Technical Exercises

SKU: BT.EMBZ20004A

English-German-Hungari an.

Supplementary Volume 16 of the New Liszt Edition contains free arrangements and technical exercises. In the first section can be found early versions of three arrangements. The first consists of the first and intermediary versions of a transcription of Die Rose, a song Schubert composed to a poem by Schlegel. The arrangement of the second movement of Berlioz's Harold Symphony also draws on literary inspiration: Lord Byron's (1788-1824) narrative poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage (1812-18) was a literary experience Liszt shared with Berlioz. The fantasy on themes from Bellini's opera La sonnambula [The Sleepwalker] (here the first version of 1842, and the second version dating from the following decade are given) is important in music history because it was while he worked on this (and other operatic fantasies) that Liszt developed a new concept of the form, which took shape in more complex and more concentrated fantasies than before. Particularly interesting material can be found in the appendix. In addition to sketches and drafts for arrangements of Spanish themes, there are three sources published here for the first time, which shed light on technical aspects of Liszt's piano teaching. These are three sets of exercises: the first written by Liszt himself for Valérie Boissier in 1832; the second a copy in an unidentified hand from the same period or slightly later; and finally the third which was noted down in 1871 by Henri Maréchal in Rome based on the composer's dictation. This latest volume of the New Liszt Edition includes a detailed preface in German, English, and Hungarian containing new research findings, together with five manuscript facsimiles and critical notes. Simultaneously with the cloth-bound Complete Edition, a practical paperback version has been published, the contents of which are identical to those of the hardcover edition, minus the inclusion of critical notes.

SKU: HL.48181471

UPC: 888680842536. 0.114 inches.

Technical Exercises, Vol. 1 was created by Maurice Hauchard (1870-1957), a French violinist, composer and music teacher. This is the first of a series of two constituting a renowned progressive method, for upper beginners. This first book of Technical Exercises focuses on technical methods for the left hand and insists on the player's correct body position. It also proposes different exercises which involve the development of independent fingers, crossing fingers, chords, scales and octaves. The quality and the efficiency of Maurice Hauchard?s methods make this book a key series to have for a Violin player. In addition to this series, the composer also created nine additional methods for strings..

SKU: CF.BF126

ISBN 9781491150009. UPC: 680160907502. 9x12 inches.

Written by world renown pedagogue, Roland Vamos, this collection of double-stop exercises fill a void in the literature of technical exercises for cellists. These etudes feature a systematic series of fixed double-stops that enables the player to practice and master every possible combination of finger patterns across two strings without shifting. Mr. Vamos says of the book, The most important accomplishment is the development of a strong left handà These exercises, when practiced slowly and carefully, will help to develop a keen sense of pitch and intonation. Adapted for cello by Horacio Contreras, teacher, chamber musician, and recitalist.
When I first became familiar with Roland Vamos’ Exercises, I was impressed with itsclarity and effectiveness. The book focuses on a few important fundamentals of string playing,and it is accessible to students of every age. Moreover, its tonal organization in C major makesit simple and easy to understand. I recognized the potential this book could have for cellists,and after spending several months working on an adaptation, I witnessed its results in buildingand maintaining important fundamentals of technique.Mr. Vamos’ Exercises is comprised of simple patterns of double-stops in sevenpositions. There are two basic groups of variations: seven double-stop variations in differentcombined rhythms that develop finger coordination and independence of the left hand, andnine bowing variations that use détaché at the frog, middle and tip of the bow to work onstring crossings, coordination, and balance of the bow. The whole work provides training thatimproves intonation, sound, and ease of playing in all positions and all parts of the bow.In order to adapt Mr. Vamos’ book for cello, I needed to make some modifications tothe original. To address the different needs of the neck and the thumb positions, I chose to writetwo separate books. I kept the original ascending stepwise motion for subsequent variationsin Book I by following a diatonic scale on the top line of the patterns. However, I modifiedthe tonal framework to adjust to the more limited range of the cello. Therefore, unlike in Mr.Vamos’ book, variations in Book I do not ascend through the positions in a uniform pattern.I also switched the order of patterns to create a gradual increase in difficulty. In Book II, Iadded options that work on the fourth finger and an extended left hand frame, and at the end, Iincluded five sets of variations with different bowing alternatives.Mr. Vamos provides a number of specific instructions regarding left hand techniquein his exercises. For his original version, two fingers must remain down for almost the entireset of variations, providing a solid reference for the frame of the hand. In variations H and I,he instructs students to lift these fingers when they are not being used. In the case of thumbposition on cello, lifting the thumb could make the hand unstable; therefore, I suggested thatthe thumb remains down while the other fingers are lifted alternately in H and I. I have foundthis exercise quite useful to work on thumb independence and relaxing the thumb while usingother fingers.Mr. Vamos gives precise instructions for the bowing exercises as well. Following hisdirections, the exercises should be performed with a relaxed hand and flexible fingers. Thenotes should be consistently connected even when crossing strings. The bowing patterns shouldbe performed at the frog, the middle and the tip of the bow in every position.