Chamber Music Violin, Viola, cello, Piano SKU: PR.14440587S Composed by S...(+)
Chamber Music Violin,
Viola, cello, Piano
SKU: PR.14440587S
Composed by Steven
Stucky. Premiered by Opus
One, Music from Angel
Fire, NM. Contemporary.
Score. With Standard
notation. Composed 2012.
44 pages. Duration 12
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #144-40587S.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.14440587S).
UPC:
680160616497. 9x12
inches.
As
composer-in-residence at
the Music from Angel Fire
festival in New Mexico,
Stucky was commissioned
for a new chamber work,
Rain Shadow, written for
Opus One. For
inspiration, Stucky
looked to the incredible
works of Scottish
sculptor Andy
Goldsworthy. Much of the
piece underscores
contrasts between the
piano and the violin,
viola, and cello, with
the strings working
largely as a unit,
frequently intoning their
unpredictable harmonies
in homophonic rhythms...
Rain Shadow is big on
clarity, easy to follow,
and attractive to the
ear, even letting loose
(near the end) a big ol'
Romantic theme that
wouldn't be out of place
in a cinematic epic set
in outer space. (James M.
Keller, Listen Up, Santa
Fe New Mexican).
Composed by Gina Boe.
Choral, cantatas.
Christmas. Book. Word
Music #080689656170.
Published by Word Music
(WD.080689656170).
UPC:
080689656170.
As
our story’s family
begins their journey on
Christmas Eve, they find
themselves in an epic
snowstorm that threatens
their safe arrival at
Grandma’s house.
Forced off the road by
the storm, they
miraculously come across
an unexpected
“this-didn’t
-show-up-on-anygps-
maps†safe
harbor… Hotel
Noel! With a name
like Hotel Noel, full of
the promise of holiday
festivities and
decorations, the kids are
severely disappointed as
they discover it to be a
plain, bland,
not-a-decoration-in-sight
hotel. Unknown to the
family, however, the
hotel is staffed by
Christmas angels tasked
to share the true meaning
of Christmas with those
in need of hearing their
message of hope and
salvation. These special,
heavenly envoys - Gloria,
Gabriel, Michael, and
Angela - step in to share
the origins and meaning
of the hotel’s
name, Noel,
explaining that Christmas
is more about celebrating
the birth of our Savior
than about brightly
wrapped gifts and shiny
holiday decorations. This
new Simply
WordKidz Musical
for a Christmas carries
the hallmarks of the
series – easy to
learn, easy to sing, easy
to produce – while
featuring fun and
powerful new songs of the
season along with
familiar carols.
Celebrate the birth of
Jesus this Christmas with
Hotel Noel and let
your kids choir share
with the world what
Christmas is really all
about!
Acadian Dreams Flûte traversière et Piano Theodore Presser Co.
Composed by Adrienne Albert. Set of Score and Parts. 12 4 pages. Duration 6 mi...(+)
Composed by Adrienne
Albert.
Set of Score and Parts.
12 4
pages. Duration 6
minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#114-
42266. Published by
Theodore
Presser Company
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...
Piano and orchestra SKU: FG.55011-372-5 Composed by Matthew Whittall. Stu...(+)
Piano and orchestra
SKU:
FG.55011-372-5
Composed by Matthew
Whittall. Study score.
Fennica Gehrman
#55011-372-5. Published
by Fennica Gehrman
(FG.55011-372-5).
ISBN
9790550113725.
Imag
es of the sea figure
prominently throughout my
life and memories: from
holidays on the Atlantic
coast during my Canadian
childhood to my current
Baltic home, and the
imagined, only later
experienced Mediterranean
of my ancestral heritage.
As an immigrant (son of
an immigrant) bound to
two northern countries,
the sea is emblematic of
my twin homelands, from
the expanses of water
surrounding them to those
separating them. A Mari
usque ad Mare. The sea is
also an enduring image of
the unknown, of expanses
unexplored, of the raw
power of nature and, for
too many currently, of
terror holding a hope of
refuge - or the pain of
loss. Such disparate
ideas were captured for
me in the seascapes of
the New York painter
MaryBeth Thielhelm, whom
I met in 2008 during a
residency on the Gulf of
Mexico. Her vast,
abstract, nearly
monochromatic depictions
of imaginary seas in
wildly varying moods were
the catalyst for a
concerto where the piano
is frequently far from a
hero battling a
collective, but rather
acts as a channel for
elemental forces surging
up from the orchestra,
floating - sometimes
barely so - on its
constantly shifting
surface. There are few
themes to speak of,
beyond a handful of
iconic ideas that
periodically cycle
upward. Rather, the
piano's material is
largely an ornamentation
of the more primal
rhythmic and harmonic
impulses from the
orchestra below - a
poetic interpretation, if
you will, of the more
immediate experience of
facing the vastness of
some unknown body of
water. The title
Nameless Seas is borrowed
from one of Thielhelm's
exhibitions, as are those
of the four movements,
which are bridged
together into two halves
of roughly equal weight -
one rhapsodic and free,
the other more
single-minded and direct,
separated only by a short
breath. The opening
movement, Nocturne, is
predominantly calm, if
brooding, darkness and
light alternating
throughout. Lyrical
arabesques sparkle over
gently lapping
cross-currents in the
strings and mirrored
timpani, the piano's full
power only rarely
deployed. The waves
gradually build, drawing
in the full orchestra for
a meeting of forces in
Land and Sea, a brighter,
more warmly lyrical scene
that unfolds in series of
dreamlike, sometimes even
nostalgic visions, which
for me carry strong
memories of sitting on
rocks above surging
Atlantic waves. The third
movement, Wake, is a
fast, perpetual-motion
texture of glinting,
darting rhythms and
sudden shafts of light,
with a prominent part for
the steel drums, limning
the piano's quicksilver
figurations. An ecstatic
climax crashes into a
solo cadenza that grows
progressively calmer and
more introspective rather
than virtuosic. Much of
the tension finally
releases into Unclaimed
Waters, a drifting,
meditative seascape in
which the piano is
progressively engulfed by
a series of ever-taller
waves, ultimately
dissolving into a
tolling, rippling
continuum of sound.
It has been a great
privilege to realize such
a long-held dream as this
piece, and to write it
for not one, but two
great pianists.
Risto-Matti Marin and
Angela Hewitt, both of
whose friendship and
support have been
unfailing and humbling,
share the dedication.
Nameless Seas was
commissioned by the
PianoEspoo festival and
Canada's National Arts
Centre, with the
premieres in Ottawa and
Helsinki led by Hannu
Lintu and Olari Elts.
Thanks are due also to
the Jenny and Antti
Wihuri fund, whose
generous grant provided
me with much-needed time,
and Escape to Create in
Seaside, Florida, the
source to which I
returned to do a large
part of the work.
Choral (Vocal Score) SKU: HL.402077 For Soprano Solo, Children's Choir...(+)
Choral (Vocal Score)
SKU: HL.402077
For Soprano Solo,
Children's Choir and
Orchestra. Composed
by Nico Muhly. Choral.
Classical. Octavo.
Duration 1500 seconds.
St. Rose Music
#SRO100186-01. Published
by St. Rose Music
(HL.402077).
ISBN
9781705160084. UPC:
196288056829.
9.0x12.0x0.276
inches.
The Right
of Your Senses is a set
of nine songs for
children's voices, solo
soprano, and orchestra
written for the National
Children's Chorus,
American Youth Symphony
and Los Angeles
Philharmonic Association.
The texts are primarily
17th-century, by Thomas
Traherne and George
Herbert, but two of them
come from the
11th-century Enchiridion
by Byrhtferth. The
overarching theme is the
story of creation, but
not just the list of
objects created: the
texts deal with the
emotional resonances of
the sun, the sea, the
air, and the moon with
all their mysterious,
bright, and dark
potential. There is a
recurring gesture in the
strings, introduced at
the very top: a simple
descending pattern which
binds many of the
movements together, even
when hidden in the more
tumultuous sections. The
first two movements are
bright, whereas the
middle three movements
are violent and deal with
the angrier natural
elements. The seventh
movement is the most
abstract and playful, and
here a direct nod to
Benjamin Britten's A
Ceremony of Carols, with
a fast three-part canon
depicting the behavior of
the atom. The eighth
movement, Night, is the
slowest, and depicts the
night sky. The final
movement is calm, and
encourages us: Be
faithful in a little, and
you shall be master over
much. The piece ends with
five strokes of high
bells. x Nico Muhly.
Study Score Choral SKU: HL.402076 For Soprano Solo, Children's Choir a...(+)
Study Score Choral
SKU: HL.402076
For Soprano Solo,
Children's Choir and
Orchestra. Composed
by Nico Muhly. Choral.
Classical. Softcover. 72
pages. Duration 1500
seconds. St. Rose Music
#SRO100186. Published by
St. Rose Music
(HL.402076).
ISBN
9781705160077. UPC:
196288056812.
9.0x12.0x0.167
inches.
The Right
of Your Senses is a set
of nine songs for
children's voices, solo
soprano, and orchestra
written for the National
Children's Chorus,
American Youth Symphony
and Los Angeles
Philharmonic Association.
The texts are primarily
17th-century, by Thomas
Traherne and George
Herbert, but two of them
come from the
11th-century Enchiridion
by Byrhtferth. The
overarching theme is the
story of creation, but
not just the list of
objects created: the
texts deal with the
emotional resonances of
the sun, the sea, the
air, and the moon with
all their mysterious,
bright, and dark
potential. There is a
recurring gesture in the
strings, introduced at
the very top: a simple
descending pattern which
binds many of the
movements together, even
when hidden in the more
tumultuous sections. The
first two movements are
bright, whereas the
middle three movements
are violent and deal with
the angrier natural
elements. The seventh
movement is the most
abstract and playful, and
here a direct nod to
Benjamin Britten's A
Ceremony of Carols, with
a fast three-part canon
depicting the behavior of
the atom. The eighth
movement, Night, is the
slowest, and depicts the
night sky. The final
movement is calm, and
encourages us: Be
faithful in a little, and
you shall be master over
much. The piece ends with
five strokes of high
bells. x Nico Muhly.
(Reduction for Trumpet and Piano). By James Macmillan. For Trumpet, Piano Accomp...(+)
(Reduction for Trumpet
and Piano). By James
Macmillan. For Trumpet,
Piano Accompaniment.
Boosey and Hawkes Chamber
Music. Softcover. 26
pages. Boosey and Hawkes
#M060123467. Published by
Boosey and Hawkes
SKU: HL.48185864 Leduc. Softcover. Alphonse Leduc #AL29603. Published by ...(+)
SKU: HL.48185864
Leduc. Softcover.
Alphonse Leduc #AL29603.
Published by Alphonse
Leduc (HL.48185864).
Saint Francis
of Assisi is an opera in
3 acts by Olivier
Messiaen. This first
volume is focused on the
Act 1 ? 1. La croix, 2.
Les laudes, 3. Le baiser
au lepreux. It depicts
the moments when Saint
Francis explains what is
the Perfect Joy according
to the love of the
Christ, his request to
God to meet a leper and
to be able to love him,
and, finally, his meeting
with a leper, assisted by
an Angel. The leper is
cured from this meeting.
Based on the life of
Saint Francis of Assisi,
this opera is set in
Italy and is composed as
per below: Act I: 1. La
croix 2. Les laudes 3. Le
baiser au lepreux Act II
4. L?ange voyageur 5.
L?ange musicien 6. Le
preche aux oiseaux Act II
7. Les stigmates 8. La
mort et la nouvelle vie
This opera was played at
the Paris Opera in 1983.
Olivier Messiaen
(1908-1992) was a French
organist and composer
passionate about
Ornithology and one of
the most important
composers of his century.
Inspired by Japanese
music, he had a very
special way of composing
and his work can be
identified by its
complexity, its diatonic
aspect, its harmony with
limited transposition,
its colour and its
additive rhythms. He
composed many works
related to ornithology
and birdsong, including
the 'Bird Catalogue' in 7
volumes and the 'Treatise
on rhythm, colour and
ornithology' in 7
volumes..
Weihnachtskantilene. Composed by Johann
Georg Zechner. Edited by
Leonhard Riedel. Arranged
by Paul Horn.
Weihnachtskantilene Was
Seh Ich. Sacred vocal
music, Cantatas,
Christmas. Choral Score.
Composed 1762. 4 pages.
Duration 10 minutes.
Carus Verlag #CV
10.375/05. Published by
Carus Verlag
(CA.1037505).
ISBN
9790007108595. Key: D
major. Language:
Latin/German.
This
pastoral composition of
Austrian origin depicts
the announcement to a
shepherd of the birth of
Christ. In addition, the
song of praise of an
angel Gloria in excelsis
Deo is sung. This is a
short, easily performed
work which is best suited
to music for the
Christmas Gospel or for
the offertory at
Christmas. Score
available separately -
see item CA.1037500.
Composed by Johann Georg
Zechner. Edited by
Leonhard Riedel. Arranged
by Paul Horn. This
edition: Paperbound.
German title:
Weihnachtskantilene Was
Seh Ich. Sacred vocal
music, Cantatas,
Christmas. Full score.
Composed 1762. 12 pages.
Duration 10 minutes.
Carus Verlag #CV
10.375/00. Published by
Carus Verlag
(CA.1037500).
ISBN
9790007089863. Key: D
major. Language:
Latin/German.
This
pastoral composition of
Austrian origin depicts
the announcement to a
shepherd of the birth of
Christ. In addition, the
song of praise of an
angel Gloria in excelsis
Deo is sung. This is a
short, easily performed
work which is best suited
to music for the
Christmas Gospel or for
the offertory at
Christmas.
Composed by Johann Georg
Zechner. Edited by
Leonhard Riedel. Arranged
by Paul Horn.
Weihnachtskantilene Was
Seh Ich. Sacred vocal
music, Cantatas,
Christmas. Set of
Orchestra Parts. Composed
1762. Duration 10
minutes. Carus Verlag #CV
10.375/19. Published by
Carus Verlag
(CA.1037519).
ISBN
9790007190774. Key: D
major. Language:
Latin/German.
This
pastoral composition of
Austrian origin depicts
the announcement to a
shepherd of the birth of
Christ. In addition, the
song of praise of an
angel Gloria in excelsis
Deo is sung. This is a
short, easily performed
work which is best suited
to music for the
Christmas Gospel or for
the offertory at
Christmas. Score and
parts available
separately - see item
CA.1037500.
SKU: LO.99-2861L A Joyful Christmas Acclamation. Composed by Mary ...(+)
SKU: LO.99-2861L
A Joyful Christmas
Acclamation. Composed
by Mary McDonald.
Arranged by Larry
Shackley. Choral,
cantatas. Christmas,
Sacred. Bulk performance
CDs. Lorenz Publishing
Company #99/2861L.
Published by Lorenz
Publishing Company
(LO.99-2861L).
UPC:
000308129342.
Compo
sers Mary McDonald and
Larry Shackley have
combined their musical
gifts with the inspired
lyrics of Pamela Martin
to create a captivating
thirty-minute cantata for
SATB or SAB choirs. In
this unique work, the
many names of Christ
foretold in the Old
Testament are used to
proclaim the familiar
story of Christmas:
Emmanuel, God With Us
brings to life Mary's
visit from the angel; Son
of David depicts the
journey to Bethlehem; and
King of Kings involves
the Wise Men and the
congregation in worship.
Lovely original melodies
stand alongside familiar
carols to create a
musical experience
suitable for churches of
all traditions. A simple,
scriptural narration
joins the seven choral
pieces, and an optional
joyous instrumental
overture sets the stage
with a medley of
Christmas favorites. The
orchestration of this
work is within the range
of many churches, with
the option of using
digital keyboard along
with a small group of
woodwinds, brass, and
percussion.
Weihnachtskantilene. Composed by Johann
Georg Zechner. Edited by
Leonhard Riedel. Arranged
by Paul Horn.
Weihnachtskantilene Was
Seh Ich. Sacred vocal
music, Cantatas,
Christmas. Single Part,
Cello/Double Bass.
Composed 1762. 2 pages.
Duration 10 minutes.
Carus Verlag #CV
10.375/13. Published by
Carus Verlag
(CA.1037513).
ISBN
9790007190767. Key: D
major. Language:
Latin/German.
This
pastoral composition of
Austrian origin depicts
the announcement to a
shepherd of the birth of
Christ. In addition, the
song of praise of an
angel Gloria in excelsis
Deo is sung. This is a
short, easily performed
work which is best suited
to music for the
Christmas Gospel or for
the offertory at
Christmas. Score and part
available separately -
see item CA.1037500.
Wind
Orchestra, Grade 5-6,
20:00 Score. Composed
by Franco Cesarini.
Editions Franco Cesarini.
Concert Band, General
Worship, Sacred.
Softcover. Duration 1200
seconds. Hal Leonard
#EFC029-SC. Published by
Hal Leonard (HL.4008694).
UPC:
196288190509.
To
mark the 30th anniversary
of Mosaici Bizantini
Franco Cesarini decided
to publish this revised
version. He added a few
instruments to the
instrumentation and
completely revised the
notation. The work is now
available in large-sized
full score and
exclusively from the
composer's publishing
house. For this grand
work, Franco Cesarini was
inspired by three
byzantine mosaics, which
can be seen in churches
in Venice and Palermo. He
took the musical motives
from Gregorian chants.
The mosaics concerned
depict the following
extracts from “The
Gospel according to St.
Matthewâ€: 1. The
Nativity 2. The Temple of
Jerusalem 3. Angel of the
Resurrection This new,
revised version of this
masterpiece will delight
both the orchestra and
the audience!
SATB chorus - intermediate SKU: XC.HRMG2051.3 Composed by Michael John Tr...(+)
SATB chorus -
intermediate
SKU:
XC.HRMG2051.3
Composed by Michael John
Trotta. Michael John
Trotta. Octavo. Hampton
Roads Music Group LLC
#HRMG2051.3. Published by
Hampton Roads Music Group
LLC (XC.HRMG2051.3).
UPC:
785147104056.
Strai
ghtforward rhythms,
dissonances, and close
harmonies depict the
clear and radiant divine
essence of this a
cappella meditation on
the angel Gabriel's
greeting to Mary. A
poetic translation is
included, allowing the
work to be performed in
Latin or English.
SKU: LO.99-2363L A cantata proclaiming God's promise fulfilled. Co...(+)
SKU: LO.99-2363L
A cantata proclaiming
God's promise
fulfilled. Composed
by Larry Shackley.
Choral, cantatas.
Christmas, Sacred. SA/B
part-dominant rehearsal
CD (reproducible). Lorenz
Publishing Company
#99/2363L. Published by
Lorenz Publishing Company
(LO.99-2363L).
UPC:
000308120493.
Many
scripture passages
foretell the coming of
the Messiah, with perhaps
the most well-known being
the angel comforting the
frightened shepherds on
the hillside saying,
“And this shall be
a sign unto you...â€
This musical depiction
recalls seven of those
signs in a unique
re-telling of the
Christmas story,
beginning with the
prophecies of Isaiah
through the blessing from
Simeon in Luke, each
providing a signpost for
the arrival of the Christ
Child. With familiar
carols interspersed among
the very melodic and
stylistically diverse
music of Larry Shackley,
“And This Shall Be
a Sign†will have a
strong appeal for the
congregations of both the
traditional and blended
worship service. And with
both SATB and SAB
editions being available
(along with reproducible
part-dominant CDs for
each voicing), churches
of virtually any size
will be able to
successfully present this
work in a meaningful and
uplifting way.
SKU: LO.99-2340L A cantata proclaiming God's promise fulfilled. Co...(+)
SKU: LO.99-2340L
A cantata proclaiming
God's promise
fulfilled. Composed
by Larry Shackley.
Choral, cantatas.
Christmas, Sacred. Bulk
performance CDs. Lorenz
Publishing Company
#99/2340L. Published by
Lorenz Publishing Company
(LO.99-2340L).
UPC:
000308119206.
Many
scripture passages
foretell the coming of
the Messiah, with perhaps
the most well-known being
the angel comforting the
frightened shepherds on
the hillside saying,
“And this shall be
a sign unto you...â€
This musical depiction
recalls seven of those
signs in a unique
re-telling of the
Christmas story,
beginning with the
prophecies of Isaiah
through the blessing from
Simeon in Luke, each
providing a signpost for
the arrival of the Christ
Child. With familiar
carols interspersed among
the very melodic and
stylistically diverse
music of Larry Shackley,
“And This Shall Be
a Sign†will have a
strong appeal for the
congregations of both the
traditional and blended
worship service. And with
both SATB and SAB
editions being available
(along with reproducible
part-dominant CDs for
each voicing), churches
of virtually any size
will be able to
successfully present this
work in a meaningful and
uplifting way.