SKU: A0.1026812

Really nice arrangement for easy/intermediate level student groups. Includes easy written-out piano accompaniment with chord symbols.

SKU: A0.1358432

Liszt's virtuoso transcription of the beloved Schubert Ave Maria is a wonderful work that has never been well-edited--until now! The notation used in all prior published versions had the melody placed on a third middle staff, making the piece annoyingly hard to read; bar after bar had groups of 11 or 12 32nd-notes beamed together, obscuring the metrical units; many bars involved 6 or 7 changes of clef; there were rhythms that didn't add up, and even misspellings of Italian terms! This edition addresses all of those issues, so that players can get down to the real work of learning this extraordinary piece. Liszt's setting of the song's second verse is something of a pianistic miracle: although both hands are engaged in constant arpeggiation and figuration, the melody somehow manages to appear in the middle of it all--almost as if played by a ghostly third hand!

SKU: A0.976849

2017 Holiday Contest Entry

GYPSY DANCE
And it is another day that passes and goes
I know that one the same will not return
I feel restless, I lose my colors
Invaded by the gray of the outside world

Need love
And that sense of emptiness
Suspended in limbo, I move in slow motion
invent a fairy tale that time which was
I miss the affection of my tribe

I wear a dress from 1000 colors
Weave hair with grass and flowers
Again gypsy in this other my life
It is not just a fairy tale, it is a never ending story

Between the elves, the fairies and gypsy violins
In the woods near to ancient kingdoms
I feel beautiful too, happy and accepted
here's the trivial woman who has transformer

dance gypsy cries inside of me
It is a fire that melts this cold there
is freedom
it is desire to live
It is  dances gypsy and I’m the queen

Again this decomposes my identity
Nemesis goes crazy and unleash
My spirit
Which is young and free
I mud and Diamond
Matte and shining

I alpha female of a group of witches
Unleashed storms, threats suspended
Then a rainbow of many colors
Here the rain is over, wake up the flowers

We dance happy in this my kingdom
In a circle, spell of a beautiful dream
Another my world I will not return
If I’m not anyone
Leave me alone

I will not return
In this tale, I will hide
A still picture
On the surface I will be
Turn the page and I animet

and the end will be
Disappearance Monica, in the world here
But in this my kingdom forever I will live
From a cover I will smile

I’m  not gypsy, not even Queen
but inside me I remained a child
Gypsy violins do not sound
I miss the affection of my tribe

and I go back to that time when everything was empty
dream and fly was my only game
I'm not so bad in the world here
in the shoes I wear in my reality

dance gypsy cries inside of me
It is a fire that melts this cold there
is freedom
it is desire to live
It is  dances gypsy and I’m the queen

I tread with joy my but and my if
The inadequacy I do not know what
And yet I know that thrill try
The apparent death, far and distant

The dance gypsy , here,under the moon
Ancient ritual that brings good luck
You will be welcome in my tribe
In this my book, the end  can  write to you ...

                                                              Monica Bergo

SKU: A0.533554

I. (Flowing)
II. (Fast, nimble)
III. (Funereal) (in memoriam Donald Martino)
IV. (Dancing)
V. (Distant, echoing) (for Richard and Dee Wilson)
VI. (Moderate, singing, with humor) (for Michael Finnissy)
VII. (Slow, very lyrical)
VIII. (March)
IX. (Envoi: Very slow, from afar)
Nine Preludes (2007) for piano was written for and is dedicated to pianist Marilyn Nonken; it was commissioned by
Richard Mason.
Although the work is composed as a set of discrete movements, the preludes are very much interconnected, as motivic
and developmental ideas run throughout the entire set. The basic musical material (founded upon collections of minor
and major thirds) is shared among all nine movements. An elegiac quality runs throughout the work.
The first prelude (Flowing) is inspired by the piano music of Johannes Brahms, whose contributions to the instrument’s
literature have been a significant and ongoing influence on my work.
The second prelude is fast and bright. Consistent staccato textures are maintained as the two hands intertwine.
The third prelude (Funereal) is dedicated to the memory of American composer Donald Martino (1931–2005). The music
refers very obliquely to Martino’s setting of Robert Herrick’s poems of death and eternity in The White Island (1985).
The fourth prelude (Dancing) is light and buoyant. After a melodic middle section, the opening music reverses itself to the
end.
The fifth prelude (Distant, echoing) is dedicated to Richard and Dee Wilson. Through large blocks of sustained sound (both
quiet and loud), the movement explores certain harmonic colors of the piano.
The sixth prelude (Moderate, singing, with humor) is dedicated to English composer Michael Finnissy. The opening is
marked “like an ‘off-kilter’ folk song,� and this original melody is subjected to a variety of transformations and textures.
The rhythmic patterns are constantly in flux.
The seventh prelude (Slow, very lyrical) is melodic and passionate, with a nocturnal character. The middle builds to an
intense climax before dying away.
The eighth prelude (March) is spiky and crisp. In the trio, the march theme is turned first into a tonal ballad before
gradually transforming back into the language of the march. A faster reprise of the opening music follows.
The ninth prelude (Envoi: Very slow, from afar) is an elegaic “farewell.� Romantic gestures and harmonies try to assert
themselves before the music dies away.

Performance Note: Although it is preferred that the entire set of nine preludes be played in concert, individual preludes (or smaller
assembled groupings) may be performed when necessary for programming needs. If the entire set is played, however, the order of the
preludes should not be changed. The movements should be listed in the program in the format shown at the top of this page.

Recorded by Donna Amato on Carson Cooman: Piano works  ALTARUS AIR-CD-9015

SKU: A0.1510814

This piano solo is a journey through childhood memories of Halloween.  The child in you will remember the excitement of Halloween, running up to the doorsteps, ringing the bell, proudly showing off your costumes, yelling Trick or Treat! in unison, and eagerly watching to see which candies will be tossed into your bag. Once in awhile there was a really scary house on the street or someone was wearing a scary costume. Then after you tiredly trudged home, somehow you mustered up enough energy to scatter your candies and start munching! But alas, tiredness got the best of you as you drifted off into dreamland, happy and satisfied with your confectionary treasures that will last...hmm...maybe a few days? This music walks you through these childhood memories that will never get old.

Not only is it a fun piece to play and listen to, but it is also an excellent study in various rhythmic groupings, thirds, scale and broken chord passages, and most of all expression!  Enjoy!

SKU: A0.928610

These pieces appear on the Arcady CD “A Beckett Miscellany� from 2002. Listening to these charming suites, epilogues, fantasias, dances, toccatas, and trios by Canadian composer Ronald Beckett makes one realize just how far the neo-tonal counter-revolution has come. Written over a 23-year period, these are cheery, player-friendly 'works to be shared' (in the composer's words) employing baroque counterpoint, occasional minirealist rhythms, and lots of diatonic tunes. Arcady, a chamber group founded by Beckett himself, plays with bubbly energy. -American Record Guide If Ron Beckett's music is half as much fun to write as it is to hear, he must go around smiling all the time -Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen.

SKU: A0.693006

This is the sixth installment in my series of piano impromptus inspired by the sounds of childhood, namely the theme songs of early nineties video game systems like Nintendo.  This quick piece (1 min. 10 sec.) is a fun, aggressive composition that sounds harder to play than it really is.  The opening right-hand melody is easily played by fingering each four-note group with either 1,2,5 or 1,2,4.  I originally discovered this pattern from an Art Tatum transcription book.  He was the master of economical virtuosity.
Follow my work at www.bendockery.com . From there you can subscribe to my email list to get updates and tons of free music!

SKU: A0.992361

ALT.CALLAHANS REEL

(which is actually a Slide, with a Reel interlude!)

 Fast  and lively foot-tapping neo-Celtic, at its best on electronic keyboard but also  a fun piano solo.  (Duration 8+ minutes)

 Reel Jiggery-pokery

The  song started as a jig but drank too much and reeled into 12/8 time. Properly  speaking, despite its strong 4-beat pulse, it's a Slide. Or perhaps a Double Jig. Except for the mid-section, which is really a Reel!  Needless to say, this is not for the  purists...but it's huge fun for the rest of us!

 Playing and Performing

We've marked it Advanced Intermediate. It's the indicated speed which makes demands!  But you can play it slower and enjoy!

On  electronic or MIDI keyboard, use a percussive/plucked foundation (e.g. piano,  harp, faux guitar) with a sustained string patch (string ensemble, synth strings, viola works well, fiddle works well, most violin patches are  terrible!). For piano, you'll have to use more of the sustain pedal but not too much or it'll go all muddy on you, just like a mis-step in an Irish bog!

(Original  live and YouTube performances were on a Medeli MC 710, from 2005.  This keyboard allowed splitting and dual voices. Piano was used as foundation both above and below the split point. A  loud viola patch was used as the second voice on the upper part of the  keyboard, as the dominant fiddle sound carrying the melody.  A synth string patch was used  as second voice on the lower half, giving  the drones.)

 Add Your Own Salt and Pepper to the Score!

The  song is scored for clarity, not as a detailed demand for every possible  nuance.  It's fast, so although simple  to look at when not playing,  you'll  need to be reading the music at speed. Unless, of course, you're blessed with a  brilliant memory! 

 So  the score isn't cluttered with ornaments and fiddly bits, or lots of expression marks. Especially, it's not cluttered by a lot of suspended notes.  BUT...you will need to suspend a lot of notes as you play. Think drones running all over the place and use your  keyboard sustaining string patches to bring those drones out!  Listen to the live recordings, they'll  help.  You,  as player, have lots of freedom!  It's up to you how many additional frills, or emphasis, or drone  suspensions you throw in.

 Why alt.callahans?