In 1922 Maurice Ravel heard the young Hungarian violin virtuoso and niece of Joseph Joachim, Jelly D'Aranyi, in concert in London. Following the performance, Ravel spent the remainder of the evening requesting D'Aranyi to play numerous gypsy tunes on her violin, probing her on the technical limits of the instrument. The result of this encounter is Ravel's virtuoso classic 'Tzigane?. Written origin…

The sonata RV 820 represents two 'firsts': it is the latest work to be added to the Vivaldian canon, and it is also one of the oldest works by Vivaldi - perhaps the very oldest among those known. Having come to light among the numerous anonymous manuscripts preserved in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek in Dresden, it was attributed to him by Federico Maria Sarde…

'Mors et vita' - death and life. This antithesis opens a stanza of the ancient 11th-century Easter sequence 'Victimae paschali laudes', where life and death are locked in mutual struggle. Zsigmond Szathmary's 12-minute composition of 2015, commissioned for the Freiburg Minster, interprets this primal human experience with mighty explosions of sound. Here the organ can show what it's capable of: it…

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. In the course of the two centuries following the death of Henry Purcell in 1695, no British composer of any statue was apparent. Consequently, the break-through of Edward Elgar (1857-1934) as an internationally known and respected composer at the end of the last century, was of considerable importance. As a composer Elgar was largely self-taught and he looked towards the con…

The composer wrote of his work as follows: In the music of Hungary, folk songs are manifestly of great importance, on the other hand our ancient airs and dances play a modest role. For this work I have been influenced by dances of the 17th century, written by unknown amateurs in a relatively simple style. Most of these dances were recorded between the 14th and 18th centuries under the usual form …

'Drunken Sailor? is among the best-known of the sea shanties and became a popular song among non-sailors during the 20th century. The infectious tune has lyrics that ask the question, 'What do we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?? Each subsequent verse suggests various forms of punishment for the poor chap. This spirited arrangement is sure to delight audiences with a sparkling and en…

Volume 1 of famous early 17th-century collection of keyboard music. Features 300 works by Morley, Byrd, Bull, Gibbons, etc. Content :
I. Walsingham. John Bull (see No. LXVIII)
II. Fantasia [IX]. John Munday
III. Fantasia, Faire Wether, etc. John Munday
IV. Pavana [I]. Ferdinando Richardson
V. Variatio [I]. Ferdinando Richardson
VI. Galiarda [I]. Ferdinando Richardson<…

The tango originated in late 19th century Buenos Aires, and has become popular around the world due to its driving rhythms, distinctive sound, and the passionate dance steps it inspires. This piece allows even young bands to experience the style and attitude of this wonderful musical genre. (2:45) / Concert Band

Par BARTOK BELA. Béla Bartók’s “For Children” is one of the best known pedagogical works for piano teachers of the twentieth century, second only perhaps to the same composer’s “Mikrokosmos”. It was based firmly on the huge number of folk songs he collected, recorded and studied with his colleague Zoltán Kodály. At the time, Bartók was offering something very new to piano teachers and their studen…

The score (UE 35757) also serves as the piano part.. Par WALTER BRUNO. Better known as one of the foremost conductors of the 20th century, Walter also found a place in contemporary composition in Vienna in the early part of the 1900s. Of particular importance is the Quintet, which was premiered by the Rosé Quartet, with the composer at the piano, and described as a resounding success. Universal Ed…