Instrumental Duet Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549381 Composed by George Frideric Handel. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Baroque,Sacred,Standards,Wedding. Score and parts. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3492259. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549381). Duration: 4:55, Score: 6 pages, Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 2 pages. A very famous aria (Ombra mai fu) from XerxesSuitable for any venue requiring meditative music. Excellent choice for a recital encore. Xerxes Xerxes is, in fact, an opera seria in three acts by Handel. Moreover, Handel conducted the premiere performance in London in 1738. Handel casts the opera in Persia in 470 BC. The part of Xerxes was indeed originally sung by a soprano castrato. Nowadays, the part is generally sung by a mezzo-soprano or conversely a counter-tenor. In the first place, Xerxes sings an opening aria, Ombra mai fu to a plane tree. Handel sets this aria to one of his most truly famous melodies. Although many refer to it traditionally as Handel’s Largo, Handel has, on the contrary, clearly marked Larghetto in the score. Handel Background George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) was born in Germany but eventually became a British citizen. Nonetheless, he was a famous Baroque composer. In fact, he became famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel studied music and, by and large, worked as a composer in Germany and Italy before moving to London. On the whole, Handel was very familiar with the contemporary music of Italy and Germany. Career in England It is essential to realize that Italian opera was all the rage in England at the time. Moreover, Handel was really good at writing them. Therefore, he started not one but three opera companies in England. Alexander's Feast was a huge success in 1736, but Handel began composing English choral works. After success with the Messiah in 1742) he certainly never again wrote an Italian opera. Consequently, he died in 1759, a treasured genius. Accordingly, the English government gave him full state honors at his funeral. Hence, he is buried in Westminster Abbey in London. Legacy Music historians agree that Handel was in general one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era.  To demonstrate, his works such as the Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks remain consistently popular up to the present time. He especially composed the coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest for the coronation of George II. Nevertheless, it has specifically been performed at every succeeding British coronation since. His oratorio Solomon has by all means also continued to be prevalent. As a matter of fact, Sinfonia from act 3 was featured in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Handel was particularly prolific. To enumerate, he wrote over forty operas.  Since the late 1960s, we have expressly experienced a revival of baroque music. Similarly, we have especially seen a pique of interest in historically informed musical performances. Since his death in 1779, interest in Handel's music has all in all, expanded.  

Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 1 - Digital Download SKU: A0.548694 Composed by Franz Schubert. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Easter,Standards. 4 pages. Jmsgu3 #3411135. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548694). A Bassoon Christmas/Easter classic! Duration: 4:55 Score: 3 pg. Bassoon part: 1 pg. Piano reads from the score. Schubert seems to have composed this piece as a song-setting. This is because he wanted to portray a poignant emotional event from a poem. The poem was Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake. Consequently, this song became an integral part of Schubert's Song cycle. Therefore the cycle is called: the Lady of the Lake. In the poem, Ellen Douglas is the Lady of the Lake. The lake is probably Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands. First of all, Ellen goes with her father to stay in the Goblin's cave. They go because he earlier refused to join in a rebellion against King James. Roderick Dhu, the chief of the rebellious Alpine Clan, marches up the mountain with his army. But before the battle, he, first of all, hears Ellen singing. She is singing a prayer calling for help from the Virgin Mary. Schubert's piece was first performed at the castle of Countess Sophie Weissenwolff in Steyregg, Austria.  Schubert dedicated the arrangement to her, and as a result, she became famous as the lady of the lake.The incipit of Ellen's song is Ave Maria which is Latin for Hail Mary. It seems like this similarity led Schubert to adapt the melody to accommodate the Roman Catholic prayer Ave Maria. Consequently, the Latin version of Ave Maria finally became more famous than the original so that consequently many believe he wrote the Latin version first. Schubert Franz Schubert (1797–1828) was, in fact, a famous Austrian composer. Moreover, he composed during the late Classical and early Romantic periods. Schubert was comparatively prolific. He wrote more than 600 secular vocal works, seven symphonies, and, correspondingly, a massive amount of piano and chamber music. Critics agree, as a matter of fact, that his most famous works include his Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 (also known as the Trout Quintet), the Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 (Unfinished Symphony), the last sonatas for piano (D. 958–960), and the song cycles Die schöne Müllerin (D. 795) and Winterreise (D. 911). Education Schubert was furthermore a musical child prodigy. He studied violin with his father as well as piano with his older brother. In addition, when Schubert was eleven he studied at Stadtkonvikt school, where he became familiar with the orchestral music of Haydn, Mozart, and likewise Beethoven. In due time he left school and returned home where he studied to become an educator; nevertheless, he continued studying composition with Antonio Salieri. Performance Eventually, Schubert was admitted to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde as a performer. This appointment straightaway established his name in Vienna as a composer and pianist. Finally, he gave his only composition recital in 1828. He died suddenly a few months later probably due to typhoid fever. Legacy Schubert’s music was by and large underappreciated while he was alive. There were all in all only a few enthusiasts in Vienna. After he died, however, interest in his work in fact increased. Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms and other famous composers in due time discovered his compositions. Nowadays, historians rank Schubert expressly among the greatest composers of the era, and his music remains in general very popular.

Instrumental Duet Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.552407 Composed by Leo Delibes (1836-1891). Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Holiday,Romantic Period,Standards,Wedding. Score and parts. 7 pages. Jmsgu3 #6342571. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.552407). Duo of the flowers from Lakme, Act I. A popular wedding selection.Leo Delibes (1836-1891) was a French composer of the Romantic period best known for his ballets and operas. He was a child prodigy and began composing music at the age of seven. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where he developed a mastery of the symphonic form and wrote several pieces for the orchestra. His works for the stage are among the most popular and beloved of the Romantic era, including the ballets Coppélia and Sylvia, and the opera Lakmé.Delibes was a pioneer in the use of orchestral color and instrumental effects to enhance the dramatic narrative of his works. His works are often praised for their lyricism, graceful melodies, and colorful orchestrations. His music is considered to be a bridge between the grandiose and romantic works of the French composers before him, such as Gounod and Berlioz, and the more intimate and melodic style of composers like Debussy and Ravel.Delibes’ influence can be heard in the works of later composers such as Stravinsky and Prokofiev, and his music continues to be performed and enjoyed today. His contributions to music history are significant, and his works remain beloved masterpieces of the Romantic era.Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé is an opera in three acts. It was first performed in 1883 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris. The libretto was written by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The story is set in British-occupied India and tells the story of a young Indian girl, Lakmé, who is in love with a British officer, Gerald. The story follows the couple's romantic journey, as well as the obstacles they face from Lakmé's father and the British military. The opera is best known for its beautiful score, which includes the famous aria The Flower Duet as well as the duet Lakmé! The Bell Song. The opera has been performed in opera houses all over the world and is considered one of Delibes' most popular works.The Duo des Fleurs, composed by French composer Léo Delibes, is a ballet pas de deux from the ballet Lakme, Act I. It is a beloved masterpiece of the Romantic period and is often performed as a standalone piece in many ballet performances. The piece is typically danced by two female ballet dancers and is known for its playful and lighthearted nature. The music consists of a melody that alternates between the two dancers and is often accompanied by a lighthearted waltz. The music has a strong sense of unity and connection between the two dancers, which is enhanced by the use of the same melody. The piece also features a beautiful soaring coda that gives it a sense of grandeur and beauty. The Duo des Fleurs is an exquisite piece of music and an enduring classic of the ballet repertoire.

Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 1 - Digital Download SKU: A0.548758 Composed by Gabriel. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Easter,Standards. 7 pages. Jmsgu3 #3416305. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548758). Score: 4 pg. solo part: 1 pg, Piano part: 2 pg. Duration: 2:18, 57 measures in 6/8, 3 verses. The voice-leading in the first 2 verses is modified and improved from the original. The 3rd verse modulates up a semi-tone then features a descant that simulates bird calls.

Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549517 Composed by Edvard Grieg. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Instructional,Romantic Period,Sacred,Standards. 17 pages. Jmsgu3 #3504441. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549517). Duration: ca. 4:00, Score: 9 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 4 pages. Super-famous instantly recognizable tune, not very difficult - suitable for a recital or church meditation. 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 Bedřich Smetana in Bohemia. Legacy Grieg is especially 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 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, 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 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.

Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549232 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Baroque,Easter,Standards,Wedding. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3468756. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549232). 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 joyTo 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.

Instrumental Duet Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.551630 Composed by Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918). Arranged by James Guthrie, ASCAP. Instructional,New Age,Romantic Period,Standards. 22 pages. Jmsgu3 #5325621. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.551630). Claude Debussy: Arabesque 1. Duration: ca. 3:30. Debussy's Arabesques are considered to be one of the earliest expressions of French impressionism. They are a suite of two piano pieces that contain hints of Debussy's developing musical style. Although they did not receive much attention when they were first published, they are now regarded as early impressionist standards. Debussy seems to wander through modes and keys, achieving evocative scenes throughout both pieces. The Arabesques are important in the history of music as they represent a significant development in the impressionist movement.Claude Debussy was a French composer born in 1862 who developed a highly original system of harmony and musical structure that expressed the ideals of the Impressionist and Symbolist painters and writers of his time. He is considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. Debussy's compositions, including his orchestral poems and piano music, helped establish the musical language for much of the twentieth century. Critics often credited Debussy with pioneering a genre called impressionism, although Debussy consistently rejected the term. Debussy's best-known musical arabesque is his Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1894).

Instrumental Duet Bassoon,Instrumental Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.551645 Composed by Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918). Arranged by James Guthrie, ASCAP. Holiday,Instructional,Romantic Period,Standards. 23 pages. Jmsgu3 #5328437. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.551645). Claude Debussy: Arabesque No. 2. Duration ca 3:45. Debussy's Arabesques are considered to be one of the earliest expressions of French impressionism. They are a suite of two piano pieces that contain hints of Debussy's developing musical style. Although they did not receive much attention when they were first published, they are now regarded as early impressionist standards. Debussy seems to wander through modes and keys, achieving evocative scenes throughout both pieces. The Arabesques are important in the history of music as they represent a significant development in the impressionist movement.Claude Debussy was a French composer born in 1862 who developed a highly original system of harmony and musical structure that expressed the ideals of the Impressionist and Symbolist painters and writers of his time. He is considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. Debussy's compositions, including his orchestral poems and piano music, helped establish the musical language for much of the twentieth century. Critics often credited Debussy with pioneering a genre called impressionism, although Debussy consistently rejected the term. Debussy's best-known musical arabesque is his Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1894).