SKU: A0.1137849

This album contains 5 of Johann Sebastian Bach's most famous and versatile pieces for clarinet quartet, all very well suited for the beginners who want to get to know the baroque repertoire. They are also suitable for performances at events such as: weddings, Christian and church ceremonies, Easter, and academic recitals or concerts. They can be used in music institutions and by teachers as repertoire material and study methods, either for performance or instrumental technique. This collection includes a totally free bonus for you to enjoy: Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress is Our God, a Renaissance sacred song for choir, which has been adapted for this set. 1: Air on the G String - The original piece is part of Johann Sebastian Bach's Suite No. 3 for orchestra, in D Major, BWV 1068, written for Prince Leopold of Anhalt. The so-called Air on the G String dates from one of these latter employments. In the service of the Prince of Cöthen, Bach composed not only the famous Brandenburg Concertos, but also several orchestral suites, from the third of which comes the Air on the G String. This curious title derives from a later arrangement of this piece for violin solo, in which the melody is played entirely on the lower, higher string of the instrument. 2: Arioso - The Cantata 156 (BWV 156) was written for the third Sunday after Epiphany in 1729, and was first performed on January 23 of that year. The text is by Picander, one of Bach's favorite librettists. Of the four cantatas written by Bach for the feast, it was the last and only one scored for solo voice. This is a choral cantata, employing a choral melody in several movements. Cantata 156, in fact, employs two different choral melodies and texts in the second and sixth movements. A cantata is a sung symphony consisting of several parts, one of which is the Arioso, which is the initial instrumental part. 3: Jesu, joy of man's desiring - This is one of Bach's most beautiful cantatas, made famous by the Jesus the Joy of Men chorus. It was originally composed for Advent 1716 in Weimar. Years later, already in Leipzig, Advent was tempus clausum, there was no music in the churches. Bach then reworked it for the Feast of Mary's Visitation. It is the final chorale of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben. Although it is the 32nd cantata composed by Bach, of those that have survived, it was given BWV 147 in the complete catalog of his works. 4: O Jesulein süss, o Jesulein mild - The Jesulein süß, the Jesulein mild is an original traditional German choral melody for voice and continuous bass arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach around 1735. With lyrics by Valentin Thilo, O Jesulein süss is a sacred melody adapted and catalogued as BWV 493. The first translation is by Dirk van Hogendorp, who made it more of a song for the time of suffering. 5: Minuet in G major - This famous piece has traditionally been attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, as it appears in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena , a notebook that Bach gave to his wife Anna Magdalena in 1725 and which was to be filled with the favorite selections of Bach family members. However, recent research has concluded that this minuet, sometimes referred to as BWV Anhang 114. was probably composed by Christian Petzold, a German composer and organist contemporary with Bach. Bonus: A Mighty Fortress is Our God, by Martin Luther - Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott is a hymn written by Martin Luther probably before 1529. The melody was also considered his work for a long time, but it was created at least with the collaboration of Johann Walter. The song is of great symbolic power for Protestantism, where it is also known as Deus noster refugium et virtus. Considered one of the most important hymns in the history of Christianity, it was considered by the Christian poet Johann Heirich Heine (1797-1856) to be the Marseillaise of the Reformation, in an allusion to the French national anthem.

SKU: A0.734615

On October 15, 1951, the very first episode of the I Love Lucy show aired on CBS and became the most watched TV show in the U.S. for four of its seven-year run. Fun trivia about the opening theme song is that during the first season the show opened with their sponsor Philip Morris’ animation of stick figure cartoons of Lucy and Desi climbing down a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes. It was scored with Ferde Grofé’s Jr. The Grand Canyon Suite theme (a composition from 1931).

From the second season onwards, the I Love Lucy signature tune we all know so well became the main theme, and one of the most recognizable pieces of music on the planet. It was written by composer Eliot Daniel who cranked it out in an afternoon as a favor to his old Coast Guard buddy Jess Oppenheimer, the show’s producer. Since Daniel still had another year under his exclusive contract to Fox, he asked Oppenheimer to keep his name out of it. Consequently his name does not appear on first or the second season TV credits for what became one of the most popular TV themes. Later, Daniel did seek credit and received royalties from syndicated reruns for the rest of his life.

The lyrics were written by Harold Adamson for an episode in the third season in which Lucy believes everyone has forgotten her birthday. So of course Ricky saves the day after a near disaster.

This arrangement for Soprano Clarinet Quartet remains faithful to the original.

Performance Time Approx. 1 minute 25 seconds

SKU: A0.581936

Extinction Events (3rd movement - Walrus Jump by John Gibson was written as a submission to the International Clarinet Association's 2018 Composition Competition. Written for 3 Bb clarinets and 1 bass clarinet, it is a four movement work for very advanced players. This is the third movement only...the others may be purchased separately: Buzzy Delights, It Isn't Easy Being a Cuckoo, and Yaguarete Surprise (Argentine Jaguar). The entire set of 4 movements may also be purchased. Simply type extinction events Gibson in the search bar at the top.

You can watch a You Tube video at https://youtu.be/zdxKbnvD6iI 

Each movement imagines a different animal or insect living in its habitat as it gradually deteriorates. One might think this would be sad, violent music, but each earthly creature is shown in its musical habitat where it happily does what it does best....bees buzzing around flowers, cuckoos gently calling in the forest, Walruses jumping not so gracefully onto sea ice, Jaguars quietly stalking their prey. The habitat changes are depicted by gradual use of unstable scales, and the sometimes hidden ancient tune of the Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath.

The point I wish to make is how humans must be watchful of wildlife habitats because we are all in this limited world together. Where wild creatures go, so do we. It was best said by Jane Goodall: Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall they be saved.

Walruses are huge aquatic animals who are powerful and swift in the water, but when they jump onto sea ice to rest, they are anything but graceful. They are a bit comical, really. Subsistence hunters in the Bering Strait of Alaska are having trouble with their Spring hunts due to gradual warming of the arctic waters. Sea ice is getting thinner and the Walruses they rely upon to live are getting too far away. This Walrus Jump music is a pretty happy sounding boogie woogie that shows signs of musical distress as it goes on.

SKU: A0.799948

The Star-Spangled Banner is a great repertoire piece for beginning chamber ensembles. First, it is something familiar, and this arrangement is based on the more traditional harmonic setting that students are used to hearing which will speed the learning process and build confidence. Second, although some directors/performers wish to play to the end in a no-nonsense manner, (without slowing or rubato), most prefer a more dramatic interpretation with ritards, extra fermatas, and even improvisation, which will encourage the ensemble to listen, lead, and follow in order to stay together. Third, if well-prepared, an ensemble could enjoy many high-profile performances of this piece at sporting events and other gatherings where our National Anthem is customarily performed. Ensembles are encouraged to perform this memorized.

SKU: A0.1115102

This arrangement is suited to intermediate level players. It may be used for church, school, or community settings. A change of key occurs in the middle section adding interest. The middle section is a statement of the familiar carol in a four-part setting. However, the melody occurs in the third part rather than the first. The bass clarinet and the 2nd clarinet double up on the melody during the last section.