Cello,Piano,Viola,Violin - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.548706 Composed by Adam. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Standards. 18 pages. Jmsgu3 #3411563. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.548706). Cantique de Noël The French composer Adolphe Adam was already famous as a composer of many successful ballets and operas. Then, in the 1840s, he wrote his most famous work - O Holy Night. The original song title was Minuit Chretiens or Cantique de Noël.  Placide Cappeau provided the original song lyrics. The song was first performed in Roquemaure by the opera singer Emily Laurey at midnight mass in 1847. It became trendy among the French, much like Silent Night was famous elsewhere. In 1850, John S. Dwight, a Unitarian minister and music teacher, translated the song into English.   Adolphe Adam Adam studied organ and composition at the Paris Conservatoire in his younger years. He also played the timpani in the Conservatoire orchestra. Adam used his savings and borrowed money to open a new opera house - the fourth opera house in Paris in 1847. Unfortunately, the Revolution of 1848 forced him to close. He taught composition at the Paris Conservatoire from 1849 until he died in 1856. Placide Cappeau The poet Cappeau was an advocate of the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire. Voltaire was renowned for criticizing the Catholic church, religious intolerance, and dogma in general. Consequently, Cappeau made the Redeemer figure in his song a kind of reformer of injustices, particularly the problem of original sin. To begin with, people recognized Cappeau's theology as eccentric, probably even doubtful. Theology In the earlier form of Minuit, the Christ figure descends to intervene with His Father's plan to punish humanity. Traditional doctrine pronounces that Christ came from love, not to intervene. This version also declares that Christ appeared to delete the original sin of Adam. Cappeau removed this part from his poem years later because he didn't believe it. He preferred to portray Christ as the reformer of disparity and unfairness. Before long, the writer/politician Alphonse de Lamartine called the Minuit the Marseillaise of religion. Most French churchmen agreed with this idea but did not consider it a tribute.    

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 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.552117 Composed by George Friderick Handel (1685-1756). Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Baroque,Instructional,Standards,Wedding. Score and parts. 36 pages. Jmsgu3 #6121085. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.552117). Seven popular pieces from Handel's Water Music - most often requested for weddings. Score: 16 pages, Duration 12:15. Players may read from the score, or from the included instrumental parts.Contents: 1. Air2. Minuet3. Bourrée4. Hornpipe5. Rigaudon6. Minuet7. AndanteHandel's Water Music is one of his most famous compositions. It was written for King George I's pleasure barge trip along the River Thames in 1717. The Water Music is divided into three suites, each containing a variety of movements. The music features a mix of dance rhythms such as minuets, bourrees, and hornpipes, along with lively fanfares and slower, more stately airs. Its combination of light and playful music with grandeur and pomp has made it one of the most beloved pieces of classical music. Water Music has been performed by many orchestras and is a popular choice for special occasions, such as coronations and weddings. Its enduring popularity has helped to make it one of Handel's most famous and beloved compositions.Weddings during the time of Handel were usually quite extravagant affairs. The ceremony was typically held in a church and was accompanied by a full orchestra. Handel's own compositions were frequently used to provide the music for the ceremony. This was especially true in London, where Handel was based and where his music was extremely popular. Handel wrote a number of pieces specifically for use at weddings, including the popular Wedding Anthem and the Wedding Anthem in D Major. Handel's music provided a sense of grandeur and elegance to the proceedings and was often used to give the wedding an extra special touch.The festivities following the ceremony were also often quite lavish, with a large feast and plenty of dancing. Handel's music was often used to provide the background music for the dancing, and he wrote many dance suites that were specifically designed for this purpose. The bride and groom would often have a special dance to the music of Handel's Water Music, a particularly popular piece for the occasion. Guests at the wedding would be treated to a variety of Handel's works, ranging from his operas to his oratorios, which often had a spiritual or religious theme. Handel's music provided a sense of joy and celebration to the wedding and helped make it an occasion to remember.

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,String Ensemble - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549784 Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Classical,Concert,Sacred,Standards,World. Score and parts. 25 pages. Jmsgu3 #3535863. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549784). Mozart's Romanze from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 for Piano Quartet (String Trio and Piano). Duration: ca. 7:00. Score: 11 pages. Violin: 4 pages, Viola: 3 pages, Cello: 2 pages, piano: 4 pages. This is one of the most beloved works in all of Mozart's catalog making it a strong choice for a recital, meditation, nightclub, church or wedding reception. Eine kleine Nachtmusik Eine kleine Nachtmusik is also at the same time known as Serenade No. 13. Indeed, we find it listed in the Köchel Catalog as K. 525. With this in mind, Mozart composed the piece by all means in 1787 probably as a commission. To clarify, the title translates as a little night-music. Mozart originally scored the work in particular for an ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello with double bass (optional). In modern times the work is certainly usually performed by string orchestras, though it is often in fact performed by a string quartet – with or without double bass. Publication A point often overlooked is that the name of the work derives from the entry Mozart made in his private journal. He wrote: Eine kleine Nacht-Musik. This explains that Mozart was probably not naming the piece, but only entering a record that he had completed it. Nevertheless, the work was published by and large in 1827. It had been sold to the publisher for the most part in 1799 by Mozart's widow Constanze. Nowadays, it is on balance extensively performed and recorded. Some critics ultimately claim that it is the most popular of all Mozart's works.   Early Years Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791), was a productive and significant Austrian classical composer. Mozart displayed unusual musical capability from his earliest childhood. It seems like he was already capable on keyboard and violin at the age of two. He started composing at age five and performed before European royalty. Middle Period At 17, Mozart was working as a musician at the Salzburg Royal court but grew agitated from boredom and traveled to search for a more interesting job. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was summarily dismissed from his Salzburg job. Nevertheless, he decided to stay in the capital (Vienna), where he achieved much fame but little economic haven. Throughout his concluding years in the Capital, he composed many of his most famous works: symphonies, operas, and concertos. Final Period The conditions surrounding his death have been much the subject of much conjecture and mythology. He composed more than 600 works, many recognized as highpoints of symphonic, chamber, concertante, choral and operatic. He is among the most everlastingly popular of classical composers, and his impact is substantial on succeeding Western art music.  Register for free lifetime updates and revisions of this product at www.jamesguthrie.com

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.