Transcriptions

Belgian composer César Franck Composed his Mass, Opus 12 in 1872. In the fifth movement of this mass he incorporated the strophe of ‘Sacris solemniis’ that begins with the words ‘Panis Angelicus’ (‘bread of Angels’). Franck did set this strophe for tenor voice, harp, cello, and organ.

Later, ‘Panis Angelicus’, became very popular in all kind of settings and is performed  by tenors Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Roberto Alagna, as well as by the sopranos Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jessye Norman, Magda Olivero, and Renata Scotto.

In this edition ‘Panis Angelicus’ is transcribed for a Tenor, Symphonic Band and a Mixed Choir (ad lib.).

Publisher: → Baton Music

The ‘Naughty Limericks’ (Concerto for Orchestra No. 1) from Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin creates striking impressions. This one-movement piece is not a ‘Concerto’ in the ‘Bartokian’ sense. ‘Naughty Limericks’ lives up to its title, with a scampering pace and satirical harmonies strongly reminiscent of Shostakovich in his ironic mode, and to a lesser extent of Prokofiev. ‘Naughty Limericks’ is an imprecise translation of Shchedrin’s title – but it captures the concerto irreverent zest. It’s a brilliantly composed work which is well worth of concert exposure.

Publisher: → Baton Music
Demo score: → Naughty Limericks

‘La forza del destino (The Power of Fate) is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, ‘Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino’, by Ángel de Saavedra.

‘La forza del destino’ is frequently performed and in addition, the overture (to the revised version of the opera) is part of the standard repertoire for orchestras, often played as the opening piece at concerts.

Publisher: → Baton Music

The ‘Duetto buffo di due gatti’ (Comic duet for two cats) is a popular performance piece for two sopranos which is often performed as a concert encore. The ‘lyrics’ consist entirely of the repeated word ‘miau’ (‘meow’).

While the piece is typically attributed to Gioachino Rossini, it was not actually written by him, but is instead a compilation written in 1825 that draws principally on his 1816 opera, Otello.

Sometimes the duet is also performed by a soprano and a tenor, or a soprano and a bass.

Publisher: → Baton Music

Recording:

Gabriel Fauré composed ‘Noël’ in 1885 as an occasional piece; a little Christmas song destined for a performance where a harmonium was available to add a festive carillon color to the piano accompaniment. The lyrics are set on a poem by Victor Wilder. 

This arrangement of this beautiful song is made for voice and a large Wind Ensemble.

Publisher: → Baton Music

In 1876, Edvard Grieg created incidental music for the premiere of Ibsen’s play ‘Peer Gynt’, at the request of the author. Many of the pieces from this work became very popular in the form of orchestral suites or piano and piano-duet arrangements. The ‘Peer Gynt Suite No1.’ contains 4 movements: ‘Morining Mood’, ‘Aase’s Death’, ‘Anitra’s Dance’ and In the ‘Hall of the Mountain King’.

Publisher: → Baton Music

Around 1900, Maurice Ravel joined a group of innovative young artists, poets, critics, and musicians referred to as Les Apaches or “hooligans”, a term coined by Ricardo Viñes to refer to his band of “artistic outcasts”. To pay tribute to his fellow artists, Ravel began composing Miroirs in 1904 and finished it the following year. Miroirs has five movements, each dedicated to a member of Les Apaches.