Ma mre l'oye (Mother Goose Suite) is typical of Ravel's style with its modal melodies, use of dance forms and rhythmic precision. For this suite, Ravel selected favorite French fairy tales with references to fantasy, dreams and legends of childhood, and provided simple and delicate settings for piano duet (one piano, four hands). Although featuring childhood themes, Ma mre l'oye is at the late int…

Arr. Wil Van Der Beek. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. It is interesting to recall that Handel wrote Messiah, his most famous work whilst at the lowest point of his career, suffereing from fianantial hardship and depression. It was only composing that distracted him from this misery. In He Shall Feed His Flock, based on texts of Isaiah and Matthew, we hear praise for the peace that the Messiah has br…

Par DE HAAN JAN. This substantial work by Jan de Haan explores the many tonal qualities of the brass band. Following a quiet opening theme based on Phrygian tonality the band bursts into life with a massive climax. Following a jolly second theme characterised by large interval jumps peace and quiet is again restored. Both themes are developed with many poignant solo figures until we reach a resoun…

Full Score. Par PUCCINI GIACOMO. The premiere of La Bohème took place at the Teatro Regio in Turin on 1 February 1896. Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica based their libretto for this opera on Scènes de la vie de Bohème by Henry Murger. It took Puccini only a fewmonths to complete a score brimming with wonderful melodic invention and orchestrational genius. The music is a surprisingly supple and se…

The premiere of the Azione teatrale 'Orfeo ed Euridice? took place in Vienna in 1762 and plays a significant role in the history of the music theatre.With this work, the composer for the first time rejected the rigid conventions of the Italian opera seria and made an important first contribution towards the renewal of opera genre.In collaboration with his librettist Calzabigi, Gluck reduced the pl…

Mozart's 'Missa in C major? (K. 220), nicknamed the 'Sparrow Mass? for its frequently recurring characteristic motifs in the violins, has retained a firm place in the choral repertoire to the present day. Now it has been arranged for female choir and is appearing as part of the recently started 'Bärenreiter Female Choir? series.Heribert Breuer has judiciously transferred the tenor and bass solos t…

Par DAVIS STEVE. The goal of this play along series is to provide the jazz drummer with play along and practice material that will be challenging, informative, and musical. The series contains important jazz tunes based on the standard jazz repertoire. While there is no written melody, there are a number of melodies that one can sing over the existing chord changes. I have been giving similar reco…

Par HIGGINS GAVIN. Der Aufstand (German for 'riot') is not a descriptive work, nor is it solely based on the riots of 2011. It does, however, draw on the idea of opposing forces and escalating anger. The work falls into two contrasting sections that are linked by a series of repeated, 'screaming' chords. A slow build drives the first section from a single pitch to a blazing orchestral tutti. The s…