SKU: WJ.FBW2403
9 x 12 inches.
Looking to introduce beginners to march style? Look no further than Primetime Parade! This piece is specifically written using the first 6 notes of the Bb scale, making it the ideal starting point for those just beginning to explore this unique musical style.
SKU: KN.52432S
UPC: 822795524321.
Commissioned by the Illinois Music Educators Association for their 2002 All-State Jazz Ensemble, this driving swinger for medium bands works well at a variety of tempos (144-196) and gives all sections a chance to shine at one time or another. It also lets directors customize the open solo section according to the strengths of their particular group.
SKU: CF.BAS5
ISBN 9780825845086. UPC: 798408045081. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: D major.
The musical effect of Prarie Lullaby should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close to p as possible. Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are marked pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly to argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score. The divisi notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes. Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead. The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54. Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.The musical effect ofA Prarie LullabyA should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close toA p as possible. Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are markedA pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly toA argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score. TheA divisiA notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes. Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead. The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54. Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.The musical effect ofA Prarie LullabyA should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close toA p as possible. Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are markedA pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly toA argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score. TheA divisiA notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes. Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead. The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54. Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.The musical effect of Prarie Lullaby should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close to p as possible. Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are marked pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly to argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score. The divisi notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes. Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead. The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54. Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.The musical effect of Prarie Lullaby should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close to p as possible. Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are marked pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly to argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score. The divisi notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes. Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead. The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54. Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.The musical effect of Prarie Lullaby should be graceful and serene, evocative of a peaceful night on the open plains. To that end, players will need to strive for an unlabored rhythmic flow, smooth bowing and a clear, steady tone as close to p as possible.Beginning at m.39, the violin and viola parts are marked pizzicato. If young players are unable to return quickly to argo at m.53, they may make the bow preparation easier by taking a full measure rest at m.52. This option is marked in the parts and score.The divisi notes at m. 69 are provided for ensembles which lack violas. Ensembles with violas may have them play the lower notes while the second violins play the upper notes.Percussion, which is completely optional, should be very subdued. Choose a bell mallet which allows the tones to be heard just above the strings. the woodblock part is intended to imitate the clip-clop sound of a horse's hooves. Two different sizes of woodblocks or temple blocks are needed. Finding two suitable sounds on one woodblock is difficult. Again, the right mallets are very important. The suspended cymbal should be played with brushes if the string ensemble is small. If the suspended cymbal with brushes cannot be heard above a large number of strings, then sticks should be used instead.The percussion part can be performed by one player, provided the instruments and mallets are set up properly and the player has the skill to make the transitions smoothly. Note the optional rest at mm. 53-54.Performance time with the repeat is two and a half minutes.
About Carl Fischer Beginning String Orchestra Series
This series of Grade 1 pieces is designed for first year string groups. The pieces in this series are characterized by:
SKU: KN.20717
UPC: 822795207170.
This essential book for jazz ensemble auditions, recitals, festivals, and lessons includes 20 etudes based on the changes to popular jazz standards so players learn to improvise over the chord progressions of songs that all jazz musicians should know. The downloadable MP3 tracks include two versions of each etude -- one with a professional soloist & rhythm section, and another with just the rhythm section.Contents:Sunny Side Up; You And The Night; Dad's Tune; Holy Tom; Time Thief; Riff Blues; The Days Of Winding Hoses; Bird Lady; Bossa Azule; Sun-Like; Mona By Moonlight; Justified Friends; Day Is Night; Did You Meet Her?; Should I Remember You?; Share Our Key; See Ya Bird!; Into Somewhere; Without Warning; You Stepped In.
SKU: BT.DHP-1125271-140
9x12 inches.
This number topped the U.S. chart as the lead release single from Bad. Siedah Garrett, who sang the duet, was a protégé of Quincy Jones with whom Michael tag-teamed for three solos on Off the Wall. (Garrett is also renowned as one of the writers of the song Man in the Mirror,â? the fourth single which carries a strong message.) Japanese fans still remember this song being performed as an encore during the Bad World Tour in 1987. The straightforward, sweet love song starts out quietly and gradually takes on heat, unfolding a wonderful musical sentiment. The performance of the arranged version also strikes the audience with an imposing world of sound comparableto that of a full orchestra. I Just Canâ??t Stop Loving You was de eerste single van het album Bad. Michael Jackson nam dit romantisch duet, samen met zangeres en songwriter Siedah Garret, op. Dit gevoelige nummer werd wereldwijd bekend door Michaelâ??sBad World Tour in 1987. Miho Hazama maakte er een arrangement van met een prachtig volle klank.I Just Canâ??t Stop Loving You war die erste Single aus dem Album Bad, wo das romantische Duett zusammen mit der Sängerin und Songwriterin Siedah Garret aufgenommen wurde. Weltweit ist der gefu?hlvolle Song vor allem von der Bad World Tour im Jahr 1987 bekannt geworden. Dieses Arrangement besticht vor allem durch seinen vollen Orchesterklang. I Just Canâ??t Stop Loving You, premier single extrait de lâ??album, est un duo romantique que Michael Jackson interprèta avec Siedah Garrett. La chanson connut un réel succès dans le monde entier, et fut programmée lors des différentes tournées Bad World Tour et Dangerous World Tour. Cet émouvant arrangement impressionne de par son orchestration complète, tout en respectant la version originale. I Just Canâ??t Stop Loving You, il primo single dellâ??album Bad, include il romantico duo con la cantante e autrice Siedah Garret. Il brano è diventato famoso grazie al Bad World Tour del 1987. Questo raffinato arrangiamento si contraddistingue per le sonorit .
SKU: PR.416415760
UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.
The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.
SKU: PR.41641576L
UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.
SKU: PE.EP14634
ISBN 9790014139414. German.
Dämonen (Ein Kinderlied) – English: Demons (A Children's Song) – by Arnulf Herrmann is a 21-minute work for orchestra and a record with the children's song Die Blümelein, sie schlafen (The little flowers are sleeping). On it, white noise and historical fragments of this song, preserved in various versions, can be heard. The recording is interwoven with the orchestra, sets the tempo and, not least, provides the timeframe by limiting it to the duration of one record side. But the end is only technical: The needle lifts, but the song is not over.
The premiere took place on 16 October 2022 at the Donaueschinger Musiktage, with the SWR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bas Wiegers.
The full score (EP 14634) is available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library. The performance material can be hired.
This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.
About Peters Contemporary Library
Mark AndreMilton BabbittDaniel BjarnasonEarle BrownJohn CageHenry CowellJames DillonJonathan DoveBrian FerneyhoughRoxanna PanufnikRebecca SaundersErkki-Sven TuurCharles Wuorinen These are just a few of the composers whose most adventurous scores are now available to purchase through the Peters Contemporary Library. A new global initiative of the Edition Peters Group, the Peters Contemporary Library is a project designed to put these bold 20th- and 21st-century works, once available only for rental, into the collections of libraries, performers, scholars, and conductors alike. Kicked off in 2016, the Peters Contemporary Library already contains many cutting-edge works and is constantly expanding. We are proud to offer these bold new scores for sale, for the first time ever, to modern musicians and students of music all around the world.
SKU: HL.44001726
ISBN 9789043112642. UPC: 073999968965. 9.25x12.0x0.485 inches.
The series Band Time is based on the successful method Look, Listen & Learn. Composer and publisher Jan de Haan has developed the series especially with the intention of introducing children to playing together in a wind band at an early stage. Band Time Starter makes this possible after just a few lessons! Band Time is a collection of fourteen original three and four-part pieces which can be played in practically every small or large wind band strength - with a minimum of three players. The difficulty of the pieces increases in parallel with the material covered in the Look, Listen & Learn method, but the use of this method is not required to be able to play from Band TimeStarter. The score explains how the series can be optimally used, and how the instrumentation that you have works best. De serie Band Time is ontwikkeld om kinderen vroeg kennis te laten maken met het samenspel in een blaasorkest. Band time Starter maakt dit al in het eerste jaar mogelijk. Deze uitgave bevat vierstemmige stukken in diversestijlen- de eerste drie stukken zijn drie stemmig, aangespast aan de vaardigheden van de beginnende leerling. De moeilijkheidsgraad en de muzikale inhoud zijn gebasseerd op Horen, Lezen & Spelen. In de partituur staatuitgelegd hoe u de serie optimaal benut en hoe de instrumentatie in uw specifieke bezetting het best kan worden toegepast. Op de los verkrijgbare cd worden de stukken door een harmonieorkest voorgespeeld, zodat de leerlingen thuiseen goede indruk krijgen van hoe de stukken klinken. Ze kunnen zelf meespelen of ernaar luisteren. Dit zal de motifatie (en het studieresultaat) bevorderen.Parallel zu den ersten Stunden Instrumentalunterricht werden die jungen Musiker mit den Stucken dieser Sammlung fur das Spielen im Anfangerorchester motiviert. BAND TIME Starter eignet sich fur das erste Jahr im Blasorchester und enthalt vierstimmige Stucke in vielen verschiedenen Stilen. Der allmahlich fortschreitende Schwierigkeitsgrad entspricht dem Stoff der Blaserschule Horen, lesen und spielen Band 1, kann aber auch gut unabhangig davon eingesetzt werden. Die ersten drei Stucke passen sich mit ihren lediglich drei Stimmen dem noch begrenzten Tonumfang an, uber den die Schuler in diesem Stadium verfugen. Aus dem gleichen Grund weichen manchmaldieselben Stimmen fur unterschiedliche Instrumente leicht voneinander ab. Geringfugige Abweichungen erklaren sich ausserdem aus manchen besonderen Bedingungen bei einem bestimmten Instrument, zum Beispiel schwierige Tonfolgen. Passend zu der Reihe ist eine CD erhaltlich, mit deren Unterstutzung die Schuler zu Hause mit richtiger Orchesterbegleitung spielen konnen. Ein schnellerer Erfolg ist damit gesichert! L'Obiettivo della collana BAND TIME e quello di motivare i giovani musicisti a suonare in una banda principiante o giovanile. BAND TIME Starter e il suo seguito BAND TIME Expert, come anche i brani natalizi raccolti in BAND TIME Christmas propongono brani in vari generi musicali che seguono il livello di difficolta crescente proposto del metodo Ascolta, leggi & suona (possono essere usati anche separatamente). I brani sono eseguibili gia a partire da un organico di tre o quattro elementi. per ogni collana e disponibile separatamente un CD con gli accompagnamenti orchestrali. Per la lista degli strumenti disponibili visitate il nostro sito.
SKU: AP.47027
UPC: 038081539805. English.
Oh yeah, it's time for another chicken flavored chart! This one is definitely funky and more accessible than previous chicken charts. Lead trumpet range is only to written G on top of the staff, and written-out solos are provided for alto and trumpet. Also, with only two chords in the solo section, it is ideal for young players to work on improvising. Tempo is around 136 BPM.
SKU: AP.47027S
UPC: 038081539812. English.
SKU: CL.SCM-1007-01
This happy Shuffle/Swing is the least difficult in the series. Solos are played over F7 & Eb7 so almost anyone can try improvising on this one. It's simple, but it Swings! 8 brass, 5 saxes, 4 rhythm, Opt. Flute (Playable/w 4 Sx., 3 Trp., 2 Trb., 3 Rhy.).
SKU: CL.SCM-1007-00
SKU: CL.015-2185-01
Another of those fun teaching pieces from Andy Clark. Designed to teach your students how to perform a variety of slurs while they are just having some fun playing this cute program piece. Every instrument in the band has to do the slurs at one time or another and we think that this number should become part of your daily warm-up routine. This tune takes the drudgery away from practicing lip slurs and turns it into fun for the entire band. Playable with reduced instrumentations.
SKU: MA.EMR-24849
It's Time / Julito Mio / Just One / Key West / La Zorra.
SKU: MA.EMR-24857
SKU: CL.015-2185-00
SKU: CL.023-4075-01
The energetic drive of this composition is just one of the magical ingredients that will excite your students. No detail has been spared in crafting a piece that is well suited for beginning band members with limited experience. Beware! This could very well be your band's favorite selection of all time. Highly appealing!
SKU: MA.EMR-24853
SKU: AP.36-A888801
ISBN 9798888529911. UPC: 659359989490. English.
The ballet La Bayadère (The Temple Dancer or The Temple Maiden) was created in 1877 for famed French choreographer Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus (1826-1917). In four act and seven tableaux, the ballet tells the story of the bayadère Nikiya and the warrior Solor, lovers who are beset by jealous rivals, arranged marriages beyond their control, murder, an opium-fueled hallucination of the afterlife, and a vengeful god that destroys the temple and everybody in it as revenge for Nikiya's murder. It was first performed on February 4, 1877, by the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was hailed as a success and masterpiece immediately after the premiere, particularly The Kingdom of the Shades scene in Act II, an excerpt which remains a major standalone work for the ballet repertoire. Modern performances of La Bayadère are almost always derived from a 1941 version sated for the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vakhtang Chabukiani, which incorporates additional music by Minkus, Drigo, and Pugni. Act II takes place after Nikiya is killed by a concealed venomous snake. A depressed Solor smokes opium, resulting in a vision of Nikiya's spirit dwelling in the Kingdom of the Shades, a nirvana in the Himalayas. The two lovers reconcile among the shades of other bayadères in a Pas de deux, then Solor is awakened just in time for his arranged marriage to another woman. This orchestration of Act II has been completed by William McDermott. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp.Perc(2): Harp: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set).
These products are currently being prepared by a new publisher. While many items are ready and will ship on time, some others may see delays of several months.
SKU: BA.BA10303-01
ISBN 9790006559503. 33 x 26 cm inches. Key: C minor. Preface: Michael Stegemann.
The third symphony by Camille Saint-Saens, known as the Organ Symphony, is the first publication in a complete historical-critical edition of the French composer's instrumental works.I gave everything I was able to give in this work. [...] What I have done here I will never be able to do again.Camille Saint-Saens was rightly proud of his third Symphony in C minor Op.78, dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt. Called theOrgan Symphonybecause of its novel scoring, the work was a commission from the Philharmonic Society in London, as was Beethoven's Ninth, and was premiered there on 19 May 1886. The first performance in Paris followed on 9 January 1887 and confirmed the composer's reputation asprobably the most significant, and certainly the most independent French symphonistof his time, as Ludwig Finscher wrote in MGG. In fact the work remains the only one in the history of that genre in France to the present day, composed a good half century after the Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz and a good half century before Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila Symphonie.You would think that such a famous, much-performed and much recorded opus could not hold any more secrets, but far from it: in the first historical-critical edition of the Symphony, numerous inconsistencies and mistakes in the Durand edition in general use until now, have been uncovered and corrected. An examination and evaluation of the sources ranged from two early sketches, now preserved in Paris and Washington (in which the Symphony was still in B minor!) via the autograph manuscript and a set of proofs corrected by Saint-Saens himself, to the first and subsequent editions of the full score and parts. The versions for piano duet (by Leon Roques) and for two pianos (by the composer himself) were also consulted. Further crucial information was finally found in his extensive correspondence, encompassing thousands of previously unpublished letters. The discoveries made in producing this edition include the fact that at its London premiere, the Symphony probably looked quite different from its present appearance ...No less exciting than the work itself is the history of its composition and reception, which are described in an extensive foreword. With his Symphony, Saint-Saens entered right into the dispute which divided French musical life into pro and contra Wagner in the 1880s and 1890s. At the same time, the work succeeded in preserving the balance between tradition and modernism in masterly fashion, as a contemporary critic stated:The C minor Symphony by Saint-Saens creates a bridge from the past into the future, from immortal richness to progress, from ideas to their implementation.On 19 March 1886 Saint-Saens wrote to the London Philharmonic Society, which commissioned the work:Work on the symphony is in full swing. But I warn you, it will be terrible. Here is the precise instrumentation: 3 flutes / 2 oboes / 1 cor anglais / 2 clarinets / 1 bass clarinet / 2 bassoons / 1 contrabassoon / 2 natural horns / [3 trumpets / Saint-Saens had forgotten these in his listing.] 2 chromatic horns / 3 trombones / 1 tuba / 3 timpani / organ / 1 piano duet and the strings, of course. Fortunately, there are no harps. Unfortunately it will be difficult. I am doing what I can to mitigate the difficulties.As in my 4th Concerto [for piano] and my [1st] Violin Sonata [in D minor Op.75] at first glance there appear to be just two parts: the first Allegro and the Adagio, the Scherzo and the Finale, each attacca. This fiendish symphony has crept up by a semitone; it did not want to stay in B minor, and is now in C minor.It would be a pleasure for me to conduct this symphony. Whether it would be a pleasure for others to hear it? That is the question. It is you who wanted it, I wash my hands of it. I will bring the orchestral parts carefully corrected with me, and if anyone wants to give me a nice rehearsal for the symphony after the full rehearsal, everything will be fine.When Saint-Saens hit upon the idea of adding an organ and a piano to the usual orchestral scoring is not known. The idea of adding an organ part to a secular orchestral work intended for the concert hall was thoroughly novel - and not without controversy. On the other hand, Franz Liszt, whose music Saint-Saens' Symphony is so close to, had already demonstrated that the organ could easily be an orchestral instrument in his symphonic poem Hunnenschlacht (1856/57). There was also a model for the piano duet part which Saint-Saens knew and may possibly have used quite consciously as an exemplar: theFantaisie sur la Tempetefrom the lyrical monodrama Lelio, ou le retour a la Vie op. 14bis (1831) by Berlioz. The name of the organist at the premiere ist unknown, as, incidentally, was also the case with many of the later performances; the organ part is indeed not soloistic, but should be understood as part of the orchestral texture.In fact the subsequent success of the symphony seems to have represented a kind of breakthrough for the composer, who was then over 50 years of age.My dear composer of a famous symphony, wrote Saint-Saens' friend and pupil Gabriel Faure:You will never be able to imagine what a pleasure I had last Sunday [at the second performance on 16 January 1887]! And I had the score and did not miss a single note of this Symphony, which will endure much longer than we two, even if we were to join together our two lifespans!
About Barenreiter Urtext
What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?
MUSICOLOGICALLY SOUND - A reliable musical text based on all available sources - A description of the sources - Information on the genesis and history of the work - Valuable notes on performance practice - Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions ... AND PRACTICAL - Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them - A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format - Excellent print quality - Superior paper and binding
