SKU: CF.BE11F
ISBN 9780825888595. UPC: 798408088590. 8.5 x 11 inches.
Beginning in the 1950s, the CIA became very interested in psychological research beingconducted on the effects of sensory deprivation on humans. The research, that suggestedrapid regression in those tested, provided a framework for sections of what would later beknown as the KUBARK manual, the first a series of US-government documents thatprovided techniques for interrogating detainees. These methods involved radicallyaltering a detainee??s sense of time and environment.Among these techniques, some developed independently of the manuals by interrogators,were the manipulation of light and sound. In order to weaken the resolve of a detaineeand prolong ??capture shock,? complete sensory deprivation followed by blasts of light ornoise, or very loud music, proved effective. So much so that variations and combinationsof these techniques were widely used by the United States as well as both its allies andenemies in Vietnam, Latin America, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East.Though the idea of sound as a weapon is at least as old as the account of Joshua??s siegeof Jericho, it was only recently deemed ??inhuman and degrading? for the purposes ofinterrogation by the European Court of Human Rights in the 1978 case ??Ireland v. theUnited Kingdom.?.Accidentals apply only to the notes they precede with the exception of tied or consecutively repeated notes.Tempi are consistent throughout the meter changes (Le., ~'=),)=)l, etc.).Grace notes are always to be played as fast as possible. Each grace note in a group should be of the same duration. Gracenotes curtail the previous measured note's duration with the exception noted below.Approximate duration: 16 minutes.
SKU: OU.9780193378292
ISBN 9780193378292. 12 x 8 inches.
Subject to the Weather uses the Welsh folk song The Blackbird as its inspiration, but also references Wesley's hymn tune Aurelia: The Church's one Foundation. The music evokes country life and birdsong in a charming and engaging style.
SKU: CF.CM9607
ISBN 9781491154298. UPC: 680160912797. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: Db major. English. Lord George Gordon Byron (1788-1824).
Lord George Gordon Byron, described as mad, bad and dangerous to know, is one of the greatest British poets. He was known for his brilliant use of the English language, as well as his flamboyant lifestyle and romantic escapades. Scholars believe that Byron wrote She Walks in Beauty in 1814 when he met his cousin, Mrs. John Wilmont. It is an innocent poem, with seemingly only admiration of the subjects outer physical beauty and inner peace. Byron feels that the persons beauty is a perfect union of dark and light. The cloudless night is filled with soft starlight. She exudes a captivating purity, almost an expression of the divine. This is arguably Lord Byrons best known poem. .Lord George Gordon Byron, described as amad, bad and dangerous to know,a is one of the greatest British poets. He was known for his brilliant use of the English language, as well as his flamboyant lifestyle and romantic escapades. Scholars believe that Byron wrote She Walks in Beauty in 1814 when he met his cousin, Mrs. John Wilmont. It is an innocent poem, with seemingly only admiration of the subjectas outer physical beauty and inner peace. Byron feels that the personas beauty is a perfect union of dark and light. The cloudless night is filled with soft starlight. She exudes a captivating purity, almost an expression of the divine. This is arguably Lord Byronas best known poem. .Lord George Gordon Byron, described as mad, bad and dangerous to know, is one of the greatest British poets. He was known for his brilliant use of the English language, as well as his flamboyant lifestyle and romantic escapades. Scholars believe that Byron wrote She Walks in Beauty in 1814 when he met his cousin, Mrs. John Wilmont. It is an innocent poem, with seemingly only admiration of the subject's outer physical beauty and inner peace. Byron feels that the person's beauty is a perfect union of dark and light. The cloudless night is filled with soft starlight. She exudes a captivating purity, almost an expression of the divine. This is arguably Lord Byron's best known poem. .Lord George Gordon Byron, described as mad, bad and dangerous to know, is one of the greatest British poets. He was known for his brilliant use of the English language, as well as his flamboyant lifestyle and romantic escapades. Scholars believe that Byron wrote She Walks in Beauty in 1814 when he met his cousin, Mrs. John Wilmont. It is an innocent poem, with seemingly only admiration of the subject's outer physical beauty and inner peace. Byron feels that the person's beauty is a perfect union of dark and light. The cloudless night is filled with soft starlight. She exudes a captivating purity, almost an expression of the divine. This is arguably Lord Byron's best known poem. .Lord George Gordon Byron, described as “mad, bad and dangerous to know,†is one of the greatest British poets. He was known for his brilliant use of the English language, as well as his flamboyant lifestyle and romantic escapades.Scholars believe that Byron wrote She Walks in Beauty in 1814 when he met his cousin, Mrs. John Wilmont. It is an innocent poem, with seemingly only admiration of the subject’s outer physical beauty and inner peace. Byron feels that the person’s beauty is a perfect union of dark and light. The cloudless night is filled with soft starlight. She exudes a captivating purity, almost an expression of the divine. This is arguably Lord Byron’s best known poem. .
SKU: CF.CM9588
ISBN 9781491154106. UPC: 680160912605. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: Eb major. Latin. Traditional Latin.
Tomas Luis de Victoria (15481611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from the first of those and incorporates the original Roman melody, or cantus firmus. (He composed his second Pange lingua based on a Spanish melody.) The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance. Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victorias time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Victoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is o, which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter t should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of s should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise. Verbum caro, panem verum, [v??bum k??? p?n?m v?rum] verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum. [v??b? k??n?m ??fit?it fitkw? s??gwis k?isti m??um] Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum. [?t si s?nsus ?d?fit?it, ?d fi??m?ndum k?? sin t???um] Jeb Mueller.TomA!s Luis de Victoria (1548a1611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from the first of those and incorporates the original Roman melody, or cantus firmus. (He composed his second Pange lingua based on a Spanish melody.) The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance. Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victoriaas time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Victoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is ao,a which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter ata should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of asa should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise. Verbum caro, panem verum, [vEE 3/4 bum kEE 3/4 E pEnEm vErum] verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum. [vEE 3/4 bE kEE 3/4 nEm EEfitEit fitkwE sEAgwis kE 3/4 isti mEE 3/4 um] Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum. [Et si sEnsus EdEfitEit, Ed fiE 3/4 EmEndum kEE 3/4 sin tEEE 3/4 um] Jeb Mueller.Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from the first of those and incorporates the original Roman melody, or cantus firmus. (He composed his second Pange lingua based on a Spanish melody.) The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance. Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victoria's time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Victoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is o, which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter t should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of s should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise. Verbum caro, panem verum, [verbum karo panem verum] verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum. [verbo karnem 'efitSit fitkwe saNGgwis kristi merum] Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum. [et si sensus 'defitSit, ad fir'mandum kor sin tSerum] Jeb Mueller.Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from the first of those and incorporates the original Roman melody, or cantus firmus. (He composed his second Pange lingua based on a Spanish melody.) The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance. Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victoria's time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Victoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is o, which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter t should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of s should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise. Verbum caro, panem verum, [verbum karo panem verum] verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum. [verbo karnem 'efitSit fitkwe saNGgwis kristi merum] Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum. [et si sensus 'defitSit, ad fir'mandum kor sin tSerum] Jeb Mueller.Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from Pange lingua more hisapano. The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance. Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victoria's time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Victoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is o, which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter t should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of s should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise. Verbum caro, panem verum, [verbum karo panem verum] verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum. [verbo karnem 'efitSit fitkwe saNGgwis kristi merum] Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum. [et si sensus 'defitSit, ad fir'mandum kor sin tSerum] Jeb Mueller.Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611) is widely considered the greatest Spanish Renaissance composer and one of the most influential musicians of his time. Included in his oeuvre are two settings of the Pange lingua, both produced in 1581. This motet is excerpted from Pange lingua more hisapano.The baritones anchor the motet by singing the tune in augmentation. This line should be intoned with a flowing, legato articulation that incorporates subtle phrasing and text stresses. The more rhythmic tenor and bass lines complement the melody and illustrate the hopeful nature of its text. Singing this piece with two pulses per measure will encourage a steady and vital performance.Composers provided minimal performance details in their scores during this period in music history, so I added a time signature, bar lines, dynamics, and metronome markings in order to facilitate performances that musicologists believe mimic those of Victoria’s time. It should be noted that dynamics are largely subjective, so performers may make alternative choices. Each tenuto indicates word stress; the most musical performances will incorporate gentle crescendos and decrescendos before and after each of them. Lastly, using minimal vibrato, especially at cadences, will imbue this wonderful motet with style and clarity.PRONUNCIATION GUIDEVictoria received much of his training in Italy, therefore making Italianate Latin most appropriate. Pure vowels are critical to correct pronunciation, and those phonemes remain constant without exceptions. The most problematic of the vowels is “o,†which sounds similar to the English words bought and got. The letter “t†should be produced dentally: lift the tongue to the top of the mouth as in English, but aspirate less on the release. All occurrences of “s†should be soft and never hardened to [z], such as in praise.Verbum caro, panem verum,[vɛɾbum kɑɾɔ pɑnɛm vɛrum]verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum.[vɛɾbɔ kɑɾnɛm ˈɛfitʃit fitkwɛ sɑŋgwis kɾisti mɛɾum]Et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sin cerum.[ɛt si sɛnsus ˈdɛfitʃit, ɑd fiɾˈmɑndum kɔɾ sin tʃɛɾum]Jeb Mueller.
SKU: HL.49047172
UPC: 196288143406.
When the 24-year-old Richard Strauss, assistant conductor in Munich, began the composition of his third tone poem in the summer of 1888, he saw himself close to the aspiration prescribed by his mentor Alexander Ritter: to become the successor of Richard Wagner as a musical dramatist. Strauss had already been working on the text of his first opera Guntram for a year and additionally devoted himself to programmatic orchestral works oriented to the musical language of Liszt and Wagner in order to prepare himself compositionally for his new task. With the aid of Strauss and other musicians including Ludwig Thuille and Friedrich Rösch who had been gathering for “Ritter's round table†in Munich between 1886 and 1889, RitterÂ’s intention was to achieve success on a broad front with the New German School following the death of its two protagonists Wagner and Liszt. We do not know whether Ritter and his supporters jointly planned Strauss's compositional path towards opera, determined the subjectsof his prospective tone poems and considered various strategies of their musical realization, but the influence of this group shouldnot be underestimated. It cannot be ruled out that the number of three tone poems was fixed, as was their sequence of composition, which would progressively achieve its zenith in an increasing orientation to Liszt and Wagner. The circle could possibly have also discussed initial links to literary subjects (Macbeth and Don Juan) and ultimately the abstention from this practice in the third and final tone poem. The subject of the work, or rather in StraussÂ’s formulation its “poetic modelâ€, has occasionally been interpreted from an autobiographical aspect. Strauss however did not experience serious illness until May 1891 and once more in June 1892, long after Tod und Verklärung had been composed. Even without an external reason, the material would have been only too attractive for an admirer of Wagner and Liszt like Strauss, not to mention for his mentor Alexander Ritter. The concept of 'death and transfiguration' had already played a central role in LisztÂ’s symphonic poems Tasso and Prometheus.
SKU: BA.GBR01103
ISBN 9783761811030. 27.1 x 20.1 cm inches. Language: German.
The Subject Encyclopedia The Subject Encyclopedia is unique in its conception. It comprises 9 volumes (plus one index volume) containing more than 1,500 entries with detailed information on music aesthetics and theory, epochs and genres, church music and pop music, instruments and manuscripts as well as cities and countries. Due to the extensive nature of the entries with their frequent subdivisions, the MGG conforms truly to the meaning of the word encyclopedia . Apart from the more standard entries the Subject Encyclopedia also includes comprehensive articles on institutions (music libraries, the music library lending industry), on music iconographical subjects, on correlated relationships to the other arts (for example colour-tone relationships, the reception towards jazz, the encyclopedia entry music, etc). Numerous specialists on a worldwide basis have made this overall picture possible. Many illustrations (mostly in colour), music examples, comprehensive literature lists and cross references supplement the detailed texts.
SKU: BA.GBR01128
ISBN 9783761811283. 27.5 x 20 cm inches. Language: German.
SKU: BA.GBR01105
ISBN 9783761811054. 27.3 x 20.1 cm inches. Language: German.
SKU: BA.GBR01102
ISBN 9783761811023. 27.3 x 20.4 cm inches. Language: German.
SKU: BA.GBR01104
ISBN 9783761811047. 27.1 x 20.4 cm inches. Language: German.
SKU: BA.GBR01108
ISBN 9783761811085. 27.3 x 20.1 cm inches. Language: German.
SKU: CF.PO192S
ISBN 9781491157367. UPC: 680160915927.
Progr am note: Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas. The Composer: Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation. At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee. To the Conductor: You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .Program note:Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas.The Composer:Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation.At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee.To the Conductor:You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .
SKU: CF.PO192F
ISBN 9781491157374. UPC: 680160915934.
SKU: CF.PO192
ISBN 9781491157350. UPC: 680160915910. Key: Bb major.
Program note: Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas. The Composer: Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation. At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee. To the Conductor: You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .Program note:Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas.The Composer:Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation.At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee.To the Conductor:You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .
SKU: SU.27040390
Composed during the summer of 2019, the Toccata for Solo Piano was influenced to some extent by the seven early Bach pieces known under the collective title Toccaten. It consists of several contrasting sections juxtaposing running rhapsodic material with recitative and fugal sections. There are two distinct themes that abound throughout: a seven-note aeolian-mode tune that is juxtaposed with a more chromatic one. The latter serves as a countersubject for the former in the Ricercare section before morphing into a double fugue, employing each as a subject, more or less equally. The two aforementioned themes are introduced individually in the opening section of the work.Piano Duration: 18' Composed: 2019 Published by: Hutter Music.
SKU: BT.PWM4901
Concerto for String Orchestra - the magnum opus of Grayna Bacewicz (1909-1969), the outstanding composer and violinist - was composed in 1948 and at once became one of the most frequently performed works of this Polish artist. This masterpieceof neoclassicism fascinates as much by its invention and virtuosic briliance as its harmonious combination of formal elements of a traditional nature with new tonal ideas. The form of the three-movement Concerto oscillates between that of the baroqueconcerto grosso and the early classical sonata cycle. The neoclassical tendency is evident, above all, in the articulation of the musical structure in keeping with the rigours of periodicity and the manner of developing thematic threads derived fromthem, while the concertato character of particular movements and the generally linear texture indicate baroque connections. The first movement (Allegro) - in the form of an early classical sonata allegro - begins with a subject with energeticfigurations, emblematic for the whole piece and based on a constant, pendulum-like semiquaver movement anchored securely on D. It is precisely because of the nature of this subject that Bacewiczs work has been compared to the Brandenburg Concertosby Jan Sebastian Bach The second movement (Andante), while retaining its concertato charakter, is, at the same time, an example of the composers ability to create emotionally serene lyrical moods, and her sense of cantilena derived from the spiritof romantic song (a motto-subject presented at the beginning by cello solo). In this movement it is both the process of evolution and the instrumental colouring which constitute the constructional agents forming here a self-containedvalue. In thethird movement (Vivo) the composer returns to her favourite type of music, understood as an expression of pure motion in the form of figural motives with infinite transformational possibilities. The spontaneity of the music, the constant mutabilityof the tonal situations, and the sophisticated, acerbic harmonies - as Witold Lutosawski described them - form a colourful mosaic built in the structural skeleton of a sonata rondo. Concerto for String Orchestra is not only proof of thestylizing tendency of the composer but also of an unerring intuition concerning the technical and expressive possibilities inherent in a string instruments ensemble. [Magorzata Gsiorowska, translated by Ewa Cholewka].
SKU: PR.416414510
ISBN 9781598068191. UPC: 680160611379. 9x12 inches.
The enigmatic title of Roger Zare’s overture is an anagram of Zauberflöte — the work is based on Mozart’s The Magic Flute, breaking down themes from the opera’s overture as well as the Queen of the Night aria, and spinning them out of control. Zare’s charming and clever work includes an “Overt Metrical Fugue,†(a serendipitous anagram of Magic Flute Overture) using a subject that mashes up all of the disassembled Mozart motives. After the fugue runs its course, Zare quotes small but recognizable parts of the overture almost verbatim, but only from the players farthest away from the conductor to create a disembodied sound.This work is based on Mozart’s overture to The Magic Flute, breaking down the themes and motives from that overture as well as the famous Queen of the Night aria, “Der Hölle Rache,†and spinning them out of control. While the title seems to be nonsense, it is actually an anagram of “Zauberflöte.â I’m sure that Mozart would have appreciated the humor in this work, even though the harmonic language is quite far removed from the Classical era. The piece opens with repeated E-flats, suggesting the beginning of the main theme of the Magic Flute overture, and it gradually expands outward chromatically, creating gritty dissonances. Other borrowed motives from Mozart creep their way in, as well as complex polyrhythms on the repeated notes. I imitate the structure of Mozart’s overture by writing a fugue (subtitled “Overt Metrical Fugue,†a serendipitous anagram of Magic Flute Overture) using a subject that mashes up all of the disassembled Mozart motives. Gradually, I work in references to the excessively high coloratura part of “Der Hölle Rache,†treating it as a second subject. After the fugue runs its course, I quote small but recognizable parts of the overture almost verbatim, but only from the players farthest away from the conductor tocreate a disembodied sound.
SKU: BT.EMBZ14887
English-Hungarian.
Aulos to a certain degree continues Orbán's easy piano pieces for children, which he composed for Ãgnes Lakos's piano tutor and which Editio Musica Budapest published in a separate volume entitled Enchanted Forest in 2011 (Z. 14742). Yet on this occasion the composer took on something which was both significantly different and more than his earlier pieces for children. On the one hand, he did not compose for beginners but for more advanced students who have studied piano for at least three years. On the other, he did not set developing the technique of piano playing as an aim, rather a systematic presentation of different polyphonic genres and compositional procedures(imitation, fugue, stretto, inversion, augmentation and diminution, double counterpoint, latent polyphony, double and triple fugue, cantus firmus technique, etc.). Orbán introduces his students to the mysteries of polyphony in a direct and practical manner, and thus actually makes them familiar with the art of composition.The educational use of the series is significantly increased by the fact that before each piece the composer presents and clarifies with demonstrative illustrations the polyphonic procedure he introduces. Orbán's explanations are not text-book-like at all, but are deliberately personal and subjective, full of lessons and individual associations taken from his practice as a composer. They were written in the same spirit as the works themselves - while they perfectly fulfil their educational purpose they are equally individual, witty and inspired pieces of music that are a joy to play. Aulos to a certain degree continues Orbáns easy piano pieces for children, which he composed for Ãgnes Lakoss piano tutor and which Editio Musica Budapest published in a separate volume entitled Enchanted Forest in 2011 (Z. 14742). Yet on thisoccasion the composer took on something which was both significantly different and more than his earlier pieces for children. On the one hand, he did not compose for beginners but for more advanced students who have studied piano for at least threeyears. On the other, he did not set developing the technique of piano playing as an aim, rather a systematic presentation of different polyphonic genres and compositional procedures (imitation, fugue, stretto, inversion, augmentation and diminution,double counterpoint, latent polyphony, double and triple fugue, cantus firmus technique, etc.). The educational use of the series is significantly increased by the fact that before each piece the composer presents and clarifies with demonstrative illustrations the polyphonic procedure he introduces. Orbáns explanations are not text-book-like atall, but are deliberately personal and subjective, full of lessons and individual associations taken from his practice as a composer. They were written in the same spirit as the works themselves - while they perfectly fulfil their educational purposethey are equally individual, witty and inspired pieces of music that are a joy to play.
SKU: DY.DO-1526
ISBN 9782897963064.
Wynw ood Walls draws on 9 artworks which lend their titles to the 9 connected sections of the quintet. The music reflects and amplifies my own subjective responses to the artworks.The movements are organised in pairs, circling out from a still centre – No Woman, No Cry. The title for this centrepiece comes from Chris Ofili’s moving portrait of Doreen Lawrence, the mother of a teenager murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. As well as this specific reference, the artist intended the painting to be read as a universal portrayal of melancholy, solace, and grief. The two segments flanking No Woman, No Cry complete the central triptych. Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks explores loneliness and isolation, while Grayson Perry’s #Lamentation is a meditation on remembrance and the transience of life. In contrast to the rest of Wynwood Walls, the music here is dark and introspective.I want my time with you is a giant neon sign designed by Tracey Emin for St. Pancras Station, London. Selfie with Sunflowers is an essay written by Julian Barnes about our over-familiarisation with Van Gogh’s iconic sunflower paintings. The music is sentimental, bordering on schmaltz and kitsch. Sunflower Seeds and Infinity Room are a pair of moto perpetuo scherzos inspired by the minimalist installations of Ai Weiwei and Yayoi Kusama respectively. The opening section, Bathers at Asnières, suggests Seurat’s iconic painting, while the finale, Seurat’s Bathers, evokes Howard Hodgkin’s reworking of the Seurat using a blaze of vivid colours.The title of the quintet is borrowed from the Wynwood art district of Miami – an area characterised by the hundreds of colourful street murals which decorate the walls of old warehouses in the neighbourhood. In performance, the artworks can be projected onto a screen behind the ensemble.Wynwood Walls s'appuient sur 9 œuvres d'art dont les titres prêtent leurs noms aux 9 sections connectées du quintette. La musique reflète et amplifie mes propres réponses subjectives aux œuvres d'art.Les mouvements sont organisés par paires, émergeant d'un centre immobile - No Woman, No Cry. Le titre de cette pièce maîtresse provient du portrait émouvant de Chris Ofili de Doreen Lawrence, la mère d'un adolescent assassiné lors d'une attaque raciste gratuite. En plus de cette référence spécifique, l'artiste a voulu que le tableau soit perçu comme une représentation universelle de la mélancolie, du réconfort et du chagrin. Les deux segments flanquant No Woman, No Cry complètent le triptyque central. Nighthawks d'Edward Hopper explore la solitude et l'isolement, tandis que #Lamentation de Grayson Perry est une méditation sur le souvenir et la fugacité de la vie. Contrairement au reste des Wynwood Walls, la musique ici est sombre et introspective.I want my time with you est un immense panneau néon conçu par Tracey Emin pour la gare de St. Pancras, à Londres. Selfie with Sunflowers est un essai écrit par Julian Barnes sur notre sur-familiarisation avec les peintures emblématiques de tournesols de Van Gogh. La musique est sentimentale, frôlant le kitsch et le sentimentalisme. Sunflower Seeds et Infinity Room sont une paire de scherzos moto perpetuo inspirés des installations minimalistes d'Ai Weiwei et de Yayoi Kusama respectivement. La section d'ouverture, Bathers at Asnières, suggère le tableau emblématique de Seurat, tandis que le finale, Seurat’s Bathers, évoque la réinterprétation de Seurat par Howard Hodgkin en utilisant une explosion de couleurs vives.Le titre du quintette est emprunté au quartier artistique de Wynwood à Miami - une zone caractérisée par les centaines de fresques murales colorées qui ornent les murs des vieux entrepôts du quartier. En performance, les œuvres d'art peuvent être projetées sur un écran derrière l'ensemble.
SKU: BT.EMBZ14888
Aulos to a certain degree continues Orbán's easy piano pieces for children, which he composed for Ãgnes Lakos's piano tutor and which Editio Musica Budapest published in a separate volume entitled Enchanted Forest in 2011 (Z. 14742). Yet on this occasion the composer took on something which was both significantly different and more than his earlier pieces for children. On the one hand, he did not compose for beginners but for more advanced students who have studied piano for at least three years. On the other, he did not set developing the technique of piano playing as an aim, rather a systematic presentation of different polyphonic genres and compositional procedures(imitation, fugue, stretto, inversion, augmentation and diminution, double counterpoint, latent polyphony, double and triple fugue, cantus firmus technique, etc.). Orbán introduces his students to the mysteries of polyphony in a direct and practical manner, and thus actually makes them familiar with the art of composition.The educational use of the series is significantly increased by the fact that before each piece the composer presents and clarifies with demonstrative illustrations the polyphonic procedure he introduces. Orbán's explanations are not text-book-like at all, but are deliberately personal and subjective, full of lessons and individual associations taken from his practice as a composer. They were written in the same spirit as the works themselves - while they perfectly fulfil their educational purpose they are equally individual, witty and inspired pieces of music that are a joy to play. Aulos is composed for more advanced students who have studied piano for at least three years. Aim is a systematic presentation of different polyphonic genres and compositional procedures (imitation, fugue, stretto, inversion, augmentation anddiminution, double counterpoint, latent polyphony, double and triple fugue, cantus firmus technique, etc.). The educational use of the series is significantly increased by the fact that before each piece the composer presents and clarifies withdemonstrative illustrations the polyphonic procedure he introduces. Orbáns explanations are not text-book-like at all, but are deliberately personal and subjective, full of lessons and individual associations taken from his practice as a composer. They were written in the same spirit as the works themselves - whilethey perfectly fulfil their educational purpose they are equally individual, witty and inspired pieces of music that are a joy to play.
SKU: CF.PL1056
ISBN 9781491153390. UPC: 680160910892. Transcribed by Franz Liszt.
Introduction It is true that Schubert himself is somewhat to blame for the very unsatisfactory manner in which his admirable piano pieces are treated. He was too immoderately productive, wrote incessantly, mixing insignificant with important things, grand things with mediocre work, paid no heed to criticism, and always soared on his wings. Like a bird in the air, he lived in music and sang in angelic fashion. --Franz Liszt, letter to Dr. S. Lebert (1868) Of those compositions that greatly interest me, there are only Chopin's and yours. --Franz Liszt, letter to Robert Schumann (1838) She [Clara Schumann] was astounded at hearing me. Her compositions are really very remarkable, especially for a woman. There is a hundred times more creativity and real feeling in them than in all the past and present fantasias by Thalberg. --Franz Liszt, letter to Marie d'Agoult (1838) Chretien Urhan (1790-1845) was a Belgian-born violinist, organist and composer who flourished in the musical life of Paris in the early nineteenth century. According to various accounts, he was deeply religious, harshly ascetic and wildly eccentric, though revered by many important and influential members of the Parisian musical community. Regrettably, history has forgotten Urhan's many musical achievements, the most important of which was arguably his pioneering work in promoting the music of Franz Schubert. He devoted much of his energies to championing Schubert's music, which at the time was unknown outside of Vienna. Undoubtedly, Urhan was responsible for stimulating this enthusiasm in Franz Liszt; Liszt regularly heard Urhan's organ playing in the St.-Vincent-de-Paul church in Paris, and the two became personal acquaintances. At eighteen years of age, Liszt was on the verge of establishing himself as the foremost pianist in Europe, and this awakening to Schubert's music would prove to be a profound experience. Liszt's first travels outside of his native provincial Hungary were to Vienna in 1821-1823, where his father enrolled him in studies with Carl Czerny (piano) and Antonio Salieri (music theory). Both men had important involvements with Schubert; Czerny (like Urhan) as performer and advocate of Schubert's music and Salieri as his theory and composition teacher from 1813-1817. Curiously, Liszt and Schubert never met personally, despite their geographical proximity in Vienna during these years. Inevitably, legends later arose that the two had been personal acquaintances, although Liszt would dismiss these as fallacious: I never knew Schubert personally, he was once quoted as saying. Liszt's initial exposure to Schubert's music was the Lieder, what Urhan prized most of all. He accompanied the tenor Benedict Randhartinger in numerous performances of Schubert's Lieder and then, perhaps realizing that he could benefit the composer more on his own terms, transcribed a number of the Lieder for piano solo. Many of these transcriptions he would perform himself on concert tour during the so-called Glanzzeit, or time of splendor from 1839-1847. This publicity did much to promote reception of Schubert's music throughout Europe. Once Liszt retired from the concert stage and settled in Weimar as a conductor in the 1840s, he continued to perform Schubert's orchestral music, his Symphony No. 9 being a particular favorite, and is credited with giving the world premiere performance of Schubert's opera Alfonso und Estrella in 1854. At this time, he contemplated writing a biography of the composer, which regrettably remained uncompleted. Liszt's devotion to Schubert would never waver. Liszt's relationship with Robert and Clara Schumann was far different and far more complicated; by contrast, they were all personal acquaintances. What began as a relationship of mutual respect and admiration soon deteriorated into one of jealousy and hostility, particularly on the Schumann's part. Liszt's initial contact with Robert's music happened long before they had met personally, when Liszt published an analysis of Schumann's piano music for the Gazette musicale in 1837, a gesture that earned Robert's deep appreciation. In the following year Clara met Liszt during a concert tour in Vienna and presented him with more of Schumann's piano music. Clara and her father Friedrich Wieck, who accompanied Clara on her concert tours, were quite taken by Liszt: We have heard Liszt. He can be compared to no other player...he arouses fright and astonishment. His appearance at the piano is indescribable. He is an original...he is absorbed by the piano. Liszt, too, was impressed with Clara--at first the energy, intelligence and accuracy of her piano playing and later her compositions--to the extent that he dedicated to her the 1838 version of his Etudes d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini. Liszt had a closer personal relationship with Clara than with Robert until the two men finally met in 1840. Schumann was astounded by Liszt's piano playing. He wrote to Clara that Liszt had played like a god and had inspired indescribable furor of applause. His review of Liszt even included a heroic personification with Napoleon. In Leipzig, Schumann was deeply impressed with Liszt's interpretations of his Noveletten, Op. 21 and Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 (dedicated to Liszt), enthusiastically observing that, I feel as if I had known you twenty years. Yet a variety of events followed that diminished Liszt's glory in the eyes of the Schumanns. They became critical of the cult-like atmosphere that arose around his recitals, or Lisztomania as it came to be called; conceivably, this could be attributed to professional jealousy. Clara, in particular, came to loathe Liszt, noting in a letter to Joseph Joachim, I despise Liszt from the depths of my soul. She recorded a stunning diary entry a day after Liszt's death, in which she noted, He was an eminent keyboard virtuoso, but a dangerous example for the young...As a composer he was terrible. By contrast, Liszt did not share in these negative sentiments; no evidence suggests that he had any ill-regard for the Schumanns. In Weimar, he did much to promote Schumann's music, conducting performances of his Scenes from Faust and Manfred, during a time in which few orchestras expressed interest, and premiered his opera Genoveva. He later arranged a benefit concert for Clara following Robert's death, featuring Clara as soloist in Robert's Piano Concerto, an event that must have been exhilarating to witness. Regardless, her opinion of him would never change, despite his repeated gestures of courtesy and respect. Liszt's relationship with Schubert was a spiritual one, with music being the one and only link between the two men. That with the Schumanns was personal, with music influenced by a hero worship that would aggravate the relationship over time. Nonetheless, Liszt would remain devoted to and enthusiastic for the music and achievements of these composers. He would be a vital force in disseminating their music to a wider audience, as he would be with many other composers throughout his career. His primary means for accomplishing this was the piano transcription. Liszt and the Transcription Transcription versus Paraphrase Transcription and paraphrase were popular terms in nineteenth-century music, although certainly not unique to this period. Musicians understood that there were clear distinctions between these two terms, but as is often the case these distinctions could be blurred. Transcription, literally writing over, entails reworking or adapting a piece of music for a performance medium different from that of its original; arrangement is a possible synonym. Adapting is a key part of this process, for the success of a transcription relies on the transcriber's ability to adapt the piece to the different medium. As a result, the pre-existing material is generally kept intact, recognizable and intelligible; it is strict, literal, objective. Contextual meaning is maintained in the process, as are elements of style and form. Paraphrase, by contrast, implies restating something in a different manner, as in a rewording of a document for reasons of clarity. In nineteenth-century music, paraphrasing indicated elaborating a piece for purposes of expressive virtuosity, often as a vehicle for showmanship. Variation is an important element, for the source material may be varied as much as the paraphraser's imagination will allow; its purpose is metamorphosis. Transcription is adapting and arranging; paraphrasing is transforming and reworking. Transcription preserves the style of the original; paraphrase absorbs the original into a different style. Transcription highlights the original composer; paraphrase highlights the paraphraser. Approximately half of Liszt's compositional output falls under the category of transcription and paraphrase; it is noteworthy that he never used the term arrangement. Much of his early compositional activities were transcriptions and paraphrases of works of other composers, such as the symphonies of Beethoven and Berlioz, vocal music by Schubert, and operas by Donizetti and Bellini. It is conceivable that he focused so intently on work of this nature early in his career as a means to perfect his compositional technique, although transcription and paraphrase continued well after the technique had been mastered; this might explain why he drastically revised and rewrote many of his original compositions from the 1830s (such as the Transcendental Etudes and Paganini Etudes) in the 1850s. Charles Rosen, a sympathetic interpreter of Liszt's piano works, observes, The new revisions of the Transcendental Etudes are not revisions but concert paraphrases of the old, and their art lies in the technique of transformation. The Paganini etudes are piano transcriptions of violin etudes, and the Transcendental Etudes are piano transcriptions of piano etudes. The principles are the same. He concludes by noting, Paraphrase has shaded off into composition...Composition and paraphrase were not identical for him, but they were so closely interwoven that separation is impossible. The significance of transcription and paraphrase for Liszt the composer cannot be overstated, and the mutual influence of each needs to be better understood. Undoubtedly, Liszt the composer as we know him today would be far different had he not devoted so much of his career to transcribing and paraphrasing the music of others. He was perhaps one of the first composers to contend that transcription and paraphrase could be genuine art forms on equal par with original pieces; he even claimed to be the first to use these two terms to describe these classes of arrangements. Despite the success that Liszt achieved with this type of work, others viewed it with circumspection and criticism. Robert Schumann, although deeply impressed with Liszt's keyboard virtuosity, was harsh in his criticisms of the transcriptions. Schumann interpreted them as indicators that Liszt's virtuosity had hindered his compositional development and suggested that Liszt transcribed the music of others to compensate for his own compositional deficiencies. Nonetheless, Liszt's piano transcriptions, what he sometimes called partitions de piano (or piano scores), were instrumental in promoting composers whose music was unknown at the time or inaccessible in areas outside of major European capitals, areas that Liszt willingly toured during his Glanzzeit. To this end, the transcriptions had to be literal arrangements for the piano; a Beethoven symphony could not be introduced to an unknowing audience if its music had been subjected to imaginative elaborations and variations. The same would be true of the 1833 transcription of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique (composed only three years earlier), the astonishingly novel content of which would necessitate a literal and intelligible rendering. Opera, usually more popular and accessible for the general public, was a different matter, and in this realm Liszt could paraphrase the original and manipulate it as his imagination would allow without jeopardizing its reception; hence, the paraphrases on the operas of Bellini, Donizetti, Mozart, Meyerbeer and Verdi. Reminiscence was another term coined by Liszt for the opera paraphrases, as if the composer were reminiscing at the keyboard following a memorable evening at the opera. Illustration (reserved on two occasions for Meyerbeer) and fantasy were additional terms. The operas of Wagner were exceptions. His music was less suited to paraphrase due to its general lack of familiarity at the time. Transcription of Wagner's music was thus obligatory, as it was of Beethoven's and Berlioz's music; perhaps the composer himself insisted on this approach. Liszt's Lieder Transcriptions Liszt's initial encounters with Schubert's music, as mentioned previously, were with the Lieder. His first transcription of a Schubert Lied was Die Rose in 1833, followed by Lob der Tranen in 1837. Thirty-nine additional transcriptions appeared at a rapid pace over the following three years, and in 1846, the Schubert Lieder transcriptions would conclude, by which point he had completed fifty-eight, the most of any composer. Critical response to these transcriptions was highly favorable--aside from the view held by Schumann--particularly when Liszt himself played these pieces in concert. Some were published immediately by Anton Diabelli, famous for the theme that inspired Beethoven's variations. Others were published by the Viennese publisher Tobias Haslinger (one of Beethoven's and Schubert's publishers in the 1820s), who sold his reserves so quickly that he would repeatedly plead for more. However, Liszt's enthusiasm for work of this nature soon became exhausted, as he noted in a letter of 1839 to the publisher Breitkopf und Hartel: That good Haslinger overwhelms me with Schubert. I have just sent him twenty-four new songs (Schwanengesang and Winterreise), and for the moment I am rather tired of this work. Haslinger was justified in his demands, for the Schubert transcriptions were received with great enthusiasm. One Gottfried Wilhelm Fink, then editor of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, observed of these transcriptions: Nothing in recent memory has caused such sensation and enjoyment in both pianists and audiences as these arrangements...The demand for them has in no way been satisfied; and it will not be until these arrangements are seen on pianos everywhere. They have indeed made quite a splash. Eduard Hanslick, never a sympathetic critic of Liszt's music, acknowledged thirty years after the fact that, Liszt's transcriptions of Schubert Lieder were epoch-making. There was hardly a concert in which Liszt did not have to play one or two of them--even when they were not listed on the program. These transcriptions quickly became some of his most sough-after pieces, despite their extreme technical demands. Leading pianists of the day, such as Clara Wieck and Sigismond Thalberg, incorporated them into their concert programs immediately upon publication. Moreover, the transcriptions would serve as inspirations for other composers, such as Stephen Heller, Cesar Franck and later Leopold Godowsky, all of whom produced their own transcriptions of Schubert's Lieder. Liszt would transcribe the Lieder of other composers as well, including those by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Anton Rubinstein and even himself. Robert Schumann, of course, would not be ignored. The first transcription of a Schumann Lied was the celebrated Widmung from Myrten in 1848, the only Schumann transcription that Liszt completed during the composer's lifetime. (Regrettably, there is no evidence of Schumann's regard of this transcription, or even if he was aware of it.) From the years 1848-1881, Liszt transcribed twelve of Robert Schumann's Lieder (including one orchestral Lied) and three of Clara (one from each of her three published Lieder cycles); he would transcribe no other works of these two composers. The Schumann Lieder transcriptions, contrary to those of Schubert, are literal arrangements, posing, in general, far fewer demands on the pianist's technique. They are comparatively less imaginative in their treatment of the original material. Additionally, they seem to have been less valued in their day than the Schubert transcriptions, and it is noteworthy that none of the Schumann transcriptions bear dedications, as most of the Schubert transcriptions do. The greatest challenge posed by Lieder transcriptions, regardless of the composer or the nature of the transcription, was to combine the vocal and piano parts of the original such that the character of each would be preserved, a challenge unique to this form of transcription. Each part had to be intact and aurally recognizable, the vocal line in particular. Complications could be manifold in a Lied that featured dissimilar parts, such as Schubert's Auf dem Wasser zu singen, whose piano accompaniment depicts the rocking of the boat on the shimmering waves while the vocal line reflects on the passing of time. Similar complications would be encountered in Gretchen am Spinnrade, in which the ubiquitous sixteenth-note pattern in the piano's right hand epitomizes the ever-turning spinning wheel over which the soprano voice expresses feelings of longing and heartache. The resulting transcriptions for solo piano would place exceptional demands on the pianist. The complications would be far less imposing in instances in which voice and piano were less differentiated, as in many of Schumann's Lieder that Liszt transcribed. The piano parts in these Lieder are true accompaniments for the voice, providing harmonic foundation and rhythmic support by doubling the vocal line throughout. The transcriptions, thus, are strict and literal, with far fewer demands on both pianist and transcriber. In all of Liszt's Lieder transcriptions, regardless of the way in which the two parts are combined, the melody (i.e. the vocal line) is invariably the focal point; the melody should sing on the piano, as if it were the voice. The piano part, although integral to contributing to the character of the music, is designed to function as accompaniment. A singing melody was a crucial objective in nineteenth-century piano performance, which in part might explain the zeal in transcribing and paraphrasing vocal music for the piano. Friedrich Wieck, father and teacher of Clara Schumann, stressed this point repeatedly in his 1853 treatise Clavier und Gesang (Piano and Song): When I speak in general of singing, I refer to that species of singing which is a form of beauty, and which is a foundation for the most refined and most perfect interpretation of music; and, above all things, I consider the culture of beautiful tones the basis for the finest possible touch on the piano. In many respects, the piano and singing should explain and supplement each other. They should mutually assist in expressing the sublime and the noble, in forms of unclouded beauty. Much of Liszt's piano music should be interpreted with this concept in mind, the Lieder transcriptions and opera paraphrases, in particular. To this end, Liszt provided numerous written instructions to the performer to emphasize the vocal line in performance, with Italian directives such as un poco marcato il canto, accentuato assai il canto and ben pronunziato il canto. Repeated indications of cantando,singend and espressivo il canto stress the significance of the singing tone. As an additional means of achieving this and providing the performer with access to the poetry, Liszt insisted, at what must have been a publishing novelty at the time, on printing the words of the Lied in the music itself. Haslinger, seemingly oblivious to Liszt's intent, initially printed the poems of the early Schubert transcriptions separately inside the front covers. Liszt argued that the transcriptions must be reprinted with the words underlying the notes, exactly as Schubert had done, a request that was honored by printing the words above the right-hand staff. Liszt also incorporated a visual scheme for distinguishing voice and accompaniment, influenced perhaps by Chopin, by notating the accompaniment in cue size. His transcription of Robert Schumann's Fruhlings Ankunft features the vocal line in normal size, the piano accompaniment in reduced size, an unmistakable guide in a busy texture as to which part should be emphasized: Example 1. Schumann-Liszt Fruhlings Ankunft, mm. 1-2. The same practice may be found in the transcription of Schumann's An die Turen will ich schleichen. In this piece, the performer must read three staves, in which the baritone line in the central staff is to be shared between the two hands based on the stem direction of the notes: Example 2. Schumann-Liszt An die Turen will ich schleichen, mm. 1-5. This notational practice is extremely beneficial in this instance, given the challenge of reading three staves and the manner in which the vocal line is performed by the two hands. Curiously, Liszt did not use this practice in other transcriptions. Approaches in Lieder Transcription Liszt adopted a variety of approaches in his Lieder transcriptions, based on the nature of the source material, the ways in which the vocal and piano parts could be combined and the ways in which the vocal part could sing. One approach, common with strophic Lieder, in which the vocal line would be identical in each verse, was to vary the register of the vocal part. The transcription of Lob der Tranen, for example, incorporates three of the four verses of the original Lied, with the register of the vocal line ascending one octave with each verse (from low to high), as if three different voices were participating. By the conclusion, the music encompasses the entire range of Liszt's keyboard to produce a stunning climactic effect, and the variety of register of the vocal line provides a welcome textural variety in the absence of the words. The three verses of the transcription of Auf dem Wasser zu singen follow the same approach, in which the vocal line ascends from the tenor, to the alto and to the soprano registers with each verse. Fruhlingsglaube adopts the opposite approach, in which the vocal line descends from soprano in verse 1 to tenor in verse 2, with the second part of verse 2 again resuming the soprano register; this is also the case in Das Wandern from Mullerlieder. Gretchen am Spinnrade posed a unique problem. Since the poem's narrator is female, and the poem represents an expression of her longing for her lover Faust, variation of the vocal line's register, strictly speaking, would have been impractical. For this reason, the vocal line remains in its original register throughout, relentlessly colliding with the sixteenth-note pattern of the accompaniment. One exception may be found in the fifth and final verse in mm. 93-112, at which point the vocal line is notated in a higher register and doubled in octaves. This sudden textural change, one that is readily audible, was a strategic means to underscore Gretchen's mounting anxiety (My bosom urges itself toward him. Ah, might I grasp and hold him! And kiss him as I would wish, at his kisses I should die!). The transcription, thus, becomes a vehicle for maximizing the emotional content of the poem, an exceptional undertaking with the general intent of a transcription. Registral variation of the vocal part also plays a crucial role in the transcription of Erlkonig. Goethe's poem depicts the death of a child who is apprehended by a supernatural Erlking, and Schubert, recognizing the dramatic nature of the poem, carefully depicted the characters (father, son and Erlking) through unique vocal writing and accompaniment patterns: the Lied is a dramatic entity. Liszt, in turn, followed Schubert's characterization in this literal transcription, yet took it an additional step by placing the register of the father's vocal line in the baritone range, that of the son in the soprano range and that of the Erlking in the highest register, options that would not have been available in the version for voice and piano. Additionally, Liszt labeled each appearance of each character in the score, a means for guiding the performer in interpreting the dramatic qualities of the Lied. As a result, the drama and energy of the poem are enhanced in this transcription; as with Gretchen am Spinnrade, the transcriber has maximized the content of the original. Elaboration may be found in certain Lieder transcriptions that expand the performance to a level of virtuosity not found in the original; in such cases, the transcription approximates the paraphrase. Schubert's Du bist die Ruh, a paradigm of musical simplicity, features an uncomplicated piano accompaniment that is virtually identical in each verse. In Liszt's transcription, the material is subjected to a highly virtuosic treatment that far exceeds the original, including a demanding passage for the left hand alone in the opening measures and unique textural writing in each verse. The piece is a transcription in virtuosity; its art, as Rosen noted, lies in the technique of transformation. Elaboration may entail an expansion of the musical form, as in the extensive introduction to Die Forelle and a virtuosic middle section (mm. 63-85), both of which are not in the original. Also unique to this transcription are two cadenzas that Liszt composed in response to the poetic content. The first, in m. 93 on the words und eh ich es gedacht (and before I could guess it), features a twisted chromatic passage that prolongs and thereby heightens the listener's suspense as to the fate of the trout (which is ultimately caught). The second, in m. 108 on the words Betrogne an (and my blood boiled as I saw the betrayed one), features a rush of diminished-seventh arpeggios in both hands, epitomizing the poet's rage at the fisherman for catching the trout. Less frequent are instances in which the length of the original Lied was shortened in the transcription, a tendency that may be found with certain strophic Lieder (e.g., Der Leiermann, Wasserflut and Das Wandern). Another transcription that demonstrates Liszt's readiness to modify the original in the interests of the poetic content is Standchen, the seventh transcription from Schubert's Schwanengesang. Adapted from Act II of Shakespeare's Cymbeline, the poem represents the repeated beckoning of a man to his lover. Liszt transformed the Lied into a miniature drama by transcribing the vocal line of the first verse in the soprano register, that of the second verse in the baritone register, in effect, creating a dialogue between the two lovers. In mm. 71-102, the dialogue becomes a canon, with one voice trailing the other like an echo (as labeled in the score) at the distance of a beat. As in other instances, the transcription resembles the paraphrase, and it is perhaps for this reason that Liszt provided an ossia version that is more in the nature of a literal transcription. The ossia version, six measures shorter than Schubert's original, is less demanding technically than the original transcription, thus representing an ossia of transcription and an ossia of piano technique. The Schumann Lieder transcriptions, in general, display a less imaginative treatment of the source material. Elaborations are less frequently encountered, and virtuosity is more restricted, as if the passage of time had somewhat tamed the composer's approach to transcriptions; alternatively, Liszt was eager to distance himself from the fierce virtuosity of his early years. In most instances, these transcriptions are literal arrangements of the source material, with the vocal line in its original form combined with the accompaniment, which often doubles the vocal line in the original Lied. Widmung, the first of the Schumann transcriptions, is one exception in the way it recalls the virtuosity of the Schubert transcriptions of the 1830s. Particularly striking is the closing section (mm. 58-73), in which material of the opening verse (right hand) is combined with the triplet quarter notes (left hand) from the second section of the Lied (mm. 32-43), as if the transcriber were attempting to reconcile the different material of these two sections. Fruhlingsnacht resembles a paraphrase by presenting each of the two verses in differing registers (alto for verse 1, mm. 3-19, and soprano for verse 2, mm. 20-31) and by concluding with a virtuosic section that considerably extends the length of the original Lied. The original tonalities of the Lieder were generally retained in the transcriptions, showing that the tonality was an important part of the transcription process. The infrequent instances of transposition were done for specific reasons. In 1861, Liszt transcribed two of Schumann's Lieder, one from Op. 36 (An den Sonnenschein), another from Op. 27 (Dem roten Roslein), and merged these two pieces in the collection 2 Lieder; they share only the common tonality of A major. His choice for combining these two Lieder remains unknown, but he clearly recognized that some tonal variety would be needed, for which reason Dem roten Roslein was transposed to C>= major. The collection features An den Sonnenschein in A major (with a transition to the new tonality), followed by Dem roten Roslein in C>= major (without a change of key signature), and concluding with a reprise of An den Sonnenschein in A major. A three-part form was thus established with tonal variety provided by keys in third relations (A-C>=-A); in effect, two of Schumann's Lieder were transcribed into an archetypal song without words. In other instances, Liszt treated tonality and tonal organization as important structural ingredients, particularly in the transcriptions of Schubert's Lieder cycles, i.e. Schwanengesang, Winterreise a...
SKU: CY.CC2683
J. S. Bach's massive work, The Art of Fugue, is a summation of his powers as a composer of contrapuntal music. Each fugue is a masterpiece in its own right. Number 15 is an unfinished four-voice, quadruple fugue. Only the first three subjects are introduced, the third being a chromatic subject built from the letters of Bach's nameâ€â€B (B-flat), A, C, H (B-natural). Just at the point where all three subjects are combined, the manuscript breaks off, and C. P. E. Bach wrote in the score that the composer has died. Bach clearly intended that the original Art of Fugue theme was to be the final subject and all four themes would combine in a glorious climax. Whether he intended to finish the work or leave it up to others to complete is conjecture. About 8 minutes in length.
SKU: HL.44004965
UPC: 073999543179. 9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.
This piece opens with three repeated notes, then a short introduction leads to a robust theme from clarinets, horns and trombones. A restless bridge passage leads to a syncopated tune from the alto saxophone and then to a third theme from a solo euphonium. A graceful second subject, initially on a solo clarinet, leads back to a recall of the introductory material before a full-scale recapitulation. An intense allargando leads to a full-band version of the second subject under a running woodwind passage, which leads to a short coda.
SKU: PR.11641737S
ISBN 9781491136133. UPC: 680160688432.
Son et lumière (“sound and light,†a kind of show staged for tourists at historic sites or famous buildings) is an orchestral entertainment whose subject is the play of colors, bright surfaces, and shimmery textures. I have tried in this music to recapture the élan and immediacy that regular meters and repetitive rhythms make possible—something forbidden during the modernist regime but recently restored in the post-modern work of composers like John Adams, Steve Reich, and others. Throughout its brief nine-minute span, then, the piece is built almost exclusively of short, busy ostinato figures—my attempt, I suppose, to achieve the rhythmic vitality of minimalism, but without giving in to the over-simple harmonic language that usually comes with it.Surprisingly, the musical materials seemed determined to shape themselves into an approximation of nineteenth-century sonata form. We hear an introduction, a first theme (based on triadic broken chords), a second theme (beginning with the flute solo), and a closing theme (led by two piccolos). In a sort of development section, these materials are recombined in new ways; in a recapitulation, both the first and second themes are recalled more or less intact (part of the second is actually repeated quite literally).Then, in the coda, a second surprise: as if another, different music has been lurking all the while behind the shiny surface, the strings now unexpectedly split off from the rest of the orchestra to assert a new, more passionate, more “serious†voice, transcending the external show of sound and light.Son et lumière, commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, was composed between June and December 1988 in Ithaca (N.Y.), in Los Angeles, and at the artists’ colony Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs (N.Y.). David Zinman conducted the first performance in Baltimore on 18 May 1989; André Previn gave the West Coast premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on 18 January, 1990.Son et lumière (“sound and light,†a kind of show staged for tourists at historic sites or famous buildings) is an orchestral entertainment whose subject is the play of colors, bright surfaces, and shimmery textures. I have tried in this music to recapture the élan and immediacy that regular meters and repetitive rhythms make possible—something forbidden during the modernist regime but recently restored in the post-modern work of composers like John Adams, Steve Reich, and others. Throughout its brief nine-minute span, then, the piece is built almost exclusively of short, busy ostinato figures—my attempt, I suppose, to achieve the rhythmic vitality of minimalism, but without giving in to the over-simple harmonic language that usually comes with it.Surprisingly, the musical materials seemed determined to shape themselves into an approximation of nineteenth-century sonata form. We hear an introduction, a first theme (based on triadic broken chords), a second theme (beginning with the flute solo), and a closing theme (led by two piccolos). In a sort of development section, these materials are recombined in new ways; in a recapitulation, both the first and second themes are recalled more or less intact (part of the second is actually repeated quite literally).Then, in the coda, a second surprise: as if another, different music has been lurking all the while behind the shiny surface, the strings now unexpectedly split off from the rest of the orchestra to assert a new, more passionate, more “serious†voice, transcending the external show of sound and light.Son et lumière, commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, was composed between June and December 1988 in Ithaca (N.Y.), in Los Angeles, and at the artists’ colony Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs (N.Y.). David Zinman conducted the first performance in Baltimore on 18 May 1989; André Previn gave the West Coast premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on 18 January, 1990.
SKU: PR.11140180S
UPC: 680160601691. Text: Nelly Sachs. Nelly Sachs. Text: Five Poems of Nelly Sachs, Translation from German of Nos. I, III and IV by Ruth and Matthew Mead, of No. II by Michael Roloff and No. V by Michael Hamburger.
O The Chimneys is a setting of five poems by Nelly Sachs, the great German-Jewish 1966 Nobel Prize co-winner in literature, whose writing concerned itself almost entirely with the subject of the holocaust. Composed in 1969, the work was my own personal way of saying, through my own art, do not forget. Shockingly, these words have as much relevance today as they did when the work was written. Today we find ourselves having to say do not forget, do not distort, do not deny it ever happened. I selected the five poems from Sachs' O The Chimneys collection, retaining its grimly evocative title even though I did not include the actual poem by that name. In scoring the work for female voice, flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, cello, piano and percussion, I aimed to give myself the broadest possible palette of instrumental colors while using the smallest number of participants. Yet as I was planning the final moments of my cycle, I felt that instrumental sound alone would not suffice to express the horror. An electronic tape segment was added to the work's final climax. The first two poems (A Dead Child Speaks and Already Embraced by the Arm of Heavenly Solace), both depicting the tearing of a child away from his mother, are treated essentially as one unit, with the first acting as an introduction to the second. These two, and the cycle's apocalyptic fifth poem (Hell is Naked from Glowing Enigmas II), act as the two weighty pillar points, so to speak, surrounding the more introspective two middle poems (Fleeing and Someone Comes). To maximize dramatic differentiation within the constraints of a relentlessly tragic subject matter, I used range as a means to delineate contrast, by dividing the sounds available to me into low and dark (mvt. III) vs. high and, at times, eerily bright (mvt. IV) colors. Thus the two middle poems are intended to balance the frenzied madness of which the work's outer parts are made. The work received its first performance in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Grace Rainey Auditorium on January 19, 1970. --Shulamit Ran.
SKU: BO.B.3668
It was commissioned by Banda Municipal de Barcelona (Barcelona's municipal band) and performed for the first time on January 30th 2011 at L'Auditori de Barcelona (auditorium of Barcelona).This concert is divided into three movements. The first, bearing the name of Preludi (Prelude), is slow and mysterious, with two alternating subject matters flowing gently. It is only towards the end that a rapid cadence of the piano leads to an orchestral tutti which will gradually fade within the general atmosphere.The second movement is a Scherzo-Cadenza, always in a bar of 6/8, based on triplets and twangs but also tied at the most expressive moments. The piano and the wind and percussion instruments embark in a contrapuntal dialogue in which a burlesque character alternates with forceful moments. The movement ends subtly, with a long scale flowing from a low to a high pitch.A cadence of the piano serves as a liaison with the third movement, an Allegro molto, the longest and most complex of the whole concert. This movement is clearly virtuosic and it consists of three main subject matters which alternate and blend. The atmosphere is lively and unmistakably burlesque, although there are three thoughtful moments in which it becomes mysterious. The coda is fast, bright and clearly conclusive.
