2 Pianos,4 Hands,Piano Duet - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.977034 Composed by Paul SanGregory. Contemporary. Score. 29 pages. Distant Engraver Music #3536815. Published by Distant Engraver Music (A0.977034). Each of these four short pieces has its own character, color and rhythmic flow. Because the interplay between parts is sometimes complex and challenging, they can provide wonderful ensemble workouts for performers as well as fun and exciting musical experiences for audiences. The title Harmonic Spaces refers to both the idea that they are musical spaces filled with colors and characters as well as to the widely-spaced harmonic intervals upon which those aspects are built. Each movement is based on one or two wide intervals that mimic the spacing of overtones (or partials) in the harmonic series. This approach allowed the composer to produce unique harmonies, colors and atmospheres. For listeners, of course, knowledge of these intervals isn't important, even though the colors, characters and atmospheres they produce is. Each movement is described briefly below: I - Simply and gracefully moving forward. (9th and 3rd partials)This gently flowing movement is a slow progression of widely-spaced chords with gracefully rising and falling strings of notes woven in and around them. The chords often appear in groups of two, with the second being quieter, like an echo of the first. That creates a sense of harmonic space within which the delicate lines move in and out of agreement with the chords.II - With a steady, even flow (or groove). (7th and 5th partials)The harmonic partials of this movement are what give dominant 7th chords their characteristic sound and function. Furthermore, because 7th chords are an important part of jazz harmony, jazz influences enter into this piece. Listeners may notice the outlines of gliding 7th chords, swinging meters and syncopated rhtyhms reminiscent of jazz.III - Gentle, flexible, but rhythmically accurate. (11th Partial)This movement unfolds slowly like a quiet summer afternoon under a shade tree watching lazy clouds. Because the 11th partial is a note that falls between the cracks of the piano keyboard, both the perfect 4th and augmented 4th (in very wide spacing) are used to approximate it. Although this creates some non-traditional harmonies and non-chord tone effects, the piece is tranquil, peaceful and beautiful. IV - With precision, energy and excitement. (13th Partial)This energetic finale uses much syncopation and rhythmic interplay as well as wide-ranging arpeggios that get shared between the two players. The primary interval often appears as widely spaced parallel motion, which adds a special color or flavor to the rhythms. The result is a joyful romp in a playground of rhythm, color, motion and contrast. (duration of all four pieces is ca. 12 minutes) This work was funded by the National Culture and Arts Foundation of Taiwan (ROC)

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497847 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 11 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074259. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497847). Piano Duo 2 pianos/4 hands. Thread, Between the Octaves grew out of the call the make a single line weave between the octaves. Line was the original title. Thread, as a word, brings more texture to the title and describes what the line is actually doing, threading around the harmony. A secondary thread is heard after a while, echoing and shading the primary line, with its own treble weave. It was like going back to the beginning of making melody again.Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano.    

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497857 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 19 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074269. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497857). Piano Duo 2 pianos/4 hands. Encircle, Between the Octaves, originally called rotate as its impetus was to generate a steadily rotating music. Encircle was later chosen as a more evocative word. The harmony surprised me as it suggested shifts and colourations that I would not have expected to conjure. Two upper rotating parts with melodic narrative are supported by bass and baritone lower parts. The final section adds a dance-like short form to end what could otherwise have run and run and run.  Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano. 

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497843 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 12 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074255. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497843). Piano Duo - 2 pianos, 4 hands. Surrender, Between the Octaves was the piece that was composed first in the suite. It exposes a simple call to return to the beginning, to return to a pure act of listening. This note..ah, now that note.. oh. This is how the piece was written - one note at a time. Listening from within a space (its original title) of resonance, of edges and meetings, of disappearances and repetitions that reflect on this gentle body of notes. There is a slow hearing that may, or may not create a tone-journey.Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano.

2 Pianos,4 Hands,Piano Duet - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.896336 Composed by Piotr Lachert. 20th Century,Contemporary. Score. 159 pages. CMP #3513359. Published by CMP (A0.896336). New Consonant Music. The orchestra composed solely of pianists ​is divided into three groups: yellow, green and red. The number of orchestral musicians should be between 3 and 99, ​equally distributed into three sections. Manuscript of the composer.

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497852 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 17 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074264. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497852). Piano Duo 2 pianos/4 hands. Curve, Between the Octaves points to a fugal past, where lines enter and build in stately flow. It invites lines to intermingle, without assuming they will all arrive somewhere, or at the same time. A certain intensity builds, then scales, both up and down, free themselves from the discussion of the interleaving lines. The chromaticism suggests curving between harmonies, and is nearly always ambivalent. An assertive chordal climax intervenes to shake off the tensions, yet this peels away into further curvatures that twist and twirl, until a final resting point agrees to present itself.  Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano.

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497831 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 24 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074235. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497831). For Piano Duo - 2 pianos/4hands. Initiate, Between the Octaves, the opening piece in the suite, is a sparky, rhythmic and post-modern hoquet, of some wit and almost perpetual bounciness. A ricocheting of quickly contrasting dynamics with occasional switches to distant moments. Three big plunges into legato emotional flow, release the popping bubbles of the fiery staccato material. A short final chorale settles and grounds the quick cuts, swoops and build ups that have propelled the whole piece. Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano.

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497861 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 26 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074273. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497861). Piano Duo 2 pianos/4 hands. Ritualise, Between the Octaves finally found its identity with the word ritualise. It began as announce, became pronounce, then declare and went as far a pontificate for a title. At that point I realised I was mocking my own music and needed to take it more seriously. Ritualise brought out a meaning to the music that I hadn’t wanted to admit to. It is quite folk-like, in a primal and entrancing kind of way. I can imagine a communal dance for some ceremonial purpose in this music with both public and private elements.Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano.

Instrumental Duet,Keyboard - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1497866 Composed by Jenni Roditi. 21st Century,Classical,Contemporary. 24 pages. Jenni Roditi #1074279. Published by Jenni Roditi (A0.1497866). Piano Duo - 2 pianos/4 hands. Ignite, Between the Octaves began with the impetus of static ‘pulsation’ (its original title) on repeated octaves. The piece is a fizzing dash of nodal vortices, small, then larger, spinning and tumbling and all the way to the finish line. This piece brings the complete suite of 7 pieces to a dynamic close, with a sense of ignition to new beginnings. The music echoes the opening F octaves of Initiate (movement 1). Names of all the movements in the suite Between the Octaves in the right order are Initiate, Surrender, Thread, Curve, Encircle, Ritualise, Ignite. The whole suite follows a long line from movement 1 to movement 7. However, individual pieces are well suited to be played alone too. Piano Duo is ideally two Steinway grands, otherwise, whatever is available. An enjoyment of the tensions and relationships generated between the two instruments: grand-upright, upright-electronic keyboard is to be explored as a positive. Each piece creates its own world in the suite and can be part of smaller subgroups taken from the suite, in any combination, but the order of the pieces needs to be maintained if more than one is played. Here is a taste of the background to the musical world of this 53 minute compositional suite. During a reflective time I read the following: The whole philosophy of dharma art (Buddhist art) is that you don't try to be artistic, but you just approach objects as they are, and the message comes through automatically. (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, from 'True Perception The Path of Dharma Art.' Shambhala 2008, p.133.) The 'objects as they are' became the 'octaves as they are'. As the pieces were composed the octaves had a centring and clarifying role that allowed other material to circulate around or play against them. They acted as pivots, repetitions, drones, ostinati, pointillist nodes, pedals, melodic features, struts, harmonic turnpikes, breathing spaces, bass lines: musical imperatives. The octaves called the musical shots most of the time. When the music pulled a semitone up or down and away from the octaves (as it did quite often) it was especially telling in the context of the ringing spaces the octaves were creating. I became interested in the subtle dislocation that two pianos could provide. By dislocation I mean a degree of tension between the natural acoustics of the two instruments in the room and the players idiosyncrasies as musicians.  The whole point of this work was to examine the nature of my syntax, grammar, and compositional thinking. The title demanded one thing above all: what notes am I going to use between these octaves?? My choice of notes was derived in most instances from the tempo, pitch, and rhythm of the initial octaves at the beginning of each piece alongside the individual word titles that I set out to explore as musical images. The audio was developed from Sibelius software, via MIDI to Logic samples of a Steinway grand piano. 

Composed by Chris Gordon. 20th Century, Romantic Period, Repertoire. Piano Reduction. 16 pages. Published by Cool Wind Music Digital

2 pianos - Digital Download SKU: S9.Q5862 Based on Hindustani themes. Composed by Erik Chisholm. This edition: piano reduction for 2 pianos. Downloadable, Piano reduction. Duration 30 minutes. Schott Music - Digital #Q5862. Published by Schott Music - Digital (S9.Q5862). The Piano Concerto No.2 was first performed in Cape Town in 1949 and in the following year was broadcast on the BBC Radio Third Programme. It was enthusiastically received by the critics, Ernest Newman writing of it ’I was particularly intrigued by the skill with which the composer has managed to fuse Hindustani modes of expression and European ways of thought and factors of design into a single organic whole. I was greatly intrigued by it’. It had many performances and broadcasts in the composer’s life time but after his death, was not heard again until 2007 when it was specially recorded for broadcast one evening in ‘Scotland’s Music�, a BBC Radio Scotland’s series of weekly programmes. John Purser, writer and presenter of the series which ran for a year, comments ‘The Concerto emerges as a major achievement in terms of over-all conception, technical innovation and brilliance and superb handling of the orchestra’. The soloist, Dutch pianist Ronald Brautigam, said of his experience “It is a great privilege to be working on such a wonderful Concerto! I have completely fallen in love with the piece. The work is definitely challenging, but the wealth of musical ideas, the refinement of the slow movement, the humour and boisterousness of the finale make one forget that at times fingers need to be scraped off the keyboard’.

2 Pianos,4 Hands,Piano Duet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.944075 Composed by Ofer Ben-Amots. 20th Century,Contemporary,Latin,World. Score. 28 pages. The Composer's Own Press #5041193. Published by The Composer's Own Press (A0.944075). Composer's notes: I have always been fascinated by music that lives on the boundary between popular and highbrow, and Argentinian Tango falls right into this category. I wrote Tango for the Road in the summer of 2015, following an earlier tango in my Odessa Trio, titled Tango Dorfman. The genre has a number of well-defined musical characteristics, often opposing one another: it is rhythmically strict and precise, yet warm and sentimental; it carries melodious tunes accompanied by soft chromaticism and elegance, yet it conceals tremendous spark and inner-power; being a partner dance, it sometimes displays a Leader/Follower relationship and other times an equal vigor and energy between the partners.

2 Pianos,4 Hands,Piano Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1458066 By Sharon Wilson. By Frances R. Havergal, Henri A. C. Malan, and Lowell Mason. Arranged by Sharon Wilson. 19th Century,Christian,Lent,Romantic Period,Sacred. Score. 13 pages. Sharon Wilson #1037036. Published by Sharon Wilson (A0.1458066). The classic hymn tune HENDON by Henri A. Malan has been arranged as a dual piano duet (for 2 pianos, 4 hands). Both parts carry the melody at times making it fun and equally challenging for both players while adding variety for the listeners. The song begins in the key of G major and then transitions to the key of C major for the second verse.This slightly rhythmic, yet flowing arrangement will encourage reflection as the listeners are reminded of the lyrics penned by Frances R. Havergal: Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.The purchase price includes a 7-page score with combined PIANO 1 and PIANO 2 parts on each page (Grand Staff) plus an alternate format with the PIANO 1 and PIANO 2 parts on separate pages (2 pages each). This arrangement is one of the 5 hymns in the collection Hymns of Reflection for Two Pianos.Visit Sharon Wilson's website: https://www.SharonWilsonMusic.com/Subscribe to her YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@SharonWilsonMusic

2 Pianos,4 Hands,Piano Duet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1187941 By Richard Simm. By Richard Simm. Arranged by Richard Simm. Folk,Multicultural,Traditional,World. Score. 2 pages. Richard Simm #787548. Published by Richard Simm (A0.1187941). This suite is based upon Richard Simm's Five Irish Melodies, which were originally composed for beginner students to play as piano duets with their teachers or with advanced students. In their new guise for two pianos, they are technically more challenging, but they have the advantage of allowing each performer total control over the subtle pedalling which is sometimes needed here. The lyrics tell of a girl who knows which man she loves, but heaven only knows which one she'll marry...

Instrumental Duet Instrumental Duet,Piano - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.534483 Composed by Germaine Tailleferre. 20th Century,Concert,Standards. Score and parts. 65 pages. Musik Fabrik Music Publishing #3534799. Published by Musik Fabrik Music Publishing (A0.534483). This work was written in the first months of 1942 while Tailleferre was living in Grasse, in the socolled« Free Zone » of occupied France during the Second World War and was completed just asTailleferre was forced to flee France with her daughter. As the wife of Jean Lageat, who had been thesecretary of the French socialist Léon Blum during the « Front Populaire » period just before the Warand who was at that time in the US working against the Vichy Government, and as someone who wasnot unvocal about her political views, this could not have been a comfortable situation. Tailleferre left arecord of what she experienced during this period in an article written for the American music journal «Modern Music » which she wrote shortly after arriving in America in the Spring of 1942 :« Notwithstanding their staunch spirit of resistence, the people under German rule today areincreasingly bowed down under their burdens. By achieving the physical decline of the French, theNazis hope that spiritual collapse will ensue. However, after two years of quasi-famine, France remainspround and great, although the necessity of liberation grows daily more urgent.....For an artist to workunder these conditions is almost impossible. The mere effort of subsisting wastes time and absorbsenergy ; The means to work are also lacking.....Musical composition is made practically impossiblethrough lack of music paper. For more than a year, I sought in vain to find paper in Lyon, Marseillesand Nice on which to copy an orchestral score...Two years of experience under German rule havetaught me that all expressions of pride, dignity, spirit , aspiration of the human will can be made onlyclaudestinely. It is a historical truth that the human mind makes its greatest progress under freedom ».Under such circumstances, it is a miracle that this work exists at all. The three movement work wasdedicated to the famous Marguerite Long, for whom Tailleferre had already written several short worksfor piano solo, and François Lang, a pianist who was closely linked with the Group des Six and whohad performed in the première of the 1934 Concerto Grosso for Two Pianos, 8 Solo Voices, SaxophoneQuartet and Orchestra and for whom Tailleferre wrote two cadenzas for concerti by Mozart and Haydn.The work opens with sunny, optimistism in a mood similar to the opening movement of the ConcertoGrosso, but quickly the mood changes to more dramatic themes. The second movement seems tosubjectively express a rupture with the past and a tragic melancholy. The final third movement isextremely dramatic and almost frightening with it’s force.When Tailleferre left France in the Spring of 1942, having been warned by a neighbor that she wasgoing to be arrested if she didn’t leave immediately, she left the score in a two-piano version, probablydue to the fact that there was no music paper to be had to copy the score. When she returned to Francein 1946, she learned that François Lang had been deported to Auschwitz where he died. Musical life inFrance had been completely changed by the War years. Tailleferre put the work aside and forgot aboutit, perhaps wanting to forget the hardships that she had lived through and the loss of many of her friendsassociated with these years.Tailleferre's version for two pianos is published by Musik Fabrik and the work may be performed inthat version. It is clear however, that the work was intended to be orchestrated and the editors hope thatthe present orchestration will allow the work to finally be presented as Tailleferre conceived duringsome of the darkest years of the Twentieth century.