SKU: HL.265678
14.5x10.0x0.4 inches.
Anna Thorvaldsdottir's Impressions for prepared harpsichord. Written for Gudrun Oskarsdottir. The first performance was given on 30 January 2016 at Harpa Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland.
SKU: HL.234540
9.0x12.0x0.09 inches. English.
'This set of miniatures is based on traditional dance songs of the Yupik Eskimo people of Western Alaska. In their original forms, these melodies would be sung in unison. The first, third and fifth songs would be accompanied by frame drums. The second and fourth are game songs, for jumping rope and juggling pebbles. Aside from the obvious difference in instrumentation, my settings of these songs differ from the Yup'ik originals in other respects. I have extended and varied the melodies, and added countermelodies, ostinato figurations, introductions, interludes and codas. The first four melodies are drawn from the collection Yup'ik Eskimo songs, compiled by Thomas F. Johnston, and Tupou L. Pulu, and published by the University Of Alaska. The fifth was 'loaned' to me by Yup'ik singer and dancer Chuna McIntyre, who learned it in his village of Eek, Alaska. The poems preceding each piece are rough translations of the words to the songs. These verses are often cryptic and enigmatic. Their obscurity is increased because some of the words or their meanings have been lost, over time.' - John Luther Adams.
SKU: HL.14020226
8.25x11.75x0.077 inches.
A Harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed. The instrument was widely used in Renaissance and Baroque music. During the late 18th century,it gradually disappeared from the musical scene with the rise of the Piano. In the 20th century, it made a resurgence, being used in historically informed performances of older music, in new (contemporary) compositions, and inpopular culture.
This piece is perfect for anyone who wants to discover this unique instrument. Composed in 1966 by Elizabeth Maconchy the upbeat allegro of Notebook For Harpsichord takesapproximately 8 minutes to perform.
SKU: HL.14043600
9.0x12.0x0.058 inches.
Simon Holt 's the man in the wind and the west moon was composed for Solo Harp in 2013, having been commissioned by The Tanza Trust. The piece takes its title from a line in a Dylan Thomas poem named 'And death shall have no dominion'. The four sections of the work see shifting harmonies throughout, with the first section repeating but also changing ever so subtly. The unique thing about the piece is that each section is dynamically different, but is left open to interpretation by the player. The man in the wind and the west moon was first performed on the 2nd of June 2014 at Milton Court Concert Hall in London by Alex Rider. The piece lasts around 7minutes, and the bottom C and D strings should be tuned to C# and D# respectively.
SKU: HL.14023645
ISBN 9780711983281. 9.0x12.0x0.162 inches.
These three solo harpsichord pieces are a collection of recent compositions, each with an individual theme and idea. The first, The convertibility of Lute Strings, was first performed at the Purcell Room, London in 1992. The second, Tango for Tim was written in memory of a friend and composer Tim Souster, which was composed and first performed in 1994. The third piece, Elisabeth Gets Her Way, is an extended version of the cadenza which Elisabeth Chojnacka persuaded Michael Nyman to add to his Harpsichord Concerto, which includes material from the first two pieces in this album.
SKU: HL.14017178
