SKU: PR.466411770
UPC: 680160640850. 9 x 12 inches.
Mississippi I. Father of Waters: born of the Highlands and the Lakes; the Glaciers, the Mountains, and the Prairies. The picture of your birth is clounded in the ice and mists of ancient ages but your spirit remains our life stream. II. The Red Man knew your bountiful gifts and gave thanks to the Great Spirit on your banks. -- The Spanish and French Fathers brought the glory of Christianity to America on Mississippi. But all men, white and dark; -- Indian, Spaniard, and Negro; Bourbon and Yankee, combined to make Mississippi the heart of America. Saga of the Mississippi Harl McDonald Born near Boulder, Colorado, July 27, 1899 Now living in Philadelphia The original suggestion for a symphonic work on the subject of the Mississippi came indirectly from the late Booth Tarkington who saw in it color and movement and atmosphere translatable into the terms of music. In the course of time, by the mysterious processes of composers' chemistry, it took shape as a tone-poem of two sections, one representing the rise of the great stream from its primeval geologic sources, the other the human history of the river. Mr. McDonald devised the following verbal outline of the general scheme of his diptych: I. Father of Waters: born of the Highlands and the Lakes; the Glaciers, the Mountains, and the Prairies. The picture of your birth is clounded in the ice and mists of ancient ages but your spirit remains our life stream. II. The Red Man knew your bountiful gifts and gave thanks to the Great Spirit on your banks. -- The Spanish and French Fathers brought the glory of Christianity to America on Mississippi. But all men, white and dark; -- Indian, Spaniard, and Negro; Bourbon and Yankee, combined to make Mississippi the heart of America. The first of the two movements, beginning molto andante, is vaguel modal to hint at antiquity. It is built upon the conventional two themes, with an episode, poco piu mosso, misterioso, for prehistoric murk and muck. There are various changes of pace and mood. The second, Allegro ma vigorosamente, prefigures an Indian ceremony. A theme presented by flute, clarinet and bassoon is a Canadian Indian fishing call collected by the late J.B. Beck. A later passage of quasi-Gregorian chant identifies the French and Spanish priests who made the great river their highway. The fishing-call is altered in rhythm and harmony to represent Negro field hands and roustabous. A turbulent close brings all these elemts together in the muddy swirling currents of the Mississippi. The work was begun in the summer of 1945, and was revised and completed in the summer of 1947. Harl McDonald, who is the manager of The Philadelphia Orchestra, has concerned himself with music as an art, as a science and as a business in course of his career. He was born on a cattle ranch in the Rockies, but since his was a musical family, his up-bringing combined piano lessons with ranch life. Years of study and professional experience followed in Los Angeles and in Germany. In 1927 he was appointed lecuter in composition at the University of Pennsylvania and he has since then made is home in Philadelphia. In 1933 under a grant of the Rockefeller FOundation he collaborated with physicists in research dealing with the measurement of instrumental and vocal tone, new scale divisions and the resultant harmonies. In that same year he was named head of the University's music faculty and conductor of its choral organizations. In 1939, having been a member of the Board of Directors for five years, he was appointed manager of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He continus to write, but otherwise his entire attention is now devoted to managerial duties. Chief items in the catalogue of his compositions are four symphonies, three orchestra suites, a half-dozen tone-poems, three concertos and considerable quantity of choral music.
SKU: CF.CPS270F
ISBN 9781491164099. UPC: 680160922888.
Scrimshaw is the technique of whalebone and ivory carving that was started by sailors centuries ago. Inspired by the composer's stay in Utqiagvik, Alaska, this composition musically illustrates scenes from these carvings that depict a day of Alaskan fishing. Starting broadly and majestically, the music quickly moves to a lively and energetic section that features syncopation and introduces the concept of canonic entrances. A return to the initial thematic material brings the piece to an exciting conclusion. Although challenging in many ways, this composition fully rewards all performers and listeners with a thrilling musical journey.Scrimshaw is the technique of ivory carving, an art form I saw firsthand during my stay in Barrow (Utqiagvik), the northernmost town in North America. Scrimshaw Tales depicts some of the scenes that sailors and artists once carved into whale bone and ivory, often related to the day-to-day activities of Alaskan fishing crews.The opening 28 measures (Port at Dawn) should be played broadly and majestically. Measures 29 through 66 (A Gathering of Ships) should be playing in a lively and energetic manner. The various canonic entrances represent the ships as they leave port one-by-one. Measures 67 through 132 (Out to Sea) should be played forcefully and energetically. Each successive entrance should push the pulse of this section to its conclusion at 132.Measures 133 through 150 (Return to Port) recalls the opening section, played with sweeping grandeur.
SKU: FL.FX074208
A little wordplay for our young string instrumentalists of the 1st cycle, always very attached to their luthier... The music can evoke at the same time the walk of the cat always on the alert, but also the departure of a heavy fishing boat... - Pascal PROUST ; Instruments: 1 Double Bass 1 Piano; Difficuly Level: Grade 2; Duration: 2 mn 20 s; Musical Style: Classical, Educational; Category: Original Composition; Composer: Pascal PROUST.
SKU: HL.386806
ISBN 9781705155585. UPC: 196288023807. 6.75x10.5x0.036 inches.
Younger tenor-bass choirs will rock out to this bright folk-flavored knee-slapper that celebrates favorite country pastimes of camping, fishing, and delicious food! They will love the body percussion feature and the optional fiddle obbligato adds to the “way down low in Cedar Swamp†atmosphere.