Spectrum For Violin:16 Contemporary Pieces, Vln & Pno, Bk/CD Set

Category: Violin and Piano ** Title: Spectrum For Violin: 16 Contemporary Pieces ** Compiled by: Alexandra Wood ** Book/Part: Book/CD set ** Publisher: ABRSM Publishing.

"[Spectrum] is, I hope, a wonderful kaleidoscope of miniatures, each equally at home in the teaching room or on the concert platform. I believe that there really is a little something for everyone here, from the very beginner to the seasoned performer alike: a gem for those that love to spin a melody, or an opportunity for the performer to mingle with electronic sounds; a piece for a true violin/piano duo where both players are challenged, or the chance for the violinist to take centre stage." - Alexandra Wood, from the Introduction.

Sixteen living composers contributed to this compilation, and most of the works were previously unpublished. As indicated in the editors introduction, the pieces cover a wide array of ability levels - some are accessible enough for beginners, with simple rhythms and note values; and some are considerably more demanding, involving rapid chromaticism, more challenging time signatures, and extended techniques. Two of the pieces in the Spectrum collection are written for violin and soundtrack specifically, not for violin and piano. The included CD contains those accompaniments.

This edition has been prepared by Alexandra Wood, and contains brief performance notes on each piece from the composers themselves. Included in the set are a violin part, a piano accompaniment part, and a CD (which contains listening tracks for all the pieces, as well as accompaniment tracks for the two pieces that require electronic accompaniment). Published by ABRSM (the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music).

Contents:
* A Fork In The Road (David Sawer)
* Joshis Dance (Michael Zev Gordon)
* An Alpine Tune (David Matthews)
* Forgotten Game (Philip Cashian)
* Arietta (Howard Skempton)
* Daydream (Timothy Salter)
* Lydian River (Dobrinka Tabakova)
* Woodmans Echo (Tansy Davies)
* Bagatelle (Hugh Wood)
* Sarabande (Huw Watkins)
* Collage On D for Violin and Soundtrack (Patrick Nunn)
* Canto (Helen Grime)
* An Implausible Tale [with moral] (Kenneth Hesketh)
* Molto Ascendente (Daniel Giorgetti)
* The Egrets Have Landed (Thea Musgrave)
* The Fifth String for Violin and Soundtrack (Joao Pedro Oliveira)

The performers on the CD are:
* Alexandra Wood, violin
* Thalia Myers, piano