SKU: HL.49019369

ISBN 9790001189705. UPC: 888680930141.

'Song s Without Words' - that's what Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) called his lyrical piano pieces, romantic miniatures in which the composer wanted to 'sing' on the keyboard instrument. With them, he invented an entirely new form of chamber music playing in the 19th century. These 'Songs' are also perfectly suitable for duet playing: for a melodic instrument with piano accompaniment. The 'Song Without Words' Op 30/3 is a rewarding lyrical solo piece.

SKU: HL.51481539

UPC: 196288308164. 9.25x12.0x0.16 inches.

During a concert tour through California in early 1920, Prokofiev composed five songs with piano accompaniment and textless voice parts, which appeared in print as Five Songs without Words op. 35 and with a dedication to the soprano Nina Koshetz. The quasi-instrumental conception of the work as vocalises accompanied by piano suggested an arrangement for violin and piano, which the composer then indeed undertook in 1925. Enriched with octave transpositions, double stops, harmonics and pizzicati, the violin part of the five pieces gained an enormous variety of additional expressive possibilities. No wonder the Five Melodies op. 35a today number among the Russian master's most popular chamber music works! Henle is publishing them for the first time as an Urtext edition based on all available sources. Simon Morrison, a true Prokofiev specialist, contributed the preface.

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
• most beautiful music engraving 
• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
• excellent print quality and binding 
• largest Urtext catalogue world-wide 
• longest Urtext experience (founded 1948 exclusively for Urtext editions)

SKU: HL.49046190

UPC: 841886033825. 9.0x12.0x0.064 inches.

Alexis Weissenberg (1929-2012) numbers among the most prominent pianists of the 20th Century. That he was also a composer is less well known, though he wrote a whole series of works, notably for his own instrument, the piano (Piano Works, Schott ED 22923). His Romance for violin and piano may be considered something of a rarity. Musical child prodigy Alexis wrote this little Romantic piece in March 1943 in Jerusalem, where he and his mother had fled from Sofia following their internment as descendants of Jews. The Romance is a melancholy 'Song Without Words', simple and poignant in effect. This first edition is based on the original manuscript. Editorial changes have been marked in brackets.

SKU: HL.50600469

8.25x11.75x0.14 inches.

“I belong to that group of people who appropriate Debussy's wonderfully formulated philosophy according to which music begins where words end. Contrary to a view that has become widespread during the past 100 years, I am convinced that the task of the composer is to write music, not to talk about it. Even if my technical and aesthetic commentaries on one of my compositions were to have a certain value for listeners, such a commentary would have the effect that I were more or less forcing my own vision of the work onto the listener. The power of music is, however, a gift that makes it capable of calling forth different reactions in listeners. I shall therefore limit myself to saying that the 'Imaginary Variations' were inspired by the wonderful recordings of Janet Packer that I listened to with the greatest pleasure prior to the beginning of my work. The title is derived from the fact that this composition is structured similarly to the classical variation form and that the audience can listen to the constant changes of the musical ideas. In truth, however, the twelve short sections of the work are not true variations even though they reveal some connections and similarities.” (Krzysztof Meyer).

SKU: HL.48014302

UPC: 073999949827. 9.0x12.0x0.129 inches.

Gasa is a Korean word meaning simply Song-Words and is the name of a Korean narrative art song. It is sung by a woman and is accompanied by a bamboo flute, the Taegum and an hourglass drum, the Changgo. In Gasa the violin part is modeled on the character of the voice which contrasts such opposites as purity and courseness, near and far, light and dark. ''Gasa exists in space. It takes no heed of time- each moment exists in space and that space is unending. Within this (space) however, there exists a dramatic development.AE (Isang Yun) In Gasa Yun combines his central-tone technique with twelve note tone-fields.

SKU: HL.48024761

ISBN 9781784545246. UPC: 888680962548. 9.0x12.0x0.142 inches.

Seven Pint-Sized Pieces may be performed complete as a seven-movement work. Each piece may also be performed separately, or a selection together in any combination. Includes: Nostalgia * A Merry Jaunt * Song Without Words * Vlad's Vamp * A Birthday Chorale * Hilary's Hoedown * Cleethorpes Chorale.