and continuously give a kaleidoscope of renewing combinations. In our perception we quickly resign from following particular rhythmical successions and that what is going on in time appears for us as something static, resting. This music, if it is played properly, in the right tempo and with the right accents inside particular layers, after a certain time 'rises, as it were, as a plane after taking off: the rhythmic action, too complex to be able to follow in detail, begins flying. This diffusion of individual structures into a different global structure is one of my basic compositional concepts: from the end of the fifties, from the orchestral works Apparitions and Atmospheres I continuously have been looking for new ways of resolving this basic question. The harmony of the first movement is based on mixtures, hence on the parallel leading of voices. This technique is used here in a rather simple form; later in the fourth movement it will be considerably developed. The second movement (the only slow one amongst five movements) also has a talea type of structure, it is however much simpler rhythmically, because it contains only one speed layer. The melody is consisted in the development of a rigorous interval mode in which two minor seconds and one major second alternate therefore nine notes inside an octave. This mode is transposed into different degrees and it also determines the harmony of the movement; however, in closing episode in the piano part there is a combination of diatonics (white keys) and pentatonics (black keys) led in brilliant, sparkling quasimixtures, while the orchestra continues to play in the nine tone mode. In this movement I used isolated sounds and extreme registers (piccolo in a very low register, bassoon in a very high register, canons played by the swanee whistle, the alto ocarina and brass with a harmon-mute' damper, cutting sound combinations of the piccolo, clarinet and oboe in an extremely high register, also alternating of a whistle-siren and xylophone). The third movement also has one speed layer and because of this it appears as simpler than the first, but actually the rhythm is very complicated in a different way here. Above the uninterrupted, fast and regular basic pulse, thanks to the asymmetric distribution of accents, different types of hemiolas and inherent melodical patterns appear (the term was coined by Gerhard Kubik in relation to central African music). If this movement is played with the adequate speed and with very clear accentuation, illusory rhythmic-melodical figures appear. These figures are not played directly; they do not appear in the score, but exist only in our perception as a result of co-operation of different voices. Already earlier I had experimented with illusory rhythmics, namely in Poeme symphonique for 100 metronomes (1962), in Continuum for harpsichord (1968), in Monument for two pianos (1976), and especially in the first and sixth piano etude Desordre and Automne a Varsovie (1985). The third movement of the Piano Concerto is up to now the clearest example of illusory rhythmics and illusory melody. In intervallic and chordal structure this movement is based on alternation, and also inter-relation of various modal and quasi-equidistant harmony spaces. The tempered twelve-part division of the octave allows for diatonical and other modal interval successions, which are not equidistant, but are based on the alternation of major and minor seconds in different groups. The tempered system also allows for the use of the anhemitonic pentatonic scale (the black keys of the piano). From equidistant scales, therefore interval formations which are based on the division of an octave in equal distances, the twelve-tone tempered system allows only chromatics (only minor seconds) and the six-tone scale (the whole-tone: only major seconds). Moreover, the division of the octave into four parts only minor thirds) and three parts (three major thirds) is possible. In several music cultures different equidistant divisions of an octave are accepted, for example, in the Javanese slendro into five parts, in Melanesia into seven parts, popular also in southeastern Asia, and apart from this, in southern Africa. This does not mean an exact equidistance: there is a certain tolerance for the inaccurateness of the interval tuning. These exotic for us, Europeans, harmony and melody have attracted me for several years. However I did not want to re-tune the piano (microtone deviations appear in the concerto only in a few places in the horn and trombone parts led in natural tones). After the period of experimenting, I got to pseudo- or quasiequidistant intervals, which is neither whole-tone nor chromatic: in the twelve-tone system, two whole-tone scales are possible, shifted a minor second apart from each other. Therefore, I connect these two scales (or sound resources), and for example, places occur where the melodies and figurations in the piano part are created from both whole tone scales; in one band one six-tone sound resource is utilized, and in the other hand, the complementary. In this way whole-tonality and chromaticism mutually reduce themselves: a type of deformed equidistancism is formed, strangely brilliant and at the same time slanting; illusory harmony, indeed being created inside the tempered twelve-tone system, but in sound quality not belonging to it anymore. The appearance of such slantedequidistant harmony fields alternating with modal fields and based on chords built on fifths (mainly in the piano part), complemented with mixtures built on fifths in the orchestra, gives this movement an individual, soft-metallic colour (a metallic sound resulting from harmonics). The fourth movement was meant to be the central movement of the Concerto. Its melodc-rhythmic elements (embryos or fragments of motives) in themselves are simple. The movement also begins simply, with a succession of overlapping of these elements in the mixture type structures. Also here a kaleidoscope is created, due to a limited number of these elements - of these pebbles in the kaleidoscope - which continuously return in augmentations and diminutions. Step by step, however, so that in the beginning we cannot hear it, a compiled rhythmic organization of the talea type gradually comes into daylight, based on the simultaneity of two mutually shifted to each other speed layers (also triplet and duoles, however, with different asymmetric structures than in the first movement). While longer rests are gradually filled in with motive fragments, we slowly come to the conclusion that we have found ourselves inside a rhythmic-melodical whirl: without change in tempo, only through increasing the density of the musical events, a rotation is created in the stream of successive and compiled, augmented and diminished motive fragments, and increasing the density suggests acceleration. Thanks to the periodical structure of the composition, always new but however of the same (all the motivic cells are similar to earlier ones but none of them are exactly repeated; the general structure is therefore self-similar), an impression is created of a gigantic, indissoluble network. Also, rhythmic structures at first hidden gradually begin to emerge, two independent speed layers with their various internal accentuations. This great, self-similar whirl in a very indirect way relates to musical associations, which came to my mind while watching the graphic projection of the mathematical sets of Julia and of Mandelbrot made with the help of a computer. I saw these wonderful pictures of fractal creations, made by scientists from Brema, Peitgen and Richter, for the first time in 1984. From that time they have played a great role in my musical concepts. This does not mean, however, that composing the fourth movement I used mathematical methods or iterative calculus; indeed, I did use constructions which, however, are not based on mathematical thinking, but are rather craftman's constructions (in this respect, my attitude towards mathematics is similar to that of the graphic artist Maurits Escher). I am concerned rather with intuitional, poetic, synesthetic correspondence, not on the scientific, but on the poetic level of thinking. The fifth, very short Presto movement is harmonically very simple, but all the more complicated in its rhythmic structure: it is based on the further development of ''inherent patterns of the third movement. The quasi-equidistance system dominates harmonically and melodically in this movement, as in the third, alternating with harmonic fields, which are based on the division of the chromatic whole into diatonics and anhemitonic pentatonics. Polyrhythms and harmonic mixtures reach their greatest density, and at the same time this movement is strikingly light, enlightened with very bright colours: at first it seems chaotic, but after listening to it for a few times it is easy to grasp its content: many autonomous but self-similar figures which crossing themselves. I present my artistic credo in the Piano Concerto: I demonstrate my independence from criteria of the traditional avantgarde, as well as the fashionable postmodernism. Musical illusions which I consider to be also so important are not a goal in itself for me, but a foundation for my aesthetical attitude. I prefer musical forms which have a more object-like than processual character. Music as frozen time, as an object in imaginary space evoked by music in our imagination, as a creation which really develops in time, but in imagination it exists simultaneously in all its moments. The spell of time, the enduring its passing by, closing it in a moment of the present is my main intention as a composer. (Gyorgy Ligeti).

SKU: BT.DHP-1216342-010

English-German-French-Dutch.

Queen Cleopatra ruled Egypt for over 20 years. She is one of antiquity’s best-known women, in particular because of her relationships with Julius Caesar and, above all, Mark-Anthony, but also because the cause of her death remainsa mystery. The work is split into three parts and performed without breaks. The first section begins with a bright introduction representing Mark-Anthony. Dynamic in nature and reminiscent of military music, this characterises theRoman general. But soon after, another theme emerges, softer and more melodic, symbolising Cleopatra’s femininity. The two characters then combine on a faster tempo. The middle section of the work depicts the love thatMark-Anthony and Cleopatra feel for each other. This passionate relationship lasted ten years and produced three children. This is expressed by a warm and intense theme, just like the beauty of the Egyptian queen. The third andlast section opens in a determined and military mood. Mark-Anthony and Cleopatra were often apart, the Roman general was often away on a campaign. They met up in Alexandria to celebrate their triumph. But, as the targets of thejealousy and ambition of Octavius, Julius Caesar’s son, the lovers are trapped and await the inevitable conquest of Egypt by the Romans. When Mark-Anthony heard the false news that Cleopatra had committed suicide, he ended his ownlife. The Queen of Egypt, for her part, was imprisoned shortly afterwards. The two lovers remain one of History’s most famous couples. This piece was commissioned by the Wind Orchestra of the town of Antony, near Paris, directedby Philippe Rossignol, to mark its 90th anniversary.

Koningin Cleopatra heerste meer dan twintig jaar lang over Egypte. Ze is een van de bekendste vrouwen uit de oudheid, vanwege haar relatie met Julius Caesar en vooral die met Marcus Antonius, maar ook omdat de oorzaak van haardood altijd een mysterie is gebleven. Dit werk bestaat uit drie in elkaar overlopende delen. Het eerste deel begint met de levendige introductie van Marcus Antonius. Met het dynamische en enigszins militaire karakter van de muziekwordt de Romeinse generaal krachtig neergezet. Snel daarna doemt een zachter en melodieuzer thema op een weerspiegeling van Cleopatra’s vrouwelijkheid. De twee persoonlijkheden gaan vervolgens samen verder in een vlotter tempo.Het middelste deel beschrijft de liefde die Marcus Antonius en Cleopatra voor elkaar voelden. Hun hartstochtelijke relatie duurde tien jaar en bracht drie kinderen voort. Dit wordt uitgedrukt in een warm en intens thema waarintevens de schoonheid van de Egyptische koningin doorschemert. Het derde en laatste deel opent vastberaden en in militaire sfeer. Marcus Antonius en Cleopatra waren vaak bij elkaar vandaan: de generaal was geregeld weg om strijd tevoeren. In Alexandrië vierden ze samen hun triomf, maar de jaloezie en ambitie van Octavius, de zoon van Julius Caesar, gooide roet in het eten. De geliefden werden in de val gelokt en de onvermijdelijke verovering van Egypte doorde Romeinen volgde al snel. Toen Marcus Antonius het onjuiste bericht kreeg dat Cleopatra zelfmoord had gepleegd, maakte hij een eind aan zijn eigen leven: de koningin van Egypte werd op haar beurt kort daarna gevangengezet. Detwee geliefden behoren tot de beroemdste stellen uit de wereldgeschiedenis. Cleopatra werd in opdracht geschreven om het negentigjarig bestaan van het blaasorkest uit de gemeente Antony dicht bij Parijs te markeren. Dat orkestbracht het onder leiding van Philippe Rossignol in première.

Königin Kleopatra regierte über 20 Jahre lang Ägypten. Sie ist eine der bekanntesten Frauen der Antike, insbesondere aufgrund ihrer Beziehungen zu Julius Cäsar und vor allem zu Marcus Antonius aber auch aufgrund ihrerrätselhaften Todesursache. Das Werk besteht aus drei Abschnitten, die ohne Unterbrechung gespielt werden. Der erste Abschnitt beginnt mit einer strahlenden Einleitung, die Marcus Antonius darstellt. Die martialische und dynamischeMusik beschreibt den römischen Feldherrn. Doch bald darauf erklingt ein neues Thema, das sanfter und melodischer ist und Kleopatras Weiblichkeit symbolisiert. Die beiden Charaktere verschmelzen schließlich in einem schnellerenTempo. Der Mittelteil des Werkes beschreibt die Liebe, die Marcus Antonius und Kleopatra füreinander empfinden. Die leidenschaftliche Beziehung der beiden dauerte zehn Jahre lang und aus ihr gingen drei Kinder hervor. Dafür stehtein warmes und intensives Thema, das auch die Schönheit der ägyptischen Königin beschreibt. Der dritte und letzte Abschnitt beginnt mit einer entschlossenen und kriegerischen Stimmung. Marcus Antonius und Kleopatra waren oftmalsgetrennt, wenn sich der römische Feldherr auf Feldzügen befand. In Alexandria trafen sie sich, um ihren Sieg zu feiern. Doch sie waren Opfer der Eifersucht und der ehrgeizigen Ambitionen von Octavius, Julius Cäsars Sohn, wurden ineine Falle gelockt und mussten auf die bevorstehende Eroberung Ägyptens durch die Römer warten. Als Marcus Antonius die Nachricht vom vermeintlichen Selbstmord Kleopatras erhielt, nahm er sich selbst das Leben. Die Königin vonÄgypten wurde ihrerseits kurz darauf inhaftiert. Die beiden zählen zu den berühmtesten Liebespaaren der Geschichte. Dieses Stück wurde vom Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Ville d’Antony aus der Nähe von Paris, das von PhilippeRossignol geleitet wird, anlässlich seines 90-jährigen Jubiläums in Auftrag gegeben.

La Reine Cléop tre règne sur l’Égypte pendant plus de 20 ans. Elle est l’une des femmes les plus connues de l’Antiquité, notamment gr ce ses relations avec Jules César et surtout avec Marc-Antoine (Antony), mais aussi par lemystère qu’entoure sa disparition. L’œuvre est écrite en trois parties enchaînées. La première commence par une brillante introduction qui représente Marc-Antoine. A la fois martiale et dynamique, cette musique caractérise legénéral romain. Mais très vite, un nouveau thème apparaît, plus mélodique et plus doux, il symbolise la féminité que représente Cléop tre. Les deux caractères vont ensuite s’assembler dans un tempo plus rapide. La partie centralede l’œuvre dépeint l’amour que Marc-Antoine et Cléop tre ressentent l’un pour l’autre. Cette relation passionnée durera 10 ans et donnera naissance 3 enfants. Il en résulte un thème chaleureux et intense, l’image de la beautéde la reine d’Égypte. Enfin, c’est sur un caractère décidé et guerrier que la troisième partie débute. Marc-Antoine et Cléop tre sont souvent séparés, le général romain est souvent en campagne. Ils se retrouvent Alexandrie pourfêter leur triomphe. Mais, victimes de la jalousie et de l’ambition terrifiante d’Octave, fils de Jules César, les amants sont piégés et attendent inexorablement que l’Égypte soit conquise par les Romains. A la fausse annonce dusuicide de Cléop tre, Marc-Antoine met fin ses jours. La Reine d’Egypte sera quant elle emprisonnée peu de temps après. Les deux amants resteront l’un des couples les plus célèbres de l’Histoire. L’œuvre a été commandée parl’Orchestre d’Harmonie de la ville d’Antony l’occasion de ses 90 ans : l’orchestre est placé sous la direction de Philippe Rossignol.

ISBN 9781574635409.

At 19 years old, Saul Goodman became timpanist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under renowned conductor Arturo Toscanini. Forty-six years later, he retired as one of the most celebrated orchestral musicians of all time. During his illustrious career as composer, inventor, and timpanist, he performed on over 1,000 recordings, placed his students in the world’s major symphony orchestras, and set standards in percussion performance and pedagogy that remain in place to this day. His memoirs, and those of his students, trace his musical development and take the reader on a voyage of his unique experiences during the greatest era of the American symphony orchestras. His incredible legacy as a performer and a teacher is unrivaled in the history of percussion, and perhaps any other instrument as well. The list of his students reads like a ‘who’s who’ of our world. —Daniel Druckman, New York Philharmonic He was one of the greatest artists of all times. He was an inspiration to me, not only as a student, but throughout my professional career. —Vic Firth, Boston Symphony Orchestra Saul often said that his teachers were Toscanini, Monteux, Reiner, Stokowski, and Bruno Walter. He was the greatest player in the era of stars throughout the symphonic world. The sheer numbers of concerts, recordings, and TV that he played is staggering. —Morris Lang, New York Philharmonic Saul Goodman was a brilliant orchestral musician who just happened to play the timpani. His style, musicianship and strong personality were a tremendous influence on those with whom he worked. —James Rago, Louisville Orchestra Review from Percussive Notes Magazine This treasure of a book tells the story from the man himself: Saul Goodman, one of the most celebrated orchestral musicians, timpanists, and percussion teachers to ever live. Through a combination of Goodman’s own writing, as well as contributions from a variety of others who knew, studied, and worked with him, this 106-page book is informative for students and enjoyable for general music enthusiasts. The book is constructed in two parts — the first being a previously unpublished memoir written by Goodman during his lifetime (he died in 1996) and edited by Anthony Cirone, and the second consisting of reflections from students and colleagues, an interview with Goodman conducted by Rick Mattingly in 1981, a Percussive Notes article published shortly after this death, and an overview of his recording history. The book also contains several pages of pictures from throughout his career. The first part, written by Goodman, contains five chapters: Beginnings, Carnegie Hall, The Business of Modern Orchestra, Toscanini, and On Recording. While he discusses many percussion-specific things, such as lessons with Alfred Friese, Goodman spends just as much, if not more, time talking about the general orchestral culture of the time and how it evolved during his 46 years in the New York Philharmonic. This includes reflections on conductors, management, recording, and the audition process. The second part proves just as valuable, with first-hand stories from those who knew him. These range from acknowledgments of Goodman’s excellence in performing and instruments making to heartfelt and sometimes humorous anecdotes relating to his teaching. This book will undoubtedly be appreciated by all orchestral percussion and classical music performers, students, conductors, and teachers, as well as the general concert-going public. It is a rare first-hand look into the life and career of a world-class artist and teacher. — Jason Baker Percussive Notes, February 2022.

SKU: HL.44011308

UPC: 884088891435. 9x12 inches. English(US)/Deutsch/Francais/Nederlands.

El Misteri del Foc (Het geheim van het vuur) is de derde sinfonietta van de Spaanse componist Ferrer Ferran. Dit contrastvolle werk bestaat uit drie kleurrijke, levendige en melodische delen: Calixto III, Els Canalsund Foguera i Festa. De delen Calixto III en Els Canals vertellen het avontuurlijke verhaal van paus Calixto III uit het Spaanse Canals rond 1500. In het deel Foguera i Festa nodigen de inwoners van Canalsu uit op het feest van St. Anthony. De climax van dit feest is een groot vreugdevuur op een twintig meter hoge stellage van hout. Een vlammend werk voor muzikant en publiek!

El Misteri del Foc (Das Geheimnis des Feuers) ist Ferrer Ferrans dritte Sinfonietta. Dieses kontrastreiche Werk besteht aus drei farbigen, lebhaften und melodischen Satzen: Calixto III, Els Canals und Foguera i Festa. Die Musik handelt von der abenteuerlichen Geschichte des Papstes Calixto aus dem spanischen Canals des 15. Jahrhunderts und einem traditionellen Fest, bei dem Feuer eine wichtige Rolle spielt ... Spannend fur Musiker und Publikum!

El Misteri del Foc (Le mystere du feu) est la troisieme sinfonietta du compositeur espagnol Ferrer Ferran. Cette œuvre contrastante est constituee de trois mouvements colores, espiegles, petillants, dansants et melodiques. / 1. Calixte III : Alfonso de Borgia, futur Calixte III, naquit dans la cite de Canals pres de Valence en Espagne. Lors d'une rencontre avec Vicente Ferrer (Vincent Ferrier), un dominicain valencien et predicateur illustre, celui-ci lui predit qu'il serait elu pape et qu'en tant que tel, il le canoniserait. Alfonso de Borgia fut elu pape sous le nom de Calixte III et fit inscrire Vicente Ferrer parmi les saints de l'Eglise.Devenu souverain pontife, son grand objectif fut la reconquete de Constantinople tombee aux mains des Turcs. Calixte III appella a une croisade pour liberer la ville. Apres une premiere bataille victorieuse, la croisade s'acheva par un echec cuisant. / 2. Els Canals (Canals) : Canals, ses paysages colores, ses nombreux canaux et rivieres, et son sens de la fete, nous invite a assister a la Fete de la Saint Antoine, a la cremation du bucher beni, la benediction des animaux et la Festa dels Parells (La fete des parents). / 3. Foguera i Festa (Le feu et la fete) : Le point d'orgue de la Fete de la Saint Antoine est la mise a feu d'un immense bucher de vingt metres de haut dont la construction necessite chaque annee pas moins de 600 tonnes de bois (essentiellement du sapin). Le Feu de la Saint Antoine est accompagne des vivats des habitants qui rendent ainsi hommage a leur saint patron. La Fete de la Saint Antoine compte parmi les fetes les plus populaires dans la tradition valencienne. Rassembles autour du bucher, les habitants de Canals celebrent cette fete avec enthousiasme.