SKU: A0.914745

Two pages of music.

Neve (pronounced NEEV) is an ancestral name within my family, to whom this piece is dedicated. The word appears in multiple languages and has a variety of meanings. In British English, Neve has two definitions, both of which have long been out of common usage. The first definition refers to a younger male relative such as a nephew or grandson. The second refers to a spendthrift. Neve is also found in Irish as a girl’s name. In various Latin and Romance languages, it refers to snow or glaciers.

Neve is one of a set of four pieces composed in late 2019 and early 2020. The publication of the entire set is forthcoming, but I am also offering Neve here as a short standalone work.

Composed for guitar solo, Neve evokes a young boy’s leisurely daydream. The 3/2 time signature, marked andante, and opening G major tonality convey the sense of a lazy weekend day outside in the woods or by the water. Like many daydreams, Neve starts out simply before wandering off into different moods and ideas. A recurring transitional passage (set as a quasi hemiola) serves to modulate to new tonal areas, each of which has its own distinct character.

The brief section in A Dorian is marked con moto and evokes the thoughts of excitement and adventure. This is followed by a contrapuntal section in E minor with hints of Dorian. The mood here is more subdued and perhaps even melancholy. The penultimate section in C# minor (with hints of pentatonic and Phrygian) suggests a longing for faraway exotic places before returning to G major to end the piece.

SKU: A0.899112

2 pages; for solo classical guitar; published by Maggie Creek Music

Richard Strauss (1864 -1949)

Strauss's music amounts to a huge body of symphonic and operatic work written over 60 years. Full of vitality, endlessly melodic, brilliantly orchestrated, it begins and ends in the romantic tradition, but for the most part expresses something more modern and individualistic, not without controversy in its time. Variation of style and structure is drawn from the descriptive (literary) nature of compositions, and an extraordinary inventiveness enlivens the scenes, moods and situations. Strauss said once that he produced music the way cows give milk, and indeed his music rarely seems contrived.

The opera

Strauss wrote 15 operas on a variety of subjects and across the whole spectrum of drama. He acknowledged being enchanted by the soprano voice, and his writing for it highlights many of the works, including Adriane auf Naxos (composed in 1912). The opera has been described as 'sparkling', which sums it up well, and passages influenced by Bach, Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner add to the interest. The storyline is a play within a play, the second part being the mythological 'Opera' staged in the story. The three pieces transcribed* are from this Opera.

The guitar arrangements

All classical guitar pieces are compromises. The instrument has only six strings, the left hand four fingers able to be used, and with the right hand its rare to use more than three fingers and the thumb. So, despite the amount of noise possible, it's inevitable that passages occur where either harmony, bass or fragments of counterpoint that would be beneficial are left out. In particular, the higher up the neck music is played the simpler it tends to be, if harder to play, and unless the low bass is an open string there wont be any.

So I think the main part of attaining a fair transcription (better to be called an arrangement if the original musical structure is not strictly followed, as in this case) is determining how a good compromise can be reached. Melody, counterpoint, bass and main harmonies demand inclusion, and register is important. One may generally assume the original score can't be improved on. However, if the music may sound well on guitar, and the above elements can be incorporated without the playing becoming very difficult, something enjoyable to play and worthwhile listening to should be able to be achieved.

Overture; 'A golden time …'

Here the Mozart influence, better, inspiration, is wonderfully evident. A gentle waltz time (only the first section of the overture is transcribed) carries the colourful harmonies, strong melodic threads and connecting flourishes that stamp both pieces. The aria is alluded to in the Overture several times, which as you would expect, is intricately woven with the hints themes later to be established in the Opera. It has a kind of 'jazzy' freedom, and it's always miraculous to me that composition so involved can retain its musical line, here done in Strauss's inimitable way. The aria, sung not far into the Opera, has the perfect inevitability of Mozart, but again it is Strauss. As explained, keys have been changed to suit the guitar.

Chorus and Aria

This selection from the finale has features well worth trying to translate. The device of having a strong chorus, in the style of a Bach chorale, stated and then counterpointed by a solo voice in a restatement, is potent, and that in the opera the chorus (of the three nymphs) isn't immediately followed by the accompanying aria (of Ariadne) means the latter comes as a moment of surprising beauty. Neither parts are complicated, and lovely arpeggios, a feature Strauss's music, often impart the assured progressions.

A problem was to capture the distinct register of the so.

SKU: A0.899127

Transcription for solo classical guitar. 4 pages.

Richard Strauss (1864 -1949)

Strauss's music amounts to a huge body of symphonic and operatic work written over 60 years. Full of vitality, endlessly melodic, brilliantly orchestrated, it begins and ends in the romantic tradition, but for the most part expresses something more modern and individualistic, not without controversy in its time. Variation of style and structure is drawn from the descriptive (literary) nature of compositions, and an extraordinary inventiveness enlivens the scenes, moods and situations. Strauss said once that he produced music the way cows give milk, and indeed his music rarely seems contrived.

The opera

Strauss wrote 15 operas on a variety of subjects and across the whole spectrum of drama. He acknowledged being enchanted by the soprano voice, and his writing for it highlights many of the works, including Adriane auf Naxos (composed in 1912). The opera has been described as 'sparkling', which sums it up well, and passages influenced by Bach, Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner add to the interest. The storyline is a play within a play, the second part being the mythological 'Opera' staged in the story. The three pieces transcribed* are from this Opera.

The guitar arrangements

All classical guitar pieces are compromises. The instrument has only six strings, the left hand four fingers able to be used, and with the right hand its rare to use more than three fingers and the thumb. So, despite the amount of noise possible, it's inevitable that passages occur where either harmony, bass or fragments of counterpoint that would be beneficial are left out. In particular, the higher up the neck music is played the simpler it tends to be, if harder to play, and unless the low bass is an open string there wont be any.

So I think the main part of attaining a fair transcription (better to be called an arrangement if the original musical structure is not strictly followed, as in this case) is determining how a good compromise can be reached. Melody, counterpoint, bass and main harmonies demand inclusion, and register is important. One may generally assume the original score can't be improved on. However, if the music may sound well on guitar, and the above elements can be incorporated without the playing becoming very difficult, something enjoyable to play and worthwhile listening to should be able to be achieved.

Overture; 'A golden time …'

Here the Mozart influence, better, inspiration, is wonderfully evident. A gentle waltz time (only the first section of the overture is transcribed) carries the colourful harmonies, strong melodic threads and connecting flourishes that stamp both pieces. The aria is alluded to in the Overture several times, which as you would expect, is intricately woven with the hints themes later to be established in the Opera. It has a kind of 'jazzy' freedom, and it's always miraculous to me that composition so involved can retain its musical line, here done in Strauss's inimitable way. The aria, sung not far into the Opera, has the perfect inevitability of Mozart, but again it is Strauss. As explained, keys have been changed to suit the guitar.

Chorus and Aria

This selection from the finale has features well worth trying to translate. The device of having a strong chorus, in the style of a Bach chorale, stated and then counterpointed by a solo voice in a restatement, is potent, and that in the opera the chorus (of the three nymphs) isn't immediately followed by the accompanying aria (of Ariadne) means the latter comes as a moment of surprising beauty. Neither parts are complicated, and lovely arpeggios, a feature Strauss's music, often impart the assured progressions.

A problem was to capture the distinct register of the soprano voices, som.

SKU: A0.899111

2 pages; for solo classical guitar; published by Maggie Creek Music

Richard Strauss (1864 -1949)

Strauss's music amounts to a huge body of symphonic and operatic work written over 60 years. Full of vitality, endlessly melodic, brilliantly orchestrated, it begins and ends in the romantic tradition, but for the most part expresses something more modern and individualistic, not without controversy in its time. Variation of style and structure is drawn from the descriptive (literary) nature of compositions, and an extraordinary inventiveness enlivens the scenes, moods and situations. Strauss said once that he produced music the way cows give milk, and indeed his music rarely seems contrived.

The opera

Strauss wrote 15 operas on a variety of subjects and across the whole spectrum of drama. He acknowledged being enchanted by the soprano voice, and his writing for it highlights many of the works, including Adriane auf Naxos (composed in 1912). The opera has been described as 'sparkling', which sums it up well, and passages influenced by Bach, Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner add to the interest. The storyline is a play within a play, the second part being the mythological 'Opera' staged in the story. The three pieces transcribed* are from this Opera.

The guitar arrangements

All classical guitar pieces are compromises. The instrument has only six strings, the left hand four fingers able to be used, and with the right hand its rare to use more than three fingers and the thumb. So, despite the amount of noise possible, it's inevitable that passages occur where either harmony, bass or fragments of counterpoint that would be beneficial are left out. In particular, the higher up the neck music is played the simpler it tends to be, if harder to play, and unless the low bass is an open string there wont be any.

So I think the main part of attaining a fair transcription (better to be called an arrangement if the original musical structure is not strictly followed, as in this case) is determining how a good compromise can be reached. Melody, counterpoint, bass and main harmonies demand inclusion, and register is important. One may generally assume the original score can't be improved on. However, if the music may sound well on guitar, and the above elements can be incorporated without the playing becoming very difficult, something enjoyable to play and worthwhile listening to should be able to be achieved.

Overture; 'A golden time …'

Here the Mozart influence, better, inspiration, is wonderfully evident. A gentle waltz time (only the first section of the overture is transcribed) carries the colourful harmonies, strong melodic threads and connecting flourishes that stamp both pieces. The aria is alluded to in the Overture several times, which as you would expect, is intricately woven with the hints themes later to be established in the Opera. It has a kind of 'jazzy' freedom, and it's always miraculous to me that composition so involved can retain its musical line, here done in Strauss's inimitable way. The aria, sung not far into the Opera, has the perfect inevitability of Mozart, but again it is Strauss. As explained, keys have been changed to suit the guitar.

Chorus and Aria

This selection from the finale has features well worth trying to translate. The device of having a strong chorus, in the style of a Bach chorale, stated and then counterpointed by a solo voice in a restatement, is potent, and that in the opera the chorus (of the three nymphs) isn't immediately followed by the accompanying aria (of Ariadne) means the latter comes as a moment of surprising beauty. Neither parts are complicated, and lovely arpeggios, a feature Strauss's music, often impart the assured progressions.

A problem was to capture the distinct register of the sopr.

SKU: A0.899109

2 pages; for solo classical guitar; published by Maggie Creek Music

Richard Strauss (1864 -1949)

Strauss's music amounts to a huge body of symphonic and operatic work written over 60 years. Full of vitality, endlessly melodic, brilliantly orchestrated, it begins and ends in the romantic tradition, but for the most part expresses something more modern and individualistic, not without controversy in its time. Variation of style and structure is drawn from the descriptive (literary) nature of compositions, and an extraordinary inventiveness enlivens the scenes, moods and situations. Strauss said once that he produced music the way cows give milk, and indeed his music rarely seems contrived.

The opera

Strauss wrote 15 operas on a variety of subjects and across the whole spectrum of drama. He acknowledged being enchanted by the soprano voice, and his writing for it highlights many of the works, including Adriane auf Naxos (composed in 1912). The opera has been described as 'sparkling', which sums it up well, and passages influenced by Bach, Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner add to the interest. The storyline is a play within a play, the second part being the mythological 'Opera' staged in the story. The three pieces transcribed* are from this Opera.

The guitar arrangements

All classical guitar pieces are compromises. The instrument has only six strings, the left hand four fingers able to be used, and with the right hand its rare to use more than three fingers and the thumb. So, despite the amount of noise possible, it's inevitable that passages occur where either harmony, bass or fragments of counterpoint that would be beneficial are left out. In particular, the higher up the neck music is played the simpler it tends to be, if harder to play, and unless the low bass is an open string there wont be any.

So I think the main part of attaining a fair transcription (better to be called an arrangement if the original musical structure is not strictly followed, as in this case) is determining how a good compromise can be reached. Melody, counterpoint, bass and main harmonies demand inclusion, and register is important. One may generally assume the original score can't be improved on. However, if the music may sound well on guitar, and the above elements can be incorporated without the playing becoming very difficult, something enjoyable to play and worthwhile listening to should be able to be achieved.

Overture; 'A golden time …'

Here the Mozart influence, better, inspiration, is wonderfully evident. A gentle waltz time (only the first section of the overture is transcribed) carries the colourful harmonies, strong melodic threads and connecting flourishes that stamp both pieces. The aria is alluded to in the Overture several times, which as you would expect, is intricately woven with the hints themes later to be established in the Opera. It has a kind of 'jazzy' freedom, and it's always miraculous to me that composition so involved can retain its musical line, here done in Strauss's inimitable way. The aria, sung not far into the Opera, has the perfect inevitability of Mozart, but again it is Strauss. As explained, keys have been changed to suit the guitar.

Chorus and Aria

This selection from the finale has features well worth trying to translate. The device of having a strong chorus, in the style of a Bach chorale, stated and then counterpointed by a solo voice in a restatement, is potent, and that in the opera the chorus (of the three nymphs) isn't immediately followed by the accompanying aria (of Ariadne) means the latter comes as a moment of surprising beauty. Neither parts are complicated, and lovely arpeggios, a feature Strauss's music, often impart the assured progressions.

A problem was to capture the distinct register o.

SKU: ZZ.DZ-4295

Ce cycle de 20 études pour guitare seule a comme model les ouvrages didactiques de Bela Bartok, telles que For Children ou Mikrokosmos. L’élément commune est l’usage de thèmes provenant du folklore d’enfants, car l’Hongrie et surtout la Roumanie, sont très riche à cet égard.
Toutes les chansons (développées) de ce volume sont trouvées dans la musique rituelle d’enfants de mon pays. Les études-miniatures sont des exercices polyphoniques et harmoniques qui seront très utile pour les jeunes guitaristes. Les structures modales donnent une saveur unique a cette partition et invite les musiciens à découvrir une tradition musicale étonnante.

This cycle, containing 20 studies for solo guitar is inspired from Bela Bartok’s didactical works, such as For Children or Mikrokosmos. The common element found in his works and mine are the themes coming from the children folk music which are very rich in Hungary and moreover in Romania.
All the developed songs I used in this volume are a little part of the ritualic music of the Romanian children. These little studies are polyphonic and harmonic exercises which are very useful for the young guitarists.
The modal structures give to this score a unique flavor and invite the musicians to discover an astonishing music tradition.

SKU: M0.30599EB

ISBN 9781619117198. 8.75x11.75 inches.

John Fahey transformed the world of acoustic flat-top steel-string guitar by bringing it to the concert stage as a respected, solo instrument. Blind Joe Death: Volume 1 looks at the important people and genres that shaped him as a composer. This volume focuses on Side 1 of the original 1967 Blind Joe Death LP, a collection of mostly traditional music that was adapted for solo guitar. Hints of Fahey's early influences endured throughout his career as a composer, yet early on, and in Blind Joe Death, a unique voice is coming into focus-one that is not afraid to explore the avant-garde with journeys into collage and expressionism. Six extensively edited solos from Blind Joe Death are included in Volume 1: On Doing an Evil Deed Blues, St. Louis Blues, Poor Boy a Long Ways from Home, Uncloudy Day, John Henry and In Christ There Is No East or West. Within these transcriptions, Andrew Lardner has provided admirers of John Fahey's body of work with the essential keys to launch their own journeys into replicating the sounds and style of Fahey's landmark solos from Blind Joe Death.

SKU: A0.1070388

Mountains of Stowe, 2015 is a two-movement piece commissioned by and dedicated to guitarist Adam Holzman. The first movement I Stand Strong reflects the serenity and isolation someone might feel when surrounded by the mountains of Stowe, Vermont in the U.S.A. The second movement â€¦and the Sky is the Limit written in an ABA cyclic form is full of rhythmic gestures starting with the combination of 7/8, 2/4, 5/8 and 3/4 in the first four measures that leads to a slow movement as an attempt to sing a Greek song in those vast territories and to portray the thankfulness of being there and experience the presence of the amazing beauty of it.  When asked why he commissioned this piece, Holzman replied, My wife and I spend our summers in Stowe. We love being there, celebrate the summer and spend time outside. We have family and friends who come and share a few days with us and Apostolos is a dear friend who has been coming for several years. We talked about the possibility of him writing a piece that reflected Stowe and the mountains. When asked about the piece, Paraskevas responded, I always write music for the person behind the instrument, so while composing every note of this piece I had Adam in my mind; the way he plays, the way he breathes the way he lives his life. The work is written for the mountains of Stowe through Adam’s eyes and heart and I am the vehicle who translates it.