SKU: HL.14062549
SKU: FA.MFCD017B
8.27 x 11.69 inches.
Contains Le Roi Lear: Prelude,Premiere Fanfare, and La Mort de Cordelia,Toomai des elephants, Rodrigue et Chimene: Prelude a l'acte 1p. Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien: La Passion , and No-ja-li ou Le Palais du SilenceFrom Robert Orledge's notes:My interest in the wonderful music of Claude Debussy began in the 1980s when I researched and published a book with Cambridge University Press entitled Debussy and the Theatre. During the course of my studies in Paris, I was amazed to discover that Debussy planned over 50 theatrical works but only finished two of these entirely by himself (the opera Pelleas et Melisande in 1893-1902 and the ballet Jeux for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1912-13). Of the rest, many were never started musically (like Siddartha and Orphee-roi with the Oriental scholar Victor Segalen, 1907); some had a few tantalising sketches (like the Edgar Allan Poe opera Le Diable dans le beffroi, 1902-03); some were half-finished (like his other Poe opera La Chute de la Maison Usher, 1908-17); while others were musically complete but had their orchestrations completed by other composers (like Khamma, by Charles Koechlin, 1912-13; or Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien and La Boite a joujoux by his 'angel of corrections' ['l'ange des Corrections'] Andre Caplet in 1911 and 1919 respectively).For it has to be admitted that what some scholars call Debussy's 'compulsive achievement' could equally well be viewed as laziness, especially as far as the minute detail required for calligraphing his orchestral scores was concerned. It was as if creating the music itself was of greater importance than controlling its final sound, even if Debussy was an imaginative orchestrator when he found the time and energy to do it. It also seems true that Debussy also preferred inventing ideas to turning them into complete pieces. However, despite the lack of detail in many of his sketches (missing clefs, key signatures, dynamics, phrasing, etc.) the notes themselves are surprisingly accurate, whether or not they can be compared with a later draft. Thus, a large number of sketches exist for his Chinese ballet No-ja-li ou Le Palais du Silence and it is not too difficult to see which parts of Georges de Feure's 1913 scenario (see below) inspired which ideas. But Debussy hardly made any attempt to join them together after the first few bars.It was usually up to his publisher, Jacques Durand, to find solutions when Debussy risked a breach of contract. Debussy was supposed to supervise the orchestrations completed by others, but this supervision was usually very light and restricted to quiet, sensitive moments in which problems were easier to spot. Far from jealously guarding every one of his created notes, as Ravel did, Debussy once even went as far as to ask Koechlin to 'write a ballet for him that he would sign' on 26 March 1914 when he was hard-pressed to fulfil his lucrative contract for No-ja-li with Andre Charlot at the Alhambra Theatre in London. In the end, Debussy (through Durand) sent Charlot the symphonic suite Printemps instead, whose orchestration had been completed by Henri Busser in the Spring of 1912.So, when I was offered early retirement as Professor of Music at Liverpool University in 2004, I seized the opportunity it would give me to spend time trying to reconstruct some of Debussy's lost potential masterpieces from his existing sketches and drafts--then orchestrating them in Debussy's style when this was appropriate. I had begun this mission in 2001 with the most promising project, the missing parts of Scene 2 of La Chute de la Maison Usher and the sheer joy it gave me at every stage persuaded me to tackle other projects, especially when Debussy experts were unable to identify exactly where I took over from Debussy (and vice versa) in Usher.
SKU: CF.CAS107
ISBN 9781491146675. UPC: 680160904174. 9 x 12 inches. Key: E minor.
Triangle of the Tempest is a fast-moving composition with interesting rhythmic challenges and dynamic color shifts. Starting with syncopated figures over a repeated eight-measure progression, the piece builds in intensity as more sections and layers are added. The second part changes tone and is led by a heroic violin melody with a soaring cello obligato. The themes intertwine and the material develops into a dramatic conclusion with a final explosive ensemble hit. Action-packed and full of rhythmic drive, this piece is a good choice for contest or festival performance.An up-tempo 3â„4 piece in E minor, Triangle of the Tempest features inviting rhythmic challenges, provocative melodic variations and dynamic color shifts .The A-section is based on a repeating eight-measure harmonic progression with punctuated open voicings and syncopated figures . Each section builds in intensity as new elements are added in subsequent eight-measure increments . Rhythmically, the pattern in the A-section (mm . 1–36) follows a two-measure form: the first of the two measures has a dotted quarter-eighth syncopated figure, and the rhythms in the second measure fall primarily on the beats . After the main eight-measure pattern is established, the A-melody and its variations are introduced on top of it .A two-measure build (mm . 35–36), highlighted by fast moving ensemble triplet figures, propels the piece as it crescendos into the jubilant B-section (mm . 37–52), changing tone and moving to the relative G major . The violins carry the soaring melody atop sonorous major chords in the mid and low strings . Rhythmically, the alternating syncopated measure/non-syncopated measure form continues through this section .Returning to the dramatic E minor A-section phrases in mm . 53–86, the piece shifts to the original eight-measure harmonic progression with melodic variations in the violins over the top . After reprising the B-section (mm . 87–102), intertwining motifs at m . 103 offer a variation on the A-theme where the melodic entrances happen at one-measure intervals .The tempo slows slightly and the tone changes again in the flowing and magical C-section at m . 123 as the piece moves again to the relative G major . Repeating lyrical legato violin lines create the musical background for a majestic viola melody, featured in mm . 126–146 . A brief fanfare statement with motifs spread throughout the orchestra at m . 153, prepares the return to E minor and the A-theme in mm . 160–193 .Measure 194 introduces an E-pedal point and tension builds, ramping up emotionally to the ending . The ensemble thunders at m . 202 as the violins and violas begin a four-measure syncopated question/answer section with the cellos and basses . The phrases crescendo and build for another four measures at m . 206, setting up the driving unison, tutti figures at m . 211 and a final explosive hit on the downbeat of m . 212 .
About Carl Fischer Concert String Orchestra Series
This series of pieces (Grade 3 and higher) is designed for advancing ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by: