Results
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£435.40Goldberg 2012 - Svein H. Giske
The first time I heard Bach's Goldberg Variations was in the movie Silence of the lambs, in the early 1990s. I noticed the beautiful background music in one of the scenes, but at that time I didn't know what it was. A few years later, when I was studiying at the Grieg Academy, I got to know the entire piece. For me, this is a piece of music which I can listen to countless times. I think it sounds as fresh today as it did more than 15 years ago and it never ceases to inspire me. Both Bach's composition and Glenn Gould's famous 1955 recording (which was the first one I heard) still makes a great impression on me. Before Gould recorded it at age 22, it wasn't a highly ranked piece amongst pianists and Bach was by many viewed as a bit old-fashioned. The young Canadian turned all this around. He managed to portray Bach in a reformed way, producing fine nuances in phrasing and making the many layers in Bach's music more transparent than anyone before him. Thus he plunged both himself and Bach (back) onto the international music scene. When The Norwegian Band Federation (NMF) asked me to write the test piece for NM in 2012, it was only natural for me to use the Goldberg Variations as a starting point and inspiration for my work. Since I was a teenager at NMF's summer courses in the mid eighties I've always listened to many different styles of music. Growing up in Sunnmre with the Brazz Brothers as teachers and mentors, jazz-, pop/rock- and folk music were early on a natural part of my musical background. I also have my classical education from the Grieg Academy on trumpet. As the title of my piece implies, I've wanted to bring Bach to the present and put his music into various modern musical landscapes. I think you can bring about a special kind of energy when music from different genres are mixed and I've tried to do this by mixing Bach with artists and musical styles from the present. In Goldberg 2012, the music is often constructed by several layers, which in a way are living parallel musical lives. They are seemingly moving or floating freely, almost unaware of each other, but bound together by the same basic pulse. The rythms, however, are often notated on a different rythmic subdivision level than the usual 8th- or 16th note levels. By doing this, I hope to achieve transparent sounds that rythmically are perceived as more free and detached from each other. In large sections of the piece, pop/jazz is fusioned with elements from Bach. I guess you could have this little scene as a synopsis for the piece: picture a group of musicians meeting: some are classical performers, some are jazz. They start to improvise together, each in their own voice or musical dialect and I'm sort of in the middle, trying to write down what they are playing. This is what I feel much of Goldberg 2012 is about. The foundation of the piece, in addition to Bach and references from pop/jazz music, lies also in my own material. This material, basically two chords, is heard in it's purest form in the 1st movement. I use these chords to create scales, new chords and different motifs which contribute to blend together the different moods of the piece. It has not been my intention to copy Bach's form (theme and 30 variations), but rather to use the bits and pieces that I like the most as an inspiration for my own variations. The 1st movement, Aria 2, is for my 3rd son, Olav, who was born on the 21st of April 2011, and the 5th movement, From long ago, is dedicated to the memory of my father, Svein J. Giske, who passed away on the 6th of June 2011. -Svein H. Giske, January 2012-
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£186.20Highlights from Chess - Benny Andersson
The composers of the musical Chess, Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus, as well as the lyricist Tim Rice had already had a very successful career before they started this huge project. Andersson and Ulvaeus had been the male singers of the popular Swedish group ABBA, whereas Tim Rice had written the lyrics for Lloyd Webber's musicals 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and 'Evita'. The plot of the musical is situated in Merano, a small town in Northern Italy, hosting the Chess World Championships. The protagonists are the American titleholder and his Russian challenger, who are adversaries on both the sports and political level. Nowadays the subject is out of date, as Chess was conceived in 1984 when the political scene was completely different. This might be the reason why this musical did not hold out as long as e. g. 'Les Misrables' or 'Cats'. Anyhow the music remained very popular and songs such as 'Last Night in Bangkok', 'I know him so well' and 'Anthem' belong to the standard repertoire of 'musical classics'. In his 'Chess selection' Johan de Meij used the nice orchestral parts of the soundtrack which gave a kind of symphonic character to this musical.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£103.20Eternal Harmony - Kevin Houben
In memory of Ralph Lenssen - dedicated to the Royal Wind Orchestra St. Philomena Chevremont on the occasion of its 125th anniversaryEternal Harmony is a restrained yet powerful tribute in which memory, connection, and musical tradition come together. The work was composed in memory of Ralph Lenssen and dedicated to the Royal Wind Orchestra St. Philomena Chevremont, which celebrates an impressive musical legacy with this anniversary.At the heart of the composition lies an intensely lyrical melody that runs like a guiding thread throughout the piece. This musical core is continuously illuminated, deepened, and transformed, giving rise to a rich and layered sound world.Throughout the work, an expressive journey unfolds, filled with subtle and enchanting turns. The wind orchestra is used in all its facets: from intimate, transparent passages to full, sustained soundscapes. This interplay creates a spectrum of contrasts in which musicality, balance, and tone color take center stage.Warm harmonies and organically flowing chord progressions contribute to an atmosphere of serenity and reflection. At the same time, the music builds toward moments of intensity and emotional depth, in which the orchestra reveals its full sonic richness.Eternal Harmony is thus more than a composition: it is a musical remembrance, a quiet dialogue between past and present, and a tribute to both a cherished individual and an orchestra that has embodied music and community for 125 years.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£118.99Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Musical CATS, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It became Lloyd Webber's third great success, after the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. He began setting Eliot's poems to music in 1977, and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn the songs into a complete musical. CATS became one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history. It received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The following year, CATS opened at New York's Winter Garden Theatre, its home for the next 18 years, garnering seven 1983 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show returned to Broadway in 2016, where it had a successful pre-tour run at the Neil Simon Theatre. CATS has been presented in over 30 countries, translated into 16 languages, and seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Lloyd Webber's magnificent musical score includes the poignant hit song Memory, which has been recorded by over 150 artists, from Barbra Streisand to Liberace to Barry Manilow. It took 7,486 chandelier crashes for Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera to take over from CATS as the longest-running show in Broadway history in January 2006.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£495.00Concertango - Luis Serrano Alarcón
Opus III is proud to announce that we are now the exclusive distributor for North America and Asia of Concertango, by Luis Serrano Alarcn. A 25 minute work exploring musical fusion on multiple levels through the contrast of symphonic winds to a jazz trio (piano, bass, drums). Both groups are independent at times followed by a merge into a single unique musical force. The alto saxophone soloist stands as the uniting musical element between the two groups. The omnipresent and uniting musical force is the tango and, in particular, the works of Astor Piazzolla. Luis Serrano Alarcn has transformed the rhythms, ensemble settings and stylistic idioms into a powerful artistic statement that communicates to all. A highly effective work for mature ensembles.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£105.10Postcard From Baghdad - Dirk Brossé
Sir Dirk Bross, music director at the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, is a versatile composer of orchestral and symphonic repertoire, chamber music, film & musical. His compositions are performed worldwide by the most prominent orchestras and soloists. About the new series of 10 "Musical Postcards" for wind band, Dirk says the following: "Composing is a commitment; it is my life's mission. For me composing means creating a vacuum around myself and allowing myself to be submerged by impressions. It is a continual struggle between fantasy and reality, between dream and reality. Out of chaos of sounds and emotions I try to order my thoughts by juggling shreds of melodies, original chords, striking sound colours and alternating rhythms. Melody, harmony, rhythm and sound colours are finally balanced to generate a harmonious universe. This series of ten 'Musical Postcards' are a reflection of my travels, thoughts, discoveries and musical career so far, which has brought me around the globe. I look forward to you joining me on this voyage of discovery..."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£86.00Postcard From Kampala - Dirk Brossé
Sir Dirk Bross, music director at the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, is a versatile composer of orchestral and symphonic repertoire, chamber music, film & musical. His compositions are performed worldwide by the most prominent orchestras and soloists. About the new series of 10 "Musical Postcards" for wind band, Dirk says the following: "Composing is a commitment; it is my life's mission. For me composing means creating a vacuum around myself and allowing myself to be submerged by impressions. It is a continual struggle between fantasy and reality, between dream and reality. Out of chaos of sounds and emotions I try to order my thoughts by juggling shreds of melodies, original chords, striking sound colours and alternating rhythms. Melody, harmony, rhythm and sound colours are finally balanced to generate a harmonious universe. This series of ten 'Musical Postcards' are a reflection of my travels, thoughts, discoveries and musical career so far, which has brought me around the globe. I look forward to you joining me on this voyage of discovery..."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£76.40Postcard From Benares - Dirk Brossé
Sir Dirk Bross, music director at the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, is a versatile composer of orchestral and symphonic repertoire, chamber music, film & musical. His compositions are performed worldwide by the most prominent orchestras and soloists. About the new series of 10 "Musical Postcards" for wind band, Dirk says the following: "Composing is a commitment; it is my life's mission. For me composing means creating a vacuum around myself and allowing myself to be submerged by impressions. It is a continual struggle between fantasy and reality, between dream and reality. Out of chaos of sounds and emotions I try to order my thoughts by juggling shreds of melodies, original chords, striking sound colours and alternating rhythms. Melody, harmony, rhythm and sound colours are finally balanced to generate a harmonious universe. This series of ten 'Musical Postcards' are a reflection of my travels, thoughts, discoveries and musical career so far, which has brought me around the globe. I look forward to you joining me on this voyage of discovery..."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£73.00Postcard From Vienna - Dirk Brossé
Sir Dirk Bross, music director at the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, is a versatile composer of orchestral and symphonic repertoire, chamber music, film & musical. His compositions are performed worldwide by the most prominent orchestras and soloists. About the new series of 10 "Musical Postcards" for wind band, Dirk says the following: "Composing is a commitment; it is my life's mission. For me composing means creating a vacuum around myself and allowing myself to be submerged by impressions. It is a continual struggle between fantasy and reality, between dream and reality. Out of chaos of sounds and emotions I try to order my thoughts by juggling shreds of melodies, original chords, striking sound colours and alternating rhythms. Melody, harmony, rhythm and sound colours are finally balanced to generate a harmonious universe. This series of ten 'Musical Postcards' are a reflection of my travels, thoughts, discoveries and musical career so far, which has brought me around the globe. I look forward to you joining me on this voyage of discovery..."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£86.00Postcard From Chernobyl - Dirk Brossé
Sir Dirk Bross, music director at the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, is a versatile composer of orchestral and symphonic repertoire, chamber music, film & musical. His compositions are performed worldwide by the most prominent orchestras and soloists. About the new series of 10 "Musical Postcards" for wind band, Dirk says the following: "Composing is a commitment; it is my life's mission. For me composing means creating a vacuum around myself and allowing myself to be submerged by impressions. It is a continual struggle between fantasy and reality, between dream and reality. Out of chaos of sounds and emotions I try to order my thoughts by juggling shreds of melodies, original chords, striking sound colours and alternating rhythms. Melody, harmony, rhythm and sound colours are finally balanced to generate a harmonious universe. This series of ten 'Musical Postcards' are a reflection of my travels, thoughts, discoveries and musical career so far, which has brought me around the globe. I look forward to you joining me on this voyage of discovery..."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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