Fuchs, R., Phantasie Op. 85, ed. D. Piana
Difficulty: 9-10
Pages: 13
Why do some pieces fall to the wayside in the course of history? There has to be a different story for every work considered. Robert Fuchs (1847-1927) was an esteemed professor of harmony at the Vienna Conservatory from 1875 to 1912, whose famous students overshadowed him: Gustav Mahler, Hugo Wolf, Franz Schreker, and later even Sibelius, Enescu, Zemlinsky, Korngold, Melartin and Ascher. During his lifetime he was famous for his charming Serenades for string orchestra. His friend Brahms thus spoke of him: “Fuchs is a splendid musician, everything is so fine and so skillful, so charmingly invented, that one is always pleased.”
Phantasie seems to date from 1908 or 1909. He also wrote the Marienblumen for female choir and harp or piano op. 84 (1909), soon also available here in a new edition. An die Zither an meiner Wohnungsstüre, for male choir and harp op. 98 (1913?) followed later.
A modest man who started his career as a répétiteur and teacher, he slowly rose through the ranks, first as an organist, then as composer. He became the conductor of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (literally, the Society of the Friends of Music) in 1875.
Giordano, Amor ti vieta from the opera Fedora
Genre: Early Romantic
Difficulty: 5-6
Pages: 3
An Italian composer of much promise who received advice from Verdi, Umberto Giordano (1867-1948) broke out as the frontrunner of the giovane scuola (the Young School) in 1896 with his successful opera Andrea Chénier. This encouraged him to return to his personal project on the Sardou play Fedora, which was premiered in 1898 by Caruso. Since then, the aria Amor ti vieta has remained a favorite among tenors and audiences worldwide. In the opera, the harp is playing along the whole time, and the piano reduction closely hews to the harp part. Why not recoup this song officially for us harpists? It was the orchestral tutti of the introduction that needed a little “sleight of hand”-like arranging, and now we have a done deal.
Tendresses
Songs Within:
1. Dancing Rays / Ladoukhin
2. Ländler / Schubert
3. Lieder der Grossmutter #8 / Volkmann
4. Schlummerlied / Wolf
5. Erster Verlust / Schumann
6. Volksliedchen / Schumann
7. Wiegenliedchen / Schumann
8. L’harmonie des anges / Burgmüller
9. Consolation / Burgmüller
10. Les plaintes d’une poupée / César Franck
11. Polka / Glinka
12. La poupée malade / Tchaikovsky
13. La nouvelle poupée / Tchaikovsky
14. Goddag! goddag! / Nielsen
15. Springdans / Grieg
16. Nelly Bly / Foster
17. Vals Lento / Granados
18. Mélodie / Thomé
19. Idylle / Chaminade
20. Spring Dance / Concone
Genre: Romantic
Difficulty: 2-3-4
Pages: 32
J.S. Bach – La Lyre d’Orphée Vol. II: J.S. Bach and his World
Songs Within:
1. Prelude in C
2. Lute Prelude
3. Inventions 6 - 13 -14
4. Allemande and Gigue from Telemann Suite
5. Gavotte from English Suite III
6. Menuet and Gigue from Partita in Bb
7. Adagio from Toccata in E Minor
8. Adagio after Oboe Concerto by Marcello
Genre: Baroque
Difficulty: 4-5-6-7-8
Pages: 29
La Lyre d’Orphée Vol. I: European Travels from the Early to Late Baroque
Songs Within:
1. Sarabanda / Corelli
2. Aria / A. Scarlatti
3. Rondeau / Fischer
4. Prelude and Almand / Purcell
5. La Gémissante / Dandrieu
6. La Joyeuse / Rameau
7. Allegro and Sonatina / Handel
8. Intrada / Graupner
9. Gavotta / Padre Martini
10. Solfeggietto and La Caroline / C. P. E. Bach
Genre: Baroque
Difficulty: 4-5-6
Pages: 21
Zabel – Ballade, op. 20, ed. D. Piana, 11 pgs.
Songs Within:
1. Die Erwartung am See
2. Die Begegnung
3. Der Abschied
Genre: Romantic
Difficulty: 8-9
Pages: 11