Hoffmeister Violin-Viola Duets

These short works are very pleasant little dittos that are fun to sight read.  I learned one of the duets for fun in high school and I can confirm that they are not totally typical, generic classical sounding music (OK, some of those are Baroque).  I am about to contradict my last sentence by saying that these works are useful in gigs (where patrons only want generic classical music) for when other members of your trio or quartet are taking a break and you need the music to keep going.  They are not too difficult, and the reason I say they aren’t totally typical is that they are interesting for the players on top of their generally pleasing aesthetics.

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Bruch Romanze for Viola and Orchestra

This is one of very few romantic works written for the viola.  I am preparing it again for my upcoming recital in May.  The recording I am linking too is impressive for it’s lyricism, but unfortunately I believe the artist made some poor choices by creating a vertical feeling in the section of sixths at the bottom of the first page (see viola part).  On top of that (this is completely understandable) the recording quality is a little too swimy, primarily from playing in a church, but also because of how they mic’d it.

Bruch Romanze on Youtube

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Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire

Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire is a bizarre piece.  Because of this bizarreness, it’s actually quite hilarious to listen too.  The sprechstimme technique that Schoenberg pioneered in this work adds to this quality.  Most people who listen to the work for the first time (listeners who haven’t been around classical circles for long) contort their faces in the horror of the sounds being produced (wait until they hear Penderecki for the first time).  This is exactly what Schoenberg was going for, and if you learn more about the text and the sound painting that is going on, the work turns into something more than the grotesque, that being funny.

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Cello Concertos

I have mentioned before that IMSLP is wonderful database where all of the scores I post up here come from (they are just distilled into the important rep).  Unfortunately as they rely on users to upload what they have there are some fairly serious holes.  Because of this, I am abstaining from posting any of the standard cello concerto rep that does not have either a solo cello part or a piano reduction, but I will link too their pages on IMSLP beneath the fold.

Elgar Recording by Jackie Du Pre:

Dvorak Cello Concerto (Yo-Yo Ma):  This is divided up into 4 parts because the entire concerto is essentially attacca.

Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major:

Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 in D  Major (Rostropovich):

Boccherini Cello Concerto

Saint Saens Cello Concerto (Pierre Fournier):

Schumann Cello Concerto, again the attacca (Pierre Fournier) :

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A New York Times Fluff Piece

In the Sunday edition of the New York Times’ Arts & Leisure section, Matthew Gurewitsch wrote and unbelievably horrible pseudo-science article on music psychology called Concerto In the Key Of Rx Retardation.  Now the principal issue with this article is that it takes simple properties of music (and one misguided music producer) and blows the science behind it out of proportion.  This is one of the worst things the media can do to science, as it misinforms the public by either taking things out of context or blowing a simple conclusion out of proportion.  The sad thing is that the writer begins the article by referencing one of the biggest musico-media-malpractices of occur in my memory, The Mozart Effect. « Continue reading “A New York Times Fluff Piece” »

Brahms Viola Sonatas, No. 1 & 2

The Brahms Viola Sonatas were transcribed from clarinet after insistence from the publisher and most likely Brahms was looking for some extra money.  What resulted was probably the first full-fledged sonata form for the instrument, and they are both a mainstay in viola repertoire.  A really terrific historical (and formal) analysis of the work is done by James Creitz of which I’ll excerpt a bit here, but you can go check out the article here

Brahms originally composed the Two Sonatas, Op. 120 for his clarinetist friend Richard Mühlfeld of Meiningen, to whom he had previously dedicated the Clarinet Trio and Clarinet Quintet. After finishing the two sonatas, Brahms was requested by the publisher Simrock to create a version for viola and piano.

On October 14, 1894 Brahms wrote to violinist Joseph Joachim, asking whether they could meet in Frankfurt in the first half of Winter. Brahms mentioned that he would try to bring Mühlfeld and possibly a viola part for them to perform for Clara Schumann. Yet Brahms wrote again just 3 days later, stating “I hope that Mühlfeld can come – as I fear I find these two works quite awkward and unpleasant as viola sonatas.” This was before he had even created a version for viola!

There is evidence that Brahms sent Simrock a viola part in February or March of 1895, although no such manuscript is known to exist today. It appears that Brahms had little time or interest in this transcription. Indeed, as the publication date, June 1895 (the version for violin was published in July 1895), was approaching, he still had not completed the task. Brahms did, nonetheless—and perhaps out of friendship to Joachim—find time to produce versions for violin and piano which featured not only a complete violin part, but also a substantially revised piano part.

I couldn’t find any decent, succinct recordings, but Youtube has some of mediocre quality (mostly because they were recorded on a video camera, not because of weak playing).

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Paganini 24 Caprices Original Manuscript and Part

The Paganini Caprices are some of the most played solo works in violin repertoire.  This is in part because they are studied by every violinist and their mother (even some violists).  Jascha Heifitz has an incredibly famous rendition of No. 24.  Too all the violinists out there, have fun!

I didn’t do any quality control on these videos so take some of them with a grain of salt.  Especially the Heifitz, he is absolutely terrible.  Sheet music is below the break.

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Bruch String Quartet No. 1

This work, unfortunately has no score, just the parts. This piece isn’t played very often, so any performers would be likely to find something unusual on closer examination & reading.

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Debussy & Ravel String Quartets

I guess you could call this impressionistic Wednesday.  Click beneath the fold for two standard pieces!

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Bartok’s Hierarchical Tonality in Free Variations from Mikrokosmos Volume VI

In Bela Bartok’s Free Variations from Mikrokosmos Volume VI, Bartok writes a very modernist sounding piece that is defined by the constant repetition of minor seconds as well as the movement to and from tritones.  The intervallic language of the piece does not give away the clear tonality that is represented when we listen to it, (though it does give hints) but nonetheless, the work sets up a system with a clear functioning tonic.   Bartok uses this to his advantage when highlighting the old classical form of a theme and variations, which he is giving his own take on.
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