SKU: CF.BF150

ISBN 9781491162101. UPC: 680160920846.

Learn ing to play chamber music is an important milestone in the music student’s journey. Playing with a teacher or friend helps develop rhythmic independence, intonation, listening skills, and sense of pulse that are vital to playing in an ensemble. These progressive duets offer beginning and developing players the opportunity to play along with others, or with the helpful support of the teacher in a lesson. Each duet adds new techniques and challenges that align with the natural advancement of lessons, moving from easy rhythms and keys to staccato bow strokes, slurs, accidentals (low or extended finger patterns), and more complex or independent rhythms. While the melody remains in the top line, musicians can alternate playing the melody as all efforts have been made to keep both parts at a similar difficulty level. This book features familiar melodies for the holidays, including sacred and secular Christmas songs, music for Hanukkah, and folk tunes from many countries. Appropriate for caroling, recitals, or chamber holiday concerts, there are 30 festive selections of different tempi, styles, and keys for variety, while remaining in string-friendly ranges. Each duet is one page or less in length, ensuring an immediate sense of success for young players. Put new skills into practice while celebrating the season.

SKU: HL.370329

ISBN 9781638870418. UPC: 840126993660. 9.25x12.0x0.435 inches.

Sarasate's concert career began at age seventeen after he was awarded the coveted Premier Prix from the Paris Conservatoire for both violin and composition. After his London debut, the playwright and music critique George Bernard Shaw wrote in his review that Sarasate 'left criticism gasping miles behind him.' Shaw also declared that there were many composers of music for the violin; there were but few composers like Sarasate for violin music. His vast concert repertory included many works written for and dedicated to him by Bruch, Saint-Saens, Wieniawski, Dvorak and many others. He performed his own works in an inimitable, brilliant and charming manner. His contemporaries marveled at his perfect intonation and stunning rhythmic acuity. His bowing technique was the pride of the French School of violin playing. The works presented in this volume are among his finest. All are based on Spanish popular music and are a virtuosic set for violin and piano. They are and have been in virtually every great violinist's repertory. They are also exceptionally popular as encore pieces, as well as favorites of budding virtuosos.