SKU: HL.48024494
ISBN 9783793140160. 9.0x12.0x0.067 inches.
Originally composed for clarinet quartet, this minimalist habanera swings between two chords in a melancholy way until a rather lively middle section is reminiscent of Astor Piazzolla's bitter-sweet harmony. On the CD Blue Silence (Vexations840 1202) the Acacia Quartet combined this piece with Silver Pearls (979-0-2025-3342-0), Silver Poetry (979-0-2025-3341-3) and Silver Eucalypt (979-0-2025-3331-4) to form Silver Suite. Whether played individually or as a four-movement group - this is a charming new repertoire for both professional and amateur ensembles!
SKU: CL.012-4297-75
SKU: GH.EC-132
Text: Verner von Heidenstam.
SKU: HL.325449
ISBN 9781540076557. UPC: 888680986421. 9x12 inches.
Water Dances is a work scored for two pianos from 2011. Much of the work is an arrangement of the music written for the Michael Nyman Band for Peter Greenaway's 1984 film Making a Splash. The two-piano version was recorded by the Labèque sisters for their CD Minimalist Dream House on the KML/Deutsche Grammophon label.
SKU: HL.14037707
ISBN 9781849385916. UPC: 884088578626. 8.25x11.75x0.262 inches.
Kevin Volans' String Quartet No. 9: Shiva Dances was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and first performed by the Smith Quartet at the 2004 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.Kevin Volans (the composer) notes on the piece:In the past I have been interested in trying to go beyond historicism (1970s), beyond style(1980s) and beyond form (1990s) in my work. Looking back over the music of the twentiethcentury I was struck by the fact the nearlyall of it is extremely 'busy', almost cluttered. Italmost seemed that composers felt compelled to look industrious. In the new millennium Ithought it would be interesting to try and eliminate content. I also aspired to movingfrommusic (sound as art) to art (art as sound). This, of course, has already been done by a numberof composers (many from New York - Phil Niblock and La Monte Young, to name but two), butit was something I had never tried.AlthoughI found it annoying that the label 'minimalist' was given to my African-based work,and fearing this would make the label stick, I set out to write a piece which reflected my loveof minimal painting and architecture. The Japanesehave a term 'wabi' meaning 'voluntarypoverty' or 'emptiness' to describe their restrained minimal aesthetic, an aesthetic which,however, pays greatest attention to the quality of material and fine detail. I like to think thatthelack of excessive pitch material in this piece reflects a kind of voluntary poverty.When Shiva is portrayed dancing (as Nataraj) He is depicted in a circle of flames crushing asmall figure - the ego - underfoot.You get theimpression He dances on the spot, not movingaround at all. I like that.The piece is dedicated to Pablo Pascual Cilleruelo.
SKU: GI.G-8456
UPC: 785147845607. English. Text by Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
The alternation between minimalist accompaniment and the stark contrast of a cappella voices adds richness and depth to this Gilbert Keith Chesterton text. The close vocal harmonies convey reverence and awe.
SKU: BT.MUSDU10804
English.
Interna tionally renowned minimalist Philip Glass composed this Piano concerto in the traditional three-movement form. The first movement, titled ‘The Vision’ is classic Glass, with a steamroller quality that suggests theimmensedrive and ambition the two explorers needed to draw on for their journey into the wilderness. At the beginning of the second movement, the theme in the solo Indian Flute musically represents the name ‘Sacajawea’, theShoshoneIndian mother and guide who assisted the explorers on their way, for whom the movement is named.The final movement, entitled ‘The Land’, is an exploration of expansiveness, both of the land that was being explored, butalso of thegeologically expanded time over which the landscape has evolved, and the great changes that followed Lewis and Clark’s journey.This concerto is designated as part of The Concerto Project recording series started byGlass in theyear 2000, currently in four volumes and including eight concerti.American composer Philip Glass is widely known as one of the most celebrated, influential and prolific of the modern composers. He is frequentlyreferred to as aminimalist, though he prefers to call himself a composer of ‘music with repetitive structures.’ His operas, among them the renowned Einstein On The Beach, are performed across the globe, and he has created workfor small andlarge ensembles, film and experimental theatre, and founded his own performing group, The Philip Glass Ensemble.
SKU: FG.042-09087-9
ISBN 979-0-042-09087-9.
String Quartet (1985) - In memoriam Urmas Kibuspuu. This impressive two-movement string quartet by the popular young Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tuur (b. 1959) displays minimalist influences. The most pronounced ostinato tendencies are in the first violin, which repeats the same motif for several bars while the other instruments accompany it with their own recurring motifs. Released on the BIS label, the quartet is dedicated to the memory of a friend of Tuur's, the Estonian actor Urmas Kibuspuu.
SKU: BC.403254
SKU: CF.YAS52
ISBN 9780825863608. UPC: 798408063603. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: D major.
This is a striking and original piece that builds interest and momentum using a four note cello and bass ostinato. Arco and pizzicato contrasts of texture and off-beat accents and rhythms sustain interest in this unusual selection, which puts minimal musical resources to maximum use.A Road Less Traveled is a musical journey based on four notes. The cellos and basses provide these notes in mm. 2 and 3. The piece explores some new compositional techniques for me, and in some sections can be considered minimalist. However, I constructed the piece in a very accessible manner. The individual rhythms create new composite rhythms when played together. It has a unique clockwork quality to it. The music morphs from arco to pizzicato at m. 49. The odd accents bring out some of the quirky quality to the music. A return to arco playing at m. 94 provides a recapitulation of the opening section. Upon return, some of the punchy music now becomes sustained for a dramatic climax. This piece was a real joy to work on, and illustrates “a road less traveled†in my compositional career.
About Carl Fischer Young String Orchestra Series
Thi s series of Grade 2/Grade 2.5 pieces is designed for second and third year ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by:--Occasionally extending to third position--Keys carefully considered for appropriate difficulty--Addition of separate 2nd violin and viola parts--Viola T.C. part included--Increase in independence of parts over beginning levels
SKU: HL.49046469
UPC: 842819109839.
Simpl y Driven is a collection of five pieces for advanced to virtuoso level pianists. Each piece has a completely different character, whilst still reflecting minimalist influences.