Four Fun Pieces

Four Pieces For Orchestra was composed by Hans Abrahamsen in 2000-2003. Programme note: In 1983 Hans Abrahamsen wrote the first seven of his Ten Studies for Piano. In the early eighties most composers who wrote for the piano were still making strenuous efforts to distance themselves from the instrument?s romantic past for example treating it as a percussion instrument rather than exploiting its expressive ?singing? potential. The piano?s modern identity as a mechanical rational emotionally cool instrument is reflected in Abrahamsen?s studies 5 7; but in the first four studies Abrahamsen allows the piano to?recollect? its past: especially what the composer calls ?the golden German romantic time full of expression night timelessness dream and the irrational?. Accordingly these first four studies were given German one might specifically say Schumanesque - titles: Traumlied (?Dreamsong?) Sturm (?Storm?) Arabeske (?Arabesque?) and Ende (?End?). While Abrahamsen was in no way dissatisfied with the first four Studies as piano music he soon felt the urge to expand them in both time and space. In their new identity as Four Pieces for Orchestra created between 2000-2003 the original studies nearly doubled in length while the forces required expanded from one soloist to an orchestra of Mahlerian/Straussian dimensions including instruments beloved by the late-romantics: Wagner tubas bass trumpet guitar mandolin and the hammer used so memorably in Mahler?s Sixth Symphony and Alban Berg?s Three Pieces for Orchestra. The results are not so much ?arrangements? of the four piano studies more recompositions. A helpful comparison might be made with certain painters: Cézanne portraying the same mountain from different angles; or Monet obsessively returning to Rouen Cathedral in different lights and weather conditions. Abrahamsen himself remembers an important visit to the Munch Museum in Oslo where he saw how Munch painted the same subject

Four pieces by the great composer carefully jarranged by Robert Threlfall for the solo Piano. The pieces are suitable for the accompalished concert Pianist and include movements from the Florida Suite.

Angelus; Trio; Interlude and PaeanThe reissue of four pieces by Norman Cocker celebrated organist of Manchester Cathedral in the inter-war period further extends Stainer & Bell's library of English Cathedral music that also includes the complete solo works of Basil Harwood and pieces by Darke Hollins and Bairstow. Detailed registrations by Henry Ley himself a noted performer and Music Director of Eton College from 1926 to 1945 are of historical interest. Angelus Trio and Interlude offer episodes of quiet reflection. Paean breaks the mood with flowing euphonious counterpoint in ceremonial style.

These four pieces were composed separately between the years 1901 and 1910 and appeared in print in several different versions, ranging from piano solo to full orchestra. They were all originally written, however, for cello and piano. The editor - Julian Lloyd Webber - has been responsible for the addition of bowings and fingerings.

These four pieces for Cello and Piano accompaniment were composed separately between the years 1901 and 1910 and appeared in print in several different versions ranging from piano solo to full orchestra. They were all primarily written however for cello and piano so appear here in their original form. The editor - Julian Lloyd Webber - has been responsible for the addition of bowings and fingerings.

These four pieces were written separately between 1901 and 1910 for cello and piano. They subsequently appeared in print in different versions ranging from piano solo to full orchestra. The composer was himself a fine viola player and it is hoped would have welcomed these transcriptions for viola and piano published here for the first time.