SKU: HL.49046442
ISBN 9781540094780. UPC: 842819113003.
The Cello Sonata Op. 6 was composed over an apparently frequently interrupted period of three years, an extraordinarily long time for Strauss's early creative phase. The compositional process spawned two independent versions of the work, the first of which is published for the first time on the basis of the text in the Critical Edition of the Works of Richard Strauss in the current editionas a practical musical text. The genesis of the two versions and the reasons for revision can only be reconstructed in part: only one of the surviving autographs bears a date and the second version only survives in printed form. What is more, Strauss did not communicate in greater detail on this composition in correspondence with his family and friends. There are enormous differences between the two versions of the Sonata: Strauss deleted the entire second and third movements Larghetto and Allegro vivace, replacing them with a newly composed Andante and Finale. In the first movement, Allegro con brio, Strauss retained the thematic-motivic material and compositionally complex passages such as the three-voice fugue in the developmentsection (from bar 241 in the first version and bar 275 in the second version) almost intact in the new version of the sonata, but also undertook extensive alterations, particularly in the structure of the piano part, the motivic-thematic development of the movement and its harmony which became far more ambitious.12 Particular attention should be drawn to the repetitive accompaniment of the con espressione theme beginning in bar 32 and the significantly shorter development in the first version. The current printed edition of the first version of Richard Strauss's Cello Sonata now makes it possible to follow Strauss's compositional development during this period. The significance of the differences between the versions also mean that two sonata compositions for violoncello and piano by Richard Strauss with fundamental disparities in their underlying character are now available for performance.
SKU: HL.49045225
ISBN 9790001129602. 9.0x12.0x0.122 inches. French.
If a chanson is combined with a birthday celebration (in this case, that of the Ensemble Utopik who commissioned this new work), this inevitably brings back scenes of childhood. For me, Adieu Madras conjures up memories of the homeland of my family, and in particular Henri and Jacqueline Salvador whose wonderful TV programmes I watched during the 1970s. It is without doubt thanks to Henri Salvadors wonderful interpretation that this old chanson from Martinique, dating from the late eighteenth century and almost a national anthem both in Martinique and Guadeloupe, has also gained such popularity in France. Thierry Pecou.
SKU: HL.49018711
ISBN 9790001145190. UPC: 884088794019. 9.25x12.0x0.244 inches. English.
In a magazine with reports on mental institutions, Thomas Larcher came across interviews with patients: 'These sentences are of a strong inner power, yet do not claim to convey an overall picture of these people. There rather appear snatches from their world like a stroboscope.' The soprano part in Larcher's composition attends to these texts in a very restraint, often introverted manner, but they continue to have an effect in the instrumental parts, like catalysts of seemingly disturbing processes. The world premiere with Juliane Banse, Christian Tetzlaff, Nikolaj Schneider and the composer on the piano took place at the renowned festival 'Spannungen' in the power station of Heimbach in 2002. Recently, a recording has been released by ECM New Series.
SKU: CA.2100700
ISBN 9790007142179. Language: Latin.
The three grands motets, Quam dilecta, In convertendo and Deus noster refugium, which Jean-Philippe Rameau composed from 1713 to 1715 are still relatively unknown today. Yet these masterworks can stand comparison to the best works of Michel-Richard de Lalande. They are testimony to Rameau's great contrapuntal mastery and contain beautiful lyrical passages. Quam dilecta and Deus noster refugium have survived only in later sources which originated in about 1770, after Rameau's death, and the works have been rendered in a scoring which does not correspond to his intentions. The present new edition attempts for the first time to reconstruct them as closely as possible to their original form. The edition of In convertendo is based on Rameau's autograph score from 1751.