Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC

Voice

• Brahms - Two Songs, Op.91 - Clarinet

  Two Songs, Op.91, by Johannes Brahms

  Transcribed for Clarinet by John W. Pratt (part originally for viola)

  Clarinet Part, PDF $6.99

  The two chamber music songs of Brahms' Zwei Gesänge, Op.91 were composed specifically for his dear friends, the violinist/violist Joseph Joachim and the mezzo-soprano Amalie Schneeweiss, who were married in 1863.  The songs (for alto, viola, and piano) were written over 20 years apart, but Brahms published them together as Op.91 in 1884.

  "Gestillte Sehnsucht", which appears first in the Op.91 pairing, was actually written second, in 1884.  The song sets the text of the poem by Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866).  "Gestillte Sehnsucht" is a nature poem, filled with images of forests at sunset, gentle breezes, and twittering birds.  Rückert is famous not only for his exquisite poems themselves but also for the great inspiration his work provided to numerous prominent composers, in addition to Brahms.  "Geistliches Wiegenlied" (Sacred Cradle Song) was first composed in 1863-1864, and later revised.  The viola opens with the melody of the medieval Christmas carol "Joseph, lieber Joseph mein."  The singer has her own variation of the melody, and enters after the first stanza of the viola's carol.  The song is a beautiful cradle-rocking lullaby, in 6/8 time.

  It is said that the viola was Brahms' favorite stringed instrument, and the composer gave the viola a major role in both of these songs, allowing it to open both pieces before the singer enters.  Clarinetists have long coveted these viola parts, and various performances have provided clear evidence that a successful outcome can be achieved with the substitution of a clarinet for the viola in Op.91.  So when a clarinetist friend of ours asked us to create a transcription for him, we gladly obliged.  Our edition of the clarinet part adapts the first song, "Gestillte Sehnsucht", for clarinet in A, and the second, "Geistliches Wiegenlied", for clarinet in Bb.  The original piano score and voice part are in the public domain, readily available as free PDF downloads from IMSLP.org.

  Clarinet part, 4 pages; Total, 8 pages.

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• Vater - Muriel - Voice

  Muriel, by Edward G. Vater

  Contemporary Ballad for Voice with Piano or Guitar Accompaniment

  Edward G. Vater (1923-2018), my dad, was quite a remarkable man.  A lifelong-resident of New Britain, CT, he was an educator by profession, and served many years as a school teacher and later as a college administrator.  But he had numerous, diverse interests and took on many challenges over the years, including raising three children with his loving wife Anne (Mickey) Siton Vater, building a house, studying the Russian language, teaching English to Russian immigrants, working as a tool and die maker summers to support his young family, and serving his community in various roles such as Democratic Town Committee member, Justice of the Peace, and Chairman of the Public Works Department, to name a few.  Displaying a life-long love of music, he was heavily involved in school music programs as a child, and loved to sing and play saxophone and clarinet.  He played alto saxophone in dance bands during his stint in the U.S. Army Aircorps in England during WWII and stateside after returning home, often in groups with his two brothers, Al and Bob.  He sang and played his horn most days, still infusing his music with tenderness and passion, until a couple weeks before his death in April, 2018.

  At age 93 and dealing with metastatic melanoma but still independent, Ed moved into an apartment in Arbor Rose, an independent-assisted living facility.  Upon hearing him sing his song Muriel, Denise Lebrocquy, one of the administrators there, arranged to take Ed to a professional music studio* to make a recording of him singing the tune, for which he had written the music and lyrics.  This was a beautiful and uplifting experience for him, and one for which I too am very grateful.  The audio file may be heard by clicking the mp3 link below.  John Pratt, Jerry Gleason, and I entered the melody, chords, and lyrics for Muriel into a music notation software program for publication of the lead sheet on NSM, so we can share my dad’s moving love-song with our website visitors and pay tribute to a wonderful man and a life well-lived.

  ―Carol A. Vater, December 21, 2016

  ―revised 4/22/18

  Ed Vater passed away on April 18, 2018; he would have turned 95 that June.

   

  *Matt Berky, Massive Productions, LLC, Rocky Hill, CT http://massiveproductions.com/

  Ed Vater wished to give thanks and dedicate his song Muriel to the Jerome Home/Arbor Rose health complex at 975 Corbin Avenue, New Britain, CT, and to health care providers everywhere.

  We're making Muriel (Copyright © 2016 by Edward G. Vater) available free of charge, with the understanding that the song writer will be publicly credited upon any performance or other use of his song, and with the suggestion that donations be made to the Melanoma Research Alliance in support of finding a cure.  Click to download a PDF of the NSM edition of the Muriel lead sheet or to listen to the Muriel audio recording. 

  A video of Ed Vater being interviewed and singing Muriel aired in the Hartford area on NBC on January 1, 2017; here's a link to the full news story, and another to just the music video.