Night Landscape (score)

SKU: PR.114419300

UPC: 680160673513. 9 x 12 inches.

Written during a residence at an artist community in the isolation of Wyoming, Postcards from Wyoming is an impression of the wilderness and beauty of the surrounding landscape and its inhabitants. Written for Pierre ensemble with percussion, Postcards includes High Plains Prairie (a harsh landscape which reveals glimpses of beauty upon closer examination), Call of the Wild (animals from snakes to horses and cows populate the environment), and The Solitude of Stars (capturing the infinite awe of the night sky).
In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists the gift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided with studio space, housing, and meals so that we can work almost continuously on our projects. I have been in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previous experiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a 20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 people living within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up for abundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife. Postcards from Wyoming presents three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects of my residence. The first movement, High Plains Prairie, represents the conundrum that is a high elevation landscape: from afar, the eye sees little else than an unending and threadbare horizon. But as one inspects the land up close, the prairie bursts with color provided by sagebrush, grasses, insects, and creeks. The second movement, Call of the Wild, is a tribute to the wide range of animals that reside in the area. Deer, turkeys, and rabbits frequently passed outside of my studio window; cows and sheep lived in fields close by. Snakes, raccoons, and field mice also made guest appearances. While I'm thankful that I didn't see any predators (such as wolves), I became increasingly aware of the wildness of the animal population that surrounded my studio. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement, was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lights dimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie. Postcards from Wyoming was commissioned by the 2016 Utah Arts Festival. -S.G.
In 2014, I enjoyed a wonderful residence at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. Ucross is an artist colony that gives writers, composers, and visual artists the gift of time, space, and support to follow their artistic pursuits; we are provided with studio space, housing, and meals so that we can work almost continuously on our projects. I have been in residence at numerous artist colonies; however, nothing in my previous experiences prepared me for living in such isolated, wild country. Ucross is situated on a 20,000-acre cattle ranch at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation with fewer than 150 people living within the town. But what Clearmont lacks in population, it makes up for abundantly and spectacularly in wilderness and wildlife.Postcards from Wyoming presents three glimpses of what I found to be the most striking aspects of my residence. The first movement, High Plains Prairie, represents the conundrum that is a high elevation landscape: from afar, the eye sees little else than an unending and threadbare horizon. But as one inspects the land up close, the prairie bursts with color provided by sagebrush, grasses, insects, and creeks. The second movement, Call of the Wild, is a tribute to the wide range of animals that reside in the area. Deer, turkeys, and rabbits frequently passed outside of my studio window; cows and sheep lived in fields close by. Snakes, raccoons, and field mice also made guest appearances. While I’m thankful that I didn’t see any predators (such as wolves), I became increasingly aware of the wildness of the animal population that surrounded my studio. The Solitude of Stars, the third and final movement, was inspired by the stunning nightly display of the heavens above. Without city lights dimming the night sky, countless stars shone brightly over the vast expanse of the prairie.Postcards from Wyoming was commissioned by the 2016 Utah Arts Festival.-S.G.

SKU: YM.GTW01100445

ISBN 9784636103052. 8.5 x 12 inches.

Here, you can enjoy the beautiful Japanese classic tunes expressing the changing seasonal sentiments in this book. It features 25 songs, mainly nursery rhymes, children's songs, and shoka songs, and it comes with a karaoke CD of piano accompaniment. Please enjoy these wonderful arrangements, which are perfect for recitals and concerts.

SKU: FG.55011-526-2

ISBN 9790550115262.

The poetry of Emily Dickinson has been one of the sources of inspiration for Kai Nieminen (1953-). Piano trio Reflecting Landscapes was inspired by Dickinson's poem A bird came down a walk, a same poem that also gave name to a piece for viola and piano by Toru Takemitsu. Takemitsu being one composer that Nieminen helds in high esteem. Especially calm, meditative athmosphere at the beginning of the piano trio has much that reminds listener from Nieminen's Japanese collegue. The tolling chruch bell -like motives reminds the composer from the death of his father, that occurred at the time of the composition of the piece. Later in the piece, bird song -like motives emerge, like birds in the calm summer night somewhere in the north. The piece was commissioned by Trio la Rue and they gave the first performance at Saaksmaki Soi -festival 6th July 2011.
The poetry of Emily Dickinson has been one of the sources of inspiration for Kai Nieminen (1953-). Piano trio Reflecting Landscapes was inspired by Dickinson's poem A bird came down a walk, a same poem that also gave name to a piece for viola and piano by Toru Takemitsu. Takemitsu being one composer that Nieminen helds in high esteem. Especially calm, meditative athmosphere at the beginning of the piano trio has much that reminds listener from Nieminen's Japanese collegue. The tolling chruch bell -like motives reminds the composer from the death of his father, that occurred at the time of the composition of the piece. Later in the piece, bird song -like motives emerge, like birds in the calm summer night somewhere in the north. The piece was commissioned by Trio la Rue and they gave the first performance at Saaksmaki Soi -festival 6th July 2011.

SKU: CF.CAS117F

ISBN 9781491153307. UPC: 680160910809. 9 x 12 inches.

Abendstern, composed by Lauren Bernofsky,?evokes an image of a sunset over the tree-covered hills of the Bavarian countryside with the Abendstern, or evening star, shining brightly over the scene. A hauntingly beautiful theme in falling thirds?evokes the treetops as they become darker and murkier. This piece is a wonderful addition to any concert program and can be used as a touching?tribute at a memorial service.
One summer night during a visit to Bavaria in southern Germany, I stood outside on a balcony overlooking the hills of the Bavarian forest, watching the beautiful early-evening sky. It was still light out, but I could make out one solitary star in the sky. As the sun slowly went down, the landscape became more and more dark and indistinct, and the star shone brighter and brighter. My mother-in-law stood there with me. I asked her the name of the star, and she answered, Abendstern (or Evening Star.) I was so moved by what I saw, I went inside and took out my manuscript paper and started to write down this piece. The tree-covered hills and tranquility of the evening are evoked by the theme, whose contour (with little bumps) mirrors the contour of the treetops on the hills. The star is represented by the sustained note E; at the beginning of the piece, it can be heard in a low register in the violas, and over the course of the piece, it is heard in higher and higher octaves, as the star shines ever more brightly. By the end, the landscape has disappeared into the darkness, and now all we see is the star, shining its brightest, and played by the upper strings, now harmonized to convey its brilliant light..
One summer night during a visit to Bavaria in southern Germany, I stood outside on a balcony overlooking the hills of the Bavarian forest, watching the beautiful early-evening sky. It was still light out, but I could make out one solitary star in the sky. As the sun slowly went down, the landscape became more and more dark and indistinct, and the star shone brighter and brighter. My mother-in-law stood there with me. I asked her the name of the star, and she answered, Abendstern (or Evening Star.) I was so moved by what I saw, I went inside and took out my manuscript paper and started to write down this piece. The tree-covered hills and tranquility of the evening are evoked by the theme, whose contour (with little bumps) mirrors the contour of the treetops on the hills. The star is represented by the sustained note E; at the beginning of the piece, it can be heard in a low register in the violas, and over the course of the piece, it is heard in higher and higher octaves, as the star shines ever more brightly. By the end, the landscape has disappeared into the darkness, and now all we see is the star, shining its brightest, and played by the upper strings, now harmonized to convey its brilliant light..
One summer night during a visit to Bavaria in southern Germany, I stood outside on a balcony overlooking the hills of the Bavarian forest, watching the beautiful early-evening sky. It was still light out, but I could make out one solitary star in the sky. As the sun slowly went down, the landscape became more and more dark and indistinct, and the star shone brighter and brighter. My mother-in-law stood there with me. I asked her the name of the star, and she answered, Abendstern (or Evening Star.) I was so moved by what I saw, I went inside and took out my manuscript paper and started to write down this piece. The tree-covered hills and tranquility of the evening are evoked by the theme, whose contour (with little bumps) mirrors the contour of the treetops on the hills. The star is represented by the sustained note E; at the beginning of the piece, it can be heard in a low register in the violas, and over the course of the piece, it is heard in higher and higher octaves, as the star shines ever more brightly. By the end, the landscape has disappeared into the darkness, and now all we see is the star, shining its brightest, and played by the upper strings, now harmonized to convey its brilliant light.

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:

• Expanded use of rhythms, ranges and keys but technical demands are still carefully considered
• More comprehensive bowing techniques
• Viola T.C. included
• Careful selection of keys and degree of difficulty for advancing musicians

SKU: FG.55011-455-5

ISBN 9790550114555.

This cycle of carols, to the poetry of Christina Rossetti, was assembled piecemeal over a number of years, gradually acquiring a larger dramatic and harmonic arch shape as new settings were added. I was particularly attracted to Rossetti's conflation of the dark, fallow winter landscape with that of the soul waiting for salvation. The cycle traces the long nights of watchfulness before Christmas, with the great event constantly deferred, only glimpsed periodically in different visions before the music turns inward again to contemplation. The opening carol embodies this spirit, with passages of diffuse, roving harmony interspersed with meditative, lyrical pedals, calling out the night watch and dreaming of a far-off summer of the spirit. Earth Grown Old is a kind of double carol, setting two complete poems, their lines at first presented separately as a still, expectant chorale and a jubilant dance, then progressively interwoven toward a fervent climax before once again receding into quiet. In the bleak mid-winter, which sets a highly compressed version of Rossetti's original poem, presents an enfeebled landscape frozen in time, in dire need of deliverance. A gentle melody weaves its way through static drones, broken by an angels' chorus announcing the joy to come. Love Came Down at Christmas ends the waiting, with its gently falling, overlapping lines building to a final revelation, the mystery of Christmas at last made real.

SKU: PR.41641576L

UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.

The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.

SKU: CF.YAS202

ISBN 9781491157770. UPC: 680160916351. 9 x 12 inches.

This extraordinarily beautiful work captures the awesome wonder of a winter night. Using simple rhythms and lush harmony, the first section creates a mood of reflection and solitude. The middle section uses syncopation and a faster tempo to paint a magical winter landscape before settling back into the simplistic beauty of a quiet night. Students will quickly grasp the mood and legato style required to portray this scene. With only a few accidentals it works well with developing groups, while giving them a mature sound.

SKU: FG.55009-541-0

ISBN 979-0-55009-541-0.

Heinio's Symphony No. 2 'Songs of Night and Love' is reminiscent more of a song cycle; it has a baritone soloist in each of its movements. The texts are based on sensual poems by Lassi Nummi. Night or love, or both together are fundamental themes running right through the symphony. Its dream-like landscapes are dominated by quiet and lyrical tones but the finale has the heat of the dark Mediterranean nights.

SKU: SU.80101343

Solstice Sonata (2013) for trumpet and organ was commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for its 2014 Biennial National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. It was premiered on June 24, 2014 at the Memorial Church, Harvard University, by trumpeter Chris Gekker and organist Christian Lane. At the solstice (summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern), the sun is directly aligned with the tropical latitude lines, and the longest day of the year occurs (marking the start of summer). This sonata is music of celebration and contemplation, taking the inspiration of the longest day as a starting place for both meditation both thoughtful and joyous. Take Flight soars and leaps with vigor-perhaps the image of a hang-glider's journey over a dramatic landscape under the late evening sun. The Dream of Peace is lyrical and passionate; it is perhaps night music of reflection and intensity. Glittering, Aglow begins with quiet, mystical music: a gradual awakening. A vibrant, syncopated dance breaks out, is interrupted by the quiet music again, and returns to push forward to a vibrant conclusion. The new season has begun.Instrumentation: Trumpet and Organ. Composed: 2013 Published by: Zimbel Press.