SKU: A0.550521

Sonata da Chiesa No. 6 in Bb Major for Alto Flute & Piano by Antonio Vivaldi in Four movements. Duration: ca. 12:10. Score: 16 pages. 

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer and violinist in the Baroque period, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time. He was a major influence on many other composers of the Baroque era, and his influence can still be felt in music today.

Vivaldi's most important contribution to music history was his development of the sonata da chiesa, or church sonata. This form of composition was a variation on the Baroque sonata, and was used primarily in sacred music. It was characterized by a more lyrical approach to composition, with a focus on melody and harmonic structure. Vivaldi was one of the first composers to make use of this form, and his works set the standard for future composers. His church sonatas were written in a wide variety of keys and styles, and their influence can be heard in the works of later composers, such as J.S. Bach and Handel.

Vivaldi's influence on music history is far-reaching, and his contributions to the development of the sonata da chiesa are among his most important. His compositions are still widely performed and appreciated today, and his legacy continues to shape the music of the modern era.

SKU: A0.548707

Out of the Depths I Cry to You by Martin Luther arranged for alto flute & piano. The first verses feature modified counterpoint and harmony proceeding at quarter = 82. The final verse is reharmonized for maximum dramatic effect at a more contemplative tempo such as quarter = 64. Very powerful selection for Lent or Easter. Duration (3 verses) 3:05, 36 ms.
Score: 3 pg. Solo part: 1 pg. The piano reads from the score.

Out of the Depths

Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (From deep affliction I cry out to you), is, of course, a hymn composed by Martin Luther. Moreover, Luther also wrote the lyrics, essentially a paraphrase of Psalm 130. First published in 1524, it is also one of eight songs in the original Lutheran hymnal. It appears likewise in many hymnals and in different translations. The lyrics furthermore stimulated compositions from the Renaissance to the contemporary. Consequently, composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach built an entire chorale cantata on it. Other composers similarly contributed pieces, such as Felix Mendelssohn and Max Reger.

Luther Background

Martin Luther, (1483 –1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, and moreover, an influential character in the Protestant Reformation. Luther had a momentous impact on church and society due to his contributions to the musical arts. He wanted to disseminate the gospel among mankind and with this intention thought that the best way to do that was through music.

Influence

It is important to realize that other musicians, and their descendants, were encouraged by Luther’s songs and wrote their own hymns. Luther, to be sure, had a thorough musical education. For example, he knew secular and sacred songs from an early age. He, in particular, played the lute well and sang in the monastery when he was a monk. That is to say, music was an essential part of his life. He in fact first began writing songs in 1523, sometimes writing the melody as well as the lyrics. Luther was certainly able to evaluate the composers of his time. He thought especially highly of Josquin des and Ludwig Senfl. He was also acquainted, with this in mind, with other composers and their works.

Legacy

The Lutheran musical ethos soon covered all of Germany and later significantly fashioned Protestant musical culture. Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach are the most compelling evidence of this Protestant musical culture. Additionally, as a point often overlooked, the pedal organ, first refined in northern Germany, became universally prevalent. As a matter of fact, Dieterich Buxtehude established a regular evening organ concert series in Lübeck. Another key point is that this concert series, in turn, spread North German Musical ideas worldwide. Luther was especially convinced that music is a beautiful and exclusive offering of the divine.

SKU: A0.824634

Arranged for Alto Flute and Piano. An easy starter piece for intermediate players. A very well known melody by Frederick Chopin (Op.28, No.4)

SKU: A0.550495

Sonata da Chiesa No. 5 in E Minor for Alto Flute & Piano by Antonio Vivaldi in Four movements. Duration: ca. 12:16. Score: 15 pages.

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer and violinist in the Baroque period, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time. He was a major influence on many other composers of the Baroque era, and his influence can still be felt in music today.

Vivaldi's most important contribution to music history was his development of the sonata da chiesa, or church sonata. This form of composition was a variation on the Baroque sonata, and was used primarily in sacred music. It was characterized by a more lyrical approach to composition, with a focus on melody and harmonic structure. Vivaldi was one of the first composers to make use of this form, and his works set the standard for future composers. His church sonatas were written in a wide variety of keys and styles, and their influence can be heard in the works of later composers, such as J.S. Bach and Handel.

Vivaldi's influence on music history is far-reaching, and his contributions to the development of the sonata da chiesa are among his most important. His compositions are still widely performed and appreciated today, and his legacy continues to shape the music of the modern era.

SKU: A0.549493

ALTO FLUTE & PIANO - Score: 11 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 5 pages. Duration: 4:20. This is a popular recital piece that would work well also in church or school programs.

Mendelssohn Background

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was, by all means, a German mastermind composer, musician, and orchestra conductor of the Romantic period. Consequently, Mendelssohn composed in the usual forms of the time - symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber music. To summarize, his most famous works include his music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, The Hebrides Overture, his later Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, and his Octet for Strings. His most well-known piano pieces, by and large, are the Songs Without Words. 

Artistic Standing

 Musical tastes change from time to time. Moreover, just such a change occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This plus rampant antisemitism brought a corresponding amount of undue criticism. Fortunately, however, his artistic inventiveness has indeed been critically re-evaluated. As a result, Mendelssohn is once again among the most prevalent composers of the Romantic era.

Early Family Life

Mendelssohn was, in fact, born into a prominent Jewish family. His grandfather was, notably, the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was, in fact, raised without religion. At the age of seven, he was suddenly baptized as a Reformed Christian. He was, moreover, a child musical prodigy. Nevertheless, his parents did not attempt to exploit his talent.

Early Adulthood

Mendelssohn was, in general, successful in Germany. He conducted, in particular, a revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically with his presentation of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. Felix was truly in demand throughout Europe as a composer, conductor, and soloist. For example, he visited Britain ten times. There, he premiered, namely, many of his significant works. His taste in music was. To be sure, inventive and well-crafted yet markedly conservative. This conservatism separated him by all means from more audacious musical colleagues like Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatoire which, to clarify, became a defender of this conservative viewpoint.

Mature Adulthood

Schumann notably wrote that Mendelssohn was the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them. This observation points to a couple of features in particular that illustrate Mendelssohn's works and his artistic procedure.

Musical Features

In the first place, his musical style was fixed in his systematic mastery of the style of preceding masters. This being said, he certainly recognized and even developed early romanticism from the music of Beethoven and Weber. Secondly, it indicates that Mendelssohn sought to strengthen his inherited musical legacy rather than to exchange it with new forms and styles or replace it with exotic orchestration. Consequently, he diverged his contemporaries in the romantic period, such as Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt. Mendelssohn revered Liszt's virtuosity at the keyboard but found his music rather insubstantial.

SKU: A0.1188877

10 Rounds and Canons are beautiful new and original compositions by David McKeown arranged for one Flute and one Clarinet. We all remember the fun we had singing rounds in school, and these pieces take that to the next level.  Each piece is a pure canon where the second part faithfully follows the first, and are ideal for players at early intermediate and intermediate levels. Each piece last between one and two minutes.

Click the YouTube link to listen to samples of these duets played on Alto Saxophone.

10 Rounds and Canons are

• Perfect for concert performances large and small; 
• Fully articulated to help develop that sense of style;  
• Great for helping with simple rhythms and keeping the pulse; 
• Road tested with students; 
• Fun to play; 
• Beautiful pieces that are much more than just musical exercises;
• The titles provoke mental pictures that connect with the player’s musical imagination;