Piano Quartet,String Ensemble Cello,Piano,Viola,Violin - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.755009 Composed by Sy Brandon. 20th Century,Contemporary. Score and parts. 49 pages. Sy Brandon #3239669. Published by Sy Brandon (A0.755009). In The Land of Wonder-Wander attempts to capture the essence of both Maxfield Parrish’s illustration and Eugene Fields’ poem The Dinkey-Bird. Both the painting and the poem create the feeling of a magical place where beauty, joy and pleasure abound. It is a mysterious place, perhaps as occurring in a dream, yet a place where one does not wish to leave. In The Land of Wonder-Wander begins quietly with vague tonality and sparse instrumentation as it transports the listener into this mystical land. As the tempo becomes stricter and the instrumentation fuller, the beauty of this place is apparent. A change to a triple meter and a faster tempo creates a joyous and wondrous section as there are many sweet treats growing to satisfy the soul. Children scampering and playing are represented by an allegro section with playful melodies and slight dissonance. The Dinkey Bird becomes the focus of the next section, which uses a staccato motif surrounded by rapid scales and arpeggios. These ideas build in intensity, expressing the wonder and beauty of this far away land, until they begin to fade away as the land recedes into the sea. A last flourish occurs as if one is trying to hold on to the experience before one wakes up from this marvelous dream.

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.