Complete violin sonatas


Book Description

Beethoven's ten violin sonatas, time-honored favorites of violinists, pianists, and their audiences, reflect the great composer's determination to make the interrelationship between the violin and the piano a more intimate one, and to create a more even and intricate balance between the two instruments than had previously existed in the genre. Ranging in mood and style from the brilliant and virtuosic "Kreutzer" Sonata to the pastoral, lyrical "Spring" Sonata, they include: Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1; Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2; Sonata No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3; Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23; Sonata No. 5 in F Major ("Spring"), Op. 24; Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 30, No. 1; Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2; Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30, No. 3; Sonata No. 9 in A Minor ("Kreutzer"), Op. 47; Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96. All ten of these beautiful and challenging masterworks are reprinted here from the authoritative edition prepared by Breitkopf & Hartel. Beautifully printed and sturdily bound, this handsome volume offers violinists, pianists, and music lovers the opportunity to study and enjoy the scores in one convenient, inexpensive source. "







The Finale in Western Instrumental Music


Book Description

The knowledge that finales are by tradition (and perhaps also necessarily) 'different' from other movements has been around a long time, but this is the first time that the special nature of finales in instrumental music has been examined comprehensively and in detail. Three main types offinale, labelled 'relaxant', 'summative', and 'valedictory', are identified. Each type is studied closely, with a wealth of illustration and analytical commentary covering the entire period from the Renaissance to the present day. The history of finales in five important genres -- suite, sonata,string quartet, symphony, and concerto -- is traced, and the parallels and divergences between these traditions are identified. Several wider issues are mentioned, including narrativity, musical rounding, inter-movement relationships, and the nature of codas. The book ends with a look at thefinales of all Shostakovich's string quartets, in which examples of most of the types may be found.




Bold Composer


Book Description

Famous 19th century composer Ludwig van Beethoven compsed hundreds of works in his lifetime, including the well-known Moonlight Sonata and Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No. 9. He remains among the most-studied and most-loved composers.







Chamber Music


Book Description

A thorough overview and history of chamber music




Beethoven, A Life


Book Description

"With unprecedented access to the archives at the Beethoven House in Bonn, ... Beethoven conductor and scholar Jan Caeyers ... weaves together a deeply human and complex image of Beethoven--his troubled youth, his unpredictable mood swings, his desires, relationships, and conflicts with family and friends, the mysteries surrounding his affair with the 'immortal beloved, ' and the dramatic tale of his deafness. Caeyers also offers new insights into Beethoven's music and its gradual transformation from the work of a skilled craftsman into that of a consummate artist"--Publisher marketing.




Rudolf Serkin


Book Description

This book is the first biography of 20th-century pianist Rudolf Serkin, providing a narrative of Serkin's life with emphasis on his European roots and the impact of his move to America. Based on his personal papers and correspondence, as well as extensive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, the authors focus on three key aspects of Serkin's work, particularly as it unfolded in America: his art and career as a pianist, his activities as a pedagogue, including his long association with the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and his key role in institutionalizing a redefinition of musical values in America through his work as artistic director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival in Vermont. A candid and colorful blend of narrative and interviews, it offers a probing look into the life and character of this very private man and powerful musical personality.




Catalogues ...


Book Description




The Strad


Book Description