SKU: BT.SLB-02032701

230 X 305 inches. French-English-Italian.

Henri Casadesus was passionate about early instruments, as we know from a number of photographs showing him with viola d’amore, the subject of a manual he wrote entitled Tecnique de la viole d’amour. The Concerto en Ut mineur was first published in 1947 by Mica Salabert. The first edition gives the so-called “original” part for solo violocello together with the score which, according to the preface, has been adapted for viola or cello or violin by Casadesus. However, stylistic analysis of the piece, together with some musicological research carried out after the appearance of the first edition reveals that the “original” version for violoncello, on which the adaptation was supposed to be based, cannot be attributed to Johann Christian Bach, but is rather a work imitating his style written two centuries later. In spite of this, Concerto en Ut mineur encountered considerable success and continues to be studied and performed by both violinists and violoncellists today.

Henri Gustave Casadesus nourrissait une profonde passion pour les instruments anciens, qu’illustrent notamment plusieurs photographies qui le représentent avec la viole d’amour, un instrument pour lequel il écrivit le traité Technique de la viole d’amour. Le Concerto en ut mineur fut publié pour la première fois en 1947 par Mica Salabert. Dans la première édition imprimée du Concerto en ut mineur, la partie du violoncelle soliste était qualifiée d’« originale » tandis que la partition, d’après la préface citée, est la version d’Henri Casadesus, réadaptée pour alto, violon ou violoncelle. Toutefois, d’après l’analyse du style de la pièce et des recherches musicologiques successives jamais contestées du reste par la famille Casadesus il apparaît que la version « originale » pour violoncelle, de laquelle découlerait l’adaptation, n’est pas attribuable non plus Johann Christian Bach, mais aurait été composée selon sa manière deux siècles après. En dépit de cela, ce concerto a connu une bonne fortune et est encore étudié et interprété aujourd’hui par les altistes et les violoncellistes.

SKU: HL.359826

ISBN 9781705122280. UPC: 840126946390. 9x12 inches. Kamillo Lendvay.

Henri Vieuxtemps was a remarkably productive composer who wrote seven violin concertos, concert etudes, two viola sonatas and a dozen or so chamber works, yet the bulk of his output consists of works for violin and piano. Vieuxtemps's favorite musical form was the then-fashionable fantasy on themes from well-known operas, of which he left us quite a number. The Romance originally composed for violin and piano is based on a theme from Stanislaw Moniuszko's national opera Halka (Jontek's famous aria 'Szumia jodly na gór szcycie' [The firs sough on the mountain top.]). The present edition is based on Zdzislaw Jahnke's 1952 edition. This work gives the player the opportunity to display a beautiful tone and proficiency in both the left and right hand; it is also a marvelous exercise in rubato playing.