THIS 18 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Stories Behind the World's Great Music, by Sigmund Spaeth. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1419113313.

John Foulds was born in Manchester in 1880. The son of a bassoonist in the Halle Orchestra, he composed copiously from childhood. Initially an orchestral 'cellist, he soon left the Halle to concentrate on composition. His first successes were in light orchestral music, but he later turned to more serious idioms, finding great acclaim with his A World Requiem (1919-21), composed in memory of the war dead of all nations. In 1935 he travelled to India, where he developed an interest in its music and was also appointed Director of European Music at All-India Radio, Delhi. He died suddenly from cholera in 1939. His study of contemporary music and its sources of inspiration, Music To-day, published in 1934, declared his intellectual openness to the whole gamut of modern techniques, which he absorbed and employed as the context required. His most admired contemporaries included Busoni, Scriabin and Bartok; among English-speaking composers his output has affinities with Grainger and Holst. The book begins with a conversation between a Musician of Former Times and a Musician of Today, who discuss three fragments of music that are printed at the head of the chapter (all from Foulds' own compositions). The Musician of Former Times, scratching his head over examples of polytonality, atonality and the use of microtones concludes "Well, although interesting, it is all rather confusing.... and I still wish that composers would say what they have to say in terms which I can understand." In response the Musician of Today quotes Berlioz "Music nowadays, in her vigorous youth, is free, is emancipated and can do what she pleases ... new needs of the mind, of the heart and of the sense of hearing, make necessary new endeavours." Thereafter the book veers dizzyingly from modality to Eastern mysticism by way of abstruse theorizing about the "ensouling of music" and an art of the future that would be perceived by all senses at once. Foulds concludes by quoting the Swiss philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel: "Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven."

Undertaken To Collect Materials For A General History Of Music. Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

Undertaken To Collect Materials For A General History Of Music. Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

A virtuoso showpiece made famous by the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo, this challenging arrangement of Strauss' "Blue Danube" waltz takes the elegance of the Viennese waltz as a point of departure and plunges headlong into the passions that undulate beneath the dance's restrained facade. The freewheeling concert fantasy, arranged by Greg Anderson for one-piano, four-hands, also attempts to illustrate the striking parallels between four feet traversing a dance floor and four hands navigating a piano keyboard."Blue Danube Fantasy: A New Account of the Blue Danube Waltzes" by Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899) and Greg Anderson (b. 1981). For Piano Duet (1 Piano, 4 Hands). Advanced. Published by Awkward Fermata Press.

This is a facsimile of volume 1 of the first edition in 1773. ISBN 978-1-84955-065-9. . Volume 2 is available as a matching pair, 978-1-84955-067-3. . Both volumes have also been reprinted as one book which makes it slightly cheaper, 978-1-904331-58-2. .

Originally written as the finale of Beethoven's 13th Quartet (Op. 130), the Grosse Fuge was later published as a separate work following the poor reception of that quartet by the public. In its current form, the Grosse Fuge (Op. 134), has become much loved among Beethoven afficianados and is seen as one of his most "contemporary" works.

This is a facsimile of the original 17776 edition, not the Victorian reprint. This is volume 3 of 5. See other ISBN entries for the other 4 volumes.

Life Of Chopin. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Here is one of the most enjoyable and illuminating books ever published for the music lover, a feast of delightful anecdotes that reveal the all-too-human side of the great composers and performers.
There are stories of appetites (Handel eating dinner for three), embarrassments (Brahms falling asleep as Liszt plays), oddities (Bruckner's dog being trained to howl at Wagner), and devotions (a lovely admirer disrobing in tribute to Puccini). There are memorable accounts of Stravinsky telling Proust how much he hates Beethoven, of Tchaikovsky's first bewildering telephone call, of Dvorak's strange love of pigeons, and of Verdi's intricate maneuvering to keep the now-famous melody of "La donna e mobile" top secret.
There is also wonderful trivia (Beethoven loved to cat "bread soup" made with ten raw eggs), along with eccentric strategies (Verdi, disturbed by the sound of street organs playing arias from his operas, hired them all for a season and kept them locked in a room). There are examples of musicians munificent generosity (Haydn called Mozart "the greatest composer known to me, either in person or by name"), and scathing dismissal ("Have you heard any Stockhausen?" the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was asked. "No," he replied, "but I believe I have trodden in some").
Collected from thousands of books, articles, and unpublished manuscripts (with historical sources provided in extensive notes), these anecdotes appear in their original form, throwing fresh light on familiar figures in the musical hall of fame. For browsing, reading, research and amusement, this book is a grand entertainment for concert-goers, record-buyers, operamanes, gossips and music lovers everywhere.

Beethoven's 15th Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, was actually the thirteenth quartet in order of composition, but was published later in the cycle. This quartet represents the last of the three great, personal quartets. The third of the five movements in this quartet is titled "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart" (Holy Song of Thanksgiving by a Convalescent to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode), as it was written by Beethoven after recovery from a serious illness, which Beethoven feared would be fatal.

Three works by conductor Felix Weingartner (1863-1942) feature the title essay, which discusses the performing difficulties and interpretation questions involved in Beethoven's 9 symphonies. Also includes "On Conducting" and "The Symphony Since Beethoven," both attesting to the belief that art is at its best when an "exceedingly delicate balance is attained between the feeling and the intellect."

Preface * Characters * Orchestration * Prelude * First Act: The Broom-Maker's Cottage * Scene 1 * Scene 2 * Scene 3 * The Witchhes' Ride * Second Act: In the Forest * Scene 1 * Scene 2 * Scene 3, Pantomime * Third Act: The Withch's House * Scene 1 * Scene 2 * Scene 3 * Scene 4 * Last Scene * Appendix: Dessau-Finale

New, digitally-enhanced reprint of the full score issued by Bossey & Co., London in 1901, the same year Elgar conducted the world premiere of this sparkling concert overture. Subtitled "In London Town," Cockaigne has been an audience favorite ever since. An outstanding value for students, conductors, librarians and Elgar aficionados everywhere.

Wagner's Siegfried Idyll (WWV 103) represents one of the few non-operatic works created by Wagner. This work for small orchestra was originally composed for his second wife, Cosima, and was originally performed on her birthday, with Wagner waking her to the theme.

Cello Online String Sampler Cello Sheet Music is a fun and easy way to actively learn, study and play beautiful cello music from a wide variety of styles and eras. 54 pieces are featured, representing music history periods, styles and cultures, including Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century, Fiddle, Klezmer, Gypsy, Chinese, Greek, Carnatic, Arabic, Mariachi, Ragtime and Blues. These arrangements have been simplified for advanced beginners to intermediate players, and provide a representative sampling of most major forms of string music such as concertos, symphonies, sonatas, quartets and trios. A study guide, sold separately, explains the history and musical form of the selected pieces, and includes cello technique tips for each piece of music. As an added bonus, sound files of each piece are currently available on a website, Cello Online : http://www.celloonline.com (no guarantees are made that these sound files and website will be available indefinitely). In addition to sound files, Cello Online content includes a review of cello basics such as instrument care and tuning; cello playing position; fingering assistance; cello technique tips; scales and etudes; and music theory basics. Let the music begin

Beethoven's 13th Quartet (Op. 130) in B-flat Major is traditionally assigned the number 13 based on its publication date, though it was acutally the 14th quartet he composed. This work features a unique 6 movement structure which mirrors Beethoven's traditional form used in many symphonies and quartets, but repeating the two middle movements. In its original form, this quartet included the Grosse Fuge as its finale. After the first performance received mixed reviews, Beethoven replaced the finale with the movement included in this version and published the Grosse Fuge as a separate work.

Undertaken To Collect Materials For A General History Of Music. Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

Undertaken To Collect Materials For A General History Of Music. Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

The first of Beethoven's late string quartets, the 12th Quartet in E-flat Major (Op. 127) is a massive work that showcases the changes in Beethoven's compositional technique. The first movement features a regular interruption of the theme - a technique that Beethoven used in a number of late compositions, while the third movement features a tonal progression similar to one used in the finale of the 9th Symphony.

Facsimile reprint. Arie musicale: per cantarsi nel gravicimbalo, e tiorba a una, a due, e a tre voci. Di Girolamo Frescobaldi organista del Serenissimo Gran Duca di Toscana. Libri primo e secondo. [Florence 1630].