SKU: A0.551492

Morning Mood, Ase's Death, Anitra's Dance, In the Hall of the Mountain King

Grieg Background

In the first place, Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907) was a Norwegian composer as well as a concert pianist. As a matter of fact, most music historians consider him one of the foremost Romantic era composers. Consequently, his music is part of the international standard classical repertoire. Grieg moreover used Norwegian folk music in his own compositions.  Consequently, he ushered Norwegian music to transnational consciousness. Furthermore, he forged a national musical identity for Norway. It is important to realize that he did this in a manner similar to Jean Sibelius in Finland, and BedÅ™ich Smetana in Bohemia.

Legacy

Grieg is celebrated in the city of Bergen. For example, the city has erected numerous statues depicting Grieg. Specifically, the city has named a concert hall (Grieg Hall), a music school (Grieg Academy) and a professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor) after him. As a matter of fact, there is also a museum located at his former home in Troldhaugen.

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Op. 46)

Grieg wrote incidental music for the purpose of illustrating a play by Ibsen known as Peer Gynt. The play includes, in particular, the famous selection entitled, In the Hall of the Mountain King. In this composition, Grieg indeed depicts the exploits of the scoundrel, Peer Gynt. In one famous episode, for example, Peer steals a bride at her wedding. For this reason, the people chase him, but soon Peer falls, thereupon striking his skull on a boulder. He wakens forthwith in a highland bounded by angry gnomes. Consequently, the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King represents the mad gnomes taunting Peer. Therefore, each time the theme repeats it gets louder and faster. In the end, Peer surprisingly escapes from the mountain.

Holberg Suite and Misc. Summary

It must be remembered that Grieg originally wrote his Holberg Suite for the piano. In other words, he only later arranged it for strings. Further, Grieg composed by and large many songs with lyrics by famous writers such as Heine, Goethe, Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling, and others. On balance, Norwegian pianist Eva Knardahl recorded altogether Grieg’s whole piano catalog on LP in 1980. These recordings were released again on CD in 2006. In any event, Grieg himself performed and recorded the bulk of these pieces toward the end of his life.

SKU: A0.551500

1. Morning Mood, 2. Ase's Death, 3. Anitra's Dance, 4. In the Hall of the Mountain King

Grieg Background

In the first place, Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907) was a Norwegian composer as well as a concert pianist. As a matter of fact, most music historians consider him one of the foremost Romantic era composers. Consequently, his music is part of the international standard classical repertoire. Grieg moreover used Norwegian folk music in his own compositions.  Consequently, he ushered Norwegian music to transnational consciousness. Furthermore, he forged a national musical identity for Norway. It is important to realize that he did this in a manner similar to Jean Sibelius in Finland, and BedÅ™ich Smetana in Bohemia.

Legacy

Grieg is celebrated in the city of Bergen. For example, the city has erected numerous statues depicting Grieg. Specifically, the city has named a concert hall (Grieg Hall), a music school (Grieg Academy) and a professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor) after him. As a matter of fact, there is also a museum located at his former home in Troldhaugen.

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Op. 46)

Grieg wrote incidental music for the purpose of illustrating a play by Ibsen known as Peer Gynt. The play includes, in particular, the famous selection entitled, In the Hall of the Mountain King. In this composition, Grieg indeed depicts the exploits of the scoundrel, Peer Gynt. In one famous episode, for example, Peer steals a bride at her wedding. For this reason, the people chase him, but soon Peer falls, thereupon striking his skull on a boulder. He wakens forthwith in a highland bounded by angry gnomes. Consequently, the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King represents the mad gnomes taunting Peer. Therefore, each time the theme repeats it gets louder and faster. In the end, Peer surprisingly escapes from the mountain.

Holberg Suite and Misc. Summary

It must be remembered that Grieg originally wrote his Holberg Suite for the piano. In other words, he only later arranged it for strings. Further, Grieg composed by and large many songs with lyrics by famous writers such as Heine, Goethe, Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling, and others. On balance, Norwegian pianist Eva Knardahl recorded altogether Grieg’s whole piano catalog on LP in 1980. These recordings were released again on CD in 2006. In any event, Grieg himself performed and recorded the bulk of these pieces toward the end of his life.

SKU: A0.549554

Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907) was a Norwegian composer as well as a concert pianist. Most music historians consider him one of the foremost Romantic era composers. Consequently, his music is part of the international standard classical repertoire. Grieg, moreover, used Norwegian folk music in his compositions.  Consequently, he ushered Norwegian music to transnational consciousness. Furthermore, he forged a national musical identity for Norway. It is essential to realize that he did this in a manner similar to Jean Sibelius in Finland and Bedřich Smetana in Bohemia.

Grieg's Anitra's Dance is a significant movement from his Peer Gynt Suite. It depicts a seductive dance emphasizing the grace and beauty of Anitra, the daughter of a chieftain, who steals Peer Gynt's money after he attempts to seduce her. The movement acts as a fun and playful scherzo, with a waltz feel and pizzicato string sections creating a chaotic and fast-paced atmosphere, reflecting Anitra's seductiveness and Peer Gynt's infatuation with her. This piece is part of Grieg's incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, and it is a notable example of Grieg's ability to musically capture the essence of the play's characters and scenes.

SKU: A0.587589

The Prince of Denmark’s March is better known nowadays as the Trumpet Voluntary and is often used in wedding ceremonies. It was in fact written for organ, with the melody played on thetrumpet stop.  Written around 1700, for many years this piece was mistakenly attributed to Henry Purcell. Only recently has it been established that the composer was Jeremiah Clarke, organist at St Paul’s Cathedral. It is somewhat ironic that this composer of a wedding mainstay was himself a victim of unrequited love. He consequently shot himself in the cathedral graveyard. 

This full version is arranged as a Solo for Clarinet and Piano; the performance time is around two and a half minutes. Of course, performers, especially at weddings, may wish to abridge and shorten the arrangement. This is easily done as the different sections are self-contained and the repeat may be ignored. 

The single pdf file contains both the score and the solo instrumental part. Musicians at an intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal and informal performances, with both the solo and accompaniment enjoying melodic interest. 

Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to help with strict time, full tone and dynamics.

The short sample here and the full length version on the youtube link are from the Clarinet version of this arrangement.

There are many more top quality arrangements and compositions by David McKeown for you to browse at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/david-mckeown/6203

SKU: A0.587649

The Trumpet Tune and Air was in fact written for organ, with the melody played on the trumpet stop.  Written around 1700, for many years this piece was attributed to Henry Purcell. But more recently many have questioned whether the composer was in fact Jeremiah Clarke, organist at St Paul’s Cathedral. What is known is that the piece was written for a semi-opera called The Island Princess, and that both men contributed music to the production. In recent years this piece has become a popular wedding favourite.

 This full version is arranged as a solo for Clarinet and Piano and the performance time is around two and a half minutes. Of course, performers, especially at weddings, may wish to abridge and shorten the arrangement. This is easily done as the different sections are self-contained and the repeat may be ignored. 

Musicians at an intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal and informal performances. There are of course separate piano and instrumental parts included in downloaded the file.

Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to help with strict time, full tone and dynamic contrast. 

There are many more top quality arrangements and compositions by David McKeown for you to browse at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/david-mckeown/6203

SKU: A0.549420

Score: 7 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 3 pages. Duration: 4:25 Not difficult, but requires sensitivity & dynamic control. Suitable for recitals, church meditations, or school programs.

Dvořák Background

Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904) was, of course, a composer from Czechoslovakia. As a matter of fact, he was among the first Bohemian composers to attain universal recognition. It is important to realize that the late Romantic Nationalist period featured composers who used traditional and folk elements to portray the character of their nation. In particular, we see this in the music of Grieg (Norway), Finland (Sibelius), and Smetana (Bohemia).  Dvořák relied markedly on rhythms and other characteristics of Moravian and Bohemian folk music.

Ascent to Fame

Dvořák was truly a child musical prodigy on the violin. The premiere performances of his compositions notably occurred in 1872 and 1873. He submitted his First Symphony in particular to a German competition, but it failed to win. Consequently, in 1874 he presented two more symphonies to the Austrian State Prize for Composition. Johannes Brahms was the principal of the jury and was accordingly very impressed. They forthwith awarded the prize to Dvořák in 1874, 1876, and 1877. At this point, Brahms thereupon endorsed Dvořák to the publisher Simrock. Later, the publisher commissioned Dvořák to compose the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46. These became popular overnight and, as a result, Dvořák's worldwide status was launched.

International Status

Dvořák visited England upon invitation nine times. On each visit, he frequently conducted performances of his own compositions. He conducted concerts of his music, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Eventually, the Prague Conservatory in fact appointed Dvořák as a professor. There, to be sure, he wrote his famous Dumky Trio.

United States

Consequently, the National Conservatory of Music of America appointed him as director in 1892. As a result, Dvořák composed his two most famous symphonic works: the Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), which spread his name universally, and his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, one of the most famous of all cello works. Moreover, he wrote his most celebrated American String Quartet during this time. At the same time, because of his growing recognition in Europe and his homesickness for his own country, he left to return to Bohemia in 1895.

 

SKU: A0.1472142

Bohemian Rhapsody is a song by the British rock band Queen. Released on their 1975 album A Night at the Opera, the song is a progressive rock masterpiece that combines elements of rock, opera, and ballad genres. Written by lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody is known for its complex structure, diverse musical styles, and powerful vocal performances. Bohemian Rhapsody is more than just a song; it's a cultural phenomenon that showcases the boundless creativity of Queen. Its ability to blend various musical styles into a cohesive and emotionally resonant work has made it a timeless classic, inspiring countless artists and listeners worldwide. In this version, the composition was arranged for Clarinet in B-flat and Piano by Harry Walker.

SKU: S9.Q15285

The reputation of the Bohemian composer Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900) has always been somewhat overshadowed by that of Bedrich Smetana and Antonín Dvorák. This is a pity, for Fibich, though he died young, made an equally important contribution to the emerging Czech national styl with his wide range of compositions. After starting piano lessons with his mother as his first teacher, the boy went on to music school in Prague and then to the Leipzig Conservatoire, where he learned his craft as a composer. He spent a few months teaching piano in Paris and then continued his studies with Vinzenz Lachner in Mannheim. Prague was eventually to become the centre for Fibich's musical activities: as his dream of a post at the Conservatoire remained unfulfilled, his main employment was giving private music lessons and as a composer Zdenek Fibich wrote works for many musical genres: vocal and chamber music, piano pieces and orchestral works, operas, stage music and melodramas, literary recitals with orchestral accompaniment to which he gave a new lease of life. There are biographical traces to be found in the 376 piano pieces of the collection 'Moods, Impressions and Reminiscences' Op. 41, written in 1892-98: this tells of his love for his pupil Anezka Schulzová in the form of a 'piano diary'. Its four volumes were frequently a source of material for other works, such as the symphonic poem 'In the Evening' Op. 39 (also known as 'A Summer's Evening' and 'At Twilight'), written in 1893. For his second subject in this 'Idyll' Fibich used the minature no. 139, entitled 'Lento', from his collection of piano pieces. The violinst Jan Kubelík played the melody from 1908 onwards with the title 'Poème', and the work is still known today under this title: its easy charm has made it a favourite tune in the classical repertoire. This arrangement is based on the orchestral version from which other material was adapted for the Prelude.

SKU: A0.587626

The Wedding Album is a collection of four beautiful and timeless wedding favourites, arranged for Solo Clarinet with Piano accompaniment. Whether for that Special Day, for a recital, or for your own entertainment, these arrangements are ideal for players at an intermediate level or higher. The 24-page file includes the piano accompaniments and the separate solo parts at the end. 

Ave Maria was written by Franz Schubert in 1825 as the sixth song in his song cycle based on Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake. It is perhaps the best known of all his melodies, adapted for piano by Franz Liszt, and for orchestra many times since. It is often sung with the Latin lyrics of the Catholic hymn of the same name and has been heard everywhere from the Disney movie Fantasia to the funeral of J.F. Kennedy. 

The Bridal March was written by Richard Wagner in 1850, scored for orchestra and chorus, and opening the third act of his opera, Lohingren. It is best known in the English-speaking world as Here Comes the Bride. Queen Victoria’s daughter used the music for her marriage in 1858, and its popularity has endured ever since.

The Prince of Denmark’s March is better known nowadays as the Trumpet Voluntary and is often used in wedding ceremonies. It was in fact written for organ, with the melody played on thetrumpet stop.  Written around 1700, for many years this piece was mistakenly attributed to Henry Purcell. Only recently has it been established that the composer was Jeremiah Clarke, organist at St Paul’s Cathedral. It is somewhat ironic that this composer of a wedding mainstay was himself a victim of unrequited love. He consequently shot himself in the cathedral graveyard. 

Felix Mendelssohn’s Wedding March was originally written in 1842 as incidental music to Shakespeare’s famousplay, Midsummer Night’s Dream. When Queen Victoria’s daughter used the music for her marriage in 1858, it became instantly popular and has remained a wedding favourite ever since.

These four arrangements are also available as single titles for $3.99 each. You can find these along with many more top quality arrangements and compositions by David McKeown at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/david-mckeown/6203

SKU: A0.614909

3 WONDERFUL HYMNS arranged by Gary Lanier is for Bb Clarinet and Piano. The hymn titles are (1) I Will Sing the Wondrous Story, (2) I Love Thee, & (3) Oh, How I Love Jesus. All for the price of 2. Ideal for offertories, special music for worship services, or for the joy of playing in any situation where wonderful hymns are desired (21 pages).