SKU: A0.1314328

Saint-Saëns: The Swan (Le Cygne) movement 13 from the Carnival of the Animals Suite. One of his most popular and widely recognized works, it is the only movement from the Carnival Suite that Saint-Saëns permitted to be performed publicly during his lifetime. This is an excellent recital encore to demonstrate melodic playing and strategic phrasing.

The Carnival of the Animals
The Carnival of the Animals is an entertaining musical suite of fourteen movements by Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was composed for private performance by an ensemble of two pianos and solo instruments. The Swan (No. 13) is among the fourteen most famous movements. In its entirety, it lasts about 25 minutes.

Saint-Saëns Background
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns 1835 – 1921) was, by all means, in particular, a famous French composer, brilliant organist, and significant musical mastermind of the Romantic era. Indeed, his most famous compositions, in the long run, include his Piano Concerto No. 2 (1868), Cello Concerto No. 1 (1872), and the Danse macabre (1874). Notwithstanding, we must also add Violin Concerto No. 3 (1880), Symphony No. 3 (the Organ Symphony, 1886), and, it must be remembered, Carnival of the Animals (1886) to the list.

Childhood
It is essential to realize that Saint-Saëns was undoubtedly, in fact, a child musical prodigy. Consequently, with this in mind, he made his concert debut, albeit at ten years old. Another critical point to remember is that he expressly studied at the Paris Conservatoire, then, despite reality, conversely followed a traditional career path as a church organist. Nevertheless, twenty years later, on the other hand, he left to become a successful freelance pianist and composer despite, as has been noted, his former employment situation. Furthermore, his performances were, after all, markedly in demand - not only in Europe but, above all, in the Americas all in all as well.

Youth
A point often overlooked is that in his youth, Saint-Saëns was undoubtedly excited about the modern music of the day. He was, in essence, fond of the music of his contemporaries, particularly Schumann, Liszt, and, for the most part, Wagner. In contrast, however, his compositions seemed, in fact, primarily confined within the conservative classical tradition. Be that as it may, he was, at the same time, nevertheless, a scholar of musical history.

Criticism
On the whole, his conservatism, in fact, ultimately brought him into frequent conflict in his later years with composers of the impressionist and, in particular, the dodecaphonic schools of musical thought. A point often overlooked is that he included neoclassical elements in his music, contrary to some critics. Furthermore, in so doing, he provided the most compelling evidence that he predicted the techniques and works by Stravinsky and Les Six. To put it another way, given these points, he was regarded, perhaps for the most part unfairly, as a non-progressive reactionary henceforth around the time of his passing.

Legacy
Saint-Saëns taught briefly in Paris, where his students included Gabriel Fauré. Maurice Ravel later studied with Fauré. In conclusion, both Ravel and Fauré were powerfully influenced by Saint-Saëns, whom they respected as a musical mastermind.

SKU: A0.549423

Score: 7 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 3 pages. Duration: 4:25. Not difficult, but requires sensitivity & dynamic control. Suitable for recitals, church meditations, or school programs.

Dvořák Background

Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904) was, of course, a composer from Czechoslovakia. As a matter of fact, he was among the first Bohemian composers to attain universal recognition. It is important to realize that the late Romantic Nationalist period featured composers who used traditional and folk elements to portray the character of their nation. In particular, we see this in the music of Grieg (Norway), Finland (Sibelius), and Smetana (Bohemia).  Dvořák relied markedly on rhythms and other characteristics of Moravian and Bohemian folk music.

Ascent to Fame

Dvořák was truly a child musical prodigy on the violin. The premiere performances of his compositions notably occurred in 1872 and 1873. He submitted his First Symphony in particular to a German competition, but it failed to win. Consequently, in 1874 he presented two more symphonies to the Austrian State Prize for Composition. Johannes Brahms was the principal of the jury and was accordingly very impressed. They forthwith awarded the prize to Dvořák in 1874, 1876, and 1877. At this point, Brahms thereupon endorsed Dvořák to the publisher Simrock. Later, the publisher commissioned Dvořák to compose the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46. These became popular overnight and, as a result, Dvořák's worldwide status was launched.

International Status

Dvořák visited England upon invitation nine times. On each visit, he frequently conducted performances of his own compositions. He conducted concerts of his music, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Eventually, the Prague Conservatory in fact appointed Dvořák as a professor. There, to be sure, he wrote his famous Dumky Trio.

United States

Consequently, the National Conservatory of Music of America appointed him as director in 1892. As a result, Dvořák composed his two most famous symphonic works: the Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), which spread his name universally, and his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, one of the most famous of all cello works. Moreover, he wrote his most celebrated American String Quartet during this time. At the same time, because of his growing recognition in Europe and his homesickness for his own country, he left to return to Bohemia in 1895.

 

SKU: A0.549892

Score: 12 pages, piano part: 6 pages, alto sax part: 4 pages. duration: ca. 5'. This is the famous wedding march from Op. 61 composed in 1842 and commonly performed as a recessional march at the end of a wedding. The piece was originally composed for orchestra then arranged for organ and performed by Mendelssohn himself.

Mendelssohn: Wedding March

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March is so popular that it’s difficult to imagine a wedding without it. It seems like it’s been around for eternity. In any case, it was only 150 years or so ago that the Wedding March came about. It was performed in Potsdam for the first time in 1842, as a piece of Mendelssohn’s music for the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was first used for a wedding in 1858

Mendelssohn Background

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was, by all means, a German mastermind composer, musician and orchestra conductor of the Romantic period. Consequently, Mendelssohn composed in the usual forms of the time - symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber music. To summarize, his most famous works include his music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, The Hebrides Overture, his later Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, and his Octet for Strings. His most well-known piano pieces, by and large, are the Songs Without Words. 

Artistic Standing

 Musical tastes change from time to time. Moreover, just such a change occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This plus rampant antisemitism brought a corresponding amount of undue criticism. Fortunately, however, his artistic inventiveness has indeed been critically re-evaluated. As a result, Mendelssohn is once again among the most prevalent composers of the Romantic era.

Early Family Life

Mendelssohn was, in fact, born into a prominent Jewish family. His grandfather was, notably, the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was, in fact, raised without religion. At the age of seven, he was all of a sudden baptized as a Reformed Christian. He was, moreover, a child musical prodigy. Nevertheless, his parents did not attempt to exploit his talent.

Early Adulthood

Mendelssohn was, in general, successful in Germany. He conducted, in particular, a revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically with his presentation of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. Felix was truly in demand throughout Europe as a composer, conductor, and soloist. For example, he visited Britain ten times. There, he premiered, namely, many of his major works. His taste in music was. To be sure, inventive and well-crafted yet markedly conservative. This conservatism separated him by all means from more audacious musical colleagues like Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatoire which, to clarify, became a defender of this conservative viewpoint.

Mature Adulthood

Schumann notably wrote that Mendelssohn was the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them. This observation points to a couple of features in particular that illustrate Mendelssohn's works and his artistic procedure.

Musical Features

In the first place, his musical style was fixed in his methodical mastery of the style of preceding masters. This being said, he certainly recognized and even developed early romanticism from the music of Beethoven and Weber. Secondly, it indicates that Mendelssohn sought to strengthen his inherited musical legacy rather than to exchange it with new forms and styles or replace it with exotic orchestration. Consequently, he diverged his contemporaries in the romantic period, such as Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt. Mendelssohn revered Liszt's virtuos.

SKU: A0.549489

ALTO SAX & PIANO - Score: 11 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 5 pages. Duration: 4:20. This is a popular recital piece that would work well also in church or school programs.

Mendelssohn Background

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was, by all means, a German mastermind composer, musician, and orchestra conductor of the Romantic period. Consequently, Mendelssohn composed in the usual forms of the time - symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber music. To summarize, his most famous works include his music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, The Hebrides Overture, his later Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, and his Octet for Strings. His most well-known piano pieces, by and large, are the Songs Without Words. 

Artistic Standing

 Musical tastes change from time to time. Moreover, just such a change occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This plus rampant antisemitism brought a corresponding amount of undue criticism. Fortunately, however, his artistic inventiveness has indeed been critically re-evaluated. As a result, Mendelssohn is once again among the most prevalent composers of the Romantic era.

Early Family Life

Mendelssohn was, in fact, born into a prominent Jewish family. His grandfather was, notably, the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was, in fact, raised without religion. At the age of seven, he was suddenly baptized as a Reformed Christian. He was, moreover, a child musical prodigy. Nevertheless, his parents did not attempt to exploit his talent.

Early Adulthood

Mendelssohn was, in general, successful in Germany. He conducted, in particular, a revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically with his presentation of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. Felix was truly in demand throughout Europe as a composer, conductor, and soloist. For example, he visited Britain ten times. There, he premiered, namely, many of his significant works. His taste in music was. To be sure, inventive and well-crafted yet markedly conservative. This conservatism separated him by all means from more audacious musical colleagues like Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatoire which, to clarify, became a defender of this conservative viewpoint.

Mature Adulthood

Schumann notably wrote that Mendelssohn was the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them. This observation points to a couple of features in particular that illustrate Mendelssohn's works and his artistic procedure.

Musical Features

In the first place, his musical style was fixed in his systematic mastery of the style of preceding masters. This being said, he certainly recognized and even developed early romanticism from the music of Beethoven and Weber. Secondly, it indicates that Mendelssohn sought to strengthen his inherited musical legacy rather than to exchange it with new forms and styles or replace it with exotic orchestration. Consequently, he diverged his contemporaries in the romantic period, such as Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt. Mendelssohn revered Liszt's virtuosity at the keyboard but found his music rather insubstantial.