SKU: UT.HS-284

ISBN 9790215326460. 9 x 12 inches.

Melodia for Solo Harp/ Alleluja Modo II - Wachet auf for Harp and Organ

This publication gathers together in these three pieces the only compositions by Santucci devoted to the harp, both as a solo instrument and in dialogue with the organ, his favourite instrument.
The little Melodia per arpa, a simple piece having an apparently didactic purpose, does not show the date of composition but, judging by the handwriting of the manuscript, it probably dates back to the period between 1980 and 1990. No other information has reached us as to why the piece was composed.
The two pieces Alleluja Modo II and Wachet auf, both dated 20 March 1993, composed for the unusual duo of harp and organ, are dedicated to Anna Maria Restani, first harp in the orchestra of the Teatro Comunale of Bologna from 1965 to 2002, and to her son Wladimir Matesic, organist and now teacher at the Conservatoire in Trieste. Gregorian chant is the protagonist of the first piece, evoking a Gothic and rarefied atmosphere. The second is instead a blatant tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach (right from the first bars the reference to Prelude no. 1 of the Well-Tempered Clavier is clear), through one of his most famous chorales (Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme), also used by Santucci for numerous other compositions, including Il corteo dei Magi [for trumpet, organ, orchestra and choir, 1986, ms.], still performed in the Christmas concerts in Bologna.
(Giuseppe Monari).

SKU: CF.H84

ISBN 9781491165539. UPC: 680160924530.

Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. Over his long career, he added a significant catalogue of very beautiful works to the harp repertoire. Many of his solo works, almost one hundred, have been consistently in print since they were first published. But in recent years harpist Carl Swanson has discovered a treasure trove of pieces by Tournier heretofore unknown and unpublished. These include the Déchiffrages in this edition, as well as songs set for voice, harp, and string quartet, and ensemble arrangements of some of his most beloved works.All of the works that Carl Swanson found were in manuscript only. With the help of the great harpist Catherine Michel, he has put these pieces into playable form, and they are being published for the very first time. He and Catherine often had to re-notate passages to show clearly how they could be played, adding fingerings and musical nuances, tempos, pedals, and pedal diagrams.Tournier wrote these pieces when he was in his 20s, and before he became the impressionistic composer those familiar with his work know so well. They are written in the late nineteenth-century romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. They are beautiful short, intermediate level pieces by a first rate composer, and add much needed repertoire to that level of playing.
Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory with a first prize in harp in 1899. He also studied composition there and won a second prize in the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, as well as a first prize in the Rossini competition, another major composition competition of the day. From 1912 to 1948 he taught the harp class at the Paris Conservatory. But composition, and almost entirely, composition for the harp, was the main focus of his life. His published works, including many works for solo harp, a few for harp and other instruments, and several songs, number around one hundred pieces.In 2019, while researching Tournier for my edition MARCEL TOURNIER: 10 Pieces for Solo Harp, I discovered that there was a significant list of pieces by this composer that had never been published and were not included on any inventory of his music. Principal on this list were his déchiffrages (pronounced day-she-frahge, like the second syllable in the word garage).The word déchiffrage means sight-reading exercise, and that was their original purpose. Tournier numbered and dated these pieces, with dates ranging from 1900 to 1910, indicating that they were in all likelihood written for Alphonse Hasselmans’ class at the Paris Conservatory. Tournier was probably told how long to make each one, and how difficult. They range in length from two to four pages, with only one in the whole series extending to five, and from thirty to fifty-five measures, with only one extending to eight-five. The level of difficulty for the whole series is intermediate, with some at the easier end, and others at the middle or upper end.We don’t know if they were intended to test students trying to enter the harp class, or if they were used to test students in the class as they played their exams. The fact that they were never published means that students had to not only sight read them, but sight read them in manuscript form!I worked from digital images of the original manuscripts, which are in the private music library of a harpist in France. She had twenty-seven of these pieces, and this edition is the second in a series of three that will publish, for the first time, all of the ones that I have found thus far. The manuscripts themselves consist of little more than notes on the page: no pedals written in, no fingerings, few if any musical nuances and tempo markings, and no clear indication as to which hand plays which notes. These would have been difficult to sight read indeed! My collaborator Catherine Michel and I added musical nuances, fingerings, pedals and pedal diagrams, and tempo indications to put them into their current condition.At the time these were written, Tournier would have been in his twenties, having just graduated from the harp class himself (1899), and might still have been in the composition class. These are the earliest known pieces that he wrote, and they were written at the very beginning of a cultural revolution and upheaval in Paris that was to completely and profoundly alter musical composition. Tournier himself would eventually be caught up in this new way of composing. But not yet.All of the déchiffrages are written in the late romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. Each one is built on a clear musical idea, and the variety over the whole series makes them wonderful to listen to as well as to learn. They are also great technical lessons for intermediate level players.The obvious question is: Why didn’t Tournier publish these pieces, and why didn’t he list them on his own inventory of his music? Actually, four of them were published, with small changes, as his collection Four Preludes, Op. 16. These came from the ones that will be in volume three of this series from Carl Fischer. His first large piece, Theme and Variations, was published in 1908, and his two best known and frequently played pieces, Féerie and Au Matin, followed in 1912 and 1913 respectively. We can only speculate because there is so much still unknown about Tournier and about these unpublished pieces. He may have looked at them, fresh out of school as he was, as simply a way to make some quick money. The first several pieces that he did publish are much longer than any of the déchiffrages. So it could be that, because of their shorter length, as well as the earlier musical style that he was moving away from, he chose not to publish any more of them. We may never know the full story. But all these years later, more than a century after they were composed, we can listen to them for their own merits, and not measured against whatever else was going on at the time. The numbers on these pieces are the ones that Tournier assigned to them, and the gaps between some of the numbers suggest that there are perhaps thirty or more of these pieces still to be found, if they still exist. They will, in all likelihood, be found, as these were, in private collections of harp music, not in institutional libraries. We can only hope that more of them will be located in years to come.—Carl SwansonGlossary of French Musical TermsTournier was very precise about how he wanted his pieces played, and carefully communicated this with many musical indications. He used standard Italian words, but also used French words and phrases, and occasionally mixed both together. It is extremely important to observe and understand everything that he put on the page.Here is a list of the French words and phrases found in the pieces in this edition, with their translation.bien chanté well sung, melodiousdécidé firm, resolutediminu peu à peu becoming softer little by littleen diminuant becoming softeren riten. slowing downen se perdant dying awayGaiement gayly, lightlygracieusement gracefully, elegantlyLéger light, quickLent slowmarquez le chant emphasize the melodyModéré at a moderate tempopeu à peu animé more lively, little by littleplus lent slowerRetenu held backsans lenteur without slownesssans retinir without slowing downsec drily, abruptlysoutenu sustained, heldtrès arpegé very arpeggiatedTrès Modéré Very moderate tempoTrès peu retenu slightly held backTrès soutenu very sustainedun peu retenu slightly held back.

SKU: HL.51481594

UPC: 196288215837. 9.0x12.0x0.046 inches.

One of Scriabin's best-known piano pieces is also one of his very first compositions. He wrote it when he was only fifteen years old; when it appeared in print in 1893, the twenty-one-year-old was still so unknown that he did not receive any remuneration from the publisher. The rapturous etude was soon to enjoy unprecedented success. Marked “Andante”, it is not a virtuoso piece – but nevertheless it is a challenge to master the full-handed chords in legato and to clearly work out the upper and middle parts at the same time. In the Henle Urtext edition, Boris Giltburg's fingerings support this task in an exemplary manner. As an etude of medium difficulty, this earworm offers a wonderful introduction to the piano world of Scriabin!

About Henle Urtext

What I can expect from Henle Urtext editions:

• error-free, reliable musical texts based on meticulous musicological research - fingerings and bowings by famous artists and pedagogues
• preface in 3 languages with information on the genesis and history of the work 
• Critical Commentary in 1 – 3 languages with a description and evaluation of the sources and explaining all source discrepancies and editorial decisions 
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• page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them 
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SKU: PR.11640043S

UPC: 680160609420.

Sharp Objects, says Matheson, explores strong, bracing contrasts. Loud gestures suddenly give way to quiet chords that are sonic artifacts of the louder gestures, sustaining the harmony almost like a piano's damper pedal... [It] features several of the players in short solos, which sound against the background of shimmering string harmonies played by the other players. Eventually, the overall stillness of the piece gains in focus, leading to an energetic, if slightly abrupt, conclusion. Duration: c.5'.

SKU: CF.AS144

ISBN 9781491160602. UPC: 680160919192.

Often referred to as the Dean of African American Composers, William Grant Still's illustrious career contained many ground-breaking achievements. Following the massive success of his critically acclaimed Symphony No. 1, the Afro-American Symphony (1930), Still's Symphony No. 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of conductor Leopold Stokowski. The work, subtitled Song of a New Race, infuses elements of blues and jazz into the classical form, creating a uniquely blended sound to reflect Still's vision of an increasingly diverse American culture. Slow, dreamy themes are expressed through lush harmonies utilizing thick textures along with solo and divisi playing. The tension between traditional and jazz idioms is felt in the push and pull of shifting tempo and tonality. Originally composed for Full Orchestra, this slightly abridged version for String Orchestra includes the original harp part, honoring the legacy of one of America's greatest composers.
Often referred to as the Dean of African American Composers, William Grant Still's illustrious career contained many ground-breaking achievements. Following the massive success of his critically acclaimed Symphony No. 1, the Afro-American Symphony (1930), Still's Symphony No. 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of conductor Leopold Stokowski. The work, subtitled Song of a New Race, infuses elements of blues and jazz into the classical form, creating a uniquely blended sound to reflect Still's vision of an increasingly diverse American culture. Slow, dreamy themes are expressed through lush harmonies utilizing thick textures along with solo and divisi playing. The tension between traditional and jazz idioms is felt in the push and pull of shifting tempo and tonality. Originally composed for Full Orchestra, this slightly abridged version for String Orchestra includes the original harp part, honoring the legacy of one of America's greatest composers.
Often referred to as the Dean of African American Composers, William Grant Still's illustrious career contained many ground-breaking achievements. Following the massive success of his critically acclaimed Symphony No. 1, the Afro-American Symphony (1930), Still's Symphony No. 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of conductor Leopold Stokowski. The work, subtitled Song of a New Race, infuses elements of blues and jazz into the classical form, creating a uniquely blended sound to reflect Still's vision of an increasingly diverse American culture. Slow, dreamy themes are expressed through lush harmonies utilizing thick textures along with solo and divisi playing. The tension between traditional and jazz idioms is felt in the push and pull of shifting tempo and tonality. Originally composed for full orchestra, this slightly abridged version for string orchestra includes the original harp part, honoring the legacy of one of America's greatest composers.
Often referred to as the “Dean of African American Composers”, William Grant Still’s illustrious career contained many ground-breaking achievements. Following the massive success of his critically acclaimedSymphony No. 1, the Afro-American Symphony (1930), Still’s Symphony No. 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of conductor Leopold Stokowski. The work, subtitled “Song of a New Race”, infuses elements of blues and jazz into the classical form, creating a uniquely blended sound to reflect Still’s vision of an increasingly diverse American culture. Slow, dreamy themes are expressed through lush harmonies utilizing thick textures along with solo and divisi playing. The tension between traditional and jazz idioms is felt in the push and pull of shifting tempo and tonality. Originally composed for full orchestra, this slightly abridged version for string orchestra includes the original harppart, honoring the legacy of one of America’s greatest composers.