During America's Swing Era, no musician was more successful or controversial than Artie Shaw: the charismatic and opinionated clarinetist-bandleader whose dozens of hits became anthems for "the greatest generation." But some of his most beautiful recordings were not issued until decades after he'd left the scene. He broke racial barriers by hiring African American musicians. His frequent "retirements" earned him a reputation as the Hamlet of jazz. And he quit playing for good at the height of his powers. The handsome Shaw had seven wives (including Lana Turner and Ava Gardner). Inveterate reader and author of three books, he befriended the best-known writers of his time. Tom Nolan, who interviewed Shaw between 1990 and his death in 2004 and spoke with one hundred of his colleagues and contemporaries, captures Shaw and his era with candor and sympathy, bringing the master to vivid life and restoring him to his rightful place in jazz history. Originally published in hardcover under the title Three Chords for Beauty's Sake.

Notes for Flutists: A Guide to the Repertoire offers important historical and analytical information about three dozen of the best-known pieces written for the instrument. Its contextual and theoretical insights make it an indispensable resource for professional, amateur, and student flutists. With engaging prose supported by fact-filled analytical charts, the book offers rich biographical information and informative analyses to help flutists gain a more complete understanding of J. S. Bach's Sonata in B minor, Reinecke's Undine Sonata, Faure's Fantaisie, Hindemith's Sonata for Flute and Piano, Copland's Duo for Flute and Piano, and 30 other masterpieces. Offering a faithful and comprehensive resource for understanding the context in which the repertory was composed, Notes for Flutists details in clear, chronological order flute repertoire from Georg Philipp Telemann, Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, Luciano Berio to Robert Muczynski and Aaron Copland. Kyle J. Dzapo offers rich biographical information on each composer and highlights history's impact on the creation and performance of notable works for flute. Aimed as a starting point for connecting performance studies with scholarship, Dr. Dzapo's analysis will help flutists gain a more complete picture of a given work. Its contextual and theoretical insights make it essential to musicians preparing and presenting programs, and detailed historical information about the work and composer will encourage and equip readers with the desire and insights to explore other works in a similarly analytical way. Lending insights to both solo flute and chamber pieces, Dzapo presents Notes for Flutists as an accessible music theory and analysis resource, making it indispensible for students and professionals alike.

The French flute player and conductor Paul Taffanel (1844-1908) was an extraordinary virtuoso and a major figure in fin de siecle Parisian musical life. Based on a treasure trove of private documents of Taffanel's previously unpublished letters and papers, Taffanel: Genius of the Flute recounts the rich story of his multi-faceted career as a player, conductor, composer, teacher, and leader of musical organizations.
As a player, Taffanel had a rare vision of the flute as a serious, expressive instrument and is credited with re-establishing it in the mainstream of music. He was also an inspiring teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, to whom many modern flutists can trace their roots. In 1879, Taffanel founded the Societe de musique de chambre pour instruments a vent (Society of Chamber Music for Wind Instruments), reviving the wind ensemble music of Mozart and Beethoven, and breaking the dominance of piano and strings in recital and chamber music. From 1890, he served as chief conductor at the Paris Opera and the Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire (Paris Conservatory Orchestra)--the first time a flutist, rather than a string player, had been appointed to such key positions.
Edward Blakeman expertly places these and many other elements of Taffanel's story in the rich political and cultural backdrop of the time, evoking Conservatoire intrigues, the Societe des concerts, and Taffanel's relationships with various musicians and major composers. Blakeman details the circumstances surrounding landmark commissions, performances, and repertoire, and weaves the details from Taffanel's correspondence with first-person interviews and flute lore. What emerges is a portrait of an all-around musician who was also a modest and genial man."

The essential guide to French horn maintenance is a complete reference manual specifically on the care, maintenance and basic repair of the French horn. Valuable information you will use repeatedly is presented in a clear easy to understand format. Careful step- by- step photo illustrated instructions guide you through the evaluation of your instrument, general care and maintenance, common repairs, basic repair tools and supplies and more. Use the evaluation checklist on the next used horn you consider for purchase. Keep the horns you own in good condition and save money by avoiding unnecessary trips to the repair shop. Being instrument specific, this book details information unique to the French horn not found easily in other repair manuals or resources. More than 170 pages of careful step-by-step instructions and photo illustrations guide you through: Evaluation of your instrument, Care and Maintenance of the French horn, Common maintenance related repairs, Tools, supplies and more. Learn to safely pull stuck slides, Replace springs, strings and corks, Make stuck valves work again, Check for leaks and More More than thirty years of repair and playing experience combine to make this book the perfect addition to your reference and textbooks on the French horn.

The Baroque Clarinet is a sourcebook for the historical study of the European clarinet during the first half of the eighteenth century. The book is based on a comprehensive study of the theoretical, musical, and iconographical evidence, and many conclusions are presented here for the first time.

Beginning by describing 'a sound never heard before', Michael Segell explores the young history of the saxophone, recalling how it was once outlawed for its influence before finally being credited with changing the face of music and popular culture.

Music from all three films arranged for string instruments. Desirable and collectible, these instrumental folios are loaded with full-color photos of scenes from all three films. They are printed on top-quality antique paper stock, and the covers showcase the new "trilogy" artwork. The string series was written especially for violin, viola, and cello. Each book features a piano accompaniment and a carefully crafted removable string part complete with bowings, articulations, and keys well suited for the Level 2-3 player. A fully orchestrated accompaniment CD, with demo tracks (featuring live string performances) and play-along tracks, completes each package. The string books are completely compatible with each other and can be played together or as solos. Due to level considerations, the string books are not compatible with the books in the wind series. Titles are the twelve major themes from the blockbuster trilogy: from The Fellowship of the Ring: The Prophecy * In Dreams * Concerning Hobbits * Many Meetings * The Black Rider; from The Two Towers: Gollum's Song * Rohan * Evenstar * Forth Eorlingas; from The Return of the King: Into the West * The Steward of Gondor * Minas Tirith.

Trumpet Science examines the art of trumpet performance through the context of the sciences. It shows how an application of scientific studies and principles can help trumpeters improve their performance craft. Written with musicians in mind, the science is presented with clarity and simplicity, using many examples and connections to the everyday processes that trumpeters will be familiar with.

The fascinating story of a hugely popular instrument, detailing its rich and varied history from the Middle Ages to the present The recorder is perhaps best known today for its educational role. Although it is frequently regarded as a stepping-stone on the path toward higher musical pursuits, this role is just one recent facet of the recorder's fascinating history-which spans professional and amateur music-making since the Middle Ages. In this new addition to the Yale Musical Instrument Series, David Lasocki and Robert Ehrlich trace the evolution of the recorder. Emerging from a variety of flutes played by fourteenth-century soldiers, shepherds, and watchmen, the recorder swiftly became an artistic instrument for courtly and city minstrels. Featured in music by the greatest Baroque composers, including Bach and Handel, in the twentieth century it played a vital role in the Early Music Revival and achieved international popularity and notoriety in mass education. Overall, Lasocki and Ehrlich make a case for the recorder being surprisingly present, and significant, throughout Western music history.

This is a study of the manufacture of brass instruments, particularly the trumpet, in Nuremberg during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The book begins with a brief history of the instrument and the city where it was made, and an introduction to the changes in style, shape, and ornamentation which occurred over more than two hundred years. The techniques of extraction and purification, and the chemical and physical structure of the metals are discussed, and a separate chapter deals with solders for brass and silver and their use in the workshop. The tools and workshop facilities are identified and detailed using contemporary illustrations and examples from the author's workshop. The longest chapter, which is highly illustrated, deals with the techniques of fabrication as practised today, and draws parallels between them and historical practice. The book concludes with a discussion of the philosophy, ethics, and practicality of using historical instruments or accurate facsimiles in modern performance.

This is the first study in modern times dealing exclusively with the flutes used in the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras. It details the history of the transverse flute from 1500 until the early nineteenth century. Advice is given on acquiring instruments, and their care and maintenance. Additional chapters guide the reader to sources about relevant technique and style, recommend repertoire, and give general advice to the modern player. The text is enhanced by numerous photographs of important historic flutes.

Play Hollywood (Flute) features 10 all-time great film themes from across the decades with fun backing tracks to play along with. From the classic Chariots Of Fire and Superman to action-packed Star Wars, James Bond and Lord Of The Rings. You can play along with all your favourite movie themes. All the songs have been carefully selected and arranged for the Intermediate (Grades 3-5) player by Richard Harris, with fun backing tracks and piano accompaniments to download online.