SKU: BR.OB-15136-30
In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag
ISBN 9790004341346. 10 x 12.5 inches.
The Havanaise possibly has its roots in the friendship of the composer with the Cuban-born violinist Rafael Diaz Albertini. It is thus perfectly plausible that Saint-Saens borrowed the Cuban syncopated slow dance Habanera out of kindness towards his performance partner when he was getting ready to write a work for Diaz Albertini in 1887. Saint-Saens originally wrote a version for violin and piano, which was later followed by the orchestral version that the publisher Durand had urged him to write. Diaz Albertini, to whom the work was dedicated, gave its world premiere before other virtuosos adopted it for themselves and spread its fame throughout the world. The basis of this first Urtext edition of the piece is the first edition, which was presumably personally overseen by Saint-Saens.
SKU: BR.OB-15136-15
ISBN 9790004341292. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: BR.EB-8993
ISBN 9790004187227. 9 x 12 inches.
The three piano sonatas by Joachim Raff (1822-1882), representing his three main creative phases, occupy a special position among his more than 100 piano pieces. They reflect a significant compositional aspiration whereas Raff otherwise frequently leans towards the salon-music genre in his piano music. Raff composed the early sonata op. 14 in 1844 after his first works were positively evaluated and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy had encouraged him to venture a career as a composer. The Fantasie-Sonate [Fantasy Sonata] in d minor op. 168, Raff wrote in 1871 at the height of his fame as one of Germany's then most-played composers. Its dedication to Camille Saint-Saens shows his opposition to the rampant German disapproval of France and its music representatives in the wake of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71. The second version of the sonata op. 14, composed in the fall of 1881, had only the opus number in common with the earlier version. In this late work Raff had created an entirely new sonata. ,,Beautifully presented on cream paper, with exceptional clarity and generous spacing. The Fantasie-Sonate in D minor Op. 168, in particular, is a masterpiece which manifests both considerable power and exquisite craftsmanship. (www.pianodao.com).
SKU: BR.OB-15136-27
ISBN 9790004341339. 10 x 12.5 inches.
SKU: IS.BCP7332EM
ISBN 9790365073320.
Camille Saint-Saëns composed this Romance, Op. 51, in 1877, originally in the key of D major for cello and piano. The form of the piece is relatively simple, opening with a lyrical melody over a repetitive and somewhat rhythmic accompaniment. The middle section modulates to the key of the flattened 6th scale degree (B-flat major), using this to arrive at the dominant chord, in which there are some pseudo cadenza-like moments. Following this, a return to the opening melody with a slightly modified accompaniment, and subsequently a brief coda. To better accommodate the bass clarinet, the entire piece has been transposed up a half-step from the original version into a more comfortable key of E-flat major. Additionally, for much of the piece, the solo part has been lowered by an octave, as to make the piece generally more accessible to students. Should there be a desire to hear the piece more in the range of the original version, one could simply play it on a standard B-flat clarinet to achieve this effect. Though only about four minutes in length, this relatively short vignette captures much of the true essence of Saint-Saëns, not only through the harmonic progressions and accompanimental figures used, but also demonstrating his gift of turning a simple melody into something extraordinary.
