SKU: HL.14030790

ISBN 9780853604488. 8.0x12.0x0.198 inches.

While Gordon Jacobs composed a vast amount of music - more than four hundred pieces -- he was particularly celebrated for his work for Viola and for woodwinds, as well as for his books on music pedagogy. Jacob had an early success with his Viola Concerto of 1926 which was premiered at a Promenade concert and which was the beginning of a series of strong contributions to Viola repertoire. This Sonatina for Viola and Piano demonstrates his sensitive writing for the instrument. It works very well when performed on clarinet as well.While many composers of the 20th century rejected serialism, atonality and other avant garde effects in favour of Romanticism, Jacob was much morean adherent to the musical models of the classic and baroque eras, while still encompassing modern harmonies. His work Music for a Festival, for symphonic wind band and brass ensemble, was used for the post-war Festival of Britain and he arranged the British national anthem for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

SKU: BT.ALHE31122

English.

French composer and teacher, Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) was a prolific composer of the 20th century as a member of 'Les Six'. His compositions remain highly regarded, Sonata No. 2 for Viola and Piano being no exception. Milhaud'scompositions are influenced by jazz and polytonality, as exemplified in Sonata No. 2. Composed in 1944, Sonata No. 2 for Viola and Piano is an alternative, exciting sonata made up of three movements - 1) Rural, 2) Dramatic, and 3)Rough. Milhaud makes use of variation in articulation, complex rhythms, chromaticism, accidentals, harmonics, altering tempos, variation in dynamics and a wide tessitura, amongst other aspects. Milhaud's Sonata No. 2 for Viola andPiano is essential to all advanced violists seeking modern and exciting repertoire.

SKU: BT.YE0009

Very little is known about the two sonatas which appear here in their original keys. They were placed in the library of the Music School in Oxford at the end of the seventeenth century in a form convenient for playing (i.e.unbound). The library was catalogued by Hake between 1850 and 1855 and the sonatas were eventually bound in 1855 with other instrumental and vocal manuscripts of the same period, some of which are dated 1698.

The sonatasare both inscribed on the title page Sonata Violone Solo. Col Basso per l'Organo, o Cembalo. A third sonata bears the words Sonata Violino e Violoncino â?¦ di Giovannino del Violone. Giovannino (=Little, or Young John)musthave been a performer, and although the third sonata has been copied by a different hand, it is conceivable that Giovannino is a connecting link between the three. He cannot, however, be assumed to be theirauthor.

The Violone was a six-stringed instrument with frets, and there is evidence to suggest that the Contrabasso of the same period was similar but probably a little larger; the Violoncino (=Little Violone, orVioloncello) must have been smaller. The word 'Violone' was also used as a collective term embracing all members of the Viol family, which means that the sonatas might well have been written for a tenor or a bass Viol, and notnecessarily a Violone as such. Indeed, when they are played on a Violone, or Double Bass the continuo bass line must be played at a lower pitch than the solo instrument, to prevent inversion of the intended harmony. (The use ofa Violone/Double Bass continuo or 16' organ tone would overcome this problem.)

The editor has added no ornaments or embellishments to the solo part as it appears in the original manuscript. It is open to debate whether aViolone player, owing to the very nature of his instrument, would have used any but the simplest melodic decorations. Nevertheless, the performer should acquaint himself thoroughly with those seventeenth century traditions thatare known today (see Dart.

SKU: HL.50560057

UPC: 073999668773. 9.5x12.5 inches.