Winner of the Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize Musical repertory of great importance and quality was performed on viols in sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England. This is reported by Thomas Mace (1676) who says that 'Your Best Provision' for playing such music is a chest of old English viols, and he names five early English viol makers than which 'there are no Better in the World'. Enlightened scholars and performers (both professional and amateur) who aim to understand and play this music require reliable historical information and need suitable viols, but so little is known about the instruments and their makers that we cannot specify appropriate instruments with much precision. Our ignorance cannot be remedied exclusively by the scrutiny or use of surviving antique viols because they are extremely rare, they are not accessible to performers and the information they embody is crucially compromised by degradation and alteration. Drawing on a wide variety of evidence including the surviving instruments, music composed for those instruments, and the documentary evidence surrounding the trade of instrument making, Fleming and Bryan draw significant conclusions about the changing nature and varieties of viol in early modern England.

For the first time ever, musical selections from the first five Harry Potter movies are available in one jam-packed collection. Intermediate-level pianists will love playing these Easy Piano arrangements, which faithfully render the magical music of John Williams, Patrick Doyle, and Nicholas Hooper. Full color art pages from each movie are included. Titles: Buckbeak's Flight * The Chamber of Secrets * Double Trouble * Dumbledore's Army * Fawkes the Phoenix * Fireworks * Hagrid the Professor * Harry in Winter * Harry's Wondrous World * Hedwig's Theme * Hogwarts' Hymn * Hogwarts' March * Loved Ones and Leaving * Nimbus 2000 * Potter Waltz * Professor Umbridge * The Quidditch World Cup (The Irish) * The Room of Requirement.

Music has long been a way in which visually impaired people could gain financial independence, excel at a highly-valued skill, or simply enjoy musical participation. Existing literature on visual impairment and music includes perspectives from the social history of music, ethnomusicology, child development and areas of music psychology, music therapy, special educational needs, and music education, as well as more popular biographical texts on famous musicians. But there has been relatively little sociological research bringing together the views and experiences of visually impaired musicians themselves across the life course. Insights in Sound: Visually Impaired Musicians' Lives and Learning aims to increase knowledge and understanding both within and beyond this multifaceted group. Through an international survey combined with life-history interviews, a vivid picture is drawn of how visually impaired musicians approach and conceive their musical activities, with detailed illustrations of the particular opportunities and challenges faced by a variety of individuals. Baker and Green look beyond affiliation with particular musical styles, genres, instruments or practices. All 'levels' are included: from adult beginners to those who have returned to music-making after a gap; and from 'regular' amateur and professional musicians, to some who are extraordinarily 'elite' or 'successful'. Themes surrounding education, training, and informal learning; notation and ear playing; digital technologies; and issues around disability, identity, opportunity, marginality, discrimination, despair, fulfilment, and joy surfaced, as the authors set out to discover, analyse, and share insights into the worlds of these musicians.

This book contains valuable material to help players strengthen their sight-reading skills in preparation for the ABRSM Grade 1 exam. Featuring preparatory exercises that gradually introduce key new elements encountered at Grade 1, along with a comprehensive selection of sample sight-reading pieces, More Piano Sight-Reading supports students with the transition between grades, and encourages them to integrate sight-reading into their daily practice. More Piano Sight-Reading is available for ABRSM Grades 1 to 8, offering additional support for the sight-reading requirements of the current syllabus.

Learn to play the ukulele at home or in the classroom with these popular kids instruction books specially written for beginners! Start your musical journey on the ukulele with Ukulele Magic Tutor Book 1 – the fun and approachable method that children and teachers love. Whether you’re in the classroom, at home or playing with friends, this accessible tutor offers the great tunes, clear guidance and all the resources you need to start making Ukulele Magic! 25 pieces carefully progress from playing open strings (eg Stringalong Rag) to songs with one chord (Shortnin bread, A minor miracle, F major march) to two chords (Baboushka, Tab tango, Calypso strum) and finally three chords (In South Africa, Playing the blues). Finger-picking and strumming styles are all introduced step by step in pieces which are fun and stylistic. Fully supported with audio performances and backings. The teacher's edition, BOOK+CD-ROM (ISBN 978-1-4081-5729-9), contains a whiteboard e-book with embedded audio and video tutorials for every song, making it ideal for classroom teaching.

This survey of the string quartet by ten chamber music specialists focuses on four main areas: social and musical background to the genre's development; celebrated ensembles and their significance; and string quartet playing. It reviews aspects of contemporary and historical practice, including "mixed ensembles." Informative appendixes and a full chronology of the mainstream repertory complete this compact guide.

Written late in his life, J. S. Bach's The Art of Fugue has long been admired-in some quarters revered-as one of his masterworks. Its last movement, Contrapunctus 14, went unfinished, and the enigma of its incompleteness still preoccupies scholars and musical conductors alike. In 1881, Gustav Nottebohm discovered that the three subjects of the movement could be supplemented by a fourth. In 1993, Zoltan Goencz revealed that Bach had planned the passage that would join the four subjects in an entirely unique way. This section has not survived, but, as Goencz notes, it must have been ready in the earliest phase of composition since Bach had created the expositions of the first three subjects from its "disjointed" parts. Goencz then boldly took on the task of reconstructing the original "template" by putting together the once separate pieces. In Bach's Testament: On the Philosophical and Theological Background of The Art of Fugue, Goencz probes the philosophic-theological background of The Art of Fugue, revealing the special structures that supported the 1993 reconstruction. Bach's Testament investigates the reconstruction's metaphysical dimensions, focusing on the quadruple fugue. As a summary of Zoltan Goencz's extensive research over many years, which resulted in the completion of the fugue, this work explores the complex combinatorial, philosophical and theological considerations that inform its structure. Bach's Testament is ideally suited not only to Bach scholars and musicologists but also intellectual historians with particular interests in 18th-century religious and philosophical ideas.

Piano Star Duets is an exciting book of 26 duets at early beginner to Grade 2 level, containing fun new compositions and arrangements in a variety of styles by leading educational composers. All pieces have been tried out - and approved! - by children. This collection will capture the imagination of young pianists everywhere as they are introduced to the joy of ensemble playing. Key features: * New compositions and arrangements from 13 leading composers * Duets in a variety of configurations - for two pupils of a similar standard, for pupil-teacher, or pupils of different standards - plus some trios * A wide range of musical styles, from traditional melodies to jazzy and pop-style pieces * Varied techniques, introduced progressively * Fun musical games and top tips for duet playing

A sweeping narrative of the greatest craftsman that ever lived and what became of the insturments he made. This is the remarkable tale of Antonio Stradivari, the greatest instrument maker of all time, and what happened to the violins he created. Everyone has some idea of the legendary quality and unbelieveable price tag of a Stradivarius violin, but much of the life of this genius remains obscure; his motivations and techniques hitherto unexplored. In this, the first popular account of the Stradivari phenomena, Toby Faber explores the life and methods of this unsurpassed craftsmans. Following the life of his insturments as they pass through the hands of many of the greatest musicians that have ever lived, we learn how and why they have become objects of such veneration and desire. It is a dramatic tale of grand artistry, fantastic music, shady dealers, forgery and science.

In From Bach's Goldberg to Beethoven's Diabelli: Influence and Independence, music scholar and noted pianist Alfred Kanwischer gives readers an extended exploration in which each of Beethoven's 33 pieces that comprise the Diabelli Variations (Op. 120) is caringly examined and assessed for its ingredients, actions, personality, and influence on the whole. Counterpoint abounds, not only in the fugal variations, which are closely parsed, but throughout the Diabelli, revealing the noticeably Baroque character of the technical compositional devices Beethoven employs. Throughout his study, Kanwischer integrates comparisons with Bach's immortal Goldberg Variations. Both sets stand alone as among the greatest keyboard variations in the Western canon. During their creation, both composers were nearly the same age, at the zenith of their art, and in similarly felicitous frames of mind.Kanwischer underscores twenty essential similarities, from the use of melody and melodic outline and the comparability among variations in size, parallel design, ebullient outlook, increasing contrasts, daring virtuosic flights, Shakespearean blend of comic and tragic, and their respective cumulative rises to spiritual transcendence. From Bach's Goldberg to Beethoven's Diabelli takes readers on a journey of discovery that is lively and stimulating. It considers not only questions of influence but those of insight and understanding, offering a work useful not only as a reference but as a guide to performers, music instructors and devotees. This work also includes 70 visually annotated interpretive musical examples as aids to understanding.

Duet for 2 pianos This arrangement has been made from a Soprano recitative and Aria from the Birthday Cantata by Bach. The piece has a fresh and pastoral character and the arrangement for two pianos stays true to Bach's balance between the beautiful melody and tone-painting in the harmonies.

Teaching Strings in Today's Classroom: A Guide for Group Instruction assists music education students, in-service teachers, and performers to realize their goals of becoming effective string educators. It introduces readers to the school orchestra environment, presents the foundational concepts needed to teach strings, and provides opportunities for the reader to apply this information. The author describes how becoming an effective string teacher requires three things of equal importance: content knowledge, performance skills, and opportunities to apply the content knowledge and performance skills in a teaching situation. In two parts, the text addresses the unique context that is teaching strings, a practice with its own objectives and related teaching strategies. Part I (Foundations of Teaching and Learning String Instruments) first presents an overview of the string teaching environment, encouraging the reader to consider how context impacts teaching, followed by practical discussions of instrument sizing and position, chapters on the development of each hand, and instruction for best practices concerning tone production, articulation, and bowing guidelines. Part II (Understanding Fingerings) provides clear guidance for understanding basic finger patterns, positions, and the creation of logical fingerings. String fingerings are abstract and thus difficult to negotiate without years of playing experience-these chapters (and their corresponding interactive online tutorials) distill the content knowledge required to understand string fingerings in a way that non-string players can understand and use. Teaching Strings in Today's Classroom contains pedagogical information, performance activities, and an online virtual teaching environment with twelve interactive tutorials, three for each of the four string instruments. ACCOMPANYING VIDEOS CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.teachingstrings.online

Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Course is designed for use with an instructor for the beginning student looking for a truly complete piano course. It is a greatly expanded version of Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course that will include lesson, theory, technic, and additional repertoire in a convenient, "all-in-one" format. This comprehensive course features written assignments that reinforce each lesson's concepts, a smooth, logical progression between each lesson, a thorough explanation of chord theory and playing styles, and outstanding extra songs, including folk, classical, and contemporary selections. At the completion of this course, the student will have learned to play some of the most popular music ever written and will have gained a good understanding of basic musical concepts and styles. The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance. Titles: Alexander's Ragtime Band * Arkansas Traveler * Ballin' the Jack * The Battle Hymn of the Republic * Black Forest Polka * Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair * Bourlesq * Brahms Lullaby * Bridal Chorus from "Lohengrin" * Calypso Carnival * Canon in D (Pachelbel) * Chorale * Circus March * Danny Boy * Dark Eyes * Deep River * Divertimento in D * Down in the Valley * Etude (Chopin) * Farewell to Thee (Aloha Oe) * Fascination * Festive Dance * For He's a Jolly Good Fellow * Frankie and Johnnie * Guantanamera * Hava Nagila * He's Got the Whole World in His Hands * The Hokey-Pokey * The House of the Rising Sun * Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 * Introduction and Dance * La Bamba * La Donna E Mobile * La Raspa * Light and Blue * Loch Lomond * Lonesome Road * Love's Greeting * The Magic Piper * The Marriage of Figaro * Mexican Hat Dance * Morning Has Broken * Musetta's Waltz * Night Song * Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen * Olympic Procession * Overture from "Raymond" * Plaisir D'Amour * Polyvetsian Dances * Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 * The Riddle * Rock-a My Soul * Sakura * Scherzo * So

Sebastien Erard's (1752-1831) inventions have had an enormous impact on instruments and musical life and are still at the foundation of piano building today. Drawing on an unusually rich set of archives from both the Erard firm and the Erard family, author Robert Adelson shows how the Erard piano played an important and often leading role in the history of the instrument, beginning in the late eighteenth century and continuing into the final decades of the nineteenth. The Erards were the first piano builders in France to prioritise the more sonorous grand piano, sending gifts of their new model to both Haydn and Beethoven. Erard's famous double-escapement action, which improved the instrument's response while at the same time producing a more powerful tone, revolutionised both piano construction and repertoire. Thanks to these inventions, the Erard firm developed close relationships with the greatest pianist composers of the nineteenth century, including Hummel, Liszt, Moscheles and Mendelssohn. The book also presents new evidence concerning Pierre Erard's homosexuality, which helps us to understand his reluctance to found a family to carry on the Erard tradition, a reluctance that would spell the end of the golden era of the firm and lead to its eventual demise. The book closes with the story of Pierre's widow Camille, who directed the firm from 1855 until 1889. Her influential position in the male-dominated world of instrument building was unique for a woman of her time.

When aspiring violinist Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman lands a job with a professional ensemble in New York City, she imagines she has achieved her lifelong dream. But the ensemble proves to be a sham. When the group "performs", the microphones are never on. Instead, the music blares from a CD. The mastermind behind this scheme is a peculiar and mysterious figure known as The Composer, who is gaslighting his audiences with music that sounds suspiciously like the Titanic movie soundtrack. On tour with his chaotic ensemble, Hindman spirals into crises of identity and disillusionment as she "plays" for audiences genuinely moved by the performance, unable to differentiate real from fake. Sounds Like Titanic is a surreal, often hilarious coming-of-age story. Hindman writes with precise, candid prose and sharp insight into ambition and gender, especially when it comes to the difficulties young women face in a world that views them as silly, shallow and stupid. As the story swells to a crescendo, it gives voice to the anxieties and illusions of a generation of women, and reveals the failed promises of a nation that takes comfort in false realities.

Play-along with the best-known selections from the first five movies in the Harry Potter series String books include a play-along CD with a backing and performance track for each title as well as a pull-out piano part. Titles include: Hedwig's Theme * Harry's Wondrous World * Nimbus 2000 * Fawkes The Phoenix * Double Trouble * A Window to the Past * Hogwarts' March * Hogwarts' Hymn * Professor Umbridge * Fireworks (Grade 2-3) This title is available in SmartMusic.

This book presents figured harmony as a form of aural training. It seeks to make the student more keenly aware of chord-relationships as actual sound. It will increase the student's power to form an inward realization of what a page of music is going to sound like without having actually heard it.

The Art of Oboe Playing is actually two books in one -- one part by Robert Sprenkle on playing the oboe, and another part by David Ledet on reed-making. Sprenkle was the renowned teacher of some of the finest oboists, among them Robert Bloom of the Rochester Philharmonic. Ledet has an exceptionally broad professional background, including assistant band director, teacher of oboe and theory, and administrator.

The book is an outline of the Armenian duduk, a cylindrical double-reed aerophone made of apricot-wood, and its relation to the Armenian identity. It attempts to deepen our understanding of musical instruments not only through an examination of musical and constructional features, but also through the application of a sociocultural framework which allows a theorization of the idea of the instrument as social being. The discussion is centered on the different contexts in which the duduk is played. These are divided into two categories: solo and ensemble. Solo duduk performance includes the remarkable phenomenon of Armenian funeral music activity. Other contexts include special celebrations of national culture, duduk competitions, the recording studio and the film music studio. The main ensemble contexts of duduk performance are the Armenian folk orchestras. These are essentially Soviet creations designed to "advance" folk music. Their impact on folk music and folk musical life on Armenia is discussed with special attention to the "adjustments" which were necessary for the success of this institution. Folk ensembles have long been emblems of Armenian national culture which might explain how they have survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Marxist-Leninist policies which were these orchestras' very raison d'etre. The book will appeal to anyone with an interest in organological theory, Armenian culture, or world music.

This book contains nine pieces selected from ABRSM's Grade 6 Flute syllabus from 2022. Key features: Nine pieces in a range of styles, chosen from Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. -Classic repertoire and newly commissioned pieces and arrangements.- Audio performances of the nine pieces by expert musicians, plus accompaniment-only tracks for use when practising (download code included in the book) Contents: Bourree anglaise (fourth movement from Partita in A minor, BWV 1013) [Johann Sebastian Bach] Allegretto (No. 1 from Suite de trois morceaux, Op. 116) [Benjamin Godard] Cantabile and Allegro (first and second movements from Sonata in C, TWV 41:C2) [Georg Philipp Telemann] Nocturne: No. 6 from Six poemes noir [David Baker] Une flute soupire [Melanie Helene Bonis] On a Summer Evening [Gordon Jacob] Les Ecureuils [Henri Busser] Bats In The Belfry [Billy Mayerl] Republic Suite for Flute and Piano: Movement No. 1 [Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia]