Piano Quartet - Level 1 - Digital Download SKU: A0.548639 Composed by Traditional. Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Christmas. 10 pages. Jmsgu3 #3406037. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548639). The First Nowell arranged for Piano Quartet featuring a thought-provoking re-harmonization of the final verse.OriginsThe First Noel is an English Christmas carol. Even more, it was probably written in the late Cornish Renaissance period. While other versions spell the title as Nowell, this is an everyday variation. Furthermore, Noel is an older word meaning “Christmas.� Therefore, “the First Noel� translates as “the First Christmas.� First of all, Gilbert and Sandy published the earliest version. As a result, this version appears in the “Carols Ancient and Modern� songbook of 1823. William Sandy edited and arranged the book. Similarly, his partner Davies Gilbert revised and added the familiar extra verses. The First Noel: Piano Quartet Version brings new harmony in the final verse for more energy and drive.StainerOrganist and composer Sir John Stainer published the most noteworthy customary arrangement in the 1870s. Stainer is, above all, famous for his songbook entitled Christmas Carols New and Old (1871). This volume served as an essential catalyst for reviving the English Christmas carol. Other favorite Stainer arrangements from this book include What Child Is This, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, and I Saw Three Ships.Diatonic FunctionThe melodic structure in the First Noel is uncommon among English folk tunes. It simply repeats one phrase twice and then follows a variation refrain. All three words of the song end on the mediant scale degree. This is unusual because the diatonic function of the mediant is non-final compared to the more usual tonic or even dominant degrees. Consequently, this gives the song an open-ended feeling – like maybe it never ends.Political ContextThe Catholic clergy sang carols outside of the church in Latin. After the Protestant Reformation, the reformers thought it would be better for everyone to sing carols. They decided to bring music back to the common folk. So, they translated the lyrics from Latin into a common language. Moreover, the Protestants wanted more control over the music in the church than what the Vatican allowed. Protestant composers such as William Byrd composed complex polyphonic Christmas music that they called carols. Nonetheless, some famous folk melodies were composed in this era. Eminent composers in the nineteenth century began to revise and adapt them. Consequently, they revived the English carol.

Piano Quartet - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549902 Composed by Traditional. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Standards. 6 pages. Jmsgu3 #3685135. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549902). Score: 3 pages, String parts 1 page each. The First Noel arranged for Alto Sax & Piano with new harmony for the final verse.Origins The First Noel is an English Christmas carol. Even more, it was probably written in the late Cornish Renaissance period. While other versions spell the title as Nowell, this is just a colloquial variation. Furthermore, Noel is an older word meaning Christmas. Therefore the First Noel translates as the First Christmas. First of all, Gilbert and Sandy published the earliest version. As a result, this version appears in the Carols Ancient and Modern songbook of 1823. William Sandy edited and arranged the book. Similarly, his partner Davies Gilbert edited and added the familiar extra verses. The First Noel: Piano Quartet Version comes with new harmony in final verse for more energy and drive. Stainer Organist and composer Sir John Stainer published the most noteworthy customary arrangement in the 1870’s.  Stainer is above all famous for his songbook entitled: Christmas Carols New and Old (1871). This volume served as an important catalyst for reviving the English Christmas carol.  Other famous Stainer arrangements from this book are such titles as What Child Is This, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, and I Saw Three Ships. Diatonic Function The melodic structure in the First Noel is uncommon among English folk tunes. It simply repeats one phrase twice then follows a variation refrain. All three phrases of the song end on the mediant scale degree. This is unusual because the diatonic function of the mediant is non-final compared to the more usual tonic or even dominant degrees. Consequently, this gives the song as kind of open-ended feeling – like maybe it never really ends. Political Context The Catholic clergy sang carols outside of the church in Latin. After the Protestant Reformation, the reformers thought it would be better for everyone to sing carols. They decided to bring music back to the common folk. So, they translated the lyrics from Latin into common language. Moreover, the Protestants wanted more control over the music in church than what the Vatican allowed. Protestant composers such as William Byrd composed complex polyphonic Christmas music that they called carols. Nonetheless, some famous folk carols were composed in this era. Eminent composers in the nineteenth century began to revise and adapt them. Consequently, they revived the English carol.  Register for free lifetime updates and revisions at www.jamesguthrie.com  

Piano Quartet Cello,Piano,Viola,Violin - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1372313 By Rainer's Rainbow. By Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741. Arranged by R G Roth. 19th Century,Baroque,Chamber,Classical,Romantic Period. 97 pages. Rainer's Rainbow #956604. Published by Rainer's Rainbow (A0.1372313). This popular Vivaldi Quartet for Flute, Violin, Cello and Keyboard is published here for the first time in the alternative key of E minor. This makes it possible to substitute the Flute part with a Soprano Recorder. Also included is a full string arrangement to make it into a tradition concerto grosso for 3 soloists.

Piano Quartet Cello,Piano,Violin - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1243498 By Rainer's Rainbow. By Gustav Mahler 1860-1911. Arranged by R G Roth. 19th Century,20th Century,21st Century,New Age,Romantic Period. 70 pages. Rainer's Rainbow #838463. Published by Rainer's Rainbow (A0.1243498). Mahler composed his 1st Symphony in 1888. Many of the themes from the 1st movement are presented here as a new arrangement for a mixed Quartet. The parts included are Flute, Violin, Cello and Piano. The flute part could be played be a violin if desired.

Piano Quartet Cello,Piano,Viola,Violin - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1404728 Composed by Terry Vosbein. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical. 57 pages. Max Frank Music #987795. Published by Max Frank Music (A0.1404728). “Parallel Tracks� was primarily inspired by a ten day train trip, from the heart of Virginia to the far west and back. It is not necessarily a narrative of that journey. Rather, it is a collage of sensations, taking in the sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings of the voyage. Much like the views through the train windows, the musical vistas of this work change rapidly. There are rolling fertile plains, deep river valleys, and jagged mountainous peaks. The train passes through some of the nations’s larg- est cities and some of its tiniest bergs, crosses some of the oldest and newest mountain ranges in the country. There are tunnels and trestles, forests, farms, and prairies. It is incredibly calm yet delightfully exciting.There is something elegant about spending an extended period crossing the country in an Amtrak roomette. On such trains as the Cardinal, the Empire Builder, the Coast Starlight, and the Califor- nia Zephyr, it feels as if one is stepping into the past. Nothing is rushed. Fine dining, spectacular views, riveting conversations with strangers. The grandeur of the mighty stations, such as Union Station in Chicago. And the humble beauty of the smaller stops like Staunton, Virginia, my starting and ending point.The perpetual motion of train travel is unique. The movement can feel smooth at times and bone rattling just a few minutes later. It can be a quiet purr or the sound of grating metal. And yet the gentle sway can envelop one like a blanket, enticing deep sleep throughout the night. Waking to pastries and coffee while rolling across the countryside is divine. And elegant.“Parallel Tracks� begins with a sound of forward motion put forth by the piano. Smooth and easy. Plucked strings ride on top of the steady piano pad as the chain of cars passes effortlessly through fields. As the cello presents the first theme, a more strident feeling is revealed and explored, driv- ing the engine toward its dramatic destinations. The first climax gives way to a playful scherzo-like section, the elegance of the journey on full display. The return of the first theme at a more majestic tempo announces that the voyage’s terminus is near.The parallel tracks on which a train glides are always a fixed distance and never cross. The parallel tracks of life are not so bound by mathematics. There is something more fluid when the tracks are allowed to cross. The string section and the piano each create their own track in this composition, frequently squaring off. At times it is if they are on the same train but sitting in opposite directions and on the opposite side of the car. There are moments that even sound as if they are proceeding at two different speeds. But their tracks are never too divergent, never really out of sync. And both arrive at the final stop together.

Piano Quartet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.548651 Composed by James Pierpont. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas. 17 pages. Jmsgu3 #3408091. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548651). A unique arrangement of Jingle Bells arranged for a piano quartet (piano, violin, viola, cello, and optional sleigh bells). The first verses are based on the traditional version. After an abrupt modulation, the third verse explores an augmentation canon, while the viola pursues a wild sleigh ride passage. Meanwhile, the tune is fragmented and sequenced in the piano. It gets wild but straightens out for the final refrain. Score: 7 pg, 68 ms. String parts: 2 pg. Sleighbell part: 1 pg. Piano part: 3 pg. Jingle Bells is perhaps the most famous song in American music history. James L. Pierpont published the song One Horse Open Sleigh in the late 1850s. Since its introduction, people began to insist that Pierpont wrote it for a Sunday school choir. However, it seems unlikely that such a secular song would be considered appropriate during that historical period for Sunday school. Christmas Repertoire Pierpont wrote the song for the Thanksgiving holidays, but over time people began to think of it more as a Christmas song. Some choirs adopted it as part of their Christmas repertoire in the 1860s and 1870s. Jingle Bells was first recorded in 1889 on a wax cylinder. Origins No one knows where Pierpont composed the song. One theory suggests he wrote it in Medford Massachusetts in 1850. Sleigh races were certainly popular in 19th-century Massachusetts. To this day, a commemorative placard appears in Medford Square claiming that it is the birthplace of Jingle Bells. Others suggest that he wrote it in Savannah, Georgia where he was an organist and music director at the Unitarian Church. This theory gained support from the copyright date of 1857. We know he was living in Savannah by then. Traffic Signals Horse-drawn sleighs are relatively quiet in the snow. Consequently, horses were usually equipped with bell-laden straps so as to avoid accidents at blind intersections. Sleigh drivers in 19th Century New England were constantly vigilant, listening for the sounds of approaching horse-drawn sleighs. The tune imitates the rhythm that the trotting horse bells produce. Social Context Jingle Bells was sung as a drinking song at local revelries: during the song, folks would rhythmically jingle the ice in their glasses. A sleigh ride allowed couples to be alone together. The term Jingle bells is a poetic descriptive adjective referring specifically to the more accurate term sleigh bells. In many arrangements, sleigh bells accentuate the rhythm during the song's chorus.   

Piano Quartet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549720 Composed by Gabriel Faure. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Contemporary,Multicultural,Romantic Period,Standards,World. 33 pages. Jmsgu3 #3531235. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549720). It's an epic choice for a recital or funeral. Fauré Background: In the first place, Gabriel Fauré 1845 –1924) was a famous French composer, musician, and educator. Furthermore, his musical ideas influenced numerous 20th-century composers. Therefore, historians regard him as one of the leading French composers of his time. Famous Works: Among his most famous compositions, by and large, are the Pavane, Elegie (op. 24), Requiem, Sicilienne, Nocturnes for piano, and the songs Après un rêve and Clair de lune. Since his early works are well-known and relatively easy to perform, Faure's music seems to have become gradually more difficult during his later life. In other words, his later works are somewhat esoteric and complex. Early Home Life: Fauré was born into a well-cultivated family. His aptitude for music became particularly clear early on - when he was still a boy. Under these circumstances, his parents sent him to a music institution in Paris. Consequently, his training there prepared him for a church organist and choirmaster career. Middle Life: It is essential to realize that Fauré studied music composition with the French musical mastermind Camille Saint-Saëns, who became his lifelong friend. Fauré eventually graduated from college and earned a living as an organist and educator. During this period, he had, on the whole, little time to compose. He became more successful in his middle age, becoming organist of the Église de la Madeleine and director of the Paris Conservatoire. However, he still needed time to balance his composing. Therefore, given these points, he withdrew to the countryside during the summer to focus on composing. Later Life: Fauré was, in the final analysis, recognized in France as the foremost French composer of his time. The French government held a national musical tribute in Paris, particularly for him. The French President notably headed the ceremony. Elsewhere, on the contrary, Fauré's music was slow to become accepted, except, of course, in England. Legacy: Historians often describe Fauré's music, in general, as a transition between the end of Romanticism and the beginning of modernism. As an illustration, when Fauré was born, Chopin was still composing. However, by Fauré's death, jazz and atonal music had mainly come to fruition. Fauré, by all means, suffered from increasing deafness in his later years. Some musicologists believe this to be the cause of the esoteric nature of Faure's final works.

Piano Quartet,String Ensemble Cello,Piano,Viola,Violin - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1004716 Composed by Adrian Gagiu. 20th Century,Contemporary. Score and parts. 95 pages. Adrian Gagiu #5213345. Published by Adrian Gagiu (A0.1004716). Piano Quartet in F major in neoclassical style, loosely following the general outline of the Baroque sonata and the rhythmical patterns of the Baroque suite. A little manifesto for melody and striving for serenity, as opposed to the esthetics of avant-garde music. After the shock of the first harsh chord, the first movement (Andante molto sostenuto, un poco maestoso) wipes away all tension, in search for a renewed serenity, making use of allemande rhythmic patterns. The second movement (Allegro moderato), a scherzo-sonata form with courante rhythmic formulas and two trios, follows without a break.The third movement (Andante con moto e cantabile) is the emotional core of the composition, starting restrained and sad, with Romanian influences and a sarabande rhythm, but followed miraculously by a grand, ecstatic section.The Finale is a developed, expansive rondo (Allegro non troppo) with subtle Romanian influences, making use of bourrée and gavotte rhythms, plus minuet and gigue in the exalted coda.