Selected Piano Works

SKU: A2.S034

ISBN 978-0-89579-775-9. 8.5x11 inches.

This edition includes three piano works by the German-Jewish composer Hans Samuel (1901-76), who was active primarily as an organist and composer of organ music. The selected works - Hassidic Hanukkah Tune: Al hanissim we al hapurkan (1946), Sounds of Slichoth: Paraphrases on S'lichoth Tunes According to the Ashkenas-Western Mode (1957, dedicated to the composer's parents, who perished in Theresienstadt), and Variations on a Yemenite Tune (undated) - were composed after Samuel's emigration to Palestine in 1939. Besides exemplifying the heightened awareness of diverse Jewish musical traditions that characterizes Samuel's music after his emigration, these works are representative of Israeli immigrant composers' early struggles to attempt to define their new nation musically.

SKU: FP.FSC05

ISBN 9790570504169.

Cyril Scott’s music is currently the subject of major revival, having lain largely ignored for much of the 20th Century. Once described as 'the father of modern British music' by Eugene Goossens, and admired by Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and his lifelong friend Percy Grainger, he composed four hundred works including: four Symphonies, three Operas, two Piano Concertos, four Oratorios, Concertos for Violin, Cello, Oboe and Harpsichord, several Overtures, Tone Poems, many Chamber works and innumerable songs.

There is a story that when Bernard Shaw commented to Elgar on the (then) daring harmonies of his Second Symphony Elgar replied 'You mustn’t forget, it was Cyril Scott started all that!'.

'a pioneer of British piano music, producing more piano works in the period 1903-1914 than any other British composer and any other international one, with the exception of Scriabin... (He) was a key figure before World War I in helping Britain to break away from musical conservatism and the prevailing Germanic influences.' (Lisa Hardy, The British Piano Sonata 1870-1945).