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.

In this volume fifteen musicologists from five countries present new findings and observations concerning the production, distribution and use of music manuscripts and prints in seventeenth-century Europe. A special emphasis is laid on the Duben Collection, one of the largest music collections of seventeenth-century Europe, preserved at the Uppsala University Library. The papers in this volume were initially presented at an international conference at Uppsala University in September 2006, held on the occasion of the launching of The Duben Collection Database Catalogue on the Internet. For the first time, the entire collection had been made acessible worldwide, covering a vast number of musical and philological aspects of all items in the collection.

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.

Contents are: Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus (G.F. Handel) * Musette, Gavotte II or the Musette from English Suite II in G Minor for Klavier, BWV 808 (J.S. Bach) * Hunters' Chorus from 3rd Act of the opera Der Freischutz (C.M. von Weber) * Long, Long Ago (with variation) (T.H. Bayly) * Waltz, Op. 39, No. 15 (J. Brahms) * BourrA(c)e, Sonata in F Major for Oboe, HHA IV/18, No. 8 (G.F. Handel) * The Two Grenadiers, Die Beiden Grenadier, Op. 49, No. 1 for Voice and Piano (R. Schumann) * Theme from Witches' Dance (N. Paganini) * Gavotte from Mignon (A. Thomas) * Gavotte (J.B. Lully) * Minuet in G, Wo0 10, No. 2 (L. van Beethoven) * Minuet from Sei Quintetti per Archi No. 11, Op. 11, No. 5 in E Major (L. Boccherini) * Practice Suggestions (Doris Preucil).

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.