SKU: ST.C389

ISBN 9790570813896.

An Album of Twenty French Songs arranged for Bassoon and Piano by Martin Gatt

Fauréâ??s poignant love song Après un rêve exists in many different transcriptions for various instruments (the most famous version perhaps being the one for cello and piano that Pablo Casals made in 1910), and provides the initial inspiration for this album of French songs transcribed for bassoon and piano. The bassoon is capable of a broad range of timbres and expression, and it is the lyrical, vocal quality of the instrument that Martin Gatt has always been attracted to. In both his performance and teaching, his emphasis is on the importance of what he calls â??vocalisingâ?? through the bassoon, and for him, music for the voice â?? especially art songs of the 19th and 20th centuries â?? has been a rich source of material for exploring the expressive tonal colours of the bassoon.

The treasure trove of French art song from composers ranging from Claude Arrieu to Louis Vierne, not to mention the greats like Berlioz or Debussy or Ravel, has made the task of choosing which songs to include in this album a difficult one. In the end, Martin has settled on eight composers who have produced some of the most appealing music in the genre â?? Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921), Georges Bizet (1838-1875), Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894), Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), Henri Duparc (1848-1933), Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944), and Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). Rather than grouping by composer, the songs are set out in a way that contrasts different emotional worlds and sentiments, from the vibrant exuberance of Chabrierâ??s Lâ??île heureuse to the gentle melancholy of Poulencâ??s Mais mourir. These â??songs without wordsâ? for the bassoon, clearly demonstrate the instrumentâ??s cantabile qualities, varied nuances, and wide-ranging emotional possibilities.

SKU: HL.49019927

ISBN 9790001196956. German.

With Carl Friedrich Zelter's motet Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Hermann Max, editor of the Choral Treasury series, has uncovered a real treasure. The three-verse text of the motet for mixed choir (SATB) and basso continuo was written by Friedrich Gottlob Klopstock who kept close to the Advent song of the same name by Philipp Nicolai. During Zelter's lifetime, the motet enjoyed great popularity. And quite rightly so: For the music teacher and friend of Goethe turned out to be a composer with an extraordinary sense of tone. An introductory choral movement is followed by a captivating bass aria which can be optionally sung by all basses of the choir. The piece culminates in an elaborate virtuoso fugue with an interwoven cantus firmus in the bass. A demanding, yet highly rewarding rarity in church music!

SKU: KN.16758

UPC: 822795167580.

This collection of treasured selections are arranged here for grade 3-3+ woodwind quintets. From Bach to Tschaikowsky, you'll find it to be a resource for practically any type of performance.

Contents:
Fantasy On Ode To Joy; In The Hall Of The Mountain King (Grieg); March (from The Nutcracker Suite) (Tschaikowsky); La Rejouissance (Handel); Prelude In E Minor (Chopin); March (from Anna Magdalena's Notebook) (Bach); Menuets (from Music For The Royal Fireworks) (Handel); Simple Gifts; Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach); Trepak (from The Nutcracker Suite) (Tschaikowsky); Wie Shon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern (Bach); Kind In Einschlummern (Schumann); and Habanera (from Carmen) (Bizet).