SKU: A0.548507

The First Noel arranged for Viola & Piano with new harmony for the final verse.

Origins

The First Noel is an English Christmas carol. Even more, it was probably written in the late Cornish Renaissance period. While other versions spell the title as Nowell, this is just a colloquial variation. Furthermore, Noel is an older word meaning Christmas. Therefore the First Noel translates as the First Christmas. First of all, Gilbert and Sandy published the earliest version. As a result, this version appears in the Carols Ancient and Modern songbook of 1823. William Sandy edited and arranged the book. Similarly, his partner Davies Gilbert edited and added the familiar extra verses. The First Noel: Viola Version comes with new harmony in final verse for more energy and drive.

Stainer

Organist and composer Sir John Stainer published the most noteworthy customary arrangement in the 1870’s.  Stainer is above all famous for his songbook entitled: Christmas Carols New and Old (1871). This volume served as an important catalyst for reviving the English Christmas carol.  Other famous Stainer arrangements from this book are such titles as What Child Is This, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, and I Saw Three Ships.

Diatonic Function

The melodic structure in the First Noel is uncommon among English folk tunes. It simply repeats one phrase twice then follows a variation refrain. All three phrases of the song end on the mediant scale degree. This is unusual because the diatonic function of the mediant is non-final compared to the more usual tonic or even dominant degrees. Consequently, this gives the song as kind of open-ended feeling – like maybe it never really ends.

Political Context

The Catholic clergy sang carols outside of the church in Latin. After the Protestant Reformation, the reformers thought it would be better for everyone to sing carols. They decided to bring music back to the common folk. So, they translated the lyrics from Latin into common language. Moreover, the Protestants wanted more control over the music in church than what the Vatican allowed. Protestant composers such as William Byrd composed complex polyphonic Christmas music that they called carols. Nonetheless, some famous folk carols were composed in this era. Eminent composers in the nineteenth century began to revise and adapt them. Consequently, they revived the English carol.

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SKU: A0.984980

This work was entered into Brigham Young University's Second Annual Public Domain Film and Music Festival (February 5th, 2020). Its performance was awarded the first prize in musical performance and second prize in musical adaptation. The festival has a mission of educating and celebrating works that enter the public domain each year.

The specific works that are used in this piece are:

1. Specially for You, by Noel Coward

2. What'll I Do?, by Irving Berlin

3. Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gershwin

These pieces were either fully or partially in the public domain because of their publishing in 1924.

The form of this piece is meant to be like a concertino. The cadenza at the end is simultaneously challenging to the player and impressive to the listener. This piece is moderately difficult and would be appropriate for a collegiate recital program.

SKU: A0.511794

Folksong can be said to be music that contains the life and soul of the country and ancestors, and “Arirang� has a very important meaning in that it is a folk song representing Korea.

Following the fast introduction of 4 bars in 3/4 time, it is connected in the form of 5 variations in 6/8 time. The main melody of “Arirang� is exchanged with each other as if having a conversation with violin and Piano, And followed by a cadenza that boasts the splendid skills of the solo Violin, and after the wide and solemn finale, the same 3/4 time as the beginning. It ends with a short four-bar coda. Han-Ki Kim’s works give the value of artistic literature to children's songs and folk songs, which are familiar to everyone, so that the audience feels Musical sympathy, and because he is a performer, his works are characterized by a good harmony between theory and practice. This Music is dedicated to Professor Kim Nam-yoon, who left great achievements in the field of violin education in Korea. 

1. This piece is composed based on Korean traditional Bird, Bird, Blue Bird.
2. It’s very suitable for Concert and for Educational material.
3. Shown Bowing sign and Fingering will be very helpful to player.
4. Composer is, also as a Violinist, very experienced(with I Musici), and his works are loved world widely.
5. Attached Music file is recorded with Violin and Piano, just for a reference.

SKU: A0.549217

J. S. Bach BWV 508.

Bist du bei mir

Bach adapted this aria from a lost Stölzel opera called Diomedes. He changed the original orchestral instrumentation to soprano, strings, and continuo.  He also modified the voice-leading making it sound more like a Bach composition. The work appears as BWV 508 No. 25 in the Anna Magdalena Notebook No. 2.  

Source

Only a few remnants of the original opera have survived. Historians speculate that Anna Magdalena got the song from the Leipzig Opera after the bankruptcy of 1720. Chances are good, though, that the tune was a favorite of everyone in Leipzig at the time.  

Lyrics

When thou art near, I go with joy
To death and to my rest.
O how joyous would my end be,
If your fair hands
            Would close my faithful eyes. - Unknown

Bach Overview

First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and certainly the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy are the St. John Passion, and indeed the Christmas Oratorio.

 History

Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he, therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as court composer.

 Style

It seems like Bach created a fascinating new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top.

Revival              

Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.

 Voyager

NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Onboard are phonograph records with sounds, music, and images of life on Earth. The purpose of the launch was to inform intelligent extraterrestrial life forms about conditions on Earth. The music on the disc is varied. There is Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky among others. However, because Bach is so important in our music history, it contains three times more Bach than all the others combined.

 

SKU: A0.647683

I have named this series of publications – Just the Notes, simply because that’s all you get. No dynamics, bowings, phrasings, fingerings, etc. This simplifies your editing. There is not a need to erase from the original, or even worse, try to write over the original print. Also, to save you money movements are sold individually. No need to purchase a multi-movement work when your only desire is to perform only one. Arranged here for violin and piano 

SKU: A0.1403117

Danse des petits cygnes is a famous dance from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, from the ballet’s second act, the fourth movement of No. 13. Translated from French, it means Dance of the Little Swans, also known as Dance of the cygnets. It is very challenging because all dancers must look the same.

This arrangement for viola with piano accompaniment faithfully reflects the original and is suitable for repertoire, classroom and recital.