Archduke. Par BEETHOVEN LUDWIG VAN. By the time Beethoven completed the ?Archduke? Trio in 1811 he had been working on it for several years. In April 1814 he could finally give the work its première together with Ignaz Schuppanzigh and Joseph Linke, this being Beethoven?s last public appearance as a pianist. He dedicated the piece to his friend, pupil and patron, Archduke Rudolph of Austria. Today…

Beethoven most likely completed his 6th Symphony in early summer 1808. The work, called 'Pastoral Symphony? by the composer himself, was given its first performance along with the 5th Symphony in Vienna in 1808. Both are frequently referred to as sibling works that complement one another. Based on the musical text of the Beethoven Complete Edition and provided with a new preface, this recently mad…

Brahms' Hungarian Dances count on brilliant and spirited virtuosity whereas his 16 Waltzes op. 39 are more modest and intimate. Yet they are just as haunting - who isn't familiar with the gently rocking melody of #14 that is one of Brahms' best-known musical ideas? His publisher must have had an inkling of the success of this collection, as shortly after its publication in its original version for…

The genre 'pastorale héroïque? is a legacy of the grand siècle of Louis XIV and in the 18th century it only rarely reached the stage. But in the second period of his career it became Rameau's preferred genre: the more unconventional world of shepherds and nymphs gave him greater freedom in terms of dramatic action, stage décor and musical virtuosity compared to the tragédie lyrique. This is demons…

Ferdinand Küchler is regarded as one of the great violin teachers of the 20th century, due, in large part, to his popular violin method. His Concertino remains a popular entry-level piece for students to this day.The piece is characterized by simplicity, clarity and beauty. The themes and melodies are easily identifiable by children, yet never trite and plain. They are catchy and perfectly reflect…

(replaces H 2552)Dvorak's Piano Quartet in D major, though composed at the height of the composer's artistic maturity, is to date unjustly overshadowed by his more popular works. It was written within the space of 18 days in the summer of 1875 and was later revised, probably in preparation for its publication. This revision, which was taken into account for the first edition issued by the publishe…

Par BEETHOVEN LUDWIG VAN. Between 1996 and 2000 Bärenreiter published scholarly-critical editions of Beethoven 's Nine Symphonies edited by the first class musicologist Jonathan Del Mar. The editorial process was a huge undertaking because of the complex source situation regarding Beethoven's Symphonies culminating in the Choral Symphony (No. 9) which came down to us in nearly 20 different sources…

'Vltava? (The Moldau) is Smetana's most famous and frequently performed tone poem. It was written between 20 November and 8 December 1874, but only in 1879-1880 with the completion of the entire cycle 'Má vlast?, did the full score and his version for piano duet appear in print.In addition to the orchestral version, Hugh Macdonald's new Urtext edition also includes the composer's own version for p…

The long awaited Sassmannshaus method ?Early Start on the Double Bass? is now here. At last students of the largest instrument in the string family can make use of this tried and tested method for beginners, developed by Egon Sassmannshaus for the other string instruments and applied here to the double bass by Holger Sassmannshaus and J. Peter Close. This method will meet the needs of the growing …

Beethoven's fifth and final piano concerto is at the same time the culmination of his efforts in this genre and a reflection of all his artistic skill and expertise. The surviving manuscripts provide a clear insight into his working methods and his intentions regarding the work's performance.The editor, Jonathan Del Mar, has closely scrutinised the autograph solo piano part and reproduced Beethove…