By Anne Marsden Thomas. For Organ. Oxford Service Music for Organ. ABRSM Exam: Grade 6. Collection. 64 pages. Published by Oxford University Press

(Baritone/Bass). By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Edited by Paolo Toscano. For baritone voice solo, bass voice solo and piano accompaniment. Universal JV Classical. Classical Period. Difficulty: medium-difficult. Collection. Vocal melody, lyrics, piano reduction and introductory text. 256 pages. Published by Ricordi

Chamber Music Cello, Piano, Violin

SKU: PR.414411630

Composed by Shulamit Ran. Set of Score and Parts. With Standard notation. 28+28+20+24+20+24 pages. Duration 20 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #414-41163. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.414411630).

ISBN 9781491114551. UPC: 680160089956. 9.5 x 13 inches.

EXCURSIONS is a one-movement work exploring two “characters.” A rhapsodic, descending passage is introduced by the cello, followed by a  static, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello. Their individual developments are separated by a slow, contrasting middle section. The composer has written: “This is analogous to situations in life: we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option and forfeiting the other. But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination… or can we? It is symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place.”.
Excursi ons for violin, cello and piano, is a one-movement work of tripartite structure in which materials explored in the first of three large sections are brought back in the last section.  The traditional statement-contrast-restat ement form, which is readily suggested by such a description, is, however, not at all in the mold in which the work is cast.  Rather, my aim was to subject the essential materials of the piece (two “characters” –the rhapsodic, descending passage played by the cello in the very opening and, later, a static, slow moving, chorale-like phrase for the violin and cello) to two entirely different developments separated by a slow, contrasting middle section.  This is analogous to an exploration of the ramifications that two divergent choices made by the same person might lead to.  In life, as we stand by a crossroad, choosing one option usually means having to forfeit the other.  But in art, the realm of the imagination, we can perhaps afford to pursue more than one route to its ultimate destination…or can we?  It is, I believe, symbolic that in this work both roads eventually lead to the same place: in composing Excursions, it seemed absolutely inescapable that at the end the slow, contrasting middle sections – both more resigned and peaceful than the battling spirits of the outer parts – should return briefly to end the work. The piano trio combination (once highly favored, but to this composer still as challenging today) is approached here as a collaborative effort of three equal soloists – partners.  Of the available pairings, the two strings find themselves occasionally approached as a team pitted against the piano.  The cello-piano combination is also not uncommon here, and there is an extended violin cadenza toward the end of the piece.  The writing for the three instruments is closely and at times interlinked, but the players are all instructed to play from scores. Excursions was first performed at Brandeis University in 1982.

Violin, Viola and Orchestra

SKU: BT.EMBZ14392

Composed by Gyorgy Kurtag. Book Only. Composed 2005. 56 pages. Editio Musica Budapest #EMBZ14392. Published by Editio Musica Budapest (BT.EMBZ14392).

The 24 minutes long work consists of a single enormous movement (...fantasia...) and a coda containing two parts (coda: recitativo ed epilogo). The range of tone colour in the composition is undoubtedly the key element in its effectiveness, Kurtág luxuriates in the possibilities offered by the two solo instruments and the huge orchestra. His instrumentation is magical, the exceptionally big percussion section is enriched with the incomparable sound of a new instrument, the steel drum. The concertante was premiered in 2003 in Copenhagen by Hiromi Kikuchi, Ken Hakii and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Schonwand. In 2006, this work won the University ofLouisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.The performance rights of the violin and viola solo parts have been reserved for Hiromi Kikuchi and Ken Hakii.