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Uncommon Sheet Music for Flute and Alto Flute

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  • Snow Pond Anthology—2015

    SPA nsmSnow Pond Composers Workshop Anthology New Music for Flute 2015

    Edited by Joshua Tomlinson, PDF $21.95


    The first annual Snow Pond Composers Workshop took place June 7-13, 2015, under the direction of Edward Jacobs and Richard Nelson.  The workshop was part of the broader Snow Pond Music Festival taking place in Sidney, Maine.  Peter H. Bloom was the Visiting Performing Artist, and Elliott Schwartz was the Guest Composer.  The Snow Pond Composers Workshop Anthology—New Music for Flute 2015, edited by Joshua Tomlinson, includes all of the scores presented at the workshop:

      ED by Sean O. G. Burns | one player, on flute with kick drum and voice
      Where Wind Blows by William C. Edwards | solo flute
      Farewell to Charms by Henry Feinberg | solo flute
      Amuse-Bouche by Edward Jacobs | solo flute
            Published by American Composers Alliance, reprinted with permission.
      Stillness by Richard Nelson | trumpet, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums/percussion;
            or, flute and electric guitar (or other small combination of instruments)
      Party On, Bloom! by Alan Racadag | one player, on piccolo, C-flute, alto flute,
            and optional bass flute
      Soliloquy III by Elliott Schwartz | one player, on flute, piccolo, alto flute, and piano
            Published by American Composers Alliance, reprinted with permission.
      Something Human by Joshua Tomlinson | solo flute
      Indecision (...or maybe not) by Isaac Ward | solo flute
      Vyvirian Folk Songs by Julian Ward | solo flute
      Quicksilver by Joshua Zinn | solo flute

    This is a remarkable collection of new music for flute, which Noteworthy Sheet Music is pleased to make available to the broader flute community.  Our edition includes composer biographies and performance notes, as well as the scores.  

    Scores, 39 pages of music; Total, 64 pages.
    Preview

     
    Awarded 2018: Congratulations to composer Edward Jacobs on being awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.
     
    Peter H. Bloom gave a lecture on “Effective Writing for Flutes and the Contemporary Flutist” at the 2018 Snow Pond Composers Workshop.  In his presentation, Mr. Bloom discussed various topics using four contemporary works published by Noteworthy Sheet Music, including Amuse-Bouche and Soliloquy III, as examples.  We later published a free text version of this excellent presentation on our website, in the Reviews and Articles section, including some of the audio clips and supplemental written materials that Mr. Bloom used as demonstrations... click the link to access the text version.
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    We also offer a plastic-comb-bound print edition of the Snow Pond Anthology for $37.32 plus a $5.99 shipping and handling fee. 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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  • Brahms - Drei Duette - 2 Voices and/or Instruments and Piano

    Brahms Drei-Duette nsmDrei 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.

    Preview
  • Lane - Seven Rants - Wind Quintet & Piano

    lane.sevenrants nsmSeven Rants, by Peter Van Zandt Lane

    Contemporary Composition for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, and Piano, PDF $0.00

    Peter Van Zandt Lane was commissioned to compose this piece for the 67th Composers Conference and Chamber Music Workshop at Wellesley College, which took place in the summer of 2011.   The annual Conference is a wonderful two-week event, which brings together prominent young composers, superb professional musicians, dedicated amateur chamber musicians, and enthusiastic listeners.   The professional musicians premiere the composers' new works and also coach the amateur musicians in chamber ensembles. Concerts are free and open to the public.  For more information on the program, please visit the Composers Conference website.

    After the Conference each year, one of the composer fellows is selected to create a new work for the next year's chamber music workshop participants.   That composer returns the following summer to coach two groups of players on the new composition, in preparation for performances in the Saturday evening concerts of Week I and Week II.   Peter Van Zandt Lane's Seven Rants was an enormous success in 2011, absolutely loved by the players and received exceptionally well by the audience.   Written for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano, Seven Rants is a series of seven delightful and diverse movements.  The first and last movements are strict palindromes.  The five middle movements or "rants" are "mini-concertos", each highlighting a different wind instrument.   Great fun to play, and highly accessible.

    With permission from both the composer and the Wellesley Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center, Noteworthy Sheet Music is thrilled to offer our customers a free PDF download of Seven Rants by Peter Van Zandt Lane.   And please check out more of this terrific young composer's work, including two other listings in the NSM catalog, Danzas Mecánicas and Transverse Fractures.

    Score, 37 pages: Flute part, 10 pages; Oboe part, 9 pages; Clarinet part, 10 pages; Horn part, 9 pages; Bassoon part, 9 pages; Piano part, 15 pages; Total, 103 pages.

  • Bach - Prelude & Fugue - Wind Quintet

    bach wtc 1 22 ww5.image 240pxPrelude and Fugue, WTC Book I, No.22, by J.S.Bach

    Transcribed for Woodwind Quintet by John W. Pratt, PDF $16.00

    Though written for keyboard, this Prelude and Fugue from Book I of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is wonderfully adaptable to an instrumental quintet.  The Prelude, with its serene harmonic pacing, reveals an almost Schubertian sublime beauty, and the magical counterpoint of the five-part fugue emerges crystal-clear.  The challenge for the players, as well as the pleasure, lies in ensemble achievements, not technical difficulties in individual parts.  Scored for Flute, Oboe, B-flat Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon, with an alternate part for Alto Flute in place of Oboe.  

    Score, 6 pages; Parts, 2 pages each for Flute, Oboe (plus alternate Alto Flute), Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon; Total, 20 pages.

    Preview

     

  • Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Two Winds and Piano

    Mendelssohn Op113 generic nsmConcert 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)


    Individual Primo parts for Clarinet, Flute, or Oboe, PDFs $6.99 each


    Individual Secondo parts for Bassoon, Clarinet, or English Horn, PDFs $6.99 each


    Piano Score, with original Clarinet and Basset Horn lines in concert pitch, PDF $6.99


    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

     

    Add To Cart Product Name Price
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Piano Score with Clarinet and Basset Horn lines in concert pitch
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Clarinet in B-flat, primo part
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Flute, primo part
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Oboe, primo part
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Bassoon, secondo part
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - Clarinet in B-flat, secondo part
    $6.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.1 - English Horn, secondo part
    $6.99

  • Coste - Les Regrets - Afl or Fl (or Ob, Vn) and Pf (or Guitar, Harp)

    Coste LesRegrets nsmLes Regrets-Cantilène, Op.36, by Napoléon Coste

    Transcribed for Alto Flute or Flute (or Oboe or Violin) and Piano (or Harp or Guitar) by C.A.Vater


    Score, Alto Flute Part, and alternative Flute (or Oboe or Violin) Part, PDF $5.99


    Napoléon Coste (1805-1883) became famous not only as a guitar soloist, but also as a major composer of some 60 works, most of which were written for guitar. His music is in the romantic French style and appreciated for its originality.  His Fantaisie, Op.36, Les Regrets-Cantilène, is a short, single-movement piece written for oboe or violin with piano or harp or guitar.  We created our Noteworthy Sheet Music edition from the difficult-to-read manuscript version in the public domain, available on imslp.org.  We include a score in concert pitch and a part suitable for flute, oboe or violin, as well as a part transcribed for alto flute in G.  The piece falls nicely within the sweet range of the alto flute and our transposition sounds appealing and completely natural on that instrument.  In fact, Les Regrets-Cantilène is gorgeous on either flute or alto flute.  Melodic and sentimental, the work is not overly demanding technically and should appeal to players of a moderate or higher skill level.


    Score, 4 pages; Alto Flute part, 1 page; Flute (or Oboe or Violin) part, 1 page; Total 8 pages.

    Preview
  • Hatton - Wreck of the Hesperus - Theatre Orchestra

    hatton wreck_of_the_hesperus 250The Wreck of the Hesperus, by J. L. Hatton & H. W. Longfellow

    Arranged for theatre or salon orchestra by Peter H. Bloom

    Tenor, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, & Double Bass Parts, and Mini-Score ― PDF $19.98

    The "dramatic scena" was an especially popular entertainment at its zenith in the mid-nineteenth century throughout the English speaking world.  John Liptrot Hatton's setting of Longfellow's Wreck of the Hesperus is the very model of the dramatic scena at its finest, and a magnificent showcase for an heroic tenor. Longfellow's ballad recounts a chilling tale loosely based on conflated reports of two New England shipwrecks that occurred during a single devastating blizzard in 1839.  This arrangement of Wreck of the Hesperus for theatre or salon orchestra was made for the now retired D.C. Hall's New Concert and Quadrille Band of Boston, and their extraordinary tenor Kevin McDermott.  It can be heard on the Hall's Band's CD recording "Grand Concert," winner of the Noah Greenberg Award of the American Musicological Society. (excerpted from Peter H. Bloom's © foreword)

    Click the mp3 icon to listen to an audio clip of Wreck of the Hesperus from the Hall's Band CD recording Grand Concert!.  mp3 icon    

    The D.C. Hall's Grand Concert! CD is available from NSM - click to access the page. 

    Tenor part, 4 pages; Flute part, 2 pages; Bb Clarinet part, 2 pages; Violin part, 2 pages; Viola part, 2 pages; Double bass part, 2 pages; Mini-Score, 8 pages; Total, 26 pages. 

    Preview

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    We also offer a professionally-printed hard copy edition of The Wreck of the Hesperus for $29.97 plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee 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.

  • Figueiredo - Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes - WW5

    figueiredo image rrNa Rua dos Meus Ciúmes, Traditional Fado

    Arranged for Woodwind Quintet by Antonio F. Figueiredo

    Parts and Score, PDF $10.00

    Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes is a traditional Portugese fado, still highly popular among recording artists today.  This passionate love song tells the story of the intense jealousy experienced by a girl upon seeing her lover pass by with another woman on the street near her home.  Though her pain is palpable, the girl is proud and determined to endure her suffering resolutely and without tears.figueiredo.cover

    Antonio Figueiredo was born in the Azores, Portugal, and now resides in Massachusetts.  He grew up listening to (and falling in love with) fado music, with all its romance and passion, and its timeless themes of love, loss, jealousy, poverty, and the sea.  Figueiredo is a bassoonist who plays regularly in various orchestras and chamber music groups in the Boston area.  He enjoys arranging folk tunes for woodwind quintet, and he created this delightful and engaging arrangement of Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes for one of his own groups.  The piece is scored for flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, horn in F, and bassoon.  

    "This brief piece is a charming addition to the quintet repertory."  Read John Ranck's full review of Figueiredo's arrangement of Na Rua Dos Meus Ciúmes.  

    Score, 5 pages; Parts, 1 page each; Total, 12 pages.

    Preview
     
     
  • Lane - Danzas Mecánicas - Wind Quintet

    lane.danzasmecnicas imageDanzas Mecánicas, by Peter Van Zandt Lane

    Contemporary Composition for Wind Quintet, PDF $30.00

    Peter Van Zandt Lane is a Boston-based composer and bassoonist.  His compositions have been performed across the United States, as well as in Europe and South America, by acclaimed musicians and ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra, SIGNAL, International Contemporary Ensemble, Dinosaur Annex, New York Virtuoso Singers, Triton Brass, Xanthos Ensemble, East Coast Composers Ensemble, EAR Duo, Quux Collective, and NotaRiotous.  He has written for chamber ensemble, wind ensemble, orchestra, and choir, and often employs the use of electronics in his works.

    Lane's Danzas Mecánicas - for woodwind quintet (2011) is an exciting 3-movement, 10-minute piece of fairly high difficulty scored for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon.  A recording of the piece performed by the Solar Winds Quintet at Slosberg Hall, Brandeis University, in October, 2013 can be heard on YouTube.

    Score, 26 pages; Parts, 49 pages; Total, 78 pages.

    Preview
  • Vercoe - Butterfly Effects - Flute(s) and Harp

    vercoe.butterfly.nsmButterfly Effects, by Elizabeth Vercoe

    Contemporary Composition for Flute(s) and Harp

    Flute Part and Harp Score, PDF $26.99
     

    Butterfly Effects is an intriguing and varied piece in seven sections for flute and harp in which the flutist is asked to play bass, alto, piccolo and concert flutes. The titles are the names of butterflies: Mourningcloak, Banded Blue Pierrot, Common Jezebel, Question Mark, Monkey Puzzle, Karner Blues, and Psyche.

    Excerpted from Elizabeth Vercoe's preface: "Butterfly Effects for flute and harp was written for the duo "2", with flutist Peter H. Bloom and harpist Mary Jane Rupert, who premiered the first parts of the piece in Bangkok and the entire work in Illinois in 2010. Along with the butterflies themselves, a quotation from Zhuangzi was the starting point for the music: "Am I a human who dreamt of being a butterfly or am I now a butterfly who dreams of being human?" The Taoist philosopher's dream illustrates, among other lessons, his sense of oneness with all living beings. // All seven movements are short, some only a minute in length. Mourningcloak, for alto flute and harp, is somber and reflective. Banded Blue Pierrot (concert flute) is short and glittering. Common Jezebel is a sultry tango for bass flute and harp that becomes increasingly chromatic and contrapuntal, requiring the harpist to do some fancy footwork. Question Mark, also for bass flute, requires the flutist to use "beat boxing" and key slap techniques that maximize the percussive qualities of the flute. Monkey Puzzle, in a kind of mimicry of the confusing antennae and pseudo antennae of the insect, flutters along to the middle of the piece and then proceeds backwards to the beginning in what is known as retrograde motion. Karner Blues adopts some of the riffs of blues instrumentalists and singers in the only movement for piccolo. Psyche, a word meaning breath or soul in Greek, is for concert flute and reminds us again of the Zhuangzi dream and the oneness of all living beings."

    Butterfly Effects may be performed by one flutist playing multiple instruments, or by multiple flutists each playing one instrument for the relevant movement(s).

    Our striking cover image for this publication is of the painting "Jezebel Tapestry #2" by Louisa King Fraser, used with the artist's permission.

    Butterfly Effects for flute(s) and harp received a rave review by Nicole Riner in the Fall 2015 edition of the National Flute Association’s membership magazine The Flutist QuarterlyRead the review in its entirety reprinted on the NSM website with permission from the NFA, or visit the NFA website.

    Click to view a YouTube video of the duo "2" performing Banded Blue Pierrot.

    Peter H. Bloom gave a lecture on “Effective Writing for Flutes and the Contemporary Flutist” at the 2018 Snow Pond Composers Workshop.  In his presentation, Mr. Bloom discussed various topics using four contemporary works published by Noteworthy Sheet Music, including Butterfly Effects, as examples.  We later published a free text version of this excellent presentation on our website, in the Reviews and Articles section, including some of the audio clips and supplemental written materials that Mr. Bloom used as demonstrations.

    CD cover butterfly effects finalThe Elizabeth Vercoe CD "Butterfly Effects and Other Works" was released in November 2018.  The CD is available through Navona Records and features the title track performed by duo "2".  Here is a quote from Cinemusical's review of the CD: "The album opens with a multi-movement work for flutes and harp, Butterfly Effects (2009).  Across the seven movements, Vercoe explores the qualities of different instruments in the flute family: alto flute, bass flute, concert flute, and piccolo.  The music has a slight impressionistic quality to it, aided by the harp’s material.  Against this is first a rather dreamy, dark opening movement (“Mourningcloak”); a faster-paced flitting “Banded Blue Parrot”; a tango (“Common Jezebel”); intriguing effects like beat-boxing (“Question Mark”) and blues riffs (“Karner Blues”); and a palindromic compositional technique (“Monkey Puzzle”).  The flute lines allow for registral exploration and often features some sinuous lines.  Some are sultrier than others, but it is as if these are all like watercolor brushstrokes that tend to be somewhat introspective in this often stunningly beautiful work."  Another nice review of this CD, written by Nicole Riner, came out in the Flutist Quarterly Spring 2019 edition; here's a quote: "I had the pleasure of reviewing the sheet music for Butterfly Effects for this publication in 2015 and found it to be wonderfully diverse and intriguing. /// Bloom and Rupert perform this work deftly and with a great sense of unity”.

    Flute part, 16 pages; Harp Score, 43 pages; Total, 66 pages.

    Preview

     

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    We also offer a printed hard copy edition of Butterfly Effects for $45.88 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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  • Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Two Winds (and Piano)

    Mendelssohn Op114 Bn-2 nsmConcert 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

    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. // These works 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. // Since a good quality PDF of the original piano score with excellent page turns is freely available in the public domain (see IMSLP.org), we have not provided a score here; our transcribed primo and secondo wind parts can readily be used with the original score.

    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

     

    Add To Cart Product Name Price
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Flute I
    $5.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Bb Clarinet I
    $5.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Oboe I
    $5.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Bb Clarinet II
    $5.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - Bassoon II
    $5.99
    Mendelssohn - Concert Piece No.2 - English Horn II
    $5.99

  • Valerius/Kremser/Pratt - We Gather Together - arr. WW5

    Cover We-Gather-Together WW5 NSMWe Gather Together, by Adrianus Valerius

    Arranged for Woodwind Quintet by John W. Pratt
    Score and Parts for Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, and Bassoon; PDF $5.99

     

    Wilt heden nu treden, nowadays more commonly known as We Gather Together, is a Christian hymn of Dutch origin composed by Adrianus Valerius and first published in 1626 (imslp.org); it was later harmonized by Eduard Kremser (en.wikipedia.org).  In the United States, We Gather Together is the most popular song traditionally associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.  John Pratt has created an arrangement of We Gather Together for woodwind quintet that lends new excitement and interesting harmonies to this old favorite.  In his family, the tradition goes back as far as John Pratt (b. 1931) can remember, and when it fell to him to play all three stanzas at his family's annual gathering, he got interested in livening it up.  The opportunistic half-step modulations introduced to help amateur voices warm up also brighten successive stanzas for winds.  Our Noteworthy Sheet Music edition includes a score in concert pitch, as well as parts for flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, horn in F, and bassoon.

    To listen to a computer-generated audio file of the WW5 arrangement, click the link.    

    Of course, the piece will sound much better live on real instruments.

    Note that for this publication, the parts should be printed one-sided since they are only one page each and we have not inserted blank filler pages.

    Score, 3 pages; Parts for Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, and Bassoon, 1 page each; Total, 10 pages.

    Preview
  • Haydn - Trio, Hob. XV:18 - arr. Woodwind Quartet

    Haydn XV18 WW4 nsmTrio, Hob. XV:18, by Franz Joseph Haydn

    transposed to B-flat major and arranged for Woodwind Quartet by John W. Pratt

    Score and Parts for Flute, Oboe, B-flat Clarinet, and Bassoon; PDF $20.97

    As noted in the arranger’s forward to the edition, the later piano trios of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) are superb music, but because they were written for excellent pianists and weak string players, they are dominated by the piano part. This imbalance among the parts actually makes the trios highly amenable to and effective in arrangement for woodwind quartet. Written after Haydn’s first visit to London, the Piano Trio in A major, Hob. XV:18, was first published in 1794. The first of its three movements, a flowing Allegro moderato, is unified by ingenious use of the three-note motif opening its cantabile main theme. The lovely middle Andante, in ABA form and 6/8 meter, features some luxurious ornamentation and proceeds attacca to the spirited and humorous Allegro finale. The resources of a woodwind quartet are well suited to the musical ideas of this trio, and the arrangement adapts Haydn’s piano, violin, and cello lines wonderfully to the range and sonority of the instruments used: flute, oboe, B-flat clarinet, and bassoon. This adaptation is facilitated by transposition from Haydn’s original key of A major to B-flat major. We provide parts plus a score in concert pitch.

    Click to listen to computer-generated audio samples from the score; audio clips from movements I (m44.4 - m64.3), II (m0 - m4.5 & m49.6 - m54.5), and III (m36.2.2 - m48) are separated by brief pauses.

    Score in concert pitch, 21 pages; Flute part, 8 pages; Oboe part, 6 pages; B♭-Clarinet part, 5 pages; Bassoon part, 5 pages; Total, 52 pages.

    Preview
  • Haydn - Trio, Hob. XV:25 ‘Gypsy’ - arr. Woodwind Quartet

    Haydn XV25 WW4 nsmTrio, Hob. XV:25 ‘Gypsy’, by Franz Joseph Haydn

    arranged for Woodwind Quartet by John W. Pratt

    Score and Parts for Flute, Oboe, B♭-Clarinet, and Bassoon; plus, an alternative A-Clarinet part; PDF $16.97

    Short summary adapted by NSM from John W. Pratt’s foreword to the edition:The trios Hob. XV: 24-26 were, in Robbins Landon’s account (Haydn, Indiana, 1976), probably the last works Haydn delivered to his publishers before he left England in 1795.  They were written for strong amateur pianists and weak string players, and although the string parts are essential for their effects on sonority, they are not terribly interesting. Such a scenario lends itself beautifully to arrangement of these piano trios for wind quartet.

    Haydn labeled the finale of Hob. XV: 25 "in the Gypsies' style", and the trio became an enormous favorite. In the key of G, it opens with a particularly lovely slow movement having alternating minor and major variations.  The third variation is in the relative minor (e), anticipating the key, E major, of the even slower, but subtle and melodically rich, second movement. This retardation heightens the effect of the famous finale.

    We have provided alternative parts for clarinet in B-flat and in clarinet in A.  Some players may wish to use the A-clarinet only in the second movement, for the sake of the friendlier key signature and perhaps also for sound, depending on the instrument.

    Click to listen to computer-generated audio samples from the score; audio clips from movements I (m42-48, m72-78), II (m57-63), and III (168-190) are separated by brief pauses. 

    Score in concert pitch, 17 pages; Flute part, 6 pages; Oboe part, 4 pages; B♭-Clarinet part, 6 pages; Bassoon part, 4 pages; alternative part for A-Clarinet, 6 pages; Total, 56 pages.

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  • Schnauber - A Little Grand Wedding March Waltz - Piccolo and Trombone

    Schnauber Waltz nsmA Little Grand Wedding March Waltz, by Tom Schnauber

    Score for Piccolo and Trombone, PDF $4.99

    This piece was written for the wedding of two good friends of mine from graduate school.  One was a trombonist and the other a piccolo specialist.  It was conceived in the lovely tradition of Hausmusik: short, simple, fun, and meant for two people to play with each other or for friends.  Also, though the score indicates trombone and piccolo, it should be equally satisfying with a cello or bassoon on the lower part and a standard flute on the upper.  Or even contrabassoon and piccolo . . . whatever you have available.     Tom Schnauber

    Score, 3 pages; Total, 4 pages

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  • Brahms – Variationen über ein Thema von Robert Schumann – Pf, Fl, Ob, Cl, Bn

    Brahms Op23 pno ww4 nsmVariationen über ein Thema von Robert Schumann, Op.23, by Johannes Brahms

    Arranged for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon by John W. Pratt

    Piano Score and Wind Parts, PDF $16.99

    - adapted from John W. Pratt’s foreword to the edition: Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op.23, were written in tribute to his friend, for piano four hands.  Yet how often have you heard this exquisite masterpiece, in any form?  Arranging it as a quintet for piano and winds allows realization of its implicit orchestral effects and incorporation of contrasting and beautiful woodwind sonorities while preserving its many special piano sonorities and its personal, chamber music qualities and will, hopefully, encourage performance.  The variations range from delicately decorative (Var. I) to spectral (IV) to warmly Brahmsian (many) to bravura (IX) and even perhaps witty (V and VII).  The final variation (X) is an amazing valedictory, a funeral march which becomes combined with the theme and is suffused throughout with sadness, solemnity, resignation, and reaffirmation, by turns and even simultaneously.  Especially apt contributions by the woodwinds in this arrangement include, to mention just two, the appreciative chuckles accompanying the rollicking theme of Var. V and the chorale effect at the end of Var. X.  At the same time, the arrangement allows the piano to fulfill its usual roles in chamber ensembles and to contribute some special colorings of its own, including the multi-octave filigree of Var. I, the layout of the accompaniments in the first part of Var. III and last part of Var. V, the bass rumbles of Var. IV and Var. X, and the two-hand octaves in Var. VI and Var. IX.

    Listen to a computer-generated audio clip of the Theme; of course, real live instruments will sound even better: 

    The Preview below is a page of the score from Var. VI. Note that the score is presented in concert pitch.

    Score, 28 pages; Flute, Oboe, B-flat Clarinet, and Bassoon parts, 4 pages each; Total, 48 pages.

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  • Arriaga - Quartet No.1 - Flute

    arriaga nsmQuartet No.1, by Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga

    Violin 1 Transcribed for Flute by Peter H. Bloom

    Flute Part, PDF $9.95

    Peter H. Bloom wrote the following foreword (© 2014):

    "Even among the most celebrated musical prodigies (Mozart, Mendelssohn, Pergolesi, and Varèse, for example) Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga's genius and technical mastery are exceptional.  This D-minor quartet, one of three string quartets written in 1824, is a work of structural brilliance, rhetorical grace, and elegant intensity.

    Adapting music originally written for violin to flute is often relatively straightforward.   Occasional octave reassignment and re-interpretation of double stops are typical changes.   But when a flute assumes the voice of the first violin in the context of a string quartet, further accommodations are usually necessary.  Dynamic balance, sonority, clarity of phrasing and consistency of articulation among the ensemble require a reassessment of many interpretive indications that are native to the violin.  In this arrangement we have, as a rule, eliminated Portato indications; they are useful for violinists but merely distracting to the flutist.   Articulation and phrasing marks have occasionally been changed, or eliminated, in instances where violin-orientated directions might mislead the flutist.

    A final thought: The flutist proposing to replace the first violin in a string quartet of this beauty and integrity may meet resistance from string-playing colleagues.  After a fair reading, however, they'll share your enthusiasm for Arriaga's Quartet in D-minor for Flute and Strings."

    P. H. Bloom, Somerville, MA

    29, May 2014 ©

    We provide only the transcribed Flute part.   The Violin 2, Viola, and Cello parts, as well as the original Violin 1 part, are in the public domain and available as free PDFs downloads from IMSLP.org.

    Flute part, 9 pages; Total, 12 pages.

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  • Nelson - Play of Light - Flute & Harp

    nelson POL nsm-rPlay of Light, by Richard Nelson 

    Contemporary Composition for Flute (doubling piccolo & bass flute) and Harp

    Score and Flute Part, PDF $15.25

    Play of Light, for flute and harp, was written for the duo "2" (Peter H. Bloom and Mary Jane Rupert).  The piece is built around spaciousness, transparency, multi-hued shadings and playful chases.  The incorporation of bass flute and piccolo further enhances the inherently rich color possibilities of the flute/harp combination—the three flute instruments in succession form a sort of "super-flute" in the work's final section.  

    Drawing on his jazz and improvisation background, composer Richard Nelson in this composition leads the players into a substantial section that they complete through improvisation.  While they follow signposts on intensity, energy and pitch content that he provides, this practice nonetheless creates an element of intrigue and unpredictability that the composer values highly.  It also assures that each performance of the piece will have a strongly individual profile. 

    The Duo "2" artists have released a studio recording ofPlay of Lightavailable free of charge; please click the link to listen to the audio file on the composer's SoundCloud site.

    Peter H. Bloom gave a lecture on “Effective Writing for Flutes and the Contemporary Flutist” at the 2018 Snow Pond Composers Workshop.  In his presentation, Mr. Bloom discussed various topics using four contemporary works published by Noteworthy Sheet Music, including Play of Light, as examples.  We later published a free text version of this excellent presentation on our website, in the Reviews and Articles section, including some of the audio clips and supplemental written materials that Mr. Bloom used as demonstrations.

    Score, 23 pages; Flute part, 9 pages; Total, 36 pages.

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    We also offer a print version of Play of Light by Richard Nelson, for those who prefer to purchase the work as a professionally-printed hard copy. Due to prohibitively high international shipping rates, we ship print editions only to addresses in the USA. The cost of the hard copy edition of Play of Light is $25.93, plus a $5.95 shipping and handling fee. Please use the Contact Us form to let us know which print 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 for delivery in 7-10 business days.

  • Reinecke - Lieder - Voice, Violin (Fl/Afl), Piano

    reinecke.op.26 afl.fl 240Waldesgruss 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.

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  • Bach - Prelude and Fugue, BWV 532 - arr. Woodwind Quartet

    Bach BWV532 WW4 nsmPrelude and Fugue, BWV 532, by J. S. Bach

    Arranged for Woodwind Quartet by John W. Pratt

    Score and Parts, PDF $15.97

    “Among the big Bach organ fugues, BWV 532 is unusually well suited to woodwind quartet.  Written during Bach's early, carefree Weimar period (only four children to support), it is high-spirited and can even be read as witty.  It benefits from having a separate sonority for each voice, especially when the countersubject interjects a perky comment in the subject's empty space.  It has rapid passage work throughout, almost suggesting Mendelssohn—but his chamber music, not his organ music!  It makes almost no significant use of the sheer power of the mighty “king of instruments”; the way the voices are brought in and deployed in itself provides the excitement and variations in volume.  Woodwinds have ample piano and forte capabilities for the purpose.  The Prelude is also readily adapted to woodwind quartet, consisting mainly of a straightforward four-part Alla breve.The Prelude’s brief introductory and concluding material includes pedal scales and other flourishes that are no less effective for being easy to play on winds. // The arrangement here preserves Bach's four voices almost exactly.” — from J. W. Pratt’s foreword to the edition

    Click to listen to computer-generated audio samples from the score; audio clips from the Prelude (m4-22) and the Fugue (m14-27), are separated by a brief pause. 

    Score, 16 pages; Flute part, 5 pages; Oboe part, 6 pages; Bb Clarinet part, 6 pages; Bassoon part, 5 pages;Total, 46 pages.

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