Euphonium and Piano - advanced

SKU: CY.CC2516

Composed by Camille Saint-Saens. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. French 20th Century. Solo part and piano score. Published by Cherry Classics (CY.CC2516).

Le Rossignol or the Nightingale is originally a vocalise for Soprano solo from Saint-Saen's incidental orchestral music for the play, Parysatis written in 1902. This 4 minute work is all about mood. For this arrangement, Mr. Sauer transposes into the key of C, which lays perfectly for all of the bird-like calls that are in phrases which are slurred. The music has a lot of ad lib. tempo sections which gives the performer plenty of time to create that magic call of the Nightingale. Early writers thought it was the female that sang, but in fact it is the male. The Nightingale usually sings at night or just before dawn when other birds are silent and has a strong spontaneous song with an impressive range of trills and whistles.

Composed by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Romantic. Solo part with piano accompaniment. Published by Cherry Classics (CY.CC2873).

Euphonium and Piano - virtuoso

SKU: CY.CC2769

Composed by Russell Scarbrough. Comtemporary. Solo part and Piano accompaniment. Published by Cherry Classics (CY.CC2769).

As the title suggests the work dying and dancing for Euphonium solo and Piano accompaniment is in two parts, which are played without a pause between the two.

The first part, an adagio, is not necessarily meant to be evocative of the actual act of passing away, but more perhaps of the contemplation and reflection upon one's life as that time approaches, and particularly of sorrow over regret and disappointment. The unsettled mood of the music reflects this bitterness, and stands in contrast to the expansive peace of the grave, heard at the beginning and end of the adagio.

Dance, with ironic wit, the second part, is the other side of the same coin; perhaps humor of the gallows describes its spirit. At once fatalist and mocking, it brings to mind the words of the ancient teacher Koheleth, The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

I was pleased to compose dying and dancing in 2013 for Mark Kellogg, a superb Euphonium artist and my former trombone iProfessor at the Eastman School of Music.

By Erik Satie (1866-1925). Arranged by Ralph Sauer. For euphonium and piano. French Impressionist. Advanced. Solo part and piano accompaniment. Published by Cherry Classics