SKU: BR.EB-8034
ISBN 9790004174371. 9 x 12 inches.
This series of easy piano music for teaching purposes presents pupils in the lower and lower middle grades with a carefully chosen selection of well-known and lesser-known compositions by important masters. The volumes are deliberately kept small in extent, since it is more stimulating for children to change the teaching material frequently. Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) composed three series of piano duets: opus 3, opus 10 and opus 60. The piano pieces opus 3, which he wrote at the age of 15, are, despite the modest demands made on playing technique, among the most inventive and melodically sensitive works for four hands of the post-classical period. Together with the four pieces from opus 3, an andante from opus 10 has been included in this folio. These five pieces have been arranged in a sequence such that in their entirety, the result is a balanced suite - in a formal sense - for four hands. (The scherzo opus 3. No. 3 has therefore been transposed into C major.) Heinz Walter, Salzburg, Autumn 1979.
SKU: CY.CC2940
ISBN 9790530057582.
Brahms' 21 Hungarian Dances were completed in 1869 and sent to his publisher without opus numbers. Only three of the works are original compositions. The music mostly of one to five minutes in length was Brahm's biggest seller, originally for solo Piano, but once they were arranged for piano four hands, they exploded in popularity.James Miller has beautifully arranged five of them (1, 5, 7,8 and 9) for Trombone with Piano accompaniment and are appropriate very advanced performers.The sound clips are of Mr. Miller from his solo CD album, Coast to Coast, featured on CD Baby.
SKU: FP.FPD17
ISBN 9790570504329.
Four simple piano duets of equal difficulty in dance form. Dorothy Pilling was a much loved figure in the Mancunian musical world, known to generations of young pianists for her imaginative piano teaching pieces. Most famous for classic 'Harmonization of Melodies at the Keyboard' series, Dorothy Pilling also composed many piano duets and solos, as well as songs and other works. According to the Voxturturis blog:'Her music remains fresh and light; characterised by strong melodies and late romantic harmony which she improvised well and the pieces are, in the main, short. Instantly appealing to players and audiences alike, most of her work shows a high degree of compositional craft.'.
SKU: BR.EB-9390
ISBN 9790004188606. 9 x 12 inches.
The symphonic poem Tapiola is the final major composition for orchestra that Sibelius was able to complete and publish. It was commissiones by the conductor Walter Damrosch for the New York Philharmonic and was premiered on 26 December 1926. Taking the forest god Tapio as name giver, Sibelius once more got his inspiration from Finish mythology. The present arrangement by Einar Englund and Peter Lonnqvist now allows a performance in the course of a chamber music concert. By choosing the scoring for piano for four hands, or alternatively for two pianos, the arrangement stays as close as possible to Sibelius's complex orchestral texture. Tapiola is also available in the original version for orchestra at Breitkopf & Hartel. The edition takes over the music text published in volume I/16 of the complete edition Jean Sibelius Works .Arrangement for piano for four hands or two pianos by Peter Lonnqvist, based on a transcription by Einar Englund.
SKU: BR.SON-428
ISBN 9790004802878. 9 x 12 inches.
Mendelssohn wrote his piano-vocal score to Elijah in view of a parallel publication in England and Germany and he did so right after the world premiere, at a time when he was planning to subject the work to a thorough revision. The piano reduction, which actually did appear simultaneously in both countries in 1847, is thus of exceptional value as a source and reflects the revision process of the entire work. Moreover, the volume from the Complete Edition also contains two further piano arrangements from the masters hand: the Elijah Overture for piano four-hands and the well-known aria Hoere, Israel. Mendelssohn had penned the latter piece separately for soprano and piano, possibly as a gift for Jenny Lind or another singer whom he held in high esteem.Awarded the German Music Edition Prize 2023.
SKU: BR.SON-451
ISBN 9790004803615. 9 x 12 inches.
The Overture for Harmoniemusik in C major op. 24 MWV P 1 by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy is a special work in two respects: on the one hand, it is unique in its instrumentation in the composer's oeuvre - in the main version for 23 wind instruments; on the other hand, it exists in several versions originating from Mendelssohn himself, namely a variant for eleven wind instruments from 1826 and two arrangements for piano four hands from 1838. These versions, called Nocturno and Overture for Harmonie- and Militairmusik respectively - form the content of the present volume. The outstanding position of the composition is also underlined by a considerable variety of sources, by a number of unresolved questions connected with its composition, e.g. concerning the specifics of the contemporary instruments to be used, and by the fact that the overture in the extended wind version was the only piece of this body of works that the self-critical composer considered worthy of publication. The inspiration for its composition ultimately goes back to a stay by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and his father in 1824 at the Baltic Sea resort of Doberan (then: Dobberan), where the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin maintained a summer residence surrounded by members of his court orchestra of national renown. Thus, the music sketched there was initially not given a title, but was always referred to in the Mendelssohn family as Dobberan harmony music in reference to the place associated with it.
SKU: BR.SON-438
ISBN 9790004803325. 9 x 12 inches.
The four-hand piano version of the Scottish Symphony was written by Mendelssohn in 1842, after he had finished the orchestral score, but before it was printed. A piano arrangement was an important element of publicity for him and his publisher, since this was the most effective way of getting an orchestral work known. When considering what a creative spirit Mendelssohn was, it is not surprising that he substantially altered the first and fourth movements in his arrangement, which, in its turn, left its mark on the score. The great diffusion of the work - and of the four-hand piano version above all - is certainly due in part to the fact that after its first edition by Breitkopf & Hartel in Leipzig, parallel editions were released in France and England, whereby a thank-you note from Prince Albert to Mendelssohn even suggests that he and his wife, Queen Victoria, played through the work at the piano from the dedicatory copy.
SKU: AP.48858
UPC: 038081561820. English. Douglas E. Wagner.
You may have studied this beloved Schubert art song in voice lessons, and now you can share it with developing choirs in a well-constructed, approachable arrangement. The choice of key fits comfortably within range and the Romantic era harmonies are easy to hear. Whether there are two or four hands at the piano, listeners will be hooked by the rippling water and leaping fish in the playful accompaniment. Concerned about the German words? A rhyming English translation provides a charming option. Listen to Fischer-Dieskau's iconic recording as an introduction to the piece or an extension of learning.
About Alfred Choral Designs
The Alfred Choral Designs Series provides student and adult choirs with a variety of secular choral music that is useful, practical, educationally appropriate, and a pleasure to sing. To that end, the Choral Designs series features original works, folk song settings, spiritual arrangements, choral masterworks, and holiday selections suitable for use in concerts, festivals, and contests.
SKU: AP.48857
UPC: 038081561813. English. Douglas E. Wagner.
