Violin Star is a three-book series offering beginner violinists a refreshing and inspirational choice of pieces to help build confidence and musical skills. The repertoire is imaginatively tailored to develop specific techniques through an exciting range of musical styles. This Student's book contains the solo violin parts, along with colourful illustrations, activities and a playalong CD. The Accompaniment book, available separately, includes piano and violin accompaniments for every piece. Key features of the series include: an approachable progression from beginner level to Grade 2; playalong CDs with each Student's book, which contain specially created instrumental arrangements to convey style and mood; and original compositions and arrangements by Edward Huws Jones.

A monumental accomplishment from the age of Enlightenment, the string quartets of Joseph Haydn hold a central place not only in the composer's oeuvre, but also in our modern conception of form, style, and expression in the instrumental music of his day. Here, renowned music historians Floyd and Margaret Grave present a fresh perspective on a comprehensive survey of the works. This thorough and unique analysis offers new insights into the creation of the quartets, the wealth of musical customs and conventions on which they draw, the scope of their innovations, and their significance as reflections of Haydn's artistic personality. Each set of quartets is characterized in terms of its particular mix of structural conventions and novelties, stylistic allusions, and its special points of connection with other opus groups in the series. Throughout the book, the authors draw attention to the boundless supply of compositional strategies by which Haydn appears to be continually rethinking, reevaluating, and refining the quartet's potentials. They also lucidly describe Haydn's famous penchant for wit, humor, and compositional artifice, illuminating the unexpected connections he draws between seemingly unrelated ideas, his irony, and his lightning bolts of surprise and thwarted expectation. Approaching the quartets from a variety of vantage points, the authors correct many prevailing assumptions about convention, innovation, and developing compositional technique in the music of Haydn and his contemporaries.
Going beyond traditional modes of study, The String Quartets of Joseph Haydn blends historical analysis and factual information with critical appraisal in a way that will engage all Haydnenthusiasts.

The harp is both the oldest and the newest of instruments. It has existed in some form in nearly all cultures since man has made music. The contemporary concert instrument has been known since the mid-19th century. This work is a compendium of the biographies of many notable harpists of the modern era. The biographies make clear how these performers shaped the contrasts in style and technique of harp playing that have developed over the past 150 years, as cultural, social, and psychological forces influenced individual performance. In addition to the biographical information, the A-Z entries include critical reviews, discographies, and selected bibliographies where possible. New material from the former Soviet states is included.

A one-stop resource to the essentials of owning and playing the guitar If you've just bought a guitar, or you've had one for a while, you probably know it takes some time and effort to learn how to play the popular instrument. There's so much to know about owning, maintaining, and playing a guitar. Where do you even begin? In Guitar All-in-One For Dummies, a team of expert guitarists and music teachers shows you the essentials you need to know about owning and playing a guitar. From picking your first notes to exploring music theory and composition, maintaining your gear, and diving into the specifics of genres like blues and rock, this book is a comprehensive and practical goldmine of indispensable info. Created for the budding guitarist who wants all their lessons and advice in one place, the book will show you how to: Maintain, tune, and string your guitar, as well as decipher music notation and guitar tablature Understand guitar theory, sounds and techniques to help you learn new songs and add your style to classic tunes Practice several popular genres of guitar music, including blues, rock, and classical Access accompanying online video and audio instructional resources that demonstrate the lessons you find in the book Perfect for guitar players at any skill level, Guitar All-in-One For Dummies is a must-have resource for anyone who wants to get the most out of their own guitar and make great music.

The first detailed contextual study of chamber music in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when the string quartet reigned supreme among the different chamber genres This book is the first detailed contextual study of string quartets in Beethoven's Vienna, at a time when that genre reigned supreme among the different chamber genres. Focusing on a key transition period in the early nineteenth century, which bore witness to fundamental shifts in the 'private' sphere of music-making, it explores the 'cultivation' of string quartets by composers, critics, listeners, performers, publishers and patrons. The book highlights these parties' interactions, ideas and ideals, which were central to defining the unique cultures of chamber music arising at this time. We gain fresh insights into publishing and marketing, performance venues and practices, review culture, listening theories and practices, and composition in early nineteenth-century Vienna. Until now, the unique theatricality of chamber music, and the 'social' nature of its discourse, has been poorly appreciated. Cultivating String Quartets in Beethoven's Vienna addresses this misconception and enriches our understanding of this crucial period of change, in which concert life began and previously 'private' music was moved out onto the stage. NANCY NOVEMBER is Associate Professor in Musicology at the University of Auckland.

Classical Guitarists fills a void in the special world of the classical guitar. Although this realm is inhabited by world-class musicians, much of what they think and feel has never been captured in print. The interviewees, including Julian Bream, John Williams, Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, David Starobin and David Tanenbaum are a select group at the peak of their prowess who speak openly and thoughtfully about their opportunities, accomplishments, and lessons learned. Each has made important contributions from establishing significant academic programs to broadening the audience for the classical guitar. The author shares his reviews of their most important recordings and New York City concerts during the 1990s, as well as discographies of their recordings. There are also interviews with Harold Shaw, the most prominent artist manager in the history of the classical guitar and several of today's most important composers for the guitar, including Pulitzer Prize winners George Crumb and Aaron Jay Kernis. An introductory chapter provides an historical perspective on classical guitar and a postscript explains how to create a basic repertoire of recordings.

Provides convenient access to a body of solo, recital, concerto, and chamber music literature that will enrich the repertoire of the violinist. Includes a biographies section which briefly summarizes the life and work of women composers from the Baroque to 20th century American and International. The music section identifies and describes compositions in 12 genre categories. The discography organizes recorded works by composer and by title. Reference and Research Book News This bibliography enhances the repertoire of the violinist by providing convenient access to a new solo recital, concerto, and chamber music literature: the music of women composers. While other source books exist in which some of this information could be found, it is often incomplete or in such abundance that selection is difficult. This well-organized bibliography will not only simplify the process of obtaining such information, but it represents a valuable contribution to the relatively new study of the musical compositions of women. Violin Music by Women Composers is divided into three main sections: Biographies, Music, and Discography. Preceding these is a general alphabetical index to all the composers included in the work, with reference to information on them contained in the three main sections following. The Biographies section is divided among five eras beginning with Baroque and concluding with Twentieth Century International. The second section of the book, Music, is organized in twelve genre categories in which composers are entered alphabetically along with the titles of their compositions. Wherever possible, information is provided on date of composition, publisher and/or source, and duration; often with additional comments included. Library sources are given for manuscripts and for published music that is out of print; otherwise, a current publisher is listed. The Discography section organizes recorded works alphabetically by composer, then alphabetically by title. This section also includes a directory of recording companies. The volume concludes with a bibliography and references. Violin Music by Women Composers is a unique, up-to-date, and thoughtfully organized resource. Exploring its contents will certainly inform and add to the repertoire of violinists and their presenters.