ensembles with voice

Ecstasy, Op.19 No.2, by Mrs. H. H. A. Beach

Two versions, for "Low voice (in Db)" or "High voice (in Eb)", with Alto Flute Obbligato (transcribed) and Piano.
Alternative parts for Alto Flute Solo and Bb Clarinet Obbligato.
Program Notes by Peter H. Bloom.

Piano Scores, Voice Parts, Alto Flute Obbligato Parts, and alternative Alto Flute Solo Parts and Clarinet Obbligato Parts; PDF $8.99

Noteworthy Sheet Music was thrilled to publish our edition of Amy Marcy Cheney Beach's song Ecstasy in 2017, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth. The idea to make Ecstasy available to a broader combination of players and singers came from flutist Peter H. Bloom, who proposed that the piece would be an excellent vehicle with which instructors might inform students (early and advanced alike) about interpretation of the highly romantic late 19th century idiom. To that end, we have packaged together in a single edition Mrs. H. H. A. Beach's two versions of Ecstasy, for "low voice (in Db)" and "high voice (in Eb)", with each version including transcriptions of the obbligato (originally for violin) for either alto flute in G or clarinet in Bb, and an alternative solo part in the form of an alto flute transcription of the voice line. Thus, multiple performance variations are possible, including high or low voice and piano with either alto flute or clarinet obbligato, or fully instrumental versions for alto flute and piano, or two alto flutes and piano, or alto flute, clarinet, and piano. 

Scores, 8 pages (4 pages each version); Voice parts, 2 pages (1 page each version); Alto Flute Obbligatos, 2 pages (1 page each version); Clarinet Obbligatos, 2 pages (1 page each version); Alto Flute solo parts, 2 pages (1 page each version); Total, 20 pages.

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From the Drawer, for Voice and Saxophones, by Peter H. Bloom

Contemporary Composition for Tenor or Soprano, with Saxophone Quartet

Score and Parts, PDF $13.99

Boston-based flutist Peter H. Bloom created two versions of his composition From the Drawer, the edition listed here for Tenor or Soprano with Saxophone Quartet (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone) and a second edition for Tenor or Soprano with Flute (doubling Piccolo), Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn; both editions have been published by Noteworthy Sheet Music. The score provides a musical setting for the intensely emotional poem by Constantine Cavafy. The composer suggests that the vocalist (depending on his or her performance style/background/aesthetic judgment) should free to employ amplification at his/her discretion. 

Here are Mr. Bloom's comments about From the Drawer, taken from his preface (Copyright © 2015) to the edition:

"Constantine Cavafy’s 1923 poem, From the Drawer, captures the acerbic condition of longing, the impossibly private nature of affection, and the occultation of time. Its poignancy is universal; transcending gender, age, era, place, and even translation. Rather than rely on one particular translation of Cavafy’s text, I’ve drawn on a number of versions to arrive at a paraphrase that both informs and is shaped by the musical score.

The musical setting is a sonic image of the intensely emotional response to a flood of memory that informs the poet’s narrative: now pensive, now anxious, now wistful, now joyous, now fraught, now resigned, and ever mercurial."  P. H. Bloom, September 19, 2015

Score, 14 pages; Tenor or Soprano part, 2 pages; Soprano Saxophone part, 4 pages; Alto Saxophone part, 3 pages; Tenor Saxophone part, 3 pages; Baritone Saxophone part, 3 pages; Total, 29 pages.

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We also offer a professionally-printed hard copy edition of From the Drawer for $23.78 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee. Due to prohibitively high international shipping rates, we ship print editions only to addresses in the USA. Please use the Contact Us form to let us know which hard copy publication(s) you would like to purchase, along with your email contact information and USPS mailing address. We will then send you a PayPal invoice for the sale and, once we receive notice from PayPal that you have paid for the item(s), we will ship your music to the address provided.

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From the Drawer, by Peter H. Bloom

Contemporary Composition for Tenor or Soprano, with Flute (doubling Piccolo), Clarinet in B-flat, Bassoon, and Horn in F

Score and Parts, PDF $13.99

Peter H. Bloom is a Boston-based flutist, whose original compositions and arrangements are published by Noteworthy Sheet Music.  From the Drawer was written for Tenor or Soprano, with Flute (doubling Piccolo), Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn, and provides a musical setting for the intensely emotional poem by Constantine Cavafy.

The musical setting is a sonic image of the intensely emotional response to a flood of memory that informs the poet’s narrative: now pensive, now anxious, now wistful, now joyous, now fraught, now resigned, and ever mercurial."  P. H. Bloom, September 19, 2015

Our sheet music edition of From the Drawer was featured on the New Products page of the Summer 2016 edition of "The Flutist Quarterly", journal of The National Flute Association.

Score, 14 pages; Tenor or Soprano part, 2 pages; Flute part, 4 pages; Clarinet part, 3 pages; Bassoon part, 3 pages; Horn part, 3 pages; Total, 29 pages.

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We also offer a professionally-printed hard copy edition of From the Drawer for $23.78 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee. Due to prohibitively high international shipping rates, we ship print editions only to addresses in the USA. Please use the Contact Us form to let us know which hard copy publication(s) you would like to purchase, along with your email contact information and USPS mailing address. We will then send you a PayPal invoice for the sale and, once we receive notice from PayPal that you have paid for the item(s), we will ship your music to the address provided.

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Drei Duette, Op.20, by Johannes Brahms

Transcribed for Mixed Voice, Instruments, and Piano by John W. Pratt

Score for Soprano, Alto, and Piano; Transcribed upper voice Parts for Violin/Oboe, Alto Flute, and A-Clarinet; and Transcribed lower voice Parts for Violin/Oboe, Alto Flute, A-Clarinet, and Viola; PDF $12.99

Composed in 1858–1860, the Drei Duette, Op. 20, for soprano and alto are the earliest of Johannes Brahms' duets and quartets for solo voices and piano. The three songs are titled Weg der Liebe (1. Teil), Weg der Liebe (2.Teil), and Die Meere. Except for brief canonic passages in No. 1, the voices have the same words, sung simultaneously, mostly in parallel thirds and sixths. The accompaniments are straightforward, without Brahmsian ensemble challenges but not without harmonic interest. Many have found the songs Mendelssohnian. The words come from the collection Stimmen der Völker of Johann Gottfried Herder (1744–1803). The first two are translations by Herder of two parts of a Northern English folk poem Love will find out the Way. The third is Italian in origin.

The vocal parts lie well for many instruments, opening the possibility of mixed voice and instrument, as well as fully-instrumental, performances. If one voice is replaced by an instrument, no words will be lost and the result will be a song with wonderful instrumental obbligato and piano accompaniment. If two instruments are used, the result is a beautiful "song without words." We include in our edition transcriptions of both voices for oboe/violin, alto flute in G, and clarinet in A, and of the lower voice for viola as well. Our transcriptions provide slurs to suggest a vocal style to instrumental players and to facilitate coordination of the instrumental parts with those of the voices. We also provide a re-notated piano/vocal score, in which repeat signs are used in the second and third songs to save page turns, rather than writing out the multiple stanzas as in the original. For those needing only the piano/vocal score, the Breitkopf & Härtel edition is in the public domain and freely available on imslp.org.

Piano/Vocal Score, 10 pages; Instrumental Parts, 3 pages each; Total, 42 pages.

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The Pied Piper of Hamelin, by Marjorie Otis Gifford

An Operetta, from the Poem by Robert Browning
Facsimile Edition by Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC, PDF $24.99

Marjorie Otis Gifford (1909-2003) was a composer, choirmaster, and long-time music and piano teacher in CT and NY.  At age 24, she put music to Robert Browning's classic poem The Pied Piper of Hamelin, creating a children's operetta for her students.  In her preface to the operetta, Mrs. Gifford states that perhaps the best performance of The Pied Piper was at the Lenox School in NYC, where she was teaching in 1938; that production was directed by Antoinette Perry, who later became known as 'Tony' of the Tony Awards.  Indeed, there are additional famous personalities and much fascinating history associated with the remarkable life of Marjorie Otis Gifford.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin operetta was brought to NSM's attention by Gale Finlayson, daughter of composer and music educator Walter Finlayson, and we created our facsimile edition of the operetta at Gale's request.  Marjorie Otis Gifford and Walter Finlayson were great friends, and in her preface Mrs. Gifford credits Mr. Finlayson with putting her operetta down on paper.  NSM has received permission to publish the operetta from both the executor of Mrs. Gifford's estate and from Deborah O'Connor, the artist who created the charming illustrations that grace the internal pages of the operetta.  We hope that, in publishing our facsimile edition, we can contribute to sustaining the legacy of Marjorie Otis Gifford and enabling future generations of young music students to perform and enjoy her work.

Marjorie Otis Gifford's The Pied Piper of Hamelin operetta was performed by the Rutland Youth Theatre of Rutland, VT, on March 2, 2018; click the link to visit YouTube and watch clips of this performance videotaped and posted by Ms. Finlayson.

Score with music and lyrics for voices and piano accompaniment, 67 pages; text of the Robert Browning poem addendum, 7 pages; Total, 78 pages.

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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.

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Not-Pooh Songs, by Tom Schnauber

For Female Voice and Flute or Female Voice and Oboe, 2 editions

Score for Female Voice and Flute, PDF $18.46
Score for Female Voice and Oboe, PDF $18.46

Tom Schnauber’s Not-Pooh Songs are absolutely delightful. The composer has set to music six children’s poems by A. A. Milne, four from When We Were Very Very Young (“The Alchemist”, “The Mirror”, “The Four Friends”, and “If I Were King”) and two from Now We Are Six ("The Charcoal Burner" and "The Engineer"). The work is offered by Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC in two publications, one for female voice and flute, the other for female voice and oboe. The oboe line is sufficiently different from the flute line in terms of register to warrant it being published as a separate edition (i.e., the flute version makes use of that instrument’s wider range by putting some material in higher octaves). Also, the flute edition includes an alternate variation of “The Mirror” for voice and alto flute, whereas the oboe edition includes an alternate variation of “The Mirror” for voice and English horn.

It’s clear from hearing this music that Schnauber gets a real kick out of Milne’s poetry. The flute/oboe comments, echoes, etc. go with or against the voice line very effectively and entertainingly. These songs will have broad appeal to both players and audiences, and there’s a lot that a pair of performers could do with them. The music isn’t easy, but provides just the sort of challenges that the adventuresome player loves; in places, for example, the flute jumps from C7 to C4, plays multiphonics, and executes finger snaps. But, as the composer has pointed out, just because the music is somewhat demanding doesn’t mean that it should be presented seriously in performance; on the contrary, players should have fun with these pieces and convey the intended joy and playfulness of the work.

Note that both performers are to play from the score, so flutists and oboists may want to print their copy of the score single-sided to avoid a few difficult page turns.

To listen to a recording of Not-Pooh Songs performed by Mitsi Westra, voice, and Pamela French, oboe, visit Tom Schnauber’s SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/user-557772917/sets/not-pooh-songs.

► Schnauber - Not-Pooh Songs - Voice and Flute - PDF

Preview: Not-Pooh Songs for Voice and Flute, p1

Score for female voice and flute, 22 pages; Lyrics, 2 pages; Total, 28 pages.

 

 

► Schnauber - Not-Pooh Songs - Voice and Oboe - PDF

Preview: Not-Pooh Songs for Voice and Oboe, p7

Score for female voice and oboe, 22 pages; Lyrics, 2 pages; Total 28 pages

 

 

Front cover images courtesy of Wikipedia.org, Wikimedia.org, and Free Vector Snail Clip Art; Asian Elephant and Lion files are made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. 
- Elephant: author: Shyamal, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_Elephant_Icon.svg
- Lion: author: openclipart.org, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lion_clipart.svg
- Goat: released into the public domain by its author, LadyofHats. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: Goat_cartoon_04.svg
- Snail: Free Vector Snail Clip Art: Snail Clip Art is a completely free picture material, which can be downloaded and shared unlimitedly.
https://www.seekpng.com/ipng/u2q8y3t4a9e6a9q8_free-vector-snail-clip-art-snail-clip-art/

 

 

 

Auf dem Strom, Op.119, by Franz Schubert

Obbligato transcribed for A-Clarinet by C. A. Vater

Piano Score and Parts for Voice and A-Clarinet, PDF $9.50

The great Austrian composer Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) was a master at creating extremely beautiful, melodic, emotional lieder. His song Auf dem Strom (On the River) provided a musical setting for the text of the eponymous poem written by the German poet and music critic Ludwig Rellstab. The lyrics tell the story of a sad parting, of the yearning and loneliness that sets in as the narrator bids farewell to a loved one on shore, while his river journey carries him away towards the sea. The premier performance of Auf dem Strom took place in Schubert’s 1828 public concert, during which the obbligato part was played by Josef Lewy on horn, the instrument for which the obbligato was written and which undoubtedly can provide an appropriately mournful, sentimental character to the piece. However, an alternate obbligato version for cello was also published. Now, with all respect, we provide an A-clarinet version of the obbligato, in expectation that clarinetists will appreciate this addition to the voice/clarinet/piano repertoire. We believe that a well-played clarinet can aptly contribute a suitably complex, dolorous essence and tone that will adequately do justice to this highly romantic lied by Schubert. Schubert himself created one of his most wonderful and popular works, Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, for clarinet obbligato, and we hope he would welcome our adaptation of Auf dem Strom for A-clarinet.

 

Score, 19 pages; Voice part, 4 pages; A-Clarinet part, 4 pages; Total, 32 pages.

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Auf dem Strom, Op.119, by Franz Schubert

Obbligato transcribed for Bass Flute by C. A. Vater

Piano Score and Parts for Voice and Bass Flute, PDF $9.50

The great Austrian composer Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) was a master at creating extremely beautiful, melodic, emotional lieder.  His song Auf dem Strom (On the River) provided a musical setting for the text of the eponymous poem written by the German poet and music critic Ludwig Rellstab.  The lyrics tell the story of a sad parting, of the yearning and loneliness that sets in as the narrator bids farewell to a loved one on shore, while his river journey carries him away towards the sea.  The premier performance of Auf dem Strom took place in Schubert's 1828 public concert, during which the obbligato part was played by Josef Lewy on horn, the instrument for which the obbligato was written and which undoubtedly can provide an appropriately mournful, sentimental character to the piece.  However, an alternate obbligato version for cello was also published.  Now, with all respect, and at the suggestion of our flutist colleague Peter H. Bloom, we offer a bass flute version of the obbligato.  Most of the transposed horn part falls nicely within the sweet range of the bass flute, and very few adaptations were required.  Though clearly having different sonic qualities than a horn, the bass flute lends a forlorn, haunting, earthy tone that can well do justice to this Schubert song.  After giving the bass flute obbligato a try, Mr. Bloom commented: "Fabulous! // The tone-color of the bass flute for this number is gorgeous."

Piano score, 19 pages; Bass Flute part, 4 pages; Total, 32 pages.

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