SKU: PR.416414230
ISBN 9781598066630. UPC: 680160602087. 9x12 inches.
Colonnade is James Matheson’s intriguing response to the Albany Symphony’s commission to create a work inspired by the NY State Board of Education Building, designed by the renowned architect Rafael Guastavino. Matheson explains that “A colonnade acts as a metaphor for the tension between knowledge and perception. The columns are the same height and equidistant from each other; while the mind understands this fully, there exists no place from which one can perceive this – the columns always appear to be of uneven height and spacing. If one then adds motion to perspective, identical columns acquire elasticity, and begin to change kaleidoscopically – they shrink, grow, become closer, and then further apart.” This structural paradox is given musical life in the outer sections of Colonnade, while the long, arching middle section is inspired by the vaulted ceiling of one of the building’s largest rooms, enhancing the structure’s spacious openness and lightness.Colonnade is inspired by Albany’s majestic New York State Board of Education Building, and written on a commission from the Albany Symphony Orchestra. It was an intriguing task, in part because in order to accept the commission I had to agree to write a work “inspired by” a building I had not yet seen. Thisproblem was compounded by the fact that, for me, the very notion of extra-musical inspiration is a complex one, particularly with respect to literary or visual sources. I generally find ideas and abstracted notions more generative of musical ideas than specific ones (a poem, an experience, a painting). So when I went to seeand tour the building, I sought to identify fundamental formal aspects of the building which I could process into musical ideas, and would then be linked to the building through a sense of formal relationship. In theend, two characteristics of the building stood out as noteworthy and undiminished by time (compared with, for instance, the building’s rotunda, which contains a series of quaintly outdated allegorical paintings): theexterior colonnade and a beautiful interior vaulted ceiling, designed by Rafael Guastavino.For me, a colonnade acts as a metaphor for the tension between knowledge and perception. We all know, for instance, that the columns are of the same height and are equidistant from each other. Nevertheless, while the mind understands this fully, it is also the case that there exists no place – no standpoint or viewpoint – anywhere in the universe – from which one can perceive this; the columns always appear to be of uneven height and spacing. If one then adds motion to perspective – a walk along the colonnade, for instance – the fixed, even, rigidly identical columns acquire elasticity, and begin to change kaleidoscopically – they shrink, grow, become closer, and then further apart. Further, the detail of the building’s façade behind the colonnadeshifts into and out of visibility, with different portions obscured by the columns from each vantage point. These considerations underlie the outer sections of Colonnade, in which a continuously repeated, continuously varied rising figure – suggestive of a column – dominates. The iterations of this elastic, evolvingfigure are interspersed with other music – suggestive of the building’s façade. The second feature of the building that caught my attention was the vaulted ceiling, designed by Guastavino,of one of the building’s largest rooms. The ceiling enhances the spaciousness of the room, giving it an openness and lightness that is quite captivating. The middle section of Colonnade has this openness at its core, and is dominated by long, arching lines that, to me, suggest the refined beauty of this ceiling.World premiere March 8, 2003; Albany Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Alan Miller.
SKU: PR.41641423L
UPC: 680160602094. 11 x 14 inches.
Colonnade is inspired by Albanys majestic New York State Board of Education Building, and written on a commission from the Albany Symphony Orchestra. It was an intriguing task, in part because in order to accept the commission I had to agree to write a work inspired by a building I had not yet seen. This problem was compounded by the fact that, for me, the very notion of extra-musical inspiration is a complex one, particularly with respect to literary or visual sources. I generally find ideas and abstracted notions more generative of musical ideas than specific ones (a poem, an experience, a painting). So when I went to see and tour the building, I sought to identify fundamental formal aspects of the building which I could process into musical ideas, and would then be linked to the building through a sense of formal relationship. In the end, two characteristics of the building stood out as noteworthy and undiminished by time (compared with, for instance, the buildings rotunda, which contains a series of quaintly outdated allegorical paintings): the exterior colonnade and a beautiful interior vaulted ceiling, designed by Rafael Guastavino. For me, a colonnade acts as a metaphor for the tension between knowledge and perception. We all know, for instance, that the columns are of the same height and are equidistant from each other. Nevertheless, while the mind understands this fully, it is also the case that there exists no place no standpoint or viewpoint anywhere in the universe from which one can perceive this; the columns always appear to be of uneven height and spacing. If one then adds motion to perspective a walk along the colonnade, for instance the fixed, even, rigidly identical columns acquire elasticity, and begin to change kaleidoscopically they shrink, grow, become closer, and then further apart. Further, the detail of the buildings facade behind the colonnade shifts into and out of visibility, with different portions obscured by the columns from each vantage point. These considerations underlie the outer sections of Colonnade, in which a continuously repeated, continuously varied rising figure suggestive of a column dominates. The iterations of this elastic, evolving figure are interspersed with other music suggestive of the buildings facade. The second feature of the building that caught my attention was the vaulted ceiling, designed by Guastavino, of one of the buildings largest rooms. The ceiling enhances the spaciousness of the room, giving it an openness and lightness that is quite captivating. The middle section of Colonnade has this openness at its core, and is dominated by long, arching lines that, to me, suggest the refined beauty of this ceiling. World premiere March 8, 2003; Albany Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Alan Miller.
SKU: CF.BF128
ISBN 9781491153413. UPC: 680160910915.
Wohlfahrt’s Foundation Studies have long been successful tools forviolinists and violists in mastering the technical difficulties of theirinstruments. Originally conceived for a complete comprehension offirst position on the violin and viola, Richard Hughey presents thisnew edition for cello students. Transcribing these etudes for the cellopresents new challenges for the performer. Particular passages, forexample, require the student to make use of the second and eventhird positions. The fingerings chosen for these passages reflectthese shifting positions in a coherent and logical way. Trainedcomprehensively in both cello and conducting, Hughey shares hiswealth of experience and knowledge in Wohlfahrt’s FoundationStudies for the Violoncello.The violin etudes and exercises of Franz Wohlfahrt havebeen and continue to be used by violin and recently violateachers the world over. Franz was the son of HeinrichWohlfahrt (1797, Kößnitz–1883, Leipzig), a noted pianoteacher who also published many studies for piano thatwere very successful with younger students. Heinrichdeveloped a keen sense for the pedagogical development ofchildren and composed excellent studies accordingly. Withthe education of his sons Robert (1826, Weimar–deathdate unknown) and Franz (1833, Frauenpriesnitz–1884,Leipzig), he passed these pedagogical abilities to the nextgeneration.In the preface to his Violin Studies Opus 45, FranzWohlfahrt wrote:The study of the violin presents certain difficultiesfor beginners which are frequently the cause of a suddendecrease in the pupil’s zeal and ambition, even before he hasmastered the first fundamentals.The blame for this is commonly laid on the teacher,who is called incapable or negligent; losing sight of thefact that the pupil began his studies without the slightestnotion, not merely of the difficulties to be encountered,but also of the regular and diligent effort indispensable forovercoming them.It is important, therefore, to smooth these first severitiesby showing their usefulness and making them agreeable; tothis end my Violin Method was published and the presentexercises have been written, which latter may be consideredas forming a supplement to the former.If practiced carefully and intelligently, they will serve asa solid foundation for the technique of any player ambitiousto become an artist.These studies have been successful tools for violinistsand violists to begin to master the technical difficulties oftheir instruments. Clearly conceived for a more completecomprehension of the use of the first position on the violinand similarly for the viola, presenting these etudes forthe cello presents a new challenge. As ongoing violinistsand violists can use the fourth finger to play the note ofthe next higher open string, this is not possible on thecello. To perform these exercises on the cello, particularlyreaching the “E” on the A-string, requires the studentto make use of the second and even third positions. Thefingerings chosen for these passages reflect the necessityof shifting to these positions. This is of great advantage,as a new set of studies now can be used by the studentto practice shifting to and from those positions and thusincreases technical proficiency in the second and thirdpositions of the cello.
SKU: HL.14042691
8.25x11.5x0.145 inches.
Vocal Score For John Tavener'S Three Hymns Of George Herbert For Satb Chorus, Percussion And Strings. Commissioned By The Legatum Institute [Www.Li.Com] As Part Of Its British And American Notions Of Liberty Programme, In The Year Of The Diamond Jubilee Of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Ii. First Performance On 21St April 2013 In Washington National Cathedral, By The City Choir Of Washington Conducted By Robert Shafer. The Three Hymns Of George Herbert Were Written After A Long Illness, And Represent For Me A Hymn Of Thanksgiving To God For A Relative Return To Health. They Are Intended To Be Sung In A Large, Resonant Acoustic, With The Main Choir And String Orchestra At One EndOf The Building, And An Echo Choir And String Quartet At The Other. The Percussion (Tubular Bells, Gongs And Tam-Tams) Should Sound From A Gallery Or Other Raised Position. The Hymns Were Inspired By The Transparent Poetry Of George Herbert, And Are Dedicated In Gratitude And Love To The Memory Of Mother Thekla, Former Abbess Of The Orthodox Monastery Of The Assumption, Normanby, Near Whitby, Who Died In 2011. - John Tavener.
SKU: HL.14042686
Full Score For John Tavener'S Three Hymns Of George Herbert For Satb Chorus, Percussion And Strings. Commissioned By The Legatum Institute [Www.Li.Com] As Part Of Its British And American Notions Of Liberty Programme, In The Year Of The Diamond Jubilee Of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Ii. First Performance On 21St April 2013 In Washington National Cathedral, By The City Choir Of Washington Conducted By Robert Shafer. The Three Hymns Of George Herbert Were Written After A Long Illness, And Represent For Me A Hymn Of Thanksgiving To God For A Relative Return To Health. They Are Intended To Be Sung In A Large, Resonant Acoustic, With The Main Choir And String Orchestra At One EndOf The Building, And An Echo Choir And String Quartet At The Other. The Percussion (Tubular Bells, Gongs And Tam-Tams) Should Sound From A Gallery Or Other Raised Position. The Hymns Were Inspired By The Transparent Poetry Of George Herbert, And Are Dedicated In Gratitude And Love To The Memory Of Mother Thekla, Former Abbess Of The Orthodox Monastery Of The Assumption, Normanby, Near Whitby, Who Died In 2011. - John Tavener.
