Par BEETHOVEN LUDWIG VAN. Many anecdotes surround String Quartet op. 131: Beethoven is said to have considered it to be his finest quartet and of his late period works, the one dearest to his heart. It is also believed that the composer invested so much of himself in it: his ailing health, the social isolation brought about by his deafness and the suicide attempt of his nephew Karl. In addition it was reported that Franz Schubert asked to hear this piece once more on his deathbed. Even if these anecdotes are not all true, they reveal what generations of musicians felt they heard in this quartet: Beethoven’s most personal musical idiom and a vulnerable message from the final period of his life. This new edition by Jonathan Del Mar represents a thorough revision of this highly complex work. Meticulously incorporated are Beethoven’s pencil markings that were previously almost completely ignored./ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

20 Easy to Intermediate Pieces from four Centuries. Par NEUMANN EVA-MARIA (Arr.). Making music in a quartet uniquely nurtures young string players’ musical development, ensemble playing, listening to each other, and intonation. So, what could be more obvious than introducing the scoring of this genre, often referred to as chamber music’s supreme discipline, as early as possible. Indeed, composers have all along advised the classical string quartet’s outstanding compositions, but they are hardly easy to play for beginners. Here, with the present collection, is where Eva-Maria Neumann comes in. The two volumes include A total of 20 easy to intermediate arrangements of pieces from Bach to Bartók, together with specifically composed ones in string-quartet friendly keys - Reading scores and individual parts - additionally, individual part for violin III instead of viola - Tips on warming up, intonation, bowing, fingering, tempos, dynamics, and playing musically - Specific instructions for the individual pieces - Lists of supplementary original literature The pieces are also effective as scored for chorus./ Recueil / Quatuor à Cordes

Par VAUGHAN WILLIAMS RALPH. Quartet in C Minor is in four movements with a total duration of about 25 minutes. The opening Allegro is Dvorák-ish in its lyricism, though there is a darker, more brooding atmosphere towards the close. It is tempting to detect a hint of folk-song in the theme of the Andantino, played by the Viola, but that may be stretching hindsight too far. The movement has a wistful melancholy that carries over into the following Intermezzo, a song-like episode containing some of the most virtuosic writing in the work. The last movement is a theme and six variations with a fugal ending. The theme is ballad-like with a suggestion of 18th-century elegance. Modality creeps into the second Adagio variation and there is rhythmic exhilaration in the succeeding Presto. What can be admired in this attractive quartet is its conciseness. This String Quartet was his first major composition of any kind. / Niveau : Intermédiaire / Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

20 Easy to Intermediate Pieces from four Centuries. Par NEUMANN EVA-MARIA (Arr.). Making music in a quartet uniquely nurtures young string players’ musical development, ensemble playing, listening to each other, and intonation. So, what could be more obvious than introducing the scoring of this genre, often referred to as chamber music’s supreme discipline, as early as possible. Indeed, composers have all along advised the classical string quartet’s outstanding compositions, but they are hardly easy to play for beginners. Here, with the present collection, is where Eva-Maria Neumann comes in. The two volumes include A total of 20 easy to intermediate arrangements of pieces from Bach to Bartók, together with specifically composed ones in string-quartet friendly keys - Reading scores and individual parts - additionally, individual part for violin III instead of viola - Tips on warming up, intonation, bowing, fingering, tempos, dynamics, and playing musically - Specific instructions for the individual pieces - Lists of supplementary original literature The pieces are also effective as scored for chorus./ Recueil / Quatuor à Cordes

Impressions On Beethoven's Harp Quartet. Par AMANTI LUCIO. When Cuarteto Casals approached me with the idea of illuminating Beethoven´s quartets anew, you can imagine the many thoughts and feelings that where going through my mind: what a joy, what a great honor… What an intriguing head-scratcher! How can you possibly shine a new light on something that is already perfect? Weeks, months went by in search of a common ground between the Master and myself until I finally found it in the realization that a word lays “hidden” in the St. John’s hymn that gave musical notes their original name: ‘Re, Sol, Ut, Io’ (D, G, C, B in English music notation) Perfect! “Resolutio” in Latin means both the resolution of a problem and the re-solution: a re-blend of many elements that will eventually coagulate to make something new. There was finally the melodic and a rhythmical canvas for my piece. On this canvas I wrote the story of a funny little contest, played on a sunny Mediterranean square, between street musicians and Cuarteto Casals just minutes before they are about to go on stage to perform Beethoven´s “Harp Quartet”. After all the characters, each in his own way, had the chance to tell their story, a gentle rain starts to fall, dissolving (Re-solving) again the music sheet to eventually leave us with just a white piece of paper for somebody else to continue the Work. (Lucio Franco Amanti) / Niveau : Avancé / Répertoire / 2 Violons, Alto et Violoncelle

Dense movement structures dialogizing in pairs and a darkened overall sound are what Mozart, Schubert and Brahms already thought to be fascinating in the genre of string quartet. Following this tradition, the composer and violist Brett Dean created 'Epitaphs', an homage to five recently departed colleagues and friends to each of whom is dedicated one movement of the 20-minute work. It was premiered at the Cheltenham Festival 2010 by Dean and the Australian String Quartet. / Quatuor A Cordes

Par GAYE MARVIN / LONGFIELD ROBERT (Arr.). Though initially written over 50 years ago, Marvin Gaye's plea for peace and understanding is a message that still resonates strongly and needs to be heard. This arrangement for string quartet by Robert Longfield maintains the original's easy cool and RandB rhythms in a format that allows modern-day students to find a way to bring some loving here today. / Date parution : 2022-11-29/ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

for String Quartet Score and Parts. Par HARTKE STEPHEN. THE FIFTH BOOK of the title refers to what Stephen Hartke considers his fifth book of madrigals, only two of which books are actually for voices, with the others being for string instruments. Hartke writes madrigals for string instruments due to their inherent singing quality, but also due to the fluid structural character of the madrigal as a genre that often responds in quite mercurial ways to the emotional unfolding of its text. These five movements are thus abstract madrigals whose larger outlines, shifts in mood, and various internal reminiscences are intended to convey a private, unspoken drama. Commissioned for the Brentano String Quartet by the Frankfurt Burgerstiftung im Holzhausenschlosschen sponsored by the Ernst Max von Grunelius-Stiftung. / Date parution : 2020-04-11/ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

A viola method for childrenThe leading German viola method now available in English.For more than three decades the Sassmannshaus Tradition has been the household name for excellence in beginner string methods in German-speaking countries. More than half a million students have successfully learned to play string instruments using this publication.The publication of the four violin books in 2008 in a fully adapted English version has been a big success.On the back of this success story Bärenreiter published the four books for cello in 2009 and now presents the four books for viola in a newly adapted version for today?s English speaking children.What makes this viola method so unique?- Large print notes and texts as well as many colourful illustrations are ideal for pre-school as well as school children.- Note reading is emphasised from the first lesson, encouraging ensemble playing from the very beginning.- Songs and scales in different positions are easily mastered within the first year of playing to ensure that children are not confined to first position playing.- Advanced viola techniques such as varied bow strokes and shifting are introduced in a basic form.The new English viola method for children 4 years and older?The early emphasis on ensemble playing and the many duos in this method are so much fun for the kids. They pick up important chamber music skills right from the beginning!(Peter Winograd and Laurie Carney, American String Quartet)

10 flexible Blues Arrangements for String Ensemble. Par HUFSCHMIDT THOMAS. Get the blues by playing in small or large ensembles of woodwinds, brass, strings, or rhythm section!Play together in harmony with classmates, family, and friends. Use any combination of instruments and any skill level. Everyone can play the blues! As a conductor of school bands or ensembles you?re always looking for arrangements that can be played by players of different levels and instrument groups. At many times such arrangements don?t fit to what you require. Alfred?s Flex-Ability series will fit for you! Arranged for multi-level instrumentalists to play popular music together, this Flex-Ability Blues series will enable you:? to perform each blues song either as solo, duet, trio, quartet, and/or quintet to bring together players of different levels to choose your individual ensemble of any size to combine any instrument part from any book with any part from the other books The Flex-Ability Blues series provides you with seven instrumental books including ten blues songs in five-part score form you can use in such a flexible way. The arrangements are carefully crafted to sound authentic, optional octaves are included to allow for range flexibility. To help you practice, a downloadable PDF Piano accompaniment for all the pieces in this book is available online. This way, you definitely will have the blues!/ Recueil / Violon, Alto ou Violoncelle