SKU: A0.549725

Duration: ca. 7:00, Score: 12 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano: 7 pages. An epic choice for a recital or funeral. Fauré Background: In the first place, Gabriel Fauré 1845 –1924) was a famous French composer, musician, and educator. Furthermore, his musical ideas influenced numerous 20th-century composers. Therefore, historians regard him as one of the leading French composers of his time. Famous Works: Among his most famous compositions, by and large, are the Pavane, Elegie (op. 24), Requiem, Sicilienne, Nocturnes for piano and the songs Après un rêve and Clair de lune. Inasmuch as his early works are well-known and relatively easy to perform, Faure’s music seems to have become gradually more difficult during his later life. In other words, his later works are somewhat esoteric and complex. Early Home Life: Fauré was in fact born into a well-cultivated family. His aptitude for music became particularly clear early on - when he was still a boy. Under these circumstances, his parents sent him to a music institution in Paris. Consequently, the training he received there prepared him for a career as a church organist and choirmaster. Middle Life: It is important to realize that Fauré studied music composition with the French musical mastermind Camille Saint-Saëns, who became his lifelong friend. Fauré eventually graduated from college and earned a living as an organist and educator. During this period, he had, on the whole, little time to compose. He consequently became more successful in his middle age, becoming organist of the Église de la Madeleine and director of the Paris Conservatoire. However, he still needed time on balance for composing. Therefore, given these points, he withdrew to the countryside during the summer to focus on composing. Later Life: Fauré was, in the final analysis, recognized in France as the foremost French composer of his time. The French government held a national musical tribute particularly for him in Paris. The French President notably headed the ceremony. Elsewhere, on the contrary, Fauré's music was slow to become accepted, except of course, in England. Legacy: Historians often describe Fauré's music in general as a transition between the end of Romanticism and the beginning of modernism. As an illustration, when Fauré was born, Chopin was still composing. However, by the time of Fauré's death, jazz and atonal music, in particular, had come to fruition. Fauré, by all means, suffered from increasing deafness in his later years. Some musicologists believe this to be indeed the cause of the esoteric nature of Faure’s final works.

SKU: A0.1384671

A concert solo or encore with piano accompaniment. A good encore is essential for a concert as it can be the show's highlight and leave a lasting impression on the audience. While encores were traditionally spontaneous, they have become a customary part of a concert's script, with performers often planning them. Encores allow artists to play fan favorites, respond to audience enthusiasm, and create a memorable conclusion to the show. They can also provide a break for the performers. However, some artists and concertgoers have disapproved of encores becoming a routine part of the show, as they can feel disingenuous when expected rather than spontaneous. Despite this, encores remain an expected and significant element of many live performances.

SKU: A0.549636

Duration: ca 5:20, Score: 8 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 4 pages. One of Beethoven's finest and most famous works. Program for a recital, church meditation or school program.

Sonata Pathétique Op. 13

First of all, this is an arrangement of the second movement of Beethoven’s Sonata Pathétique. It seems like Beethoven wrote this piece before becoming troubled by deafness. Published in 1799, it consequently remains one of the most celebrated pieces Beethoven ever wrote. As a result of its popularity, the movement was therefore performed by Karl Haas. Hass recorded it for a popular radio show called: Adventures in Good Music.

Beethoven Background

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 –1827) was certainly a German pianist. Above all, he was probably one of the greatest composers in history. As a result, he is a pivotal character in the progress between the Classical and Romantic periods. He is certainly one of the most famous and hence important of all composers. Seems like his most familiar and noteworthy works include symphonies 1-9; piano concertos 1-5; and furthermore, the violin concerto. Also, certainly of extreme importance are the noteworthy 32 sonatas for the piano; the string quartets 1-16; the Missa solemnis; and likewise, his only opera, Fidelio.

Beethoven Overview

First of all, Beethoven was born and consequently raised in Bonn. Upon turning 21 he moved to Vienna probably to study composition with Haydn. That’s when he consequently grew a reputation as a brilliant pianist. Furthermore, he probably stayed in Vienna for the rest of his life. In his late 20s, it seems like his hearing certainly began to decline. It slowly declined until consequently, he was nearly totally deaf probably by the last decade of his life. As a result, he stopped conducting and performing. Nevertheless, he continued to compose. As a result, some of his greatest works probably come from this period.

First Period

Seems like we often divide Beethoven’s life into three periods. Period 1 begins with Beethoven’s arrival in Vienna. Hence, during this period, he mastered the Viennese style of Haydn & Mozart. He consequently began increasing the size and scale of his works. Furthermore, he experimented with extreme dynamics, and likewise extreme tempi. He worked similarly with chromatic harmony. His First and Second Symphonies, therefore, belong to this period. Other important works also belong here: the first six string quartets and the Sonata Pathétique, Op. 13.

Second Period

His second period probably began as soon as he realized that he was going deaf. During this period, it seems like he became obsessed with the idea of heroism. His works consequently become even larger and more massive. The most noteworthy of these include the symphonies 3 – 8, piano concertos 5& 6, 5 string quartets, several important piano sonatas (Waldstein and Appassionata), the Kreutzer violin sonata, the violin concerto and his only opera: Fidelio.

Third Period

In contrast, Beethoven's third period is branded above all by works of incredible intellectual depth, formal innovation, and penetrating expression. It seems like he continued to expand his works. Consequently, the string quartet Op. 131 spills over into seven connected movements. Likewise, in the Ninth Symphony, he adds choral forces to his orchestra probably for the first time in history. Even more, other works from this period include his Missa solemnis, the final 5 string quartets (including the enormous Große Fuge) and the final five sonatas for piano.