Duet, 1960

SKU: BT.YE0001

It was a chance visit to a second hand bookshop in Nottingham that set me on the trail of Rossini's now well-known Duetto for cello and double bass. But the story begins earlier than that. In the 1960s I was studying the double bass at the Royal College of Music with Adrian Beers, who was at that time principal of the English Chamber Orchestra, on the front desk of the Philharmonia Orchestra, and a member of the Melos Ensemble of London (then one of the leading ensembles of the world). I was working on the 'Dragonetti Concerto', as most young players do, and I wanted to find out a bit about it. My teacher said he thought the autograph manuscript might be in the British Library,which was all the encouragement I needed to secure a pass to the Reading Room so I could go and see for myself.

There, sure enough, I found a large collection of Dragonetti's autograph manuscripts, together with other bound volumes relating to his life. The papers had been lovingly collated and annotated by Vincent Novello, one of Dragonetti's closest friends, then deposited in the library before his departure to Italy in 1848, two years after Dragonetti's death. One of the volumes included a lot of letters about various engagements and music festivals, copies of orders for strings Dragonetti wanted from Italy, details about paintings he wanted to buy, and numerous invitations to private functions. The manuscript of the 'Dragonetti Concerto', of course, wasn't among the papers â?? we now know it to have been written by Edouard Nanny a century or so later.

One name that came up regularly in the documents was that of Sir George Smart. Smart had been a violinist in Salomon's orchestra and had played for Haydn at his London concerts in the 1790s. As a child he had learnt much about music from his father, who had in turn been present at many of Handel's rehearsals when he was preparing some of his major works for the first time. Smart was also a fine keyboard player, becoming organist of the Chapel Royal in 1822. As a conductor.

SKU: BT.EMBZ3083

SKU: M7.AST-7005

ISBN 9790203870050.

SKU: ST.C550

ISBN 9790570815500.

Traveller’s Joy — Two Walking Tunes for Oboe and Piano was composed in 1956. This is the first time the piece has been published.

Mary Chandler was born in Kent in 1911. She studied music privately, and her teachers included Harry Farjeon (composition), Margaret Eliot and Leon Goossens (oboe) and Harold Craxton (piano). She read English at Oxford University and taught in London schools before joining the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as principal oboist. She appeared with the CBSO as soloist (oboe and piano) and composer and gave broadcasts and recitals in the Midlands. Later, as a free-lance orchestral player, she formed the Mercian Trio (flute, oboe and piano) which gave concerts around the country.

In 1960 Mary became Area Director of the Kent Music School, in charge of its wind teaching and of the varied activities of its Tonbridge Music Centre. She conducted many student groups and composed and arranged music for them until she retired in 1971. She continued to be actively involved in music thereafter, examining, composing and organising concerts. She spent her later years in Gloucestershire and died in 1996.

Dr. Kristin Leitterman is currently the Assistant Professor of Oboe at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA, where she teaches oboe and bassoon, Double Reed Techniques, and coaches small chamber ensembles. She is also the Director of the Lucarelli Oboe Master Class, a week-long immersive oboe master class founded by Bert Lucarelli in 1996. As a guest artist she has presented master classes at many institutions, including the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the Hartt School.

As a researcher, Kirstin has interests in the life and works of Mary Chandler. She has presented her research at The Juilliard School, Music by Women Festival, the International Double Reed Society conferences, and the Brazilian Double Reed Society’s conference in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.

SKU: ST.C551

ISBN 9790570815517.

Bagatelle for Oboe and Piano was composed in 1950. This is the first time that the piece has been published.

Mary Chandler was born in Kent in 1911. She studied music privately, and her teachers included Harry Farjeon (composition), Margaret Eliot and Leon Goossens (oboe) and Harold Craxton (piano). She read English at Oxford University and taught in London schools before joining the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as principal oboist. She appeared with the CBSO as soloist (oboe and piano) and composer and gave broadcasts and recitals in the Midlands. Later, as a free-lance orchestral player, she formed the Mercian Trio (flute, oboe and piano) which gave concerts around the country.
In 1960 Mary became Area Director of the Kent Music School, in charge of its wind teaching and of the varied activities of its Tonbridge Music Centre. She conducted many student groups and composed and arranged music for them until she retired in 1971. She continued to be actively involved in music thereafter, examining, composing and organising concerts. She spent her later years in Gloucestershire and died in 1996.

Dr. Kristin Leitterman is currently the Assistant Professor of Oboe at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA, where she teaches oboe and bassoon, Double Reed Techniques, and coaches small chamber ensembles. She is also the Director of the Lucarelli Oboe Master Class, a week-long immersive oboe master class founded by Bert Lucarelli in 1996. As a guest artist she has presented master classes at many institutions, including the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the Hartt School.

As a researcher, Kirstin has interests in the life and works of Mary Chandler. She has presented her research at The Juilliard School, Music by Women Festival, the International Double Reed Society conferences, and the Brazilian Double Reed Society’s conference in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.

SKU: PR.ZM19600

UPC: 680160649518.

SKU: HL.49019606

ISBN 9790001187176.

Teachers again and again ask for easy-to-play double bass music suitable for lessons or the competition 'Jugend musiziert'. The composer Peter Wittrich from Munich has undertaken this task and composed a varied cycle of seven easy pieces for double bass and piano. All pieces have been tried and tested in double bass lessons and are well positioned on the instrument. Some can even be played in the first position. The collection covers various styles, including blues, tango and classical. The piano part is more demanding so that the demands made on the ensemble playing are somewhat higher. An interesting addition to the repertoire for lessons and concerts. Contents: Giovannino discovers the Blues • Gostly Cadenza • Walking Bass with Johann Sebastian Bach • Salute to Vienna with a kiss on the hand for Elise • Danse grotesque • Drei Chinesen mit dem Kontrabass (Theme and Variations) • Basso doble.

SKU: HH.HH034-FSP

ISBN 9790708024071.

The composer stresses that the two pianists can only realize the symmetrical structures through cooperation. They must be travelling in agreement along the same path. An extremely important work from a uniquely powerful composer.