The five sonatas in this edition exhibit Allen Sapp’s characteristic expansive lyricism and depth of expression. Violin Sonata I was composed in 1942–43 while Sapp was studying with Nadia Boulanger and Aaron Copland. Following his service in Europe during World War II, he composed his Violin Sonata II and Viola Sonata in 1948. Klaus George Roy, in his review of a Boston performance by Joseph De Pasquale, called Sapp’s Viola Sonata “a work of beauty and immediate emotional appeal. There is a genuine lyric line and warmth of expression, carried by a real mastery of the polyphonic medium. . . . Who says the moderns can’t write a melody?” While these first three string sonatas were cast in a neoclassical style, Violin Sonatas III (1960) and IV (1981) are written with more chromatically complex harmonies and employ serial composition techniques, yet still exhibit a strong tonal orientation. Sapp considered Violin Sonata IV as the beginning of his late phase of composition, and possibly the most memorable of his works.

Just peel and apply to any surface. Beautiful, full-color reproductions of Audubon's exquisite paintings of a brown pelican, mountain quail, snow bunting, burrowing owl, many more. Also great as identification guide.

What is a sonata? Literally translated, it simply means 'instrumental piece'. It is the epitome of instrumental music, and is certainly the oldest and most enduring form of 'pure' and independent instrumental composition, beginning around 1600 and lasting to the present day. Schmidt-Beste analyses key aspects of the genre including form, scoring and its social context - who composed, played and listened to sonatas? In giving a comprehensive overview of all forms of music which were called 'sonatas' at some point in musical history, this book is more about change than about consistency - an ensemble sonata by Gabrieli appears to share little with a Beethoven sonata, or a trio sonata by Corelli with one of Boulez's piano sonatas, apart from the generic designation. However, common features do emerge, and the look across the centuries - never before addressed in a single-volume survey - opens up new and significant perspectives.

This book is a compilation of articles that have appeared in The Strad. It covers the violin sonatas, piano trios, string trios, quartets, quintets, sonatas, the Violin Concerto, and romances.