Sonatina Americana

SKU: CF.WF232

ISBN 9781491153772. UPC: 680160911271.

Known internationally for superior flute editions, Robert Stallman continues his considerable expansion of the flute repertoire with re-creations, or “new” works for flute by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin, Dvořák, and other great composers.Conceived originally as a work for solo piano, this arrangement of Dvořák’s Suite in A Major for flute and piano is based on both the piano and orchestra versions. It is one in a series of Stallman’s “new” works for flute. Dvořák composed the Suite in A Major in 1894, inspired by his happy and fruitful stay in the “New World” —a period that produced some of his greatest works, full of thematic freshness, raw energy and folk influences, both American and Old World Czech. The “New World” Symphony, Cello Concerto, “American” Quartet, String Quintet in E≤ Major, the Violin Sonatina and this A Major Suite are all cut from the same musical cloth—textured with his personal impressions of the Wild West’s fascinating Indian and Afro-American music, its God-fearing and friendly people, its vast open spaces and its awe-inspiring natural beauty.
PrefaceConceiv ed originally as a work for solo piano, the Suite in A Major was composed by Dvořák in 1894, during his famous two-year visit to the United States. He wrote the work in a mere ten days, and a year later made a full orchestration of it. The Suite was first performed in this second version in 1910 in Prague at the Rudolfinum. Dvořák, who died in 1904, never had a chance to hear a performance of this stirring orchestral realization.The Suite was inspired by the composer’s happy and fruitful stay in the “New World”, especially by his unforgettable summers spent in the quiet Czech-American village of Spillville, Iowa—a period that produced some of his greatest works, full of thematic freshness, raw energy and folk influences, both American and Old World Czech. The “New World” Symphony, Cello Concerto, “American” Quartet, String Quintet in Eb Major, the Violin Sonatina and this A Major Suite are all cut from the same musical cloth—textured with his personal impressions of the Wild West’s fascinating Indian and Afro-American music, its God-fearing and friendly people, its vast open spaces and its awe-inspiring natural beauty.Several of the Suite’s affecting melodies find echoes in these other, better known compositions of this American period. Wistful themes abound in all five movements, reflecting Dvořák’s transformative American experience as it found resonance in his own emotions. Contrasting with deeply felt, contemplative passages are Dvořák’s joyous and tempestuous expressions, which open the second, third and final movements.This arrangement for flute and piano is based on both the piano and orchestra versions. It is one in a series of my “new” works for flute by some of our greatest composers and I am delighted to add it to the collection. I predict that the A Major Suite will become a popular addition to our Romantic recital repertoire, much like the Dvořák Sonatina.—Robert StallmanMarblehead, Mass.June 1, 2018.

SKU: UT.CH-385

ISBN 9790215328174. 9 x 12 inches.

The Sonatina del Sur (Sonatina of the South) was commissioned by Isabel Siewers�?? mother as a 34th birthday present for her daughter. Its music pays token, rather than imitative, homage to South American music. Thus the sonata form first movement, whose brief development section accounts for the work�??s �??diminutive�?? title, merely hints at syncopations that are as common in South America as they are in Europe. The Canción de cuna (Cradle Song) is unusual in the fact that it is played entirely in natural harmonics �?? no string touches a fret from start to finish, a compositional challenge I had long planned to face. The third movement was originally titled Milonga, but when the dedicatee said that, although it has a South American air over it, and the rhythm is right, it was not really like a milonga, it was renamed! Perhaps, though, it captures a little of the happy and lightness-of-touch character of its eponym. The Danza negra, another common South American genre, is energetic, with a variety of percussive gestures that demand extreme agility on the part of the performer.

SKU: M7.BRP-1505

This piece was originally written for Violin and Piano, and if the 'New World' Symphony and the 'American' String Quartet are the best-known products of Antonín Dvorak's years in the United States, the little Sonatina in G major (sometimes called the 'Indian Lament' Sonatina) may well be the most obscure; yet it is a charming work that deserves better than its relegation to the learning books of young violinists. The Sonatina is in four movements: Allegro risoluto , Larghetto , Scherzo (molto vivace) , and Allegro .

SKU: PR.114401090

UPC: 680160004348.