Bassoon,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1310502

Composed by J S Bach-Gounod. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Easter,Sacred,Wedding. Score and part. 6 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #899560. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1310502).

This ever-popular piece is often performed at weddings, funerals and many other solemn ceremonial events. It has always been a favorite among instrumental players and often used in recitals or concert encores. This arrangement by Colin Kirkpatrick is ideal for the intermediate bassoon player. It is in concert C and range is from G on the lowest line of the bass clef to the E just above the staff. 

In 1853, the well-known French composer Charles Gounod added his own melody over a rippling keyboard accompaniment which was a slightly adapted version of the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV846, from Book I of J. S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, published in 1722. The title of the “combined� piece was Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de Piano de S. Bach. Gounod’s original arrangement transposed Bach’s keyboard part from C major into F major and it was scored for violin (or cello), organ and piano. In 1859, the French music publishing company Jacques-Léopold Heugel brought out a vocal version based on the familiar Latin text. Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is a traditional Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary.

The version of Bach's prelude which Gounod used included the so-called Schwencke measure (m. 27 in this arrangement), a measure (bar) allegedly added by the German composer and pianist Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke (1767-1822) in an attempt to correct what was considered a harmonic weakness in the original. Whether there actually was a “harmonic weakness� (or possibly an error in the manuscript) remains a matter of conjecture but the fact remains that the most familiar-sounding version of this piece, recorded countless times by both singers and instrumentalists includes this Schwencke measure. It is therefore included in this arrangement.

Some published arrangements show minor inconsistencies in the rhythm of the melody. This arrangement uses the familiar rhythm of the Ave Maria version as it appeared in the 1859 edition.

Bassoon,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.1487747

Composed by Various. Arranged by Colin Kirkpatrick. Baroque,Renaissance. Score and part. 17 pages. Colin Kirkpatrick Publications #1064685. Published by Colin Kirkpatrick Publications (A0.1487747).

These are eleven of the most well-known dances of the Renaissance set in five movements and selected from the famous collection entitled Terpsichore, published in 1612 by Michael Praetorius. They are sure to be a welcome addition to the elementary bassoon repertoire and make a pleasing performance item at a recital. The bassoon part is in the bass clef throughout and the highest note is usually the D above the bass staff. In a couple of pieces, the next note E is used.

By the time Michael Praetorius published his dance collection, he was one of the most famous musicians in Germany. The name is pronounced “terp-SI-cory” and rhymes with the word “hickory”. The original publication consisted of 312 dances in four, five and six parts. Although the dances were probably conceived for string ensemble, Praetorius was well aware that in practice they would be played by any instruments that happened to be available.

These arrangements for bassoon and keyboard are based on the original 1612 publication. The music sounds more authentic using a harpsichord rather than a piano, or the harpsichord sound of a digital keyboard. The keyboard part may be interpreted quite freely with ornamentation added as appropriate. During the Renaissance, it was common practice to combine separate dances to create something of more substantial duration. A similar practice is used in these arrangements which are as follows: 1. Three Gavottes; 2. Two Ballets; 3. Two Bourées; 4. Two Courantes and 5. Two Voltas.