Wolfgang Birtel: Partituras medio

A tango written by Giacomo Puccini? Indeed! In 1942 'Piccolo Tango' by the Italian opera composer was published by an American music publisher. The question as to whether it was actually composed by P...

It is therefore quite wrong to place just mechanical or mediocre players at the viola', warned Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart in 1784/85 in his 'Ideen zu einer Ästhetik der Tonkunst'. Some disreg...

The collection “Best of Viola Classics - 16 Famous Concert Pieces” for viola and piano presented by Schott contains a selection of works that can accompany every pupil in many years of his or her viol...

'Alt Wiener Tanzweisen' [Old Viennesse dance tunes] are pretty miniatures, vibrant and catchy (the second one with a slightly elegiac colouring), but all have melodic charm and musical elegance. And w...

Even though Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), admittedly, was no fan of the flute, he wrote unforgettable music for this instrument 'that I can't stand': two concertos, a double concerto with harp,...

The fact that the Bohemian composer Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900) is in the shadow of Smetana and Dvorák is totally unjustified because he, too, was instrumental in the foundation of the Czech national sc...

Enttäuscht, dass er mit seinen musikalischen Ambitionen in der Metropole London nicht reüssieren konnte, zog sich der englische Komponist Edward Elgar in die Provinz zurück. Im Sommer des Jahres 1888...

The popular series 'Souvenir Musical' contains easily playable, yet effective works arranged for piano trio. The editions are addressed to amateur ensembles, lovers of salon music and professional pia...

La melancólica y popular "Pavana para una princesa muerta" de Maurice Ravel, compuesta en 1899, fue escrita originalmente para piano antes de que la arreglara para orquesta en 1910. Aunque está dedica...

The Czech composer Julyus Fucik (1872–1916) studied violin, bassoon and - with Antonín Dvorák - composition at the Prague Conservatory. During his spell as a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army he...