Nocturne and Scherzo with Scherzo

SKU: IS.FP4052EM

ISBN 9790365040520.

Belg ian composer Jef Joseph Maes (1905 – 1996) often described himself as a modern romantic, and his 1948 Arabesque and Scherzo for flute and piano (written as a concours piece for the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp in Belgium) is a testament to that label. Quite aside from its appeal to flutists as a competition work - with its origins as a concours piece allowing the player to display both technical and musical prowess - the music itself holds touches of Korngold and early Hindemith in its lush melodies and moments of sultry film music. And, though Maes held no truck with most elements of modernism, his clever take on neo-romantic harmony and a healthy touch of humor keeps the piece sounding fresh and appealing. Constructed on the model of more famous Paris Conservatoire pieces - Gaubert's Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando, for example, or Enesco's Cantabile et Presto - the Arabesque and Scherzo revels in the two-movement format. The opening Arabesque allows the flutist to sing, with ornamentation and figurations highlighting the flute's ability to color octave-spanning melody with technique. The Scherzo alternates between action sequences and moments of reverie, but always with an ear towards vivid musicality and clear conversation between flute and piano.

SKU: HL.14023164

John McCabe's Nocturnal For Piano Quintet was composed in 1966, commissioned by the Park Lane Group, London, and first performed by the Lancaster University Ensemble.

Duration: Approximately 13 minutes.

Composers Note: 

The title of this work is a reference to John Donne's poem A Nocturnal upon St Lucie's Day, the mood of which is reflected in the quintet. It falls into several movements, played without a break: Introduction (Andante), setting forth the main thematic ideas of the music; Nocturne 1 (Allegro vivo), an agitated, virtuoso, scherzo-like section; a tripartite central part of the work consisting of two Cadenzasframing a brief Interlude, the first Cadenza being largely for strings, the second mainly for piano, and the Interlude harking back to the feeling of the Introduction; Nocturne 2 (Andante molto), a slow piece gradually building to a unison theme on strings accompanied by a tolling piano background. This dies down to lead to an Epilogue, ending with a final reference to the work's opening bars. 

SKU: PR.446413410

UPC: 680160667420. 9 x 12 inches.

I wrote this piece with a darker sonority and an emphasis on lyricism, qualities that I associate with the viola. In the first movement, titled Fantasia, the viola begins with a quiet and free cadenza, becoming more passionate until the woodwinds join in dialogue with the soloist. Gradually the rest of the orchestra enters, exploring ideas from the solo cadenza while introducing a new theme that reappears in the last movement. The second movement is a scherzo, mischievous in mood with the orchestra and viola trading barbed jokes. The antics are interrupted by a brass chorale with embellishment from the viola. The scherzo then resumes with prominent contributions from the bassoons. The last movement, titled Nocturne, plays with different kinds of music associated with the night. A sensual and romantic atmosphere gives way to something more menacing and ultimately violent. After a climax from the full orchestra, soft strings and solo viola lead us into the coda, taking an ambiguous idea from the first movement and transforming it into a lyrical and heartfelt prayer. The concerto ends with the solo viola ascending on the crest of an orchestral wave of sound.

SKU: PR.44641341L

UPC: 680160667437. 11 x 17 inches.

I wrote this piece with a darker sonority and an emphasis on lyricism, qualities that I associate with the viola. In the first movement, titled Fantasia, the viola begins with a quiet and free cadenza, becoming more passionate until the woodwinds join in dialogue with the soloist. Gradually the rest of the orchestra enters, exploring ideas from the solo cadenza while introducing a new theme that reappears in the last movement. The second movement is a scherzo, mischievous in mood with the orchestra and viola trading barbed jokes. The antics are interrupted by a brass chorale with embellishment from the viola. The scherzo then resumes with prominent contributions from the bassoons. The last movement, titled Nocturne, plays with different kinds of music associated with the night. A sensual and romantic atmosphere gives way to something more menacing and ultimately violent. After a climax from the full orchestra, soft strings and solo viola lead us into the coda, taking an ambiguous idea from the first movement and transforming it into a lyrical and heartfelt prayer. The concerto ends with the solo viola ascending on the crest of an orchestral wave of sound.

SKU: HL.14005408

8.25x11.75x0.107 inches.

Geoffrey Burgon's Six Studies were originally composed for solo cello. This transcription, authorised by the composer, has involved some changes in register and notes due to the different timbres and response of the viola and the considerable difference in physical size of the two instruments. This work was commissioned by the Portsmouth Festival with funds provided by Southen Arts. The first performance was given by Julian Lloyd Webber at the Cathedral Church of Old Portsmouth in June 1980.

SKU: YM.GTP01097743

ISBN 9784636977431.

13 well-known Chopin's works are arranged by Eiichi Fujii.
This series is produced by Eiichi Fujii, known as a highly sophisticated jazz piano arranger as well as a pioneer of jazz piano in Japan.
All music sheets in the series have samples of trio ensemble performances for reference; they can be found just by reading the QR code in each book with smartphones.

SKU: HL.49019302

ISBN 9790001153737. UPC: 888680663490.

'Six Pieces' Op. 19 is the first collection of piano pieces by Tchaikovsky which contributed significantly to his growing renown as most important Russian composer apart from Anton Rubinstein. Famous contemporary pianists like Nikolai Rubinstein and Hans von Bulow performed Reverie du soir (Op. 19, No. 1) or Theme original et variations (No. 6) in their concerts in the 1870s. Commissioned by his Moscow publisher P. I. Jurgenson, Six Pieces Op. 19 was composed by Tchaikovsky in the summer and autumn of 1873, i.e. during his time as professor of theory at the Moscow Conservatoire.Bulow had entered 'little changes' in his own copy of the first edition of Variations Op. 19/6. There is, however, no documentary proof which of Bulow's changes Tchaikovsky eventually included in the Nouvelle edition revue et corrigee par l'auteur of Op. 19 published only in 1890. The present new edition therefore contains both versions of the Variations. Tchaikovsky's version of the first edition can be found in the appendix of the present volume, Bulow's version expressly adopted by Tchaikovsky is presented together with Nos. 1-5 in the main text of the volume on the basis of the Nouvelle edition revue et corrigee par l'auteur from 1890.

SKU: TL.TCL014962

ISBN 9780857364692.

This audio CD contains exam pieces on the Trinity College London Violin syllabus for 2016-2019, featuring renowned violinist, Ofer Falk. (alternative pieces are not included). In addition to full recordings of each piece, the CD also includes 'minus one' style backing tracks, allowing students to practise with the piano accompaniment played by Peter Wild.
These recordings are not definitive but may be employed as an aid to preparation for Trinity College London examinations.

SKU: PR.140401190

UPC: 680160637881.

A commission by 13 individual pianists, Pure Contraption, Absolute Gift is a suite of five movements, which Primosch describes in depth on his blog, Secret Geometry. While the first movement is contained primarily to the bass clef, the second is in the treble. The suite, however, as an entirety, makes full use of the entire range of the keyboard. For advanced pianists. The piece is ferociously difficult...Both the first prelude, with its nervous thumping and banging, and 'A Gracious Dance,' Debussy a century later, ended in question marks. The 'Gigue-Scherzo' seemed more of a 'Scherzo-Gigue'; 'Nocturnal Obsessions,' with its moody left-hand ostinatos, lived up to its title. 'Contraption' evoked jazz at first, but soon [the pianist's] hands were speaking different languages. --Jeffrey Gantz, The Boston Globe.