trio

Old Folks at Home and Oh! Susanna, by Stephen Foster

Arranged with Flute and Cello ad lib by John W. Pratt

Flute Parts, Cello Parts, Voice Parts, and Piano Scores ― PDF $7.99

Stephen Foster was born in Lawrenceville, Pa., on July 4, 1826...He wrote over 200 songs, including 135 parlor songs, 28 minstrel songs, and 21 hymns and Sunday school songs. A remarkable number are memorable, as the ditty above will attest to anyone with anything like my background. One wonders why. The harmonies and rhythms are basic, as are the forms and rhyme schemes (see above), the music is repetitious, and the vocal range rarely goes outside an octave (a great benefit for community singing). Yet the fit is so natural and the pacing so well judged that the songs are ideally effective and diabolically catchy. Foster is perhaps, though on a different plane, the Mozart of his field...

For a pianist playing several stanzas at a sing-along, Foster's songs do become a little dull. But their very simplicity, repetitiousness, and familiarity abet variation as, again on a different plane, chorales serve Bach chorale preludes. Like chorale preludes, the piano parts here always incorporate the melody, so they can be played solo or to accompany amateur singers. It struck me that they could be enhanced by optional flute parts. After writing them, I discovered that, according to his brother Morrison, Foster himself "delighted in playing accompaniments on the flute...As the song went on he would improvise...the most beautiful variations upon its musical theme." If Foster's improvisations were like the one his brother published, however, they just varied the melody itself in the manner of the period. My game is more ambitious, as you will easily see. I added optional cello parts, mostly for color, as in the Haydn trios but superficially more interesting for the cellist. (Again we are on a different plane, of course.)

"Oh! Susanna," one of the best-known American songs by anybody, is Foster's "Erlkönig." (Speak of different planes!) With its nonsensical lyrics and polka beat, it is clearly comical, and I treated it accordingly. It was written in Cincinnati, possibly for a social club, first performed at an ice cream saloon in Pittsburgh in 1847, and published in 1848. When no American song had sold over 5,000 copies, it sold over 100,000. It earned Foster only $100, but its popularity led to a publisher's offer, convincing him to become a professional songwriter, America's first.

"Old Folks at Home" established Foster as a truly American composer. It was written in 1851 for a blackface troupe whose leader paid Foster about $15 to be credited for it. When almost finished, Foster asked his brother for "a good name of two syllables for a Southern river." He rejected Yazoo and Pedee, but was delighted with Swanee, a shortening of Suwanee, a small river in Florida which his brother found in an atlas. Though about a slave's nostalgia for home, I find its theme universal and melancholy and I resisted the temptation to jazz it up. Please try, at least, a slowish tempo.

― John W. Pratt, May 27, 2013 ©

Flute parts, 2 pages; Cello parts, 2 pages; Voice parts, 2 pages; Scores, 7 pages; Total, 18 pages.

Meerfahrt, Nachtgesang, and Der Fischer, Op.31, by M. Hauptmann

Facsimile Edition plus a Transcription of the violin part for Flute by C.A.Vater

Score for Violin, Voice, & Piano, Violin Part, and Flute Part, PDF $18.75

Moritz Hauptmann (1792-1868) was a renowned music theorist, pedagogue, violinist, and composer.  In 1842, at Mendelssohn's recommendation, he was appointed cantor at the Thomasschule and professor of composition at the newly founded Leipzig Conservatory.  Hauptmann published a major scholarly work on music theory in 1853, "Die Natur der Harmonik und Metrik" (The Nature of Harmony and Meter), as well as some 60 compositions.

Hauptmann's Op.31 comprises three lovely songs scored for voice with accompaniment of violin and piano: No.1, Meerfahrt (Sea Voyage); No.2, Nachtgesang (Night Song); and No.3, Der Fischer (The Fisherman). The vocal range extends from B3 to G5, and thus is well-suited for mezzo-soprano.  These pieces were published by C. F. Peters as part of a larger volume, now in the public domain, entitled "Lieder-Album für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte und Violin Begleitung".  Our edition contains an "enhanced" facsimile of the original, plus a new transcription of the violin part for flute created using a modern music notation program.  The three songs may be performed with comparable gratification utilizing the accompaniment of either violin or flute, along with the voice and piano.

Score, 15 pages; Violin part, 5 pages; Flute part, 5 pages; Total, 29 pages.

In die Ferne, Op.98, No.1, by J. W. Kalliwoda

Facsimile Edition plus Transcription of Violin part for Flute by C.A.Vater

Score for Violin, Voice, & Piano, Violin Part, Flute Part, PDF $5.99

Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda (1801‒1866) was a Bohemian violinist, conductor, and composer who spent much of his career in Donaueschingen, where he served as the conductor of the court orchestra for Prince Karl Egon II of Fürstenberg.  Kalliwoda composed numerous works, including operas, symphonies, pieces for piano, violin and orchestra, and chamber music.

Kalliwoda's song In die Ferne (Far Away) was published in a nineteenth century collection of lieder, along with several songs by Hauptmann and Reinecke.  The vocal range of In die Ferne extends from E4 to G#5, and thus is well-suited for either soprano or mezzo-soprano.  Our edition contains "enhanced" facsimiles of the original score (violin, voice, and piano) and violin part, plus a transcription of the violin part for flute created using a modern music notation program. Therefore, In die Ferne may be performed using the accompaniment of either violin or flute, along with the voice and piano. 

Score, 6 pages; Violin and Flute parts, 1 page each; Total, 12 pages.

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U.S. customers may purchase professionally-printed hard copies of In die Ferne for $10.18 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee.  Please use the Contact Us form to let us know which print edition(s) you would like to purchase, along with your contact information and your USPO mailing address.

Quatre poèmes pour voix, alto et piano, by Charles Martin Loeffler

Viola part transcribed for Clarinet by C.A.Vater

Part for B-flat Clarinet; PDF $10.99 

B♭-Clarinet part, 10 pages; Total, 14 pages. 

On Dit!, by Jules Massenet

Transcribed for Clarinet, Voice and Piano by C. A. Vater

Score for Clarinet, Voice and Piano; Alternative Parts for A-Clarinet and B-flat-Clarinet, PDF $8.99

Massenet’s composition On dit! is a musical setting of the eponymous poem by Jean Roux in which the poet ponders how the word “love” is commonly and inevitably associated with the sweetness and delights of spring. In addition to the vocal line and piano accompaniment, Massenet provided On dit! with a prominent part for cello. The cello line can be readily adapted for clarinet, creating a lovely and suitable new version of the piece for clarinet, voice, and piano. Our Noteworthy Sheet Music edition includes a score in concert pitch, as well as individual parts for either A-clarinet or B-flat-clarinet transcribed from the original cello part. Clarinetists in possession of both A and B-flat instruments may develop a personal preference for playing this piece on one instrument over the other, based on tone quality, complementarity with a particular singer’s sound, etc.

Score, 5 pages; A-Clarinet Part, 2 pages; B-flat-Clarinet Part, 2 pages; Total, 16 pages.

Concert Piece No.1, Op.113, by Felix Mendelssohn

Transcribed for Various Wind Instruments and Piano by John W. Pratt
(originally for Clarinet, Basset Horn, and Piano)

The following is excerpted from John Pratt's © foreword:
"In 1833, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) wrote two Concert Pieces for Clarinet, Basset Horn, and Piano, op. 113 and op. 114, as show-pieces for the famous clarinetist Heinrich Bärmann (1784-1847) to play with his up-and-coming son Karl (1811-1885) on the basset horn. // Mendelssohn's two Concert Pieces are very suitable for transcription, even aside from the rarity of the basset horn today. We provide, as well as the original clarinet part, transcriptions of it for flute and oboe. Transcriptions of the basset horn part are provided for bassoon, clarinet, and English horn. These primo and secondo parts can be mixed and matched at will. For the score, we use Mendelssohn's instruments rather than some other arbitrary pair. This enables anyone interested to check any transcribed part against the original. The score gives the parts in concert pitch, because a transposition would apply to only one of the possible winds, and because the pianist can then easily play any part at original pitch."

Please note that PDFs of the original score and clarinet-primo part are available free of charge in the public domain (see the listing of this work on IMSLP.org), and our transcribed primo and secondo wind parts can readily be used with the original score. Therefore, you should purchase our original instrument Score or Clarinet-primo part only if you would like measure numbers or Mr. Pratt's score (for piano with clarinet and basset horn) in concert pitch.

Preview of Flute primo part

- Piano Score with Clarinet and Basset Horn lines in concert pitch, 8 pages; Total, 10 pages (note that the original score is freely available on IMSLP.org)
- Clarinet in B-flat, primo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages (note that the original clarinet part is freely available on IMSLP.org)
- Flute, transcribed primo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages
- Oboe, transcribed primo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages
- Bassoon, transcribed secondo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages
- Clarinet in B-flat, transcribed secondo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages
- English Horn, transcribed secondo part, 4 pages; Total, 6 pages

Concert Piece No.2, Op.114, by Felix Mendelssohn

Transcribed for Various Wind Instruments (and piano) by John W. Pratt
(originally for Clarinet, Basset Horn, and Piano)

Primo parts for Clarinet, Flute, or Oboe, PDFs $5.99 each
Secondo parts for Bassoon, Clarinet, or English Horn, PDFs $5.99 each

Each wind part is 4 pages of music; 6 pages total.

Primo parts for Flute, Clarinet in B-flat (note that the original primo clarinet part is freely available on IMSLP.org), or Oboe.

Secondo parts for Clarinet in B-flat, Bassoon, or English Horn. Preview Bassoon II part

"Kegelstatt" Trio in E-flat major, K.498, by W. A. Mozart

Transcribed for Alto Flute, Viola, and Piano by John W. Pratt, with a Program Note by Peter H. Bloom

Alto Flute Part, PDF $7.99

Our edition includes only the alto flute transcription of the clarinet part; the original piano score and viola part are in the public domain and may be downloaded free of charge from IMSLP.org as good quality PDFs.

Alto Flute part, 6 pages; Total, 10 pages.

Sinfonia Concertante, K.364, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano Score, Flute & Clarinet Parts, PDF $17.99

Excerpted from the Foreword by J. W. Pratt:  "The idea that every piece, especially a major one, can be satisfactorily transcribed for whatever instruments one would like is one I firmly reject.  However, a trio arrangement of this Sinfonia Concertante for flute, clarinet, and piano can, I believe, capture and present in a new light many of the wonders of this great work, even the wonders of its sonorities. .... In the arrangement here, the flute and clarinet almost always play either a solo part or an orchestral part with only octave changes. .... For the piano, on the other hand, straightforward orchestral reduction is often ineffective and unsatisfying, and that would certainly be true here, even with the flute and clarinet taking some wind parts. I have attempted instead to find natural piano "orchestrations" as alternatives to Mozart's orchestral layouts, especially where the full orchestra is playing. .... Such effects, often heightened on returns, are better suited to the piano's capabilities and its role as a member of a trio than a straightforward reduction would be. .... The music available for flute, clarinet, and piano includes surprisingly few major works.   The purpose of our arrangement is to add a significant piece to this repertoire and to enable players and listeners to enjoy Mozart's magnificent Sinfonia Concertante in a new way."

Score, 41 pages; Flute part, 18 pages; Clarinet part, 17 pages; Total, 82 pages.

Waldesgruss and Frühlingsblumen, Op.26, by C. Reinecke

Facsimile Edition plus Transcriptions for Flute & Alto Flute by C.A.Vater

Score for Violin, Voice, & Piano, Violin Part, Flute & Alto Flute Parts, PDF $9.98

Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) was a renowned German pianist, composer, conductor, and teacher of composition.  He composed numerous works, and for over 35 years was a leader of the music scene in Leipzig.  Reinecke's Op.26 includes two songs for voice with accompaniment of violin and piano: No.1, Waldesgruss (The Forest's Greeting); and No.2, Frühlingsblumen (Spring Flowers). The vocal range of Reinecke's Op.26 lieder extends from C4 to A5, and thus is well-suited for either soprano or mezzo-soprano.

Our edition contains an "enhanced" facsimile of the original score and violin part, plus new transcriptions of the violin part for either alto flute or flute.  Thus, the two songs may be performed utilizing the accompaniment of violin, alto flute, or flute, along with the voice and piano.  Alternatively, these pieces work very well as an instrumental arrangement with the voice part played on flute, accompanied by alto flute and piano.  

Score, 6 pages; Violin, Alto Flute, and Flute parts, 2 pages each; Total, 18 pages.