Performance notes on the Violin Concerto op. 64 and on the Chamber Music for Strings by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

SKU: ST.Y274

ISBN 9790220223358.

1st perf: Keisuke Okazaki, Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall, Tokyo, Japan, 22 April 2008
1st UK perf: Darragh Morgan, Schott Recital Room, Bauer & Hieber, London, 5 February 2009

Though the jagged figures and phrases of Lucky's Dream by Morgan Hayes are unmistakably those of a contemporary musical expressionist, the shadow of Bach also falls on this work, inspired by the virtuosity of the young Japanese soloist Keisuke Okazaki and his playing of the E major Partita.

In fact, though 'standard' contemporary techniques are widely used in the piece - left-hand pizzicato, harmonics and microtones, all deployed in edgy, unpredictable rhythms - there is also a classical shape to the structure. In this two-part form, lasting around four minutes, the first section is reflective, dwelling on single notes, phantoms as it were of pitches that are subtly deflected through slow glissandi. Then a spectral dance ensues, delivered largely on plucked strings, ethereal, disembodied, strange.

The 'Lucky' in question is a character from Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, and Lucky's Dream is a complementary work to the earlier, impassioned Lucky's Speech (2006). The two items can stand alone or may be performed consecutively. Both are to be found on the recent all-Hayes CD released on the NMC label (NMC D163), which also features the composer's 17-minute Violin Concerto as further evidence for his original approach to writing for the instrument.

SKU: PR.416413660

ISBN 9781598063578. UPC: 680160601899. 9x12 inches.

Trained as a violinist in his native Tehran, composer Behzad Ranjbaran eagerly drew inspiration from the traditional Persian kamancheh and its delicate, lyrical sound when creating his profoundly luscious and brilliant Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. This work was completed in 1994 and premiered in England by Joshua Bell, who also gave the first American and Canadian performances. The Concerto for Violin and Orchestra is the recipient of the Rudolf Nissim Award from ASCAP, and it was supported in part by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts. The solo part with a piano reduction as well as a large score are available on custom print. For advanced players. Duration: 31'.
From my early years studying violin at the Tehran Music Conservatory, I was captivated by the sound of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed instrument considered one of the ancestors to the modern violin. I was pleased when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded me a grant to write a violin concerto as it provided me with an occasion to rekindle my fascination with the kamancheh. The notionof writing a violin concerto that would incorporate the power and brilliance of a modern instrument with the delicate and lyrical character of an ancient one was simply irresistible. Moreover, the inspiration from the kamancheh also informed my use of Persian modes, melodic, and rhythmic figures.The notes of the violin’s open strings (G, D, A, E) also influenced many of the melodic and harmonic elements of my violin concerto. The opening tutti is mostly based on intervals of a perfect 4th and 5th. The primary material for each movement incorporates notes of two of the open strings of the violin, creating a three-note melodic motif as the basis of themes:1 st movement: A-D-A2nd movement: D-G-D3rd movement: E-A-EThe overall structure of the concerto is organic and cyclical, as themes are shared between the three movements. For example, the main musical idea of the third movement is a transformation of the first movement’s primary theme. While the movements share similar musical materials, each one is definedby distinguishing characters. The first movement is conflicted; alternating between sections of unabashed lyricism and unforgivingferocity. The second movement is haunting, mysterious, and expressive with long melodic lines that vary continuously. It moves through different moods and characters including a reimagining of a traditional Persian wedding tune played by the orchestra (m. 98). The third movement is festive in character and features much brilliant passagework for the solo violin. At the climax of this movement, themes fromthe previous movements re-emerge simultaneously with greater intensity, propelling the concerto to an energetic finale. The Concerto was composed in 1994 and is dedicated to Joshua Bell.

SKU: BA.BA09099

ISBN 9790006564330. 31 x 24.3 cm inches. Key: E minor. Preface: Todd, R. Larry / Brown, Clive.

Mendelssohnâ €™s Violin Concerto op. 64, is a key work of the 19th century, adhering to the classical style of Beethoven while pointing the way to the romantic ethos of Brahms. It has long been known that Mendelssohn performed the work with three soloists in succession: Ferdinand David, who worked closely with the composer during its composition and played it at the première; the ‘child prodigy’ Joseph Joachim; and Hubert Lonard, a young Belgian virtuoso about whom little is known.

As proof sheets for the Violin Concerto in E minor were long considered lost, it could be described as somewhat of a sensation when proofs for the solo violin part resurfaced together with a letter from Mendelssohn to Lonard.

The letter informs us that the composer invited Lonard to his home in Frankfurt in order to make his acquaintance. It was already known that Mendelssohn had given proof sheets to David; now we know that he also gave some to Lonard.

The recently discovered proofs reveal how Lonard played the concerto with Mendelssohn on that memorable evening in February 1845. Besides containing bowing marks and fingering, they also show how Lonard executed shifts of position and where he employed open strings. Furthermore modifications made to dynamic markings and additional legato bowing are shown.

It is safe to assume that all of this was done with Mendelssohn’s approval. That the young violinist made a positive impression on the composer is confirmed in the latter’s correspondence following their joint performance. Mendelssohn is full of praise for Lonard’s playing and offers to lend his support in finding employment in Germany.

This revised edition of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (only the orchestral parts remain unchanged) includes a separate booklet on performance practice.

The editor, Clive Brown, is an acknowledged expert on Romantic performance practice.

About Barenreiter Urtext

What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?< /p>

MUSICOLOGICA LLY SOUND
- A reliable musical text based on all available sources
- A description of the sources
- Information on the genesis and history of the work
- Valuable notes on performance practice
- Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions

... AND PRACTICAL
- Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them
- A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format
- Excellent print quality
- Superior paper and binding

SKU: BR.PB-15156-07

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004215616. 6.5 x 9 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-16

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339794. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-15

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339787. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BA.BA05146

ISBN 9790006566761. 32.5 x 25.5 cm inches. Key: G minor. Preface: Fischer, Wilfried.

This violin concerto in G minor has not come down to us in the form presented here. It has been reconstructed from a lost violin concerto that survives solely in Bach’s arrangement for harpsichord, namely, as the Harpsichord Concerto in F minor (BWV 1056).

The reconstruction is based on a meticulous evaluation of those autograph harpsichord concertos that also survive in an original version for violin. In particular, the autograph harpsichord parts contain changes that Bach made when preparing his arrangements, thereby revealing the manner in which he transcribed his solo violin works for the harpsichord.

The keyboard realization is presented in a transparent way allowing players the possibility to embellish and fill in the harmonies at their discretion.

About Barenreiter Urtext

What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?< /p>

MUSICOLOGICA LLY SOUND
- A reliable musical text based on all available sources
- A description of the sources
- Information on the genesis and history of the work
- Valuable notes on performance practice
- Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions

... AND PRACTICAL
- Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them
- A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format
- Excellent print quality
- Superior paper and binding

SKU: BR.PB-15114

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004212066. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-03

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339763. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-19

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339800. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BA.TP00422

ISBN 9790260107694. 22.5 x 16.5 cm inches. Key: A minor. Preface: Iacopo Cividini.

This study score is based on our recently published new scholarly-critical edition (BA 10422) of Dvorak's op. 53, his only violin concerto. Besides the original print, the edition takes into account Dvorak's autograph, which served as a model for the engraving. A fresh evaluation of the autograph has made it possible to reconstruct several variants ignored in the first and subsequent editions and to clarify ambiguities in notation and articulation.

* Study score based on the new Barenreiter Urtext edition
* Variants in the solo part as ossia passages
* Foreword by the editor on the work's genesis (Ger/Cz/Eng)

About Barenreiter Urtext

What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?< /p>

MUSICOLOGICA LLY SOUND
- A reliable musical text based on all available sources
- A description of the sources
- Information on the genesis and history of the work
- Valuable notes on performance practice
- Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions

... AND PRACTICAL
- Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them
- A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format
- Excellent print quality
- Superior paper and binding

SKU: BR.EB-10721

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790201807218. 9.5 x 12 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-12

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339770. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-30

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339824. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).

SKU: BR.OB-15114-26

In Cooperation with G. Henle Verlag

ISBN 9790004339817. 10 x 12.5 inches.

Thanks to its imaginative richness and sterling writing, Hoffmeister's Double Bass Concerto No. 1 has advanced to the rank of a popular audition concerto. But when compared with the transmitted sources, the previously available first edition of 1966 proved to be filled with errors. Tobias Glockler, double-bass player of the Dresdner Philharmonie, now presents a reliable Urtext in this edition. Through his competence as an instrumentalist, he even goes considerably further and offers various performance possibilities: the solo part can be played not only in solo and orchestral tuning, but also in the historical Viennese tuning. The C-major version, which is offered on hire, allows performances in orchestral tuning. The orchestral material in D major (sales material) is suited to the other two tunings. A beautiful and easy to read score, elegantly laid-out and with illuminating and informative preface notes. This concerto is among our most beautiful classical concerti, lyrical and inventive. It is a great pleasure to see our classical repertoire appear in such critical editions. (Rob Nairn in Bass World).