Elgar was pre-eminently the composer of large forms. Complex, lengthy development of musical ideas was for him a measure of genius. His songs, with the exception of the orchestral cycle Sea Pictures , were not often the vehicles for his most striking ideas. Paradoxically, he was also bedevilled by a fine literally taste. He once told a friend that he felt it better to set the best second-rate poet…

A modern sequel to the music of the Romantic era. The first movement hints at the chromatic of 'Tristan?- cantilena lines convey a mournful scene. It is succeeded by a brilliant scherzo with the cryptic title 'Erste fremde Szene? (First Foreign/Unknown Scene - one is invited to solve this riddle), while the third movement, with its singing quality, is related to the first. The final movement, a 'Z…

The collection of nine Vedic Hymns (Op. 24) for solo Voice with Piano accompaniment marked a turning point in Holst's compositions. They were inspired by Hindu scripture and Indian raga, and first published in 1908. Vac (Speech) is the seventh movement, and is the first of the third group of hymns, where the theme shifts into the human sphere. Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was an English composer and t…

Par HARRIS PAUL. This new series from Paul Harris builds on his previous series' 'Improve your Scales' and 'Improve your Sightreading'. 'Improve your Practice Grade 3' begins by encouraging students to plan their practice sessions, starting with warm-ups and then giving tips on how to 'explore a piece'. This book will help children to think about different aspects of their music as they play givin…

Rockschool is about singing the songs you love. Your Vocals Grade 8 book contains six of the biggest tracks from the past six decades arranged for you to sing for your Grade 8 exam. This book also includes examples of all the supporting tests found in the Rockschool Grade 8 exam.This book for female vocalists contains the songs:You Got The Love - Florence and The MachineEmpire State Of Mind - Alic…

The new RSL Classical Piano syllabus aims to reflect the widening tastes of young people, positioning itself at the forefront of the vast array of music available to pianists, encompassing the rich heritage of music from the Baroque right through to the modern day and emerging composers. The repertoire strikes a balance between a radical redesign and maintaining a recognisable structure, and stick…

Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. Spartacus is a 'Symphonic Tone Poem' with 3 joints. Each section has its own melodical materials, however: in the final movement the main theme from the second section returns in a 'grandioso'-tutti. The last bar but one recaptures the 'oriental' atmosphere of the very beginning. The first section (= from the beginning till J) builds up a climax by repeating and accumulating…

Revisiting The Don is a piece of music composed by Michael Nyman for the album 'Mozart 252', a celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Revisiting The Don is one of the two newly-composed works on this album and is arranged here as parts for String Quintet. Nyman himself states that 'as the title suggests, I revisit the same harmonic material that makes 'In Re Don Giovanni' so power…