SKU: FP.FPT02
ISBN 979-0-57050-253-0.
Selected songs spanning 50 years demonstrating Pitfield's distinctive voice, to be cherished for its precision of technique and delicacy of effect. John McCabe writes if Pitfield had written only the first song in the book, Cuckoo and Chestnut Time, he would have earned our gratitude for that perfect little gem alone! Also contains the composer's own illustrations. Thomas Pitfield had the gift for memorable tunes, often couched in somewhat French-sounding harmonic and decorative idiom. He admired Vaughan Williams, Grainger and Delius and their influence can be felt in his works.
SKU: M7.VHR-3419
ISBN 9783864341854.
With humour and seriousness, with vibrancy, much feeling and with the occasional wink of the eye, this volume of piano music opens up to us life in all its musical colour. The little pieces contrast the beauty of nature with the hustle and bustle of city life, they tell of adventures with pirates and wild horses, whisk us away to the sea and invite us to dance and to dream The 41 character pieces will go very nicely hand in hand with piano tutor books and will help pupils in the early years to appreciate the joys of playing the piano.
SKU: BT.MUSM570361922
English.
The song repertoire has its origins in the late nineteenth century when every household had a piano and for much of the twentieth century, singers and their pianist collaborators were able to create recital programmes from a deep reservoir of European and North American song. The recital genre became more sophisticated as the century progressed and metamorphosed from a miscellaneous collection of lollipops to something altogether more sophisticated, often featuring elaborate themes which would enable the music to be presented in a variety of new contexts. In the twenty first century opportunities for recitalists are fewer and programmes still tend to focus on the much-loved butwell-explored repertoire. We hope this collection will contribute to a broadening of possibilities for recitalists or anyone who just wants something new to sing. There are several songs for voice and piano but some require other instruments. There is a wide range of styles. We have resisted the temptation to grade them by difficulty, as our criteria were more broadly performative and musical rather than didactic. All selected composers have a particular sympathy for the singing voice, so there is nothing that cannot be sung by a competent performer. The songs generally have a designated voice type, but this shouldn't be thought of as prescriptive; they are designed to be flexible and to offer the maximum opportunity for creative interpretation. They range from the curious and quirky to the virtuosic and challenging, the intense and mysterious to the sad and the light-hearted. We hope that many performers will find their tastes represented here. Compiled by David Blake and John Potter. Edited by Michael Hooper.