SKU: CF.CAS34F

ISBN 9780825861062. UPC: 798408061067. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: E minor.

Cliffhanger is a programmatic work for string orchestra that harkens back to the days of silent film. One of the lasting images of that time period is the Saturday afternoon matinee, where each episode ended on a cliffhanger until it could be continued next week. This piece tells the familiar story of the damsel in distress who is tied up to the train tracks as a train is approaching. Nicely done!.
Cliffhanger is a programmatic work for string orchestra that harkens back to the days of silent film. One of the lasting images of that time period is the Saturday- afternoon matinee, where each episode ended on a cliffhanger until it could be continued next week. This piece tells the familiar story of the damsel in distress who is tied up to the train tracks as a train is approaching.The opening of the piece sets the scene with danger and desperation. By m. 6, our hero is making his way on horseback to rescue the fair maiden. This main melody is developed and passed around the ensemble until m. 36, at which point despair sets in. The music is rich with romantic harmonies and inner lines. Be sure to bring out these inner lines to add to the passion and drama of the moment. It continues to build until a thunderous arrival at m. 49. From there we return to our hero, who is now getting close to the train tracks to save the fair maiden. The tension becomes the highest at m. 61, when we are still not sure if our hero will make it in time. But alas, at m. 68 he swoops in to save the day and rescue the fair maiden. Of course, they live happily ever after.My hope is that your ensemble will have some fun with this style of music. It was adapted from an arrangement I wrote for the new pipe organ at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. They wanted some scary train music to show children how the organ was used back before movies had sound. Strings provide a heightened sense of drama with this genre of music.

About Carl Fischer Concert String Orchestra Series

This series of pieces (Grade 3 and higher) is designed for advancing ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by:

• Expanded use of rhythms, ranges and keys but technical demands are still carefully considered
• More comprehensive bowing techniques
• Viola T.C. included
• Careful selection of keys and degree of difficulty for advancing musicians

SKU: CF.YPS231F

ISBN 9781491157824. UPC: 680160916429. 9 x 12 inches.

The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk songa900 Milesaand they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience. While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region. The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.
The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk song--900 Miles--and they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience. While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region. The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.
The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk song—900 Miles—and they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience.While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region.The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.

SKU: KN.KCS2303

12 x 9 inches.

Skillfully arranged, Katie has created a Christmas medley of themes from The Nutcracker along with familiar carols weaving in and out. This is your one stop shop for all things Christmas...beautifully tied up with a bow in about 3 1/2 minutes. A really fun addition to Christmas repertoire!

SKU: KN.KCS2303FS

12 x 9 inches.

Skillfully arranged, Katie has created a Christmas medley of themes from The Nutcracker along with familiar carols weaving in and out. This is your one stop shop for all things Christmas...beautifully tied up with a bow in about 3 1/2 minutes. A really fun addition to Christmas repertoire!

SKU: CF.BPS137

ISBN 9781491158487. UPC: 680160917082. 9 x 12 inches.

Fanfare and Jubilation is a Grade 1 work that is playable by any beginning band with any instrumentation due to extensive doubling. The mood is regal and optimistic and is non-programmatic, conveying no picturesque image or storyline. It is appropriate for any occasion. Accents are to be emphasized more than non-accented notes, but are not to be hammered hard. Stress that accented notes are to be played with the same good tone as the other notes and that pitches should not suffer from the additional emphasis. Think of the accents as more of an additional emphasis from the air column and not the tongue. Percussion accents are to played with more emphasis than non-accented notes, but shouldnat be perceived as being much louder. Timpani is only two pitches and is optional. The piece will not suffer at all if you donat have access to Timpani or a timpanist. Bells cover a wide rangea|the lower octave sections should not be played louder just because theyare low pitched, as those notes will still be appropriately heard while supporting the melody. Do not use brass mallets. Balter 10 Phenolic mallets or equivalent (such as clear Balter Lexan or white Medium Hard Poly models) are most appropriate. Think of the m. 10 accented quarter notes tied to the half notes (and similar later examples) as being akin to Horn rips in a Hollywood movie. They are to be emphasized slightly but should not be blaring. Even though they are the only things happening on counts 2 and 3, care must be given that the young players donat get carried away and give them more emphasis than is musically desired. At m. 21, be careful that the bass line isnat plodding or over-emphasized due to the accents. Those players should be aware of the sudden drop in volume and lack of accents at m. 25. Attention to sudden dynamic shifts will add interest to the piece and present a more musical performance. Throughout this entire section, try to get all winds to sustain a single breath through four bars until the breath marks. If they are unable to do so, please explain the concept of staggered breathing between members of their section. There may be a tendency among the players to blast out m. 57 to the end. Notes should have more power than the section from mm. 21-56, but are still to be approached musically. Explaining such concepts during their early musical development will go far in helping them develop good traits that will pay off dividends in the future.
Fanfare and Jubilation is a Grade 1 work that is playable by any beginning band with any instrumentation due to extensive doubling. The mood is regal and optimistic and is non-programmatic, conveying no picturesque image or storyline. It is appropriate for any occasion. Accents are to be emphasized more than non-accented notes, but are not to be hammered hard. Stress that accented notes are to be played with the same good tone as the other notes and that pitches should not suffer from the additional emphasis. Think of the accents as more of an additional emphasis from the air column and not the tongue. Percussion accents are to played with more emphasis than non-accented notes, but shouldn't be perceived as being much louder. Timpani is only two pitches and is optional. The piece will not suffer at all if you don't have access to Timpani or a timpanist. Bells cover a wide range...the lower octave sections should not be played louder just because they're low pitched, as those notes will still be appropriately heard while supporting the melody. Do not use brass mallets. Balter 10 Phenolic mallets or equivalent (such as clear Balter Lexan or white Medium Hard Poly models) are most appropriate. Think of the m. 10 accented quarter notes tied to the half notes (and similar later examples) as being akin to Horn rips in a Hollywood movie. They are to be emphasized slightly but should not be blaring. Even though they are the only things happening on counts 2 and 3, care must be given that the young players don't get carried away and give them more emphasis than is musically desired. At m. 21, be careful that the bass line isn't plodding or over-emphasized due to the accents. Those players should be aware of the sudden drop in volume and lack of accents at m. 25. Attention to sudden dynamic shifts will add interest to the piece and present a more musical performance. Throughout this entire section, try to get all winds to sustain a single breath through four bars until the breath marks. If they are unable to do so, please explain the concept of staggered breathing between members of their section. There may be a tendency among the players to blast out m. 57 to the end. Notes should have more power than the section from mm. 21-56, but are still to be approached musically. Explaining such concepts during their early musical development will go far in helping them develop good traits that will pay off dividends in the future.
Fanfare and Jubilation is a Grade 1 work that is playable by any beginning band with any instrumentation due to extensive doubling. The mood is regal and optimistic and is non-programmatic, conveying no picturesque image or storyline. It is appropriate for any occasion.Accents are to be emphasized more than non-accented notes, but are not to be hammered hard. Stress that accented notes are to be played with the same good tone as the other notes and that pitches should not suffer from the additional emphasis. Think of the accents as more of an additional emphasis from the air column and not the tongue.Percussion accents are to played with more emphasis than non-accented notes, but shouldn’t be perceived as being much louder. Timpani is only two pitches and is optional. The piece will not suffer at all if you don’t have access to Timpani or a timpanist. Bells cover a wide range…the lower octave sections should not be played louder just because they’re low pitched, as those notes will still be appropriately heard while supporting the melody. Do not use brass mallets. Balter 10 Phenolic mallets or equivalent (such as clear Balter Lexan or white Medium Hard Poly models) are most appropriate.Think of the m. 10 accented quarter notes tied to the half notes (and similar later examples) as being akin to Horn rips in a Hollywood movie. They are to be emphasized slightly but should not be blaring. Even though they are the only things happening on counts 2 and 3, care must be given that the young players don’t get carried away and give them more emphasis than is musically desired.At m. 21, be careful that the bass line isn’t plodding or over-emphasized due to the accents. Those players should be aware of the sudden drop in volume and lack of accents at m. 25. Attention to sudden dynamic shifts will add interest to the piece and present a more musical performance. Throughout this entire section, try to get all winds to sustain a single breath through four bars until the breath marks. If they are unable to do so, please explain the concept of staggered breathing between members of their section.There may be a tendency among the players to blast out m. 57 to the end. Notes should have more power than the section from mm. 21-56, but are still to be approached musically. Explaining such concepts during their early musical development will go far in helping them develop good traits that will pay off dividends in the future.

SKU: BO.B.3340

ISBN 9788480207591.

English comments:
My dedication to the string instruments has been a constant throughout my compositional career and I knew that sooner or later the time would come to compose a concerto for violin and orchestra. That moment came in the autumn of 2002 and after ten months of uninterrupted work I finished it in August of 2003. It is a work structured similarly to the traditional concertos. An important impetus for the elaboration of my concerto was due to the ill-fated violinist Ginette Neveu. Her version of Sibelius' Concerto has always stayed with me. For this reason the first movement, Moderato-Allegro, begins with a contemplative atmosphere similar to that of Sibelius' Concerto in which the principal thematic ideas appear tentatively. These ideas, two rhythmic and two melodic, are reaffirmed through a broad development that culminates in an orchestral fullness. A calm, mysterious passage recalls the introduction and after becoming blurred, three bars burst in leading to the rapid section of the movement. Soloist and orchestra engage in a dialectic struggle of a dramatic nature. The agitation subsides leaving only a tranquil and suggestive clarinet phrase. This will be taken up by the soloist who leads up to the movement's most dramatic moment playing an accelerating triplet figure supported by an orchestral pedal in crescendo. From here the soloist's cadenza emerges beginning with soft double notes. It finishes with an ascending progression and the soloist settles into the high register to elicit the orchestra's intervention in a soft and transfigured atmosphere. Once internalised the second movement, Adagio poco sostenuto e leggero begins. It has a solemn character and opens with two trumpet calls answered by the violoncellos and the contrabasses. The violin soloist introduces and plays two nostalgic themes, the first in the low register and the second, more extensive, in the middle register. The soft and delicate Misterioso e leggero begins with the violin singing on high. The rhythm of the constant quaver figures gradually accelerates until the soloist provokes a dramatic full orchestra as in a cadenza. Once again, the Calmo, in which the soloist with less and less orchestral attire serenely bids farewell. A rising series of double stops by the soloist serves to initiate the Finale-Scherzo. In 6/8 rhythm and with the character of a rondo it carries us along in a carefree, virtuosic ambiance. The principal motives, brief and concise, emerge from the happy, playful theme presented by the soloist. With an intricate progression of rapid sixths in double stops it reaches a tense and somewhat combative moment. However this resolves itself in a diminuendo that the soloist peacefully takes up with the notes re-la to commence the cadenza. This culminates in a series of tied notes to reintroduce the principal theme. A moment of melodic suspension serves as a farewell before the brief and jovial final coda. --The author

Comentarios del Espanol:
A lo largo de mi carrera compositiva mi dedicacion a los instrumentos de cuerda ha sido constante y sabia que, tarde o temprano, llegaria el momento de componer un concierto para violin y orquesta. Este llego en otono de 2002 y, tras diez meses de trabajo ininterrumpido, lo termine en agosto de 2003. Se trata de una obra estructurada de manera similar a los conciertos tradicionales. Un importante impulso a la elaboracion de mi concierto lo debo al recuerdo de la malograda violinista Ginette Neveu. Su version del concierto de Sibelius ha permanecido siempre dentro de mi. Por ese motivo, el primer movimiento Moderato-Allegro se inicia con una atmosfera contemplativa cercana a la del mencionado Concierto, en la que aparecen cautamente las principales ideas tematicas. Con un amplio desarrollo se llega a un lleno orquestal en el que estas ideas -dos ritmicas y dos melodicas- quedan reafirmadas. Un pasaje calmo y misterioso rememora la introduccion. Tras desdibujarse, irrumpen tres compases que nos llevan a la parte rapida del movimiento. Solista y orquesta establecen un combate dialectico de caracter dramatico. La inquietud desaparece hasta una tranquila e insinuante frase del clarinete. Esta sera recogida por el solista, quien, a base de una figuracion de tresillos cada vez mas rapidos apoyada por un pedal de la orquesta in crescendo, conduce hacia el momento mas dramatico del movimiento. De aqui nace la cadenza del solista, que se incia con suaves notas dobles. Finaliza con una progresion ascendente y el solista se coloca en el registro agudo para llamar la intervencion de la orquesta dentro de una atmosfera suave y transfigurada. Interiorizado es el segundo movimiento Adagio poco sostenuto e leggero. Con dos llamadas de las trompas respondidas por los violonchelos y contrabajos inicia el Adagio de caracter grave. El violin solista introduce y canta dos temas nostalgicos. El primero en el registro grave y el segundo, mas amplio, en el medio. Inicia el Misterioso e leggero, de caracter suave y delicado. Con el violin cantando en agudo. La constante figuracion de corcheas acelerara poco a poco el ritmo hasta que el solista a modo de cadenza provocara un dramatico lleno orquestal. De nuevo el Calmo, donde el solista, cada vez con menos ropaje orquestal, se despide serenamente. Una subida de dobles cuerdas a cargo del solista sirve para iniciar el Finale-Scherzo. Este, en ritmo de 6/8 y con caracter de rondo, nos transporta en un clima virtuosistico y despreocupado. Del tema alegre y jugueton presentado por el solista nacen los principales motivos, breves y concisos. Con una intrincada sucesion de rapidas sextas en doble cuerda se llega a un momento crispado y algo combativo que, sin embargo, se resolvera en un diminuendo que el solista recoge apaciblemente con las notas re-la para inciar la cadenza. Esta culmina con un suave rosario de notas en ligado para introducir de nuevo el tema principal. Un momento de suspension melodica sirve como despido antes de la breve y jovial coda final. La obra fue estrenada el 23 de septiembre de 2005 en el Teatre Monumental de Madrid por la Orquesta Sinfonica de RTVE con Markus Placci de solista y Uwe Mund de director. Gravacion: RNE y Canal Clasico de TVE. --El Autor.