Miniatures Volume 2: Organ: Instrumental Work

Louis Vierne (1870-1937) studied privately with Cesar Franck and was appointed titulaire organist at Notre-Dame (Paris) in 1900. Numerous concert tours throughout Europe and the USA made him well-known outside France.Vierne?s Organ works are masterpieces of Organ music and are firm favourites in the virtuoso Organ repertoire. In particular Vierne raised the form of the Organ symphony to a stylistic peak.The famous collection of ?Pieces de Fantaisie? comprising 24 fantasy pieces in four volumes (Livres I-IV) has become internationally known. With their varying degrees of difficulty the pieces are suitable for bothprofessional organists as well as advanced pupils and students.The collection comprises mainly individual movements which are suitable for use on many different types of occasion.The ?Pieces en style libre pour orgue ou harmonium? comprising 24 pieces in two volumes are shorter and technically easier. These are ?miniatures? of a rather meditative character equally suitable for Organ teaching or concert use.- Evaluation of all available autograph manuscripts first printed editions and previously unpublished letters.- Editorial clarification superseding the long-standing international correction lists.- Critical Commentary (Fr/Eng/Ger) and foreword (Fr/Eng/Ger) with detailed performance practice tips.- Numerous illustrations and facsimile pages.

(Op. 129 & 146)-The short miniatures in this volume have been expertly arranged by Bryan Hesford and are ideal for use as voluntaries within Sunday worship.

Music through the Ages in 2 Volumes-27 pieces of Grade 1-3 standard covering repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day. Arranged and selected by Ian Denley.

Long before his famous Mikrokosmos Bartók composed a comprehensive collection of little piano pieces entitled For Children. Written in 1908 1911 its two volumes are based on Hungarian and Slovakian folk tunes respectively. Bothare organised in ascending difficulty from simple two-part pieces to Impressionistic miniatures and they offer everything that children’s hands can manage. Bartók revised this collection in the 1940s. He did not just makemusical improvements but also gave every movement a title. This revised version forms the main text of our Urtext edition while an appendix offers movements from the early version that diverge significantly from the revisedones. As always in Henle’s Bartók editions there are indications regarding performance practice and insights into how the composer himself played these pieces.

Carl Nielsen is perhaps the best known Danish composer and this volume contains his Five Piano Pieces Op. 3. There is an interesting range of feeling and sentiment in the 5 intimate miniatures composed in 1890.  Includes the following movements: Folk Tune Humoresque Arabesque  Mignon and Elf-Dance. With Carl Nielsen Danish musical life moved into the 20th century. Composing works in almost every genre - opera and music for the stage orchestral music concertos choral works chamber music Organ and Piano music and songs - he created a prominent position for himself in international musical life. Carl Nielsen stands out as one of the most significant symphonists of this century. His concertos and chamber music also have an important place in the international repertoire and his two operas have won considerable recognition not only in Denmark but throughout the world.