SKU: PR.416415760
UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.
The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.
SKU: HL.276513
UPC: 888680989774. 12x16.5 inches.
“Sentences is a thirty-minute meditation, in collaboration with Adam Gopnik, on several episodes drawn from the life and work of Alan Turing. Turing lived, in a sense, many different lives, but at the heart of his work was, I think, a very musical set of anxieties. Even the idea of code-breaking is inherently musical; the French for score-reading is déchiffrage: deciphering. His wartime work on the Enigma code translated, later in life, to a more nuanced relationship to code in the form of a primitive but emotionally (and philosophically) complicated artificial intelligence. The piece uses a single voice not to speak necessarily as Turing, but as a guide through these various episodes.I've always felt that the question of sentient computers is wildly emotional: we anthropomorphise the Mars Rover, imagining its solitude on that dusty planet. Any act of communication in which the second person is unseen can be a one-way conversation. An email, sent, can never be returned - did it arrive or did it not?-', or a text message can be delivered but never read. The thrill of a fast response is immediately tempered with the harsh but empty rudeness of an out-of-office reply. Anybody who has made a condolence phone call only to hear the voice of the deceased on the outgoing answering machine message knows the complexities of what could be a simple binary communication.” –Nico Muhly.
SKU: GI.G-1092
UPC: 785147009221.
This world premiere recording features two new choral collections. The Fire of Love sets the words of fourteenth-century English mystic Richard Rolle, who depicted the soul’s movement towards God through the phases of heat, sweetness, and song, with song being the ultimate expression of the soul. For the second collection, Patrick has set nine of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence, and the fragile poetry gives rise to tender and heartfelt music. Somehow, I knew that I and The Same Stream needed to collaborate on a recording with Patrick Hawes. This recording grew out of our shared desire to collaborate on some new scores. Over the months that ensued from our initial meeting, the music on this CD grew out of meaningful exchanges between a composer and a conductor… Both works, The Fire of Love and Songs of Innocence, represent settings of profound poets that capture some essences of lives lived. But what made an impact upon us all was the honesty that Patrick Hawes knitted into these scores. Working with him on this recording was inspirational for us all. His passion for communicating through sound was radiantly clear to us, and it is our hope that his passion for these words by Richard Rolle and William Blake become alive in your ears and your heart. — James Jordan Click here to download the CD booklet Learn more about this album from Patrick Hawes, James Jordan, and The Same Stream in the video below:.
SKU: PR.41641576L
UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.
SKU: PE.EP68582
ISBN 9790300759791. 297 x 420mm inches.
This composition was commissioned anonymously and by the Brevard Music Center in honor of Evan Armstrong North (1982-2011)
"The task of writing a piece of music for someone who has left the world all too soon is not an easy one. Does one write celebratory music, in honor of his well-lived life? Or does one musically depict the loss of such a beloved young man? I tried to do something of both. The first movement begins with the musical depiction of the loss, a descending scale of despair. As it is a concerto, much of the piece is a dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. For the most part, the piano is the voice of love and hope while the orchestra is the voice of despair and loss. How does one move forward to live after such a loss? What ensues in the process of the first movement represents a gradual triumph over despair." - Robert Livingston Aldridge
SKU: CF.CAS63
ISBN 9780825889387. UPC: 798408089382. 8.5 x 11 inches. Key: D major.
Originally written for string quartet, this fantastic characteristic piece from Glazunov is a welcome addition to the string orchestra repertoire, as arranged by Deborah Baker Monday. Well-suited for the more advanced ensemble, it contains excellent musical opportunities and the chance to play the music of a prominent Russian composer. Deborah's setting stays very true to the original, but enhances it for use by the full ensemble. Alert your contest/festival music committee to this worthy new piece for high school string orchestras.Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936) lived during a very transitional period of Russian music history, active as a composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a part of the Romantic school of Russian music following in the tradition of Tchaikovsky, like his fellow composers Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov.During his years at the conservatory he instructed many students who chose to pursue the modern trends set forth by Debussy. Stravinsky, Shostakovich, and even Prokofiev took instruction from Glazunov. Although they considered him old-fashioned, he was remembered as a stabilizing influence during transitional times.Glazunov’s music stayed within the category of Russian Romanticsm: nationalistic with classical formality. His list of works includes numerous symphonies, concertos, piano and vocal works, and chamber works including seven string quartets.Op. 15 was first given the title “Suite†(a collection of dances), and after a friend’s recommendation he changed the name to “Novelettesâ€. The five movements are of contrasting style, but beautifully reminiscent of their particular themes:I. Alla SpagnuolaII. OrientaleIII. Interludium in modo anticoIV. ValseV. All’ UnghereseThis movement is very well adaptable for string orchestra. The original string quartet moodis light, using harmonics and pizzicato, but there are forceful sections which allow for strong sectional playing (especially with the cello and bass orchestral sound). There is very much interesting melodic material offered for all instruments which lends itself to a fantastic string orchestra arrangement. Conductors will find material in all sections which provide greatopportunities for rehearsal.The form is a large ABA with a D.C. al fine, but the sections are not square by any means.There is lots of energy and momentum in the material of both sections, as well as a modalcharacter which gives the music an exotic sound. Bowing patterns abound in all sections formore great teaching opportunities.
About Carl Fischer Concert String Orchestra Series
This series of pieces (Grade 3 and higher) is designed for advancing ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by:
SKU: BT.DHP-1053750-010
English-German-French-Dutch.
This piece is dedicated to all the citizens who live, have lived, and will live in the US town of Algona, who commissioned the work to celebrate it’s 150th anniversary. With dark-tinted tones (low drums, heavy brass), this overture begins with a primitive sacred feel, it seems as if centuries-old Indian singing is heard once more. Gradually the sound becomes clearer and brighter as the same theme travels throughout the band in various guises and variants. Imposing tutti passages then give the band the chance to lavishly shine. This bright and catchy overture radiates spontaneous energy and as it features every section of the band all the players as well as the listenersare continually surprised and captivated. Met donkere tonen begint deze ouverture sacraal en bezwerend: het lijkt of eeuwenoude indianengezangen weer tot klinken komen. Geleidelijk wordt het klankbeeld helderder: hetzelfde thema maakt in diverse varianten als het ware eenronde door het orkest. Met een paar imposante tuttipassages kan het orkest goed uitpakken. Nadien komt een energiek allegro met een krachtige thematiek naar voren, gevolgd door een lyrisch gegeven. Deze ingrediënten wisselen elkaaraf op weg naar een opwindende finale. Het klankidioom is zeer toegankelijk en alle geledingen van het orkest komen aan bod!Anlässlich der 150-Jahrfeier der Stadt Algona im US-Staat Iowa komponiert, strahlt diese klare, eingängige Ouvertüre spontane Energie aus. Zwar beginnt das Werk sakral und flehend mit dunkel gefärbten Tönen, doch allmählich wird der Klang klarer und heller, während das Thema in verschiedenen Gewändern und Varianten durch das Blasorchester wandert. Dem folgenden energischen Allegro folgt ein lyrisches Thema, und beide Elemente verschmelzen schließlich in einem aufregenden Finale. Alle Register des Blasorchesters werden hier beleuchtet, sodass sowohl Spieler als auch Zuhörer fortwährend überrascht und bezaubert werden.Algona Overture s’ouvre dans un univers sonore aux couleurs sombres. La musique revêt une dimension sacrée, un esprit de supplication. Un chant indien vieux de plusieurs siècles résonne comme un chant oublié. D’imposants passages tutti dévoilent les somptueuses facettes de l’Orchestre d’Harmonie. L’idiome sonore est simple et accessible. Algona Overture est une composition lumineuse et fascinante qui respire l’enthousiasme et la spontanéité. Dans la mesure où l’écriture orchestrale privilégie tous les pupitres, la musique réussit surprendre et captiver sans cesse le public et les interprètes.Questo brano è dedicato a tutti i cittadini che vivono, che hanno vissuto, e che vivranno nella cittadina americana di Algona, che ha commissionato questo brano per festeggiare il suo 150. anniversario. Algona Overture inizia in un universo sonoro dai colori scuri. La musica rivela una dimensione sacra, uno spirito di supplica. Un canto indiano datato di alcuni secoli risuona come un canto dimenticato. Imponenti passaggi affidati al tutti svelano le sontuose sfacettature dell’orchestra di fiati. Algona Overture è una composizione coinvolgente che trasmette entusiasmo e spontaneit . In un brano dove la scrittura orchestrale privilegia tutte le sezioni dell’organico, la musicariesce a sorprendere e accattivarsi il pubblico e gli interpreti.
SKU: SP.MP013
ISBN 9781585606122. UPC: 635344000135.
The Essential Composer Series published for Piano by Minstrel Press and distributed by Santorella Publications features the original works from some of the greatest composers that ever lived. The selections have been carefully chosen to give the user a source of essential core literature from that specific composer. This transcribed series by Avis Fedge Romm has only had minor editing when seen as a valuable aid in facilitating the musician in authentically interpreting the composer's music. The Essential Composer Series has become a staple stock item for many music retailers throughout the world. Each edition includes a performance CD, which is also a great tool for younger players to hear the melodies that they have been practicing so diligently. This particular edition features the following works of Johann Sebastian Bach; Aria in D Minor - Untitled in F Major - Menuet in G Major - March in D Major - Menuet in D Minor - Menuet in C Minor - Musette in D Major - Menuet in G Major - Polonaise in G Minor - Musette - Prelude in F Major - Prelude in C Major - Prelude in C Minor - Menuet I - Invention No. 8 in C Major - Prelude No. 1 in C Major.
SKU: CA.925000
ISBN M-007-24902-1. Key: E flat major. Language: French. Text: Baudelaire, Charles.
The harmonic turns and piano configurations in La vie anterieure - the former life - seem almost exuberantly lyrical. At the beginning, the archaic sounds and words of the male choir conjure up a dream world that is soon flooded with the power of the waves and the rich polyphonic harmony of the choir and the piano. With the outcry C'est la que j'ai vecu! [I have lived there] which expresses the fervent yearning to return to a past life, the collective desperately reinforces the longing for the past. Once more, the women's choir conjures up this lost paradise in an undulating soft sound before the desolate sadness is pierced by the power of the music of the piano postlude, creating a moment that is completely in the present.
SKU: GI.G-10054
ISBN 9781622774548.
We all need creativity in our lives. It is key to our happiness. Music, according to author Clint Randles, is one of the best ways to feed our longing for self-growth through engagement in creative processes. And music brings us together for the purpose of making beauty with sound. It provides us with a pathway to the good life. In To Create, Randles answers the critical question: What can I do with my time that will give me the best chance at achieving daily happiness? This amazing book unpacks what it means to engage in creative processes. Since story is the best way of feeding our imagination, the book unfolds by way of life stories that express the author’s unique perspective of the hero’s journey. Along the way, Randles inspires us to think about creativity and music as a pursuit that is not only truly worthy, but accessible. He addresses rules for creative performance, what we can learn from exceptional musicians and teachers, the link between spirituality and creativity, understanding our own stories in light of the meta-story, and the art of trust and starting small. To Create is a book that is unlike anything written on the topic—entertaining, wise, inspiring, and layered. It is for anyone who is interested in pursuing creativity through music but can’t quite figure out how or where to start. States Randles: “It is my hope that you will be able to imagine the good life through music, that you will be inspired To Create!†Clint Randles, PhD, is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of South Florida, husband, father, multi-instrumentalist, and passionate lover of music.  Full of resonating stories, To Create is a profoundly pedagogical book about potential pathways into life’s learnings through and in music. To Create seeks and embraces the value embodied in the multiple, individual, and sociocultural authoring of diverse creativities. By analogising the good life (‘eidaimonia’), with lived-through experiences by which our desire (and drive) to create, to grow, to navigate, and to achieve extraordinary things in life is inextricably linked, Clint Randles stories his own journey of being awakened ‘To Create,’ by creating and living ‘the good life’ in and through the symbiotic domains of music and music education. —Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations   University of Cambridge, UK To Create is the rare achievement that seamlessly blends how-to curriculum with why-so philosophy, making the case that creative activity is an essential right that all children deserve from an education in music. Randles’ vivid illustrations prod us to think differently about teaching when well-being—when the good life—is both destination and design. —Randall Everett Allsup, Professor of Music Education   Teachers College Columbia University Randles takes readers on a real and figurative road trip during which he demonstrates how to live life to its fullest by embracing creativity and repeating a mantra of possibility. He shows us how the good life is achievable, walking readers through deeply personal accounts of creativity in everyday situations over a lifetime. This book binds the individual and cultural, imaginative and practical, tangible and intangible, light and dark, yin and yang. It’s all about the power of three, weaving through everything the vital, intangible element of spirituality, energy, chi to achieve eudaimonia. Through the lens of his experiences as a musician and teacher, the author celebrates relentlessness and hard work, providing a window into what it means to engage in the good life. Open that window to hear life’s call to adventure! —Gareth Dylan Smith, Assistant Professor of Music Education   Boston University Professor Randles’ stimulating book prompts memory of the seminal work of Joseph Schumpeter who suggested the importance of creative deconstruction in a democracy. Both authors focus on attaining the good life through a fuller understanding of the logic of the process of change—change that is driven by knowledgeable and innovative entrepreneurs. The immediate application of Randles’ suggested dynamic creativity processes applies to both teacher education and professional development, although both he and Schumpeter advance general ideas in creativity designed to achieve the highest level of human growth. —Richard Colwell, Professor Emeritus of Music Education   University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign In recent years, Aristotle’s concept of ‘Eudaimonia’—meaning Happiness in the robust sense of full human flourishing (a life of joy, fellowship, self-growth, meaningfulness, ethical ‘good work,’ and more)—has entered and transformed the philosophy and practice of music education. To Create: Imagining the Good Life through Music is a highly original, emotional, practical, and exciting journey through the natures and values of creativity in/for music education and life itself. —David J. Elliott, Professor of Music and Music Education   New York University.
