First collection of pieces, short airs, brunettes

SKU: CF.H84

ISBN 9781491165539. UPC: 680160924530.

Marce l Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. Over his long career, he added a significant catalogue of very beautiful works to the harp repertoire. Many of his solo works, almost one hundred, have been consistently in print since they were first published. But in recent years harpist Carl Swanson has discovered a treasure trove of pieces by Tournier heretofore unknown and unpublished. These include the Déchiffrages in this edition, as well as songs set for voice, harp, and string quartet, and ensemble arrangements of some of his most beloved works.All of the works that Carl Swanson found were in manuscript only. With the help of the great harpist Catherine Michel, he has put these pieces into playable form, and they are being published for the very first time. He and Catherine often had to re-notate passages to show clearly how they could be played, adding fingerings and musical nuances, tempos, pedals, and pedal diagrams.Tournier wrote these pieces when he was in his 20s, and before he became the impressionistic composer those familiar with his work know so well. They are written in the late nineteenth-century romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. They are beautiful short, intermediate level pieces by a first rate composer, and add much needed repertoire to that level of playing.
Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) was one of the most important harpist/composers in the history of the harp. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory with a first prize in harp in 1899. He also studied composition there and won a second prize in the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, as well as a first prize in the Rossini competition, another major composition competition of the day. From 1912 to 1948 he taught the harp class at the Paris Conservatory. But composition, and almost entirely, composition for the harp, was the main focus of his life. His published works, including many works for solo harp, a few for harp and other instruments, and several songs, number around one hundred pieces.In 2019, while researching Tournier for my edition MARCEL TOURNIER: 10 Pieces for Solo Harp, I discovered that there was a significant list of pieces by this composer that had never been published and were not included on any inventory of his music. Principal on this list were his déchiffrages (pronounced day-she-frahge, like the second syllable in the word garage).The word déchiffrage means sight-reading exercise, and that was their original purpose. Tournier numbered and dated these pieces, with dates ranging from 1900 to 1910, indicating that they were in all likelihood written for Alphonse Hasselmans’ class at the Paris Conservatory. Tournier was probably told how long to make each one, and how difficult. They range in length from two to four pages, with only one in the whole series extending to five, and from thirty to fifty-five measures, with only one extending to eight-five. The level of difficulty for the whole series is intermediate, with some at the easier end, and others at the middle or upper end.We don’t know if they were intended to test students trying to enter the harp class, or if they were used to test students in the class as they played their exams. The fact that they were never published means that students had to not only sight read them, but sight read them in manuscript form!I worked from digital images of the original manuscripts, which are in the private music library of a harpist in France. She had twenty-seven of these pieces, and this edition is the second in a series of three that will publish, for the first time, all of the ones that I have found thus far. The manuscripts themselves consist of little more than notes on the page: no pedals written in, no fingerings, few if any musical nuances and tempo markings, and no clear indication as to which hand plays which notes. These would have been difficult to sight read indeed! My collaborator Catherine Michel and I added musical nuances, fingerings, pedals and pedal diagrams, and tempo indications to put them into their current condition.At the time these were written, Tournier would have been in his twenties, having just graduated from the harp class himself (1899), and might still have been in the composition class. These are the earliest known pieces that he wrote, and they were written at the very beginning of a cultural revolution and upheaval in Paris that was to completely and profoundly alter musical composition. Tournier himself would eventually be caught up in this new way of composing. But not yet.All of the déchiffrages are written in the late romantic style that was being taught at that time at the Paris Conservatory. Each one is built on a clear musical idea, and the variety over the whole series makes them wonderful to listen to as well as to learn. They are also great technical lessons for intermediate level players.The obvious question is: Why didn’t Tournier publish these pieces, and why didn’t he list them on his own inventory of his music? Actually, four of them were published, with small changes, as his collection Four Preludes, Op. 16. These came from the ones that will be in volume three of this series from Carl Fischer. His first large piece, Theme and Variations, was published in 1908, and his two best known and frequently played pieces, Féerie and Au Matin, followed in 1912 and 1913 respectively. We can only speculate because there is so much still unknown about Tournier and about these unpublished pieces. He may have looked at them, fresh out of school as he was, as simply a way to make some quick money. The first several pieces that he did publish are much longer than any of the déchiffrages. So it could be that, because of their shorter length, as well as the earlier musical style that he was moving away from, he chose not to publish any more of them. We may never know the full story. But all these years later, more than a century after they were composed, we can listen to them for their own merits, and not measured against whatever else was going on at the time. The numbers on these pieces are the ones that Tournier assigned to them, and the gaps between some of the numbers suggest that there are perhaps thirty or more of these pieces still to be found, if they still exist. They will, in all likelihood, be found, as these were, in private collections of harp music, not in institutional libraries. We can only hope that more of them will be located in years to come.—Carl SwansonGlossary of French Musical TermsTournier was very precise about how he wanted his pieces played, and carefully communicated this with many musical indications. He used standard Italian words, but also used French words and phrases, and occasionally mixed both together. It is extremely important to observe and understand everything that he put on the page.Here is a list of the French words and phrases found in the pieces in this edition, with their translation.bien chanté well sung, melodiousdécidé firm, resolutediminu peu à peu becoming softer little by littleen diminuant becoming softeren riten. slowing downen se perdant dying awayGaiement gayly, lightlygracieusement gracefully, elegantlyLéger light, quickLent slowmarquez le chant emphasize the melodyModéré at a moderate tempopeu à peu animé more lively, little by littleplus lent slowerRetenu held backsans lenteur without slownesssans retinir without slowing downsec drily, abruptlysoutenu sustained, heldtrès arpegé very arpeggiatedTrès Modéré Very moderate tempoTrès peu retenu slightly held backTrès soutenu very sustainedun peu retenu slightly held back.

SKU: IG.PFS141

9 x 12 in inches.

Composed in 2012, these short piano compositions are intended for beginner through intermediate beginner levels. They are written using a variety of harmonic flavors such as modality, diatonicism, and free dissonance. These pieces can be played individually or preferably, as a set. Each work contains a descriptive title depicting a different mood or scene. From the first modal piece, Strolling Along to the wrapping notes of Raindrops, to the intense dissonances of Summer Storm and The Man at The Gate, there is something for everyone in this fun collection of short pieces. The composer would like to thank JungEun Hong for her editorial assistance in preparing these pieces for publication.

SKU: BT.DHP-0920350-070

ISBN 9789043133371. International.

A collection of short, elementary pieces for beginner string ensemble, made up of arrangements of well-known melodies and pieces composed specifically for this work. The pieces, arranged for two violins, cello and optional piano, cover many different styles, continents and periods and have been graded in order of difficulty. All the parts can be played using only first position, with the second violin and cello parts making use of only basic finger positions.

My First String Ensemble is een verzameling van korte, elementaire stukken voor het beginnend strijkensemble, met arrangementen van bestaande melodieën en nieuwe composities. De stukken - voor een bezetting van twee violenen een cello - zijn qua moeilijkheidsgraad oplopend gerangschikt. De pianopartij heeft in de meeste gevallen een zelfstandig karakter en kan ad libitum worden gespeeld.

Kurze, elementare Stücke für zwei Violinen, Violoncello und Klavier. Die Klavierstimme hat einen eigenen Charakter und kann ad libitum mitgespielt werden. Jedes Stück wird mit speziellen Übungen vorbereitet.

SKU: LO.70-2206L

ISBN 9780787767952.

The vibrant and expressive organ music of Gordon Young remains a staple of the church organist's repertoire. In the first collection of Young material since his passing, Douglas Wagner has arranged ten organ compositions from some of Young's choral works. These short pieces, all displaying Young's signature style, combine to make a welcome volume of music from this beloved and much-missed composer.

SKU: FL.FX073048

I remember well when I began to write these pieces: I sat down at the piano in the conservatory, which was almost completely empty at the time... and I improvised the first chords of the first piece. After that I wrote the theme. The music rang loudly in that large auditorium and I could hear how it echoed about the empty corridors of the conservatory... it reminded me of the overture from Charles Gounod's Faust, as my hands still played out the melodies, stretching the limits of the theme which would become, in a sense, the introduction to the whole cycle. I could feel that the story was emerging: a story born from within the music. - Anton GLADKIKH ;

Hoffmanniada is a collection of six short pieces for trombone and piano composed in a style inspired by the great Russian composers of the twentieth century. Sometimes melancholic and romantic, sometimes cheerful and virtuoso, the writing subtlety of Anton Gladkikh perfectly exploits the qualities of power and finesse of both instruments. Fabrice MILLISCHER

This original piece is the first opus of FLEX Editions collection directed by Fabrice MILLISCHER. It is built of 6 movements: 1 - Et finalement ca tourne, 2 - Autonomie de la volonte, 3 - Les lettres, 4 - Lilite, 5 - Quand Dieu crea le temps, 6 - Le jeu des Demiurges ; Instruments: 1 Trombone 1 Piano; Difficuly Level: Grade 5.

SKU: FP.FPD07

ISBN 9790570503957.

Thes e little pieces are intended for flautists of about a year's standing. It is hoped that this small album will also help to foster in young players a taste for ensemble playing: the two simple trios also include oboe and clarinet, but if these instruments are not available the parts may be played on a violin.

SKU: HL.48187091

UPC: 888680884314. 9.0x12.0x0.473 inches.

“An educationalist of renown, Viola player Valérie Bime-Apparailly (born in 1962 in Bordeaux) is the author of numerous beginner methods for string instruments that have met with unflagging success. The second volume of the series Je Débute L?Alto once again takes up the challenge of the first collection: to combine precision with the pleasure of playing. To do this, each chapter starts with a short sequence of exercises enabling pupils to approach the pieces with serenity and concentration. Reduced to their simplest expression, the theoretical explanations are accompanied by sketches that enhance their clarity. The album comes with a playback CD containing recordings of the different pieces. A relaxed eclecticism runs through the work: illustrious classics such as the Habanera from Carmen or the Variations sur ?Ah ! Vous dirai-je Maman? (?Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?) by Mozart can be found alongside Un éléphant, ça trompe énormément and Rock?n?roll des Gallinacés. Education is an art form.”.

SKU: HL.14041307

ISBN 9788759819333. 10.25x14.5x0.052 inches.

Waterways (Vandveje) - Three Pieces for Piano by Per Nørgård (2008-09).

Written for Anne Marie Fjord Abildskov.

Preface / Programme Note
The three small piano pieces collectively called WATERWAYS was composed in 2008-2009 for Anne Marie Fjord Abildskov and they are dedicated to her.
You will hear traces of earlier piano works of mine – GROOVING from 1968 and ACHILLEUS AND THE TORTOISE from 1983 – in these new pieces.

The first movement is characterized by echo-like sounds, which also appear in GROOVING. Semitones are overlayered and soundsimultaniously, and then they are muted one by one to give a reminiscence of the initial sound. In this new movement an extra echo is added, like an extra skim of the stone
across the water surface – three skims, actually.

In the second movement you may hear traces of ACHILLEUS AND THE TORTOISE. The left and right hand both play arpeggio-like scale patterns. The music is shimmering, like a moiré on a water surface, with constantly changing, very short durations.
In the third movement the pattern of irregular durations is maintained and expanded, but only in fragments – and you may catch a glimpse of a new melody emerging.

Per Nørgård< br/>