SKU: A0.861768

Appalachia Waltz MO104A

Appalachia Waltz adapted for three violins by Mark O’Connor

Score (parts available)

Music by Mark O’Connor

8 pages - 5:40 minutes in length

Appalachia Waltz by Mark O’Connor is the title track from the album featuring O’Connor, Yo-Yo Ma, and Edgar Meyer. The Sony Classical release debuted and then stayed for several months at the No.1 position on Billboard Magazine’s Classical music chart. O’Connor originally composed the piece as a solo for unaccompanied violin in 1993. For the recording with Ma in 1996, O’Connor and Meyer re-arranged the waltz for violin, cello and doublebass. As it currently appears in this manuscript, O’Connor adapts the instrumentation for three violins. Appalachia Waltz might well be one of Mark O’Connor’s most-loved compositions. It utilizes musical inspiration from Scandinavian and Appalachian folk fiddling, while crafted into a classical music setting. The music is suited for advanced and intermediate levels.

Original music printed from the composer’s manuscripts.

Music editing, copying and engraving by Mark O’Connor

using Finale on Apple Macintosh 1993

Composed By Mark O’Connor

Originally released on Appalachia Waltz featuring Mark O'Connor, Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer, Sony Classical

Other versions can be heard on Mark O'Connor's Crossing Bridges, Duo by Mark and Maggie O’Connor OMAC Records and The Essential Mark O’Connor Sony Classical

Catalogue Number MO104A

Copyright © 1993 by Mark O’Connor Music International

For more information on violinist and composer Mark O'Connor, O’Connor String Camps, Touring Ensembles, Discography, Bio, Repertoire and more, please visit

www.markoconnor.com

For information on the O’Connor Method – instructional book series for violin, viola, cello and school string orchestra programs:

www.oconnormethod.com

SKU: A0.749209

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCM1oh2jWA0

I have always loved the gorgeous false relations in the harmony of this carol and enjoyed singing it in choirs down the years, as well as organising choral groups to sing it. I have included various harmonisations of the wonderful tune and a short contrapuntal development section in the middle to add some interest. The clip is from the development section.

If you would like to watch a video of a professional quartet playing my arrangement on Youtube, look up my channel by typing Skinny Black Dogs, Capriccio Quartet, The Angel Gabriel. In this version there is a viola playing theViolin 3 part but the differences are very small. Mostly I had to put the Violin part up an octave when it went below the lowest string but otherwise the harmony is much the same. The quartet play with few open strings, lots of vibrato and slurred bows. That would be fine for Grade 5 players and above. However, open strings and one note per bow could still sound good, and the violin in the high positions could easily be played down an octave. All the double stopping includes an open string but could be divided between parts in a string orchestra. If teachers want to buy this for a young string orchestra or quartet, drop me a line on Facebook and I will upload an easier version to the site for you, with some small changes. The key is easy for strings and with a bit of rehearsal, the counting can be mastered. Have fun, and let me know if you have performed it!