SKU: A0.548691

A Bass Clarinet Christmas/Easter classic! Duration: 4:55 Score: 3 pg. Bass Clarinet 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.

 

SKU: A0.549669

Score: 10 pages: solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 6 pages. Duration: 2:22. This famous selection from the Nutcracker Suite is a classic Christmas program favorite.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season. 

SKU: A0.549759

Duration: ca. 3:15 Score: 10 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 4 pages. Tchaikovsky paints a very mysterious mood in this favorite masterpiece from the Nutcracker Suite. It is also a traditional Christmas favorite.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

SKU: A0.549713

Duration: ca. 58, score: 9 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 3 pages.This piece would be a perfect recital encore - short, energetic - leave your audience wanting more. Also, program this for your Christmas pageant.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

SKU: A0.549627

Duration: ca. 3:20 Score: 13 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 7 pages, 182 measures in 2/4. Overture in Miniature to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Program for a recital, church meditation, school plays, and Christmas presentations of all kinds.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact.

Education

First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five.

The Five

The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques

More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature.

Influences

Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique.

Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a

The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

 

SKU: A0.552224

The Adagio from Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is highly significant in classical music. The first movement, Adagio sostenuto, is particularly renowned for its mysterious and gentle arpeggios, creating a unique and captivating atmosphere. It is often described as having a mesmerizing and heartbroken mood and is considered one of the most iconic and poetic pieces in the classical music repertoire. The movement is in C-sharp minor and is characterized by its slow, expressive, and emotional nature, lasting approximately 6 minutes. Beethoven's innovative approach to the structure and style of the Moonlight Sonata, as well as the emotional depth of the Adagio, have contributed to its enduring significance in the world of classical music.

The nickname Moonlight Sonata traces back to the 1830s when German Romantic poet Ludwig Rellstab likened the first movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 to a boat floating in the moonlight on Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne. Beethoven called it Sonata quasi una fantasia, meaning sonata in the manner of a fantasy. The piece was completed in 1801 and published the following year. The nickname Moonlight Sonata has endured due to the mysterious, gently arpeggiated, and seemingly improvised nature of the first movement, which creates a unique and captivating atmosphere.

SKU: A0.844629

Vintage pop romance! This accompanied instrumental solo is a Theme and Variations. For the Theme I used an extract from the 1906 hit pop song I Love You Truly by Carrie Jacobs-Bond, a celebrated female composer at the turn of century.  
With each variation the melody and rhythm evolve further from the original Theme. The tempo also increases slightly as you progress to each new variation. The first variation adds chromatic embellishment, the second variation syncopates the rhythm, and the third variation uses triplet patterns. More life is added to your romance with each variation!
Each person who has heard this piece hears something different, but in all of them it conjures up vintage courting; and most say it would fit a soundtrack to an early silent movie. So, at heart, this piece is still a turn of the century love ballad, but livened up and fused with subtle influences from other styles and periods.  
Perfect for weddings where you are trying to please everyone; a bit pop, a bit classical, and totally romantic!
Works equally well in a classroom or lesson studying Theme and Variations. The easy-going melody only has a range of just over an octave. Its beauty and technique suits it for any recital as well.
6 minutes with repeats, 3 minutes without; 6 page score; 3 page solo part
Recording is of the Cello/Piano version and doesn't take the repeats.

SKU: A0.1101754

Sonata Simplice (Simple Sonata) was composed for Alison Eales and Anna le Hair and premiered in Hitchin outside London on September 3, 2022. The piece takes shape in the first movement from utilization of motifs that comprise the opening thematic material, rather than an iconic theme. Comprising three movements, the second movement references the English folksong The Fair Flower of Northumberland. Set in 6/8 meter the movement is marked: Lento e cantabile, leggiero simplice (Slow and singing, lightly simple) enhancing the overall title of the piece. The final movement is lively and dancelike with both static and changing meters. This delightful offering will add to any adult recital, and is attainable by accomplished high school students as well. It follows the English Sonatina for young clarinetists (now published by Mel Bay in Lyrical Solos from the British Isles ... featuring the English Sonatina) premiered by Alison and Anna in London January, 2019.