Offertorium. Tenor-Arie Mit Chor. Par SCHUBERT FRANZ. In contrast to his earlier short church works, some of which rely stylistically on baroque and classical models, in this work Schubert has discovered his own personal and romantically coloured church music idiom. Elements of this new church style include iteration which creates atmosphere, the subtle introduction of wind instrument, and sounds …

Par LERDAHL FRED. Waltzes, a cycle of twelve virtuoso waltzes for violin, viola, cello, and double bass, was commissioned by the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, where the first nine waltzes were premiered in 1981. Soon thereafter I composed the final three waltzes. The violinist Rolf Schulte led the first performance of the complete work in New York City in 1983. Waltzes lasts about 22 minutes…

Par JOLLIFFE EDMUND. Although the English madrigal has been fairly described by John Rutter as a completed historical form, its younger sibling the partsong still flourishes in the hands of sympathetic composers like Edmund Jolliffe, who can clothe secular texts with music a cappella that fits their sentiments like a glove. In fact John Donne 's verse, though of a later period, receives a setting …

Weihnachtskantate. Par SCHMELZER JOHANN HEINRICH. With this pastoral Christmas cantata by the long-serving Royal Hofkapellmeister of Vienna, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, we wish to draw attention to a prominent baroque composer whose vocal and instrumental works have yet to achieve their historical place in the “early music scene“ which they richly deserve. Schmelzer’s easily performable pastoral mu…

Joseph Horovitz (b. 1926) is a British composer and conductor, who is best known for his involvement the 1951 Festival of Britain, and for works such as Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo . His Concertante (1948) was his first published composition, written while he was still studying under Gordon Jacob at the RCM. It was modelled on the Weber's Concertino for Clarinet , but is written in a decided…

Born in South Africa, but now an Irish citizen, Kevin Volans' musical idiom has been shaped by an unusually diverse range of experiences, including studies with Stockhausen in Cologne, field trips to South Africa to study traditional music, his own involvement with the New Simplicity movement, his collection of contemporary art and African textiles, friendships with composers like Morton Feldman a…

Organ and percussion, one of the most exotic instrumental combinations in modern music, invariably produce delightful sonic effects and contrasts. This also applies to Zsigmond Szathmary's Sense of Rhythm, where this renowned concert organist and performer of contemporary organ music explores the duo format as a vehicle for conversation, conflict and reconciliation in a rich array of shades and hu…

Weihnachtskantate. Par SCHMELZER JOHANN HEINRICH. With this pastoral Christmas cantata by the long-serving Royal Hofkapellmeister of Vienna, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, we wish to draw attention to a prominent baroque composer whose vocal and instrumental works have yet to achieve their historical place in the “early music scene“ which they richly deserve. Schmelzer’s easily performable pastoral mu…

Weihnachtskantate. Par SCHMELZER JOHANN HEINRICH. With this pastoral Christmas cantata by the long-serving Royal Hofkapellmeister of Vienna, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, we wish to draw attention to a prominent baroque composer whose vocal and instrumental works have yet to achieve their historical place in the “early music scene“ which they richly deserve. Schmelzer’s easily performable pastoral mu…

Mark Vega’s Jazz Solo Series for Eb instruments, including Tenor Saxophone, is a great instructional tool for musicians and music students to learn or improve their improvisational abilities in the jazz-swing idiom. There are sixty-six examples in the book, starting at a somewhat easy level and gradually increasing in difficulty throughout the book. Sections include: Exercises in all twelve keys u…

Par HERCHENRODER MARTIN. 'Toccata and Lament” was composed on commission in 2008 to inaugurate the large new organ in the Christ Church Cathedral, Rochester, NY, USA. This instrument is a detailed reconstruction of a late Baroque organ of 1776 from Vilnius in Lithuania. The point of departure - a clash of contrasting eras and musical cultures on two continents - already bodes excitement. Martin He…

Par KASHPEROVA LEOKADIYA. Leokadiya Kashperova (1872–1940), hitherto consigned to a footnote in musical history as Stravinsky’s piano teacher, is undergoing rediscovery. A double graduate of the St Petersburg Conservatoire, she emerged as a virtuoso pianist and composer in the romantic tradition. She was associated with some of the great musicians of her day, including Balakirev and Auer. She perf…

New edition of the full score of this 8-minute work composed in 1933-36. Stemming from a suggested commission for an oboe concerto this music represented, as Stephen Banfield asserts, 'the first real manifestation of Finzi's mature idiom?. The demanding solo part is underpinned with idiomatic string writing as the music evolves with a natural flowing momentum. The work has a cyclic feeling to it, …

Piano Miniatures For Intermediate-Level Players And Beyond. Par CORNICK MIKE. Six new pieces from UE's resident master of Jazz Piano, Mike Cornick. In these original pieces for intermediate players, Mike looks at various aspects of jazz, exploring the rhythms, melodies and harmonies of the idiom. The highlight of the set is Mike's own homage to the great jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker, based on …