In completion of the first part (Hortus Musicus 50 now out of print) this second part to the 'Music To The Midsummer Night's Dream' contains all the remaining four-part instrumental pieces from Henry Purcell's opera 'The Fairy Queen' (1692). Similar to the pieces in the first part the composer wrote them for performance by Strings but they can also be played by Wind Instruments only (in particular wood-wind) or with string and wind instruments mixed and also with one or several instruments to a part. The pieces were put in such an order that they again present a small self-contained suite.The titles to the several numbers which arepartly mentioned more exactly in this book indicate their place in the above named opera by Purcell. They elucidate at the same time the character of the various pieces. Thus No.1 Air (Second Music) is originally a (second) introductory piece of music for the opera which still precedes the actual Overture. No.2 Jig No.5 Air and No.8 Air are instrumental postludes to the first fourth and second acts of the opera respectively whereas No.4 'Dance for the Followers of Night' No.6 'Dance for the Green Men' and No.7 'Monkeys' Dance' present a motley picture of the operatic construction which provided a great number of allegoric persons and figures. From a purely musical point of view this second part too of the 'Music To The Midsummer Night's Dream' contains gems of old instrumental music. May this present book help to gain new friends for the noble art of the great Old-English composer.

Dedicated to Thurston Dart Michael Nyman?s professor at King?s College London much of String Quartet No. 1 borrows and is inspired by the works of seventeenth century composer John Bull whosecomplete keyboard works Dart gave Nyman as a birthday present. The other main source of inspiration was Schöneberg?s Second String Quartet from the early 20th century.In his introduction to the piece Nymandescribes his two background ideas when composing the work: first to make an almost ?orchestral? chamber music and second to exorcise the impressive and oppressive history of the String quartet by making his work a compendium ofquotations from the quartet repertoire. Commissioned by the Arditti Quartet and first performed by them in 1985 String Quartet No. 1 has a duration of 25:44 minutes.Michael Nyman is an Englishcomposer of minimalist music pianist librettist and musicologist known for numerous film and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to ?The Piano?. He has additionally written a number of operas six concerti four stringquartets and many other chamber works.

Flexible solo with Strings-One of the most popular pieces from Alan Hovhaness Prayer of St. Gregory is taken from the opera Etchmiadzin and is described as ???a prayer in darkness.??? The original edition for trumpet and orchestra is adapted here for string orchestra with solooptions for violin flute oboe alto saxophone and trumpet.

A collection of popular Broadway songs which can be played by the entire string group or by individual soloists with optional CD accompaniment. Each song is correlated with a specific level in the Essential Elements Method Books. Includes: Beauty and the Beast - Cabaret - Circle of Life - Edelweiss - Get Me To the Church on Time - Go Go Go Joseph - I Dreamed a Dream - Memory - The Phantom of the Opera - Seventy Six Trombones - Sun and Moon.

This barcarolle endures as probably the most popular of the three famous barcarolles in Offenbach's legendary opera The Tales of Hoffman. This new version for developing strings is set in 3/4 with melodic lines for severalsections plus ample and tasteful use of pizzicato in the accompaniment. A longtime light classical favorite.

This is the Study Score edition of Per Nørgård's String Quartet No.8 'Night Descending'. Programme note: This piece is based on 5 sections from my chamber opera Nuit des homme where a string quartet is the leading instrumental ensemble. Even though the subject is The Great War (1st World War) the plot is on a psychological level and follows the development of a couple - in poems of Guillaume Apollinaire. The couple's war enthusiasm in the beginning is replaced by horror and in the end dehumanizing. The five movements of the quartet express phases in this process: from the Eulogy of the prologue praise of the The Sun of Gold above the humananimal - a rhythmic tense and still more and more militaristic movement - to The Journey whose enlargement of conscience due to the exhausting tempo of the new era is suddenly stopped in the fourth movement carrying the title of the piece and expressing the calm before storm not as a blessing of peace but as a latent anxiety. In the epilogue of the fifth movement the theme of the prologue reappears but it is changed from hymn to elegy. The quartet is dedicated to the Zapolsky Quartet who took part in the world premiere of the opera in September 1996. Per Nørgård 1997

This chorus also appears in the anthology Opera Choruses. Orchestral material is available on hire

The composer writes:Pilgrim was inspired it will be no surprise to learn by reading Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress - Vaughan Williams's great opera on the subject had fascinated me from its first performance yet it was a long time before I caught up with this essential item in any well-stocked library of English classics. It made a great impression not least because of its theme of a journey of self-discovery and a rediscovery or renewal of faith. These are ideas which have a strong interest for me not in religious terms but in their application to every aspect of human life (including great journeys) and this piece reflects my response in musical terms to this concern. The tempo of the whole piece which lasts about 18 minutes is basically slow. There are two quick episodes but these act somewhat like the trio sections of a classical scherzo save that the tempo relationships are inverted (the classical trios would have been slower not quicker) and the canvas is much larger being that of a single substantial slow movement. The form of the whole is perhaps fantasia-like rather than having any relationship to classical forms such as sonata or rondo - some motifs and themes are varied as the work develops and the opening chords are of primary importance throughout the work. There has been no attempt to convey any pictorial elements deriving from Bunyan's great book. There is however one feature which upon completion of the score struck me with some force which is that almost all the thematic material is essentially striving upwards - there is a constant upward movement (sometimes over a lengthy period) throughout the work. Pilgrim was commissioned by the Luton Music Club for the Raphael Ensemble with funds provided by the Eastern Arts Board and Bedfordshire County Council and is dedicated to the Luton Music Club. The first performance was given in Luton on February 10th 1997 and followed as part of a joint scheme by performances in the same week at the Music Clubs of Bedford and Leighton Buzzard.

This chorus also appears in the anthology Opera Choruses. Orchestral material is available on hire

With the release of the recent film the music of this renowned stage production has found yet another new audience. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies will most certainly appeal to your students with this superb medleyfor younger string groups. Includes: Phantom of the Opera (Theme) All I Ask of You and Music of the Night. (Grade 2)

Tchaikovsky's Souvenir De Florence was commissioned by the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in 1887 but the work was not finished until 1892 due to Tchaikovsky turning his attention to his opera Queen of Spades. It has been observed that the final movement in particular is orchestrally conceived rather than in the style of chamber music. The work is fittingly often performed by string orchestras and many believe it to actually more effective in that format. This is the original setting of the piece for String Sextet - 2 Violins 2 Violas and 2 Cellos.

This single-movement for String quartet employs some of the more familiar elements of Herrmannâ??s compositional style: short musical phrases repeated and then repeated again in other positions sharp use of dynamics among them. It is a fascinating sidelight into the work of one of the 20th centuryâ??s most brilliant composers.Bernard Herrmann was among the greatest of all composers of music for cinema and there are many who avow that he was the greatest of all. A very short list of the films for which this award-winning composer created soundtracks includes Citizen Kane The Man Who Knew Too Much Vertigo Jason and Argonauts Fahrenheit 451 Obsession and Taxi Driver. He had along and fertile association with Alfred Hitchcock during the most productive period of Hitchcockâ??s career and with Orson Welles from the time of the Mercury Theatre on the Air. In addition to his conducting and composing work for the entertainment world Herrmann wrote concert pieces including a symphony opera and cantata.

A set of string accompaniments for this choral showpiece featuring the greatest melodies and songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber arranged as a celebratory medley. Songs including The Phantom Of The Opera and Don't Cry For Me Argentina have been specially assembled into this choral spectacular that will be the centrepiece of any performance. All arrangements include a full Piano accompaniment and parts are also available for Concert Band (Catalogue No.AM949179).Choral arrangements are available for SATB chorus (Catalogue No.AM930370) SAB chorus (Catalogue No.AM930853) and 2-Part Choir (Catalogue No.AM930864).

From Amahl and the Night Visitors-Amahl and the Night Visitors was the first opera to be commissioned especially for television and was premiered in 1951. With this well-crafted setting by Lloyd Conley string orchestras can enjoy the charming stage music from this enduring holiday production. (G. Schirmer Inc.)

Juan Arriaga was born in Bilbao on January 27 1806 and died in Paris on January 17 1826. He was a true musical artist having composed his first work - the 'Ensayo De Octeto Nada y Mucho' when he was 11 years old; when he was 12 an 'Obertura' and when 14 the opera in two acts 'Los Esclavos Felices' and the 'Variaciones La Hungara' - productions of perfect construction.