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£53.50
Notzinger Volkstnze - Willy Schneider
Since their first publication Willy Schneider's original compositions based on Swabian folk dances have had a strong influence on form and style. This high quality, genuine folk music, free of all popular clichs, is now again available in the extended instrumentation for modern wind band. This work is particularly suitable for use as a suite accompanying a folk-dance group. Set of parts does not include parts in Benelux notation
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£135.80Ad Quartum - Luciano Feliciani
The city of Quart derives its name from the Latin "Ad quartum ab Augusta lapidem", or four Roman miles from Augusta Praetoria, present-day Aosta, along the ancient Roman consular road of the Gauls. The fortress of Quart, whose construction began in 1185, is the main source of inspiration for the composition. The work begins, in fact, as if wrapped in a mysterious, suspended atmosphere, when the fog that envelops the manor suddenly thins out and lets one see the majestic building in all its austerity. A rhythmically exciting episode follows this brief introduction, ideally describing the events that have marked the long history of these places. The music highlights the percussion instruments, which evoke ancient medieval atmospheres in a modern language. The second theme, derived from the previous one, describes instead emotions and feelings of grandeur, beauty, and peace associated with the splendid Valle d'Aosta mountains that surround Quart. A developed melodic idea, supported by wide-ranging harmonies, attempts to musically portray the extraordinary natural beauty of these places. The reprise of the first theme, varied and presented in a lively and energetic movement, guides the final part of the piece: a coda where all the melodic and rhythmic ideas previously exposed are condensed.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£91.20King Arthur - Antonio Petrillo
The legendary figure of Arthur, British leader, is mainly the result of folklore and literary invention. According to the tales Arthur, who in the most ancient sources is called "Warlord," defended Great Britain from the Saxon invaders between the fifth and sixth centuries. In the introductory measures of the piece, we can hear the basic themes developing freely one after the other. The first movement (Allegretto - march) describes Arthur with his most faithful riders galloping on his horse for simple rides in the woods or hunting moments. The second movement (Vivace - gigue), describes court dances to celebrate his victories over the Saxons. The third and last movement (Moderato - grandiose) portrays the special relationship between Arthur and Excalibur, the magical and mysterious sword that only he managed to extract from the rock before being proclaimed king. Excalibur's scabbard is said to have the power to protect King Arthur from being wounded in battle.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£126.50Italian impressions - Angelo Sormani
"Italy is truly a magical land that has touched my heart beyond measure." These are the words describing the feelings that accompanied the various visits of the American conductor Wesley Broadnax in our country. Italian Impressions, a composition dedicated to Broadnax, portrays these feelings in three main sections that develop without interruption throughout the piece. The first section, "Magic Land," describes a trip to Rome and is a tribute to the splendor and magic of some of the venues in this city. Rich in historical and cultural significance, these places are moving because of their surprising architecture and artistic genius. The second part, "The Huge Castle," depicts his visit in the Umbrian Region. It is a reflective and suspended immersion in music that describes landscapes characterized by ancient houses, churches, courtyards, and squares. "Assisi," says Wesley, "is the city that glitters in the night sky, comparable to a huge castle!" The third part, "Medieval Ballad," is a reference to the city of Siena and Tuscany more generally. The main theme of this movement recalls medieval atmospheres and is based on the fourteenth-century ballad "Ecco la primavera" by Francesco Landino. The original material is presented, elaborated, and juxtaposed with new thematic motives, which lead to an energetic conclusion of the piece.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£77.90La matita di leonardo - Luciano Feliciani
2019 coincided with the 500-year anniversary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the greatest men of genius in history, a universal genius who was a scientist, philosopher, architect, painter, musician, engineer, anatomist, botanist, designer, and planner. This composition entitled La Matita di Leonardo (Leonardo's Pencil), represents an ideal journey into the mind of the Tuscan genius: in the first part of the piece, percussion instruments underline the ticking of the passage of time that anticipates the birth of the idea, while short thematic cells in various instruments alternate, drawing the rhythmic melodic line. On this background, we hear the main theme entrusted to the dark tones of trombone and euphonium. The music proceeds with a growing pace and an adventurous character to represent the genesis of Leonardo's machines, which are in fact the result of the drawings of his pencil. In the second, more animated part, a new theme is introduced, varied, and elaborated, thus giving life to a vigorous movement meant to describe the drawings that come to life, leaving the pages of Leonardo's codes. In the coda the two themes overlap, transporting the listener towards a resolute and rhythmically energetic conclusion in an enthralling and engaging finale.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£207.00Das Liebesverbot - Richard Wagner
This young, comic opera, composed in 1835 on one of Wagner's own libretti, based on a play by Shakespeare, was unsuccessful at the Magdeburg theatre in 1836 and even the composer considered it a "sin of youth". After attempting in vain to have his first opera, "Le Fate", performed in Germany, Richard Wagner decided that his lack of success was due to the overwhelming competition of Italo-French music. He listened to Bellini, and became aware of the objective reasons for the great success of this music, comparing the warmth of life of Italian music to the frozen and meticulous German style. Hence he composed " Das Liebesverbot " with the sole aim of giving intense pleasure tothe public, without worrying about succumbing to the clichs of French and Italian music. That is why, when we listen to this music without knowing the name of the composer, we find ourselves in an embarrassing situation. We could easily attribute the work to some French composer, Meyerbeer, or Auber, for instance, but then the melodic ease and constructive linearity would bring Rossini to mind. By paying closer attention, however, we notice a boldness, an aggressiveness and a wealth of ideas that, together with clever orchestration, reveal the touch of the great German musician. " Das Liebesverbot " deserves to be performed more often, and we feel sure that the transcription for band will be an excellent vehicle of diffusion for this symphony.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£98.20Space Lab - Giuseppe Ratti
A long pedal-note of evanescent chords, based on empty parallel fifths, announces the theme;flutes and reed instruments exploit some almost imperceptible micro-fragments, supported by muted trumpets, creating what is an almost surreal and spatial atmosphere. This was Giuseppe Ratti's starting point for his "Space Lab", a laboratory of sounds and, later (when the main theme is taken up once more), of rhythms. Although it may sound complicated, this piece is ultimately based on a single motif: the descending fourth played on the second beat by the woodwinds. In this piece, Giuseppe Ratti, with his usual pallet of clear, transparent colours at hand, appropriate for the general public, together with simple, effective themes, has sought to experiment with new atmospheres and rhythms. First of all we hear the entire theme in the Allegro. Then the rhythm changes in a simple but at the same time complex manner: almost a genetic mutation. The part leading up to the final Lento flows smoothly for the listener but requires great skill and experience on the part of those performing it. In the final lento the main theme reappears in all its simplicity and sincerity, purified of all contrasts. A metaphor for a life that leads us towards unimaginable frontiers but which, in the end, always brings us back to the point from where we started.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£157.50Flumen - Marco Somadossi
In October 2000, the River Po produced its highest flood waters in the last hundred years, provoking a natural disaster of dramatic dimensions. To the thousands of valiant men and women committed to defending their villages against the threat of the flood is dedicated the symphonic poem entitled "Flumen" (river, in Latin), inspired by the thematic material in the Gregorian sequence, "Victimae paschali laudes". The main melody is elaborated and its essence is transfigured in an alchemy of modern sounds from which, at times, archaic echoes emerge. The composition is structured in two parts: the first ("The River") is sullen and menacing, with sounds that portray the turbulent water and the inexorable and frightening rise of the flood;this contrasts with a second section ("The People"), with its primitive rhythms and vaguely multiethnic character (expressed through modal harmonies). Here the work evokes man's ancestral struggle against the forces of nature: the strenuous defence of the Po riverside communities to against the threat of flooding. In the finale, the two themes interweave and overlap, re-establishing a symbolic and primordial equilibrium where man and nature are again in harmony with each other.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£120.40Intermissions - Daniele Carnevali
This piece was commissioned by the organising committee of the "La Prime Luz 1812" national band contest, held in Bertiolo (Udine), as the compulsory piece for category A. It consists of three movements and, rated as a first international category or national excellence grade piece, it requires the appropriate variety of timbres and instrumentalists with the necessary skills. The themes, enhanced by the use of unusual tones and compound beats, are often broken, interrupted: hence the title of the piece, intermissions, meaning interruptions. The unifying element is the musical language that, through the use of artificial modes and fourths, seeks to create a balance between tensions of differing intensity and nature.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£113.30Moderate Dances - Angelo Sormani
This piece is a tribute to dance music, especially passionate, intense and meditative dance music. "Moderate Dances" is divided into three movements: a "Tango", a "Slow Waltz" and a "Bossa Nova". Each movement and each dance has its own particular characteristics but, when combined, these different rhythmic beats and times give the piece a feeling of completeness and uniformity. The Tango started to flourish in the suburbs of Buenos Aires in around 1880. There is still some doubt as to its origins, which may be Cuban (Habanera) but are probably African. It was most popular in Argentina and Brazil: here the male protagonist was originally the "gaucho" with his inseparable guitar, later to be replaced by the proud, elegant "compadre". By around 1910 the Tango had spread to Italy and France. New clubs opened, where the upper classes could watch and dance the Tango. Here the dance also underwent some rapid transformations. The exaggerated and extravagant gestures and body movements disappeared. Slow, gliding steps replaced the old rotational movements. The women's red ankle-boots and the partners "staring into each other's eyes" accentuated the erotic nature and sensuality of this dance. So much so that, in 1913, the German government banned soldiers from dancing the Tango. Those who broke the law were immediately discharged from the army. From a strictly musical perspective, the basic instruments were a flute, a harp (the diatonic harp typically played by the Indians of Paraguay) and a violin, or flute, guitar and violin or even clarinet, guitar and violin. These instruments were easy to transport, ideal for playing at parties, in the streets and in courtyards. The musicians played by ear, frequently improvising: there were no scores, no records, which is the main reason why it is impossible to trace the Tango back to its exact origins. However, the Tango's evolution (and growing popularity) was once again fostered by its fundamental ability to absorb "other" cultures, languages and sounds. And it was the arrival of the "bandoneon" (an accordion-like instrument that was invented in Germany and brought to Rio de la Plata by some immigrant), which replaced the flute, that marked the beginning of the Tango's huge success outside Argentina. A number of talented composers, above all the great Astor Piazzola (1921-1992), transformed the bandoneon from a simple accompanying instrument to a solo instrument that was to become the distinguishing feature of the 20th century Tango. The Slow Waltz originated from the Waltz, the typical dance of the Bavarian and Tyrolese peasants in the 1700s. It was composers like Johann Strauss, father and son, who carried the Waltz to its zenith in the 1800s, creating the sensual and melancholy yet joyful and charming dance we are all familiar with. When the Waltz first became popular in Germany, the members of respectable society were shocked at the closeness of the dancing partners, who had always previously danced apart. The main difference between the Waltz and Slow Waltz is that the latter has a slower, more expressive rhythm: the men wear tails and the women wear ball gowns decorated with beads and feathers and couples dance in graceful rotational movements. "Bossa Nova" is the title of the last movement in the piece. Jobim, the great Brazilian musician, described this musical genre as a combination of modern Jazz and Samba. Bossa Nova means "new wave". This was the name of the artistic and musical movement that evolved in Brazil in the late Fifties and was extremely popular throughout the Sixties. The songs are usually about love or social matters, drawing inspiration from the slums of Rio De Janeiro and the lives of their inhabitants. Bossa Nova, with its original compositions and the artistic talent of its musicians, also became hugely popular in the United States and Europe, and top Jazz musicians (Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Bob Cooper, Charlie Bird, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie) started to include Bossa in their repertoires.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days