Chamber Music Piano SKU: CF.PL1056 Composed by Clara Wieck-Schumann, Fran...(+)
Chamber Music Piano
SKU: CF.PL1056
Composed by Clara
Wieck-Schumann, Franz
Schubert, and Robert
Schumann. Edited by
Nicholas Hopkins.
Collection. With Standard
notation. 128 pages. Carl
Fischer Music #PL1056.
Published by Carl Fischer
Music (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: PR.16400212S Composed by Dan Welcher. With Standard notation. Durati...(+)
SKU: PR.16400212S
Composed by Dan Welcher.
With Standard notation.
Duration 16 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#164-00212S. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.16400212S).
UPC:
680160037605.
Works
of chamber music
including flute and
strings are not nearly as
numerous as those for
clarinet, or even the
oboe. Probably the reason
for this is the less
assertive, more pure tone
the flute possesses - it
can't compete for volume
or range with the
clarinet, except in its
top octave, and the
oboe's tone is more
penetrating and easily
discerned from within a
string texture.
Consequently, composers
who have written for
flute and strings have
done so in lightweight
divertimento works:
compare, for instance,
the delicate flute
quartets of Mozart with
his monumental quintet
for clarinet and strings.
When Karl and Joan
Karber approached me with
the ideas of writing a
work for flute and string
trio, I originally
thought it would be best
to write a humorous,
rather offhand piece -
but a look at their
repertoire (mostly
comprised of smaller
works of the Rococo
period) convinced me that
it was the last thing
they needed. In spite of
the challenge (or maybe
because of it?), I
determined to write a
large work, and a serious
work. Zephyrus (named for
the God of the West Wind,
in deference to the
flute) is a
three-movement work, with
each movement cast in a
very different form, but
all three being built of
the same twelve-note
series. There is also a
rhythmic motive and a
pair of themes that
appear in all three
movements. The
first movement plays with
the idea of contrast and
persuasion. The flute, at
the outset, is the
hell-for-leather
protagonist, charging and
swooping around the
strings - who seem oddly
unconcerned by his
passion. Indeed, they
have a more somber song
to sing - and as the
movement unfolds, the
flute becomes less and
less active, while the
strings become
increasingly enlivened.
By the midpoint, when all
four instruments are
finally in the same meter
and the same tempo, the
flute's energy has
finally infected the
other three players, and
this energy does not let
up until the movement's
abrupt final cadence.
The second
movement begins with a
tag from the first - as
if the energy left over
was too great to simply
stop. At length, though,
a very poignant flute
melody appears over an
almost bluesy harmony in
the strings. After this
has been fully exposed, a
slight increase in
motion, marked gently
rocking in triplets,
features a theme-fragment
from Leonard Bernstein's
Symphony No. 2 (Kaddish).
Bernstein died as I was
writing this work, and it
seemed quite natural to
encourage what was
already implicit in the
music, and create an
Elegy for L.B. The music
rises and peaks, then in
the recapitulation of the
opening the Kaddish theme
reappears, as the
ensemble suggests a
gentle song of sleep.
The final movement
is a Rondo-Variations
form, with the slight
alteration of adding the
main theme of the second
movement in what would be
the trio of the form. The
ritornello theme is a
kind of ethnic dance
music, almost an allusion
to the Klezmer ensembles
of Eastern Europe. The
successive episodes
between the ritornelli
are loosely organized
variations on the basic
theme, but always
beginning with a metric
modulation, a rhythmic
changing of gears. The
movement reaches and apex
of speed and furious
pulsing, then abruptly
pirouttes, and finishes.
Zephyrus was
written between April and
November of 1990 in
Austin, Aspen, and
Honolulu, and is
dedicated to Karl Kraber
and The Chamber Soloists
of Austin. --Dan
Welcher.
Band Concert Band - Grade 2 SKU: CF.YPS105 Warm-Ups and Fundamentals(+)
Band Concert Band - Grade
2
SKU: CF.YPS105
Warm-Ups and
Fundamentals.
Composed by Larry Clark.
Collate - FS SWS - spine:
3/4 or .75. Young
Performance Series. Set
of Score and Parts. With
Standard notation.
16+4+8+8+4+10+4+4+8+8+8+1
2+4+6+2+2+4+2+20 pages.
Duration 2 minutes, 53
seconds. Carl Fischer
Music #YPS105. Published
by Carl Fischer Music
(CF.YPS105).
ISBN
9780825884870. UPC:
798408084875. 9 x 12
inches. Key: Bb
major.
Based on our
popular New Bennett Band
Book series, we have
compiled march-style
warm-ups in a separate
publication so they may
be used by all bands
wishing to learn from
them. These innovative
warm-ups and fundamental
drills are the ultimate
method of teaching and
reinforcing the March
style. How To Use the
March Warm-upsPlaying in
a march style can present
difficulties for young
students. The most
prevalent problem is that
students have a tendency
to play every note too
short. Conversely,
accented notes are
usually played
incorrectly with too much
tongue. Do marches
contain short notes?
Absolutely, but these
shortest of notes should
be reserved for notes
that precede an accent or
notes that are
specifically marked with
a staccato. Think of
unmarked notes as being
separated, but not short
and certainly not clipped
or stopped with the
tongue. Accented notes
should be played with
more weight using air and
more length, and not just
a harder tongue. Accents
are given to show
emphasis to a note and
should be thought of in
this manner.The warm-up
exercises provided in
this collection should
give you many
opportunities to stress
the above-mentioned
comments on march
performance style. The
following gives an
explanation on the
purpose and use of each
of these exercises.No. 1
– Basic Chords and
ModulationsOne of the
challenges of playing
marches with young
students is successfully
performing the key change
at the Trio. This
exercise presents the
three basic chords
(tonic, subdominant and
dominant) in each of the
three keys in this
collection of marches.
You can also use this
exercise to teach and
reinforce the style of
accented notes. You may
want to have your band
play major scales in
succession by fourths to
reinforce the concept of
modulation to the
subdominant that occurs
at the Trio (i.e. the
B≤-major scale,
then the E≤-major
scale, then the
A≤-major scale). I
might suggest getting the
students to try
continuing the pattern
all the way around the
circle of fourths.No. 2
– March Style in
B≤ MajorThis
exercise contains many
opportunities to teach
and reinforce the
difference between
staccato and accented
notes. The melody voices
move up and down the
B≤-major scale,
while other instruments
play chords commonly
found in the marches in
this collection. These
include diminished
chords, secondary
dominant chords (i.e. the
V of the V) and other
common chromatic chords
that Fillmore often
used.No. 3 –
Cakewalk Rhythm in
B≤ MajorThe simple
syncopated rhythm in this
exercise is common to
many marches. This drill
gives you the opportunity
to teach/ reinforce the
standard ar-ticulation
and natural accent of
this rhythmic pattern.
Again, this exercise uses
an ascending and
descending major-scale
pattern as the melodic
basis, accompanied by
chords commonly found in
American- style
marches.No. 4 –
The March Scale in
B≤ MajorI call this
exercise “The March
Scale,†because
often in marches (and
especially in these
marches) the descending
half-step is part of the
melodic material. These
chromatic figures give
the melodies of many
marches their charm and
flow. Thus, I devised
this exercise and others
like it in E≤ major
and A≤ major to
familiarize students with
these patterns. I would
suggest playing the
pattern in a variety of
ways different from what
is written. Here are some
other
possibilities:•
Tongue one, slur
three• Slur two,
tongue two• Tongue
two, slur two•
Tongue one, slur two,
tongue oneGradually
increase the tempo to the
march tempo and the
articulation style will
fall right into
place.Another important
consideration is the
performance of the bass
line and the bass-drum
part. Too often, the bass
drum and bass instruments
play their parts with
equal emphasis on both
beats in the measure.
This is incorrect, and
frequently makes the
marchNo. 5 – March
Style in E≤
MajorThis is a similar to
exercise No. 2, but with
a different rhythmic
pattern. Emphasize the
difference between
accented and unaccented
notes. Also, play the
exercise with line
direction moving the
musical line forward.
Experiment and play the
exercise with different
dynamic choices and with
hairpins up and down in
different ways.No. 6
– More March Style
in E≤ MajorExercise
No. 6 comprises more
rhythmic patterns and
harmonic materials in
E≤ major to teach
and reinforce the march
style. This exercise
em-phasizes the
sixteenth-note rhythm, as
notated in the third
measure of the exercise.
Young stu- dents have a
tendency to
“crush†the
sixteenths; consequently,
they lack clarity. It
would be a good idea to
work this rhythmic figure
on a scale pattern with
all of the instruments in
the band as an additional
warm-up exercise.No. 7
– The March Scale
in E≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 4 and
apply it to this
exercise. Use all of the
various articulations
described above as
well.No. 8 – March
Style in A≤
MajorSee the information
for No. 2 and apply it to
this exercise.No. 9
– Cakewalk Rhythm
in A≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 3 and
apply it to this
exercise.No. 10 –
The March Scale in
A≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 4 and
apply it to this
exercise.Other Ideas for
March PerformanceA
rehearsal practice that
has worked very well for
me is to start out by
having the band play the
march very slowly at
about Å’ = 60 in a
chorale/legato style. The
slow tempo is a fine
opportunity to work on
clarity of harmonic move-
ment and to work on the
balance and blend of the
tutti band sound. This
will pay great dividends
toward improving the
sound of your band.
Gradually increase the
tempo to the march tempo
and the articulation
style will fall right
into place.Another
important consideration
is the performance of the
bass line and the
bass-drum part. Too
often, the bass drum and
bass instruments play
their parts with equal
emphasis on both beats in
the measure. This is
incorrect, and frequently
makes the march.
Choral SATB choir, piano SKU: PR.362034230 A Prologue to THE CREATION ...(+)
Choral SATB choir, piano
SKU: PR.362034230
A Prologue to THE
CREATION by Franz Joseph
Haydn. Composed by
Dan Welcher. Sws.
Premiered at the
Northwest Hills United
Methodist Church, Austin,
TX. Choral. Performance
Score. With Standard
notation. Composed July 5
2014. 16 pages. Duration
5:15. Theodore Presser
Company #362-03423.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.362034230).
ISBN
9781598069556. UPC:
680160624225. Letter
inches.
English.
Composed by Carter Pann (1972-). Contemporary. Performance score. With Standard ...(+)
Composed by Carter Pann
(1972-). Contemporary.
Performance score. With
Standard notation.
Composed 2016. 28 pages.
Duration 16 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#110-41818. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.110418180).
For 5 Percussionists
and Orchestra.
Composed by Ellen Taaffe
Zwilich. Contemporary.
Large Score. With
Standard notation.
Composed 2003. 72 pages.
Duration 30 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#446-41192L. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.44641192L).
UPC:
680160610860. 11 x 14
inches.
One of my
greatest pleasures in
writing a concerto is
exploring the new world
that opens for me each
time I enter the
sometimes alien, but
always fascinating, world
of a solo instrument or
instruments. For me, the
challenge is to discover
the deepest nature of the
solo instrument (its
karma, if you will) and
to allow that essential
character to guide the
shape and form of the
work and the nature of
the interaction between
soloists and orchestra.
In recent years, many of
us have become more aware
of the musical world
outside the Western
tradition of musics that
follow different
procedures and spring
from other aesthetics.
And contemporary
percussionists have
opened many of these
worlds to us, as they
have ventured around the
globe, participating in
Brazilian Samba schools,
studying Gamelan and
African drumming with
local experts, collecting
instruments from Asia and
Africa and South America
and the South Pacific,
widening our horizons in
the process. I will never
forget our first meeting
in Toronto when Nexus
invited me into their
world of hundreds of
exciting percussion
instruments. The vast
array of instruments in
the collection of the
Nexus ensemble is truly
global in scope as well
as offering a thrilling
sound-universe. I was
inspired by the
incredible range of sound
and moved by the fact
that so many of these
instruments were musical
reflections of a
spiritual dimension.
After long consideration,
I decided that it would
not only be impossible,
but even undesirable for
this
Western-tradition-steeped
composer to attempt to
use these instruments in
a culturally authentic
way. My goal was an
existential kind of
authenticity: searching
instead for universal
ideas that would be true
to both myself and the
performers while
acknowledging the
traditional uses of the
instruments. Since many
percussion instruments
are associated with
various kinds of ritual,
I decided that I would
allow that concept to
shape my piece. Rituals
is in four movements,
each issuing from a
ritual associated with
percussion, but with the
orchestral interaction
providing an essential
element in the musical
form. I. Invocation
alludes to the traditions
of invoking the spirit of
the instruments, or the
gods, or the ancestors
before performing. II.
Ambulation moves from a
processional, through
march and dance to
fantasy based on all
three. III. Remembrances
alludes to traditions of
memorializing. IV.
Contests progresses from
friendly competition
games, contests to a
suggestion of a battle of
big band drummers, to
warlike exchanges. In the
2nd and 4th movements,
another percussion
tradition, improvisation,
is employed. Written into
these movements are a
number of seeds for
improvisation.
Indications in the score
call for the soloists to
improvise in three
different ways, marked A
for percussion alone;
marked B for percussion
with and in response to
the orchestra; and C
where the percussionists
are free to add and
embellish the written
parts. These
improvisations should
grow out of and embellish
previous motives and
gestures in the
movement.
Chamber Music trombone SKU: CF.WF231 20 Original Etudes in a Variety o...(+)
Chamber Music trombone
SKU: CF.WF231
20 Original Etudes in
a Variety of Styles.
Composed by Tom Brantley.
Collection - Performance.
With Standard notation.
48 pages. Carl Fischer
Music #WF231. Published
by Carl Fischer Music
(CF.WF231).
ISBN
9781491153314. UPC:
680160910816.
Styli
stic Etudes for Trombone
was written for
intermediateto advanced
level trombonists,
seeking to meet
thedemands of the modern
marketplace for
performers. AsI often
tell my students,
it’s simply not
enough to mastera single
style and fake the rest.
To make a living as
aperformer, trombonists
are expected to play
many, manydifferent
styles authentically.
Classical performers
studyhard and devote
themselves to mastering
the stylisticnuances of
various eras, various
composers, variousforms;
jazz musicians seek to
accurately reflect the
stylesof everything from
bar-room burlesque to
Coltrane; hornbands in
the funk, rock, ska and
hip-hop idioms
mustreflect attention to
the details of their
influences even asthey
create new paths through
popular music.This etude
collection is an attempt
to help studentsand their
teachers work on the
details associated
withmastering each of
these various styles.In
order to perform with the
correct feel,
articulationand sound,
trombonists must first
get these concepts
intheir head through
diligent listening and
then disciplinedpractice
playing in every single
style. The same
wayorchestral players
study the symphonic
literature andexcerpts,
or the way a professional
jazz musician mightwork
on chord changes in
excruciating detail, a
wellroundedtrombone
player must master styles
by listeningto and
playing with great
recordings. Most of the
etudesin this book are
based on styles from
specific
orchestralliterature,
jazz standards and other
styles such as
NewOrleans’ funk
music (Meters) or the
music of JamesBrown and
Tower of Power.One final
note: some of these are
hard. On purpose.
Theseare not warm-ups
that you can play through
mindlesslyto get your
face going. These are
“study
pieces†in the
oldfashionedsense. They
are designed to challenge
you asa player, to make
you a little
uncomfortable. Some
aretougher than others,
of course, but none of
them are easy.If you can
play through each of
these well, with
greatmusicianship and
impeccable technique, you
will be anincredibly
versatile instrumentalist
and be able to
secureperformance
opportunities that are
outside the comfortzone
of many
trombonists.Thanks for
buying this book. I hope
you enjoy workingthrough
these, whether
you’re a teacher,
student,performer, or
weekend warrior. I
learned a lot by
puttingthese together and
I hope you find them
useful and
helpful. Stylistic
Etudes for Trombone was
written for intermediate
to advanced level
trombonists, seeking to
meet the demands of the
modern marketplace for
performers. As I often
tell my students,
it’s simply not
enough to master a single
style and fake the rest.
To make a living as a
performer, trombonists
are expected to play
many, many different
styles authentically.
Classical performers
study hard and devote
themselves to mastering
the stylistic nuances of
various eras, various
composers, various forms;
jazz musicians seek to
accurately reflect the
styles of everything from
bar-room burlesque to
Coltrane; horn bands in
the funk, rock, ska and
hip-hop idioms must
reflect attention to the
details of their
influences even as they
create new paths through
popular music.This etude
collection is an attempt
to help students and
their teachers work on
the details associated
with mastering each of
these various styles.In
order to perform with the
correct feel,
articulation and sound,
trombonists must first
get these concepts in
their head through
diligent listening and
then disciplined practice
playing in every single
style. The same way
orchestral players study
the symphonic literature
and excerpts, or the way
a professional jazz
musician might work on
chord changes in
excruciating detail, a
well-rounded trombone
player must master styles
by listening to and
playing with great
recordings. Most of the
etudes in this book are
based on styles from
specific orchestral
literature, jazz
standards and other
styles such as New
Orleans’ funk
music (Meters) or the
music of James Brown and
Tower of Power.How these
etudes were conceived,
composed and transcribed:
The style or concept of
the etude was thought out
in my head and ear. I
then improvised in that
style and concept on my
trombone, recording my
efforts until I was
satisfied with the etude.
All along, my goal was to
play the range of the
instrument while
emphasizing certain
articulations, rhythms,
range and, fundamentally,
the intended style of the
etude. The resulting
etude was then
transcribed by a terrific
graduate student named
Zach Bornheimer, who also
works with many other
classical and jazz
composers as a
copyist/arranger.Tips for
working on the etudes:
Seek out professional
recordings that match the
style of each etude to
get a good idea of what
the etude should sound
like musically. My
recording of each of
these etudes is available
for download and can be
purchased online for a
modest fee. Search for
“Brantley
Etudes†at either
iTunes or CDBaby.
Practice each etude very
slowly and in segments as
needed, using a
metronome. Record
yourself and listen for
good technique,
musicianship and
authenticity of style
with your sound, feel and
articulations. Compare
your own efforts to the
sounds you’ve
heard on recordings.
Would you fit in that
ensemble or band? If
range is an issue, take
certain notes or passages
down or up an octave.
Work on your fundamentals
every day, including the
techniques and skills
needed for these etudes.
Be patient! Small
improvements every day
result in big success
over time. Always play
with a wide dynamic
range. Always play with
line and direction.
Always play with
impeccable time as well
as rhythm. Use a
metronome to help with
this. Always play in
tune. You can work on
this with a tuner as well
as with drones. Play
these for teachers,
friends, peers and
colleagues not only for
their feedback but also
for the experience of
informal performance. An
audience changes
everything. Make music,
listen to music, record
yourself, play in public
and have fun!One final
note: some of these are
hard. On purpose. These
are not warm-ups that you
can play through
mindlessly to get your
face going. These are
“study
pieces†in the
old-fashioned sense. They
are designed to challenge
you as a player, to make
you a little
uncomfortable. Some are
tougher than others, of
course, but none of them
are easy. If you can play
through each of these
well, with great
musicianship and
impeccable technique, you
will be an incredibly
versatile instrumentalist
and be able to secure
performance opportunities
that are outside the
comfort zone of many
trombonists.Thanks for
buying this book. I hope
you enjoy working through
these, whether
you’re a teacher,
student, performer, or
weekend warrior. I
learned a lot by putting
these together and I hope
you find them useful and
helpful.Best
wishes,—Tom
Brantley.
(From The Nutcracker). By Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). Arranged by John...(+)
(From The Nutcracker). By
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893). Arranged by
John Caponegro. For
string orchestra (88555)
with optional 3rd
violin/viola TC (1) and
piano. Playground String
Orchestra Series. Grade
1.5. Score and set of
parts. Duration 2
minutes. Published by
Kendor Music Inc
Choir SKU: HP.8366 Arranged by Lloyd Larson. This edition: Complete. Lent...(+)
Choir
SKU: HP.8366
Arranged by Lloyd Larson.
This edition: Complete.
Lent/Easter, choral
cantata. Lent & Easter
Musicals. Hymntune, Lent,
Easter Sunday, Sacred. CD
Value Pack (10 CDs). Hope
Publishing Company #8366.
Published by Hope
Publishing Company
(HP.8366).
UPC:
763628183660. Galatians
6:14, John 3:14-15, John
12:32, Numbers 21:8-9,
Revelation 5:9,
Revelation 14:1,
Revelation
22:4.
Lloyd Larson
has crafted this
versatile cantata to be
sung during the Lenten
Season, highlighting Palm
Sunday through the Easter
resurrection, in this
30-35 minute musical
journey. Options to omit
either the Palm Sunday
selection or the Easter
anthem are provided. This
journey to the cross is
filled with passionate
and intimate worship
moments using texts by
contemporary hymn and
song writers. It conveys
a powerful message filled
with eternal hope and the
challenge to Lift high
the cross, the love of
Christ proclaim! The
accompaniment may be
provided by piano alone,
chamber orchestra or an
accompaniment CD. The
instrumentation, arranged
by Mark Kellner, contains
a Conductor's Score and
parts for: Flute, Oboe,
Horn in F, Trumpet in
B-flat, Percussion,
Violin, Cello, Bass
Guitar, and Synthesizer
String Reduction.
Orchestra Piano SKU: PR.11641861SP Composed by William Kraft. Part. 35 pa...(+)
Orchestra Piano
SKU:
PR.11641861SP
Composed by William
Kraft. Part. 35 pages.
Duration 21 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#116-41861SP. Published
by Theodore Presser
Company (PR.11641861SP).
UPC:
680160685202.
What?
! - my composer
colleagues said - A
concerto for the piano?
It's a 19th century
instrument! Admittedly we
are in an age when
originally created
timbres and/or
musico-technological
formulations are often
the modus operandi of a
piece. Actually, this
Concerto began about two
years ago when, during
one of my creative jogs,
the sound of the
uppermost register of the
piano mingled with wind
chimes penetrated my
inner ear. The challenge
and fascination of
exploring and developing
this idea into an
orchestral situation
determined that some day
soon I would be writing a
work for piano and
orchestra. So it was a
very happy coincidence
when Mona Golabek phoned
to tell me she would like
discuss the Ford
Foundation commission.
After covering areas of
aesthetics and
compositional styles, we
found that we had a good
working rapport, and she
asked if I would accept
the commission. The
answer was obvious. Then
began the intensive
thought process on the
stylistic essence and
organization of the work.
Along with this went a
renewed study of
idiomatic writing for the
piano, of the kind
Stravinsky undertook with
the violin when he began
his Violin Concerto. By a
stroke of great fortune,
the day in February 1972
that I received official
notice from the Ford
Foundation of the
commission, I also
received a letter from
the Guggenheim Foundation
informing me I had been
awarded my second
fellowship. With the good
graces of Zubin Mehta and
Ernest Fleischmann,
masters of my destiny as
a member of the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, I
was relieved of my
orchestral duties during
the Hollywood Bowl
season. Thus I was able
to go to Europe to work
and to view the latest
trends in music
concentrating in London
(the current musical
melting pot and showcase
par excellence), Oslo,
Norway, for the Festival
of Scandinavian Music
called Nordic Days, and
Warsaw, Poland, for its
prestigious Autumn
Festival. Over half the
Concerto was completed in
that summer and most of
the rest during the 72-73
season with the final
touches put on during a
month as Resident Scholar
at the Rockefeller
Foundation's Villa
Serbelloni in Bellagio,
Italy. So much for the
external and
environmental influences,
except perhaps to mention
the birds of Sussex in
the first movement, the
bells of Arhus (Denmark)
in the second movement
and the bells of Bellagio
at the end of the
Concerto. Primary in the
conception was the
personality of Miss
Golabek: she is a
wonderfully vital and
dynamic person and a real
virtuoso. Therefore, the
soloist in the Concerto
is truly the protagonist;
it is she (for once we
can do away with the
generic he) who unfolds
the character and intent
of the piece. The first
section is constructed in
the manner of a
recitative - completely
unmeasured - with letters
and numbers by which the
conductor signals the
orchestra for its
participation. This
allows the soloist the
freedom to interpret the
patterns and control the
flow and development of
the music. The Concerto
is actually in one
continuous movement but
with three large
divisions of sufficiently
contrasting character to
be called movements in
themselves. The first
'movement' is based on a
few timbral elements: 1)
a cluster of very low
pitches which at the
beginning are practically
inaudibly depressed, and
sustained silently by the
sostenuto pedal, which
causes sympathetic
vibrating pitches to ring
when strong notes are
struck; 2) a single
powerful note indicated
by a black note-head with
a line through it
indicating the strongest
possible sforzando; 3)
short figures of various
colors sometimes ominous,
sometimes as splashes of
light or as elements of
transition; 4) trills and
tremolos which are the
actual controlling
organic thread starting
as single axial tremolos
and gradually expanding
to trills of increasingly
larger and more powerful
scope. The 'movement'
begins in quiescent
repose but unceasingly
grows in energy and
tension as the stretching
of a string or rubber
band. When it can no
longer be restrained, it
bursts into the next
section. The second
'movement,' propelled by
the released tension, is
a brilliant virtuosic
display, which begins
with a long solo of wispy
percussion, later joined
in duet with the piano.
Not to be ignored, the
orchestra takes over
shooting the material
throughout all its
sections like a small
agile bird deftly
maneuvering through
nothing but air, while
the piano counterposes
moments of lyricism. The
orchestra reaches a
climax, thrusting us into
the third 'movement'
which begins with a
cadenza-like section for
the piano. This moves
gently into an expressive
section (expressive is
not a negative term to
me) in which duets are
formed with various
instruments. There are
fleeting glimpses of
remembrances past, as a
fragmented
recapitulation. One
glimpse is hazily
expressed by strings and
percussion in a moment of
simultaneous contrasting
levels of activity, a
technique of which I have
been fond and have
utilized in various
fixed-free relationships,
particularly in my
Percussion Concerto,
Contextures and Games:
Collage No. 1. The second
half of the third
'movement; is a large
coda - akin to those in
Beethoven - which brings
about another display of
virtuosity, this time
gutsy and driving,
raising the Concerto to a
final climax, the soloist
completing the fragmented
recapitulation concept as
well as the work with the
single-note sforzando and
low cluster from the very
opening of the first
movement.
(Based on the Etudes of Franz Whilhelm Ferling). By John Walker, Franz Wilhelm F...(+)
(Based on the Etudes of
Franz Whilhelm Ferling).
By John Walker, Franz
Wilhelm Ferling. Edited
by Amy Porter. Arranged
by Cyrille Rose. For
flute and piano. Carl
Fischer Classic Studies.
Book and CD. 44 pages.
Published by Carl Fischer
Inner Hearing Formation musicale - Solfège Theodore Presser Co.
The systematic and progressive approach to sight singing. Composed by Evan Fe...(+)
The systematic and
progressive approach to
sight
singing. Composed by Evan
Fein. Sws. Textbook.
Theodore
Presser Company
#414-41224.
Published by Theodore
Presser
Company
Hymns of the Church by Various. Arranged by Blaine Locheed. Marimba Solo - Unacc...(+)
Hymns of the Church by
Various. Arranged by
Blaine Locheed. Marimba
Solo - Unaccompanied. For
marimba solo (1 marimba
low A (optional low F and
c parts)). Level 3. Book.
Duration various time
durations. Published by
Innovative Percussion
Shredding the Composers Guitare notes et tablatures [Partition + CD + DVD] - Intermédiaire/avancé Alfred Publishing
(Heavy Metal Guitar Meets 8 of the World's Greatest Classical Composers). By Ger...(+)
(Heavy Metal Guitar Meets
8 of the World's Greatest
Classical Composers). By
German Schauss. For
Guitar. Book; CD; DVD;
Guitar Method or
Supplement;
Method/Instruction;
Technique Musicianship.
Shredding Styles. Metal;
Rock. Advanced;
Intermediate. 64 pages.
Published by Alfred Music
Unison/2-part children's choir, piano accompaniment SKU: WD.080689904127 ...(+)
Unison/2-part children's
choir, piano
accompaniment
SKU:
WD.080689904127
Composed by Daniel
Semsen. Arranged by
Daniel Semsen. Choral,
cantatas. WordKidz.
Christmas. Accompaniment
CD (split). Duration ca.
38 minutes. Word Music
#080689904127. Published
by Word Music
(WD.080689904127).
UPC:
080689904127.
Chris
ty Semsen and Daniel
Semsen - the
groundbreaking creative
team who brought you The
Agape League and We Three
Spies - are back
again...this time better
than ever! Isaiah Jones
and the Seekers of the
Lost Christmas Treasure
delivers action and
adventure galore as your
Kids Choir is transported
into a video game world
of mystery, intrigue, and
adrenaline-generating
Christmas fun!
Join in
the excitement as our
young hero, along with
his friends and
companions, search for
the Lost Christmas
Treasure, navigating
levels of the video game
as they go. Cheer them on
through challenge after
challenge as they follow
the shooting star that
guides their way on a
suspense-filled journey,
leading them to their
greatest discovery...the
real Treasure of
Christmas is Jesus!
Unison/2-part children's choir, piano accompaniment SKU: WD.080689510090 ...(+)
Unison/2-part children's
choir, piano
accompaniment
SKU:
WD.080689510090
Composed by Daniel
Semsen. Arranged by
Daniel Semsen. Choral,
cantatas. WordKidz.
Christmas. Accompaniment
video. Duration ca. 38
minutes. Word Music
#080689510090. Published
by Word Music
(WD.080689510090).
UPC:
080689510090.
Chris
ty Semsen and Daniel
Semsen - the
groundbreaking creative
team who brought you The
Agape League and We Three
Spies - are back
again...this time better
than ever! Isaiah Jones
and the Seekers of the
Lost Christmas Treasure
delivers action and
adventure galore as your
Kids Choir is transported
into a video game world
of mystery, intrigue, and
adrenaline-generating
Christmas fun!
Join in
the excitement as our
young hero, along with
his friends and
companions, search for
the Lost Christmas
Treasure, navigating
levels of the video game
as they go. Cheer them on
through challenge after
challenge as they follow
the shooting star that
guides their way on a
suspense-filled journey,
leading them to their
greatest discovery...the
real Treasure of
Christmas is Jesus!
Unison/2-part children's choir, piano accompaniment SKU: WD.080689798726 ...(+)
Unison/2-part children's
choir, piano
accompaniment
SKU:
WD.080689798726
Composed by Daniel
Semsen. Arranged by
Daniel Semsen. Choral,
cantatas. WordKidz.
Christmas. Bulk CD
(10-pak). Duration ca. 38
minutes. Word Music
#080689798726. Published
by Word Music
(WD.080689798726).
UPC:
080689798726.
Chris
ty Semsen and Daniel
Semsen - the
groundbreaking creative
team who brought you The
Agape League and We Three
Spies - are back
again...this time better
than ever! Isaiah Jones
and the Seekers of the
Lost Christmas Treasure
delivers action and
adventure galore as your
Kids Choir is transported
into a video game world
of mystery, intrigue, and
adrenaline-generating
Christmas fun!
Join in
the excitement as our
young hero, along with
his friends and
companions, search for
the Lost Christmas
Treasure, navigating
levels of the video game
as they go. Cheer them on
through challenge after
challenge as they follow
the shooting star that
guides their way on a
suspense-filled journey,
leading them to their
greatest discovery...the
real Treasure of
Christmas is Jesus!