An American Concerto (piano reduction)

SKU: HL.48024669

ISBN 9783923051618. UPC: 888680951641.

Max Bruch wrote his Concerto for two pianos in 1912 for an American piano duo, who only ever performed a cut down version. It was not until 1976 that the original version was released. The piano reduction by Wilhelm Bruckner-Ruggeberg is now available in this new edition and is also available with additional separate solo parts for both piano parts. Bruch's pianistic, powerful late arrival reflects echoes of Bach and Brahms.

SKU: CF.O4963

ISBN 9780825894374. UPC: 798408094379. 9 x 12 inches.

A director of Peabody Conservatory and long-time president of the Juilliard School of Music, the very busy Mennin found time to compose a number of major works in the post-World War II American music scene, up until his untimely death at age 60. His Cello Concerto was commissioned by the Juilliard Music Foundation in 1955, one of many commissions from prestigious organizations. Enjoy a YouTube performance from Albany Records' American Archives, as performed by Janos Starker and the Louisville Orchestra (Jorge Mester, cond.).

SKU: HL.841041

ISBN 9780793551842. UPC: 073999410419. 9.0x12.0x0.157 inches.

For tuba and piano.

SKU: PR.11641373S

UPC: 680160680344.

The concerto has always seemed an especially attractive medium to me, not necessarily because of its expectations of virtuosity (although flaunting it when you've got it certainly has its place), and emphatically not because of the perception of a concerto as a contest, but because so much of what I write feels song-like; I'm very much at home with the age-old texture of melody and accompaniment. I hope, before I move on, to have the opportunity to write concertos for all the major instruments, and perhaps some of the rarer ones as well. The oboe is not only one of the major instruments, it is one of my favorite instruments. I've always loved its sound, but since moving to New York I have gotten to hear and, in some cases, know some extremely fine oboists who broadened my appreciation of the instrument's possibilities. I especially remember a concert, probably in the late 1960's, in which Humbert Lucarelli played a Handel concerto, filling out large melodic leaps with cascading scale passages in a way that raised the hair on the back of your neck, somewhat in the way that John Coltrane's sheets of sound did. The sweeping scales in the second movement of my concerto were definitely inspired by Bert Lucarelli's performance. The first, third and fifth movements of the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra are song-like, whereas the second and fourth have strong scherzo and dance qualities, including a couple of sections that sound like out-and-out pirate dances to me. The hymn-like tune at the beginning of the middle movement was originally begun as a vocal piece to be sung by my wife, son and daughter at my brother's wedding, but I couldn't come up with good works for it, so it ended up as an instrumental chant. The opening and closing of the concerto make use of the oboe's uniquely soulful singing. I had not heard Pamela Woods Pecha's solo playing in person when she approached me about writing a concerto, but I had heard her fine recording of chamber music for oboe and strings by the three B's (English, that is: Bliss, Bax and Britten) with the Audubon Quartet. I actually already had some oboe concerto ideas in my sketchbooks; although I didn't end up using any of those earlier ideas, it's interesting that most of them tended to share the general feeling and tonality of the eventual opening of the concerto. The work was completed on October 13, 1994. I hate the compromises involved in making piano reductions -- perhaps I would feel differently if I were a more accomplished pianist -- so I often decide to make piano reductions for four hands rather than two. My good friend Jon Kimura Parker is a terrific sight-reader, and I roped him into coming over to my place on February 17, 1995, to help me accompany Pamela on the first read-through of the piece. The first performance of the work took place on July 21, 1995, at the American Music Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma, with Mark Parker conducting the Festival Orchestra.

SKU: PR.11641373L

UPC: 680160680337.

The concerto has always seemed an especially attractive medium to me, not necessarily because of its expectations of virtuosity (although flaunting it when you've got it certainly has its place), and emphatically not because of the perception of a concerto as a contest, but because so much of what I write feels song-like; I'm very much at home with the age-old texture of melody and accompaniment. I hope, before I move on, to have the opportunity to write concertos for all the major instruments, and perhaps some of the rarer ones as well. The oboe is not only one of the major instruments, it is one of my favorite instruments. I've always loved its sound, but since moving to New York I have gotten to hear and, in some cases, know some extremely fine oboists who broadened my appreciation of the instrument's possibilities. I especially remember a concert, probably in the late 1960's, in which Humbert Lucarelli played a Handel concerto, filling out large melodic leaps with cascading scale passages in a way that raised the hair on the back of your neck, somewhat in the way that John Coltrane's sheets of sound did. The sweeping scales in the second movement of my concerto were definitely inspired by Bert Lucarelli's performance. The first, third and fifth movements of the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra are song-like, whereas the second and fourth have strong scherzo and dance qualities, including a couple of sections that sound like out-and-out pirate dances to me. The hymn-like tune at the beginning of the middle movement was originally begun as a vocal piece to be sung by my wife, son and daughter at my brother's wedding, but I couldn't come up with good works for it, so it ended up as an instrumental chant. The opening and closing of the concerto make use of the oboe's uniquely soulful singing. I had not heard Pamela Woods Pecha's solo playing in person when she approached me about writing a concerto, but I had heard her fine recording of chamber music for oboe and strings by the three B's (English, that is: Bliss, Bax and Britten) with the Audubon Quartet. I actually already had some oboe concerto ideas in my sketchbooks; although I didn't end up using any of those earlier ideas, it's interesting that most of them tended to share the general feeling and tonality of the eventual opening of the concerto. The work was completed on October 13, 1994. I hate the compromises involved in making piano reductions -- perhaps I would feel differently if I were a more accomplished pianist -- so I often decide to make piano reductions for four hands rather than two. My good friend Jon Kimura Parker is a terrific sight-reader, and I roped him into coming over to my place on February 17, 1995, to help me accompany Pamela on the first read-through of the piece. The first performance of the work took place on July 21, 1995, at the American Music Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma, with Mark Parker conducting the Festival Orchestra.

SKU: CF.B3470

ISBN 9781491159460. UPC: 680160918058.

The awardee of two Guggenheim fellowships, Julia Perry studied composition with Luigi Dallapiccola and Nadia Boulanger, and conducted her works on a tour throughout Europe with the Vienna Philharmonic and the BBC Orchestra. She would become one of the first African-American female composers to have an orchestral work performed by the New York Philharmonic. Although she had an auspicious and promising career in her early life, it was tragically cut short by a series of strokes leading to partial paralysis and eventually, her death, at age 55 in 1979.Perry’s catalog is widely varied, featuring thirteen symphonies, numerous chamber and solo works, pieces for band, choral and vocal music, and four operas. Her Violin Concerto, completed in 1968, shows the influence of Dallapiccola’s teachings: sharp harmonic dissonances organized around specific pitch centers, short repetitive patterns that establish significant musical materials, and contrapuntal textures. Her fastidious performance markings in the solo violin part indicate her profound understanding of the instrument. Angular, muscled, and sparkling by turns, this piece is a sophisticated entry to the serious violinist's concert repertoire.There is no evidence or documentation that the Violin Concerto was ever premiered or performed during her lifetime, despite the fact that the composer prepared a full score, piano reduction and orchestral parts. Regrettably, this is the case with the majority of her works composed in the final decade of her life.
What is extraordinary about Julia Perry’s musical career was the astonishing success she attained in her early years. In her youth she studied piano, voice, violin and cello. She began to compose in her teenage years, her first publication being a choral work in 1947 by Carl Fischer. Her Stabat Mater was published in 1951 and would become one of her most often performed pieces, with performances in Europe and the United States. In 1953 she was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship to study with the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola, first at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood, later in Florence, Italy. During this time, she also pursued studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and was awarded a second Guggenheim fellowship. She studied conducting at this time, touring Europe in 1957 to conduct her own works with the Vienna Philharmonic and the BBC Orchestra. During her European sojourns, she learned and mastered French, German and Italian. She would become one of the first African-American female composers to have an orchestral work performed by the New York Philharmonic.Perry� �s circumstances would change dramatically once she reached forty years of age, having returned permanently to the United States. At some point in the spring of 1970, she suffered the first of two strokes that would paralyze her right side and confine her to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Nonetheless, she continued to compose and to promote her works with publishers and conductors. A second stroke contributed to her death in 1979 at age 55. She likely endured harsh ethnic and gender discrimination in the course of her career, and her later years would witness a period of extreme civil unrest. These matters and the significance of music in her life are undoubtedly what led her to say, “Music has a great role to play in establishing the brotherhood of man.”Perry’s catalog is widely varied, featuring thirteen symphonies, numerous chamber and solo works, pieces for band, choral and vocal music, and four operas. Her Violin Concerto, completed in 1968, is indicative of the influence of Dallapiccola’s teachings: sharp harmonic dissonances organized around specific pitch centers, short repetitive patterns that establish significant musical materials, and contrapuntal textures. The work is a single movement of 392 measures organized around three alternating tempos: Slow (Œ = 60), Moderate (Œ = 84) and Fast (Œ = 120). The opening thirty-measure cadenza for the solo violin introduces most of the thematic material for the piece. The orchestration commonly features antiphonal writing between orchestral groups, for example, strings alternating with brass, or strings alternating with winds. The harp and piano generally appear as solo instruments, rather than as members of the orchestra. Her fastidious performance markings in the solo violin part indicate her profound understanding of the instrument.There is no evidence or documentation that the Violin Concerto was ever premiered or performed during her lifetime, despite the fact that the composer prepared a full score, piano reduction and orchestral parts. Regrettably, this is the case with the majority of her works composed in the final decade of her life.

SKU: PR.114414020

ISBN 9781491101339. UPC: 680160590537. 9 x 12 inches.

[Virginia Symphony's] music director, JoAnn Falletta, and Ranjbaran were classmates at Juilliard. ...[In 2008] Falletta received a special award from the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for championing contemporary music; the prize included an opportunity to commission a new work. 'When ASCAP gave me the award, I immediately thought of Ranjbaran,' Falletta told Virginia's Daily Press. 'I've had a long professional relationship with him, and I love his music.' (Iran Times International, October 23, 2009) Virginia Symphony premiered the Concerto on October 22 and 24, 2009, with Concertmaster Vahn Armstrong and principal viola Beverly Kane Baker. Watch a 10-minute YouTube video of the soloists discussing preparation for the premiere. The Concerto is constructed in three-movement, classic A-B-A form. For advanced performers. Duration: 26' See sample pages:http://www.presser. com/marketing/newissue/13 _11/11441402_Ranjbaran_Co ncerto_VlnVlaOrch_sample. pdf.

SKU: BR.EB-10821

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790201808215. 9.5 x 12 inches.

The tragic circumstances surrounding the origin of the concerto are well known: Manon Gropius, the daughter of Berg's friend Alma Mahler, died of polio after the composer had written the first sketches to his violin concerto. In remembrance of her, he dedicated the work to the memory of an angel. Later, Berg decided to incorporate into the score the Bach chorale Es ist genug as a quote. He also worked on the solo part directly and intensely with the American violinist Louis Krasner, who had commissioned the work. Berg was no longer able to witness the first performance and the first edition of the concerto since he passed away in late 1935. This new edition is the first Urtext version of Berg's work, which was created in the midst of a spate of epoch-making violin concertos by Stravinsky (1931), Schoenberg (1936), Prokofiev (1937), Bartok (1938), Hindemith (1939) a. o. Errors from the first edition were corrected after an in-depth comparison with the autograph score, the short score and, in some cases, with the twelve-tone row structure.The entire performance material can be purchased; however, due to copyright reasons, the score and orchestral parts are not available the United States.Werden die Urtextausgaben von Breitkopf & Hartel aufgrund ihres hellblauen Umschlags augenzwinkernd die Himmlischen genannt, so ist dies in Bezug auf die neu vorgelegte Partitur Programm. (Florian Henri Besthorn, neue musikzeitung).

SKU: PR.416413660

ISBN 9781598063578. UPC: 680160601899. 9x12 inches.

Trained as a violinist in his native Tehran, composer Behzad Ranjbaran eagerly drew inspiration from the traditional Persian kamancheh and its delicate, lyrical sound when creating his profoundly luscious and brilliant Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. This work was completed in 1994 and premiered in England by Joshua Bell, who also gave the first American and Canadian performances. The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra is the recipient of the Rudolf Nissim Award from ASCAP, and it was supported in part by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. The solo part with a piano reduction as well as a large score are available on custom print. For advanced players. Duration: 31'.
From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notionof writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures.The notes of the violin’s open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes:1 st movement: A-D-A2nd movement: D-G-D3rd movement: E-A-EThe overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movement’s primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is definedby distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgivingferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes fromthe previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.

SKU: HL.49012328

ISBN 9790001102872.

The Spiritual Concerto for violin and string orchestra by Helmut W. May has everything that is necessary to become a repertory piece for -young violin soloists: of medium difficulty, rewarding, despite the comtemporary tonal language that creates a deep poetic background with the help of individual sounds, simple technical means and at times with vigour full of brio. The concerto is characterised by the spiritual I want to die easy which leads to a new, formally unconventional world of music both as to melody and as to contents: Afro-American features merge with European concerto tradition.