Solo and Chamber Music for String Instriments

SOLO AND CHAMBER MUSIC FOR STRINGS
KABAH: "An exotically evocative piece, describing the atmosphere and spirit of the place with eerie harmonics, long-held notes and often sparse harmonies conveying a sense of vast emptiness and antiquity." -The Washington Post
click for Ordering Information

AMERICAN VARIATIONS violin and guitar duet 17' Robert Rollin
This five-movement work explores popular American jazz idioms in a fresh contemporary language. Syncopated rhythms abound in the Blues, Rock and Bebop, while the slow movements draw on Indian melodies of New Mexico. 16 p. Score & Part NE470 $21.98

ARTUA string quartet (violin (2),Viola, Cello). 6' Peter Ware
This string quartet is set in an expressionistic vein, exploiting both lyrical and percussive qualities. It moves through a series of contrasting moods, with sudden changes in tempo, register and dynamics. Opening vigorously, there follows a dreamy section, a mournful section and closing "furioso". 7 p. Score & Parts AE322 $16.98

BIRD ON A BRIAR Cl., violin, Viola, cello, Piano. 8'
Anthony Lis
A set of continuous variations on a 13th-century English folk song, this piece draws almost exclusively from the notes of the A natural minor scale. The piano opens with an abbreviated statement of the folksong. 23 p. Score & Parts AE0461 $35.98

BOOK OF HOURS harp 25' Kathy Henkel
From the beautifully decorated devotional book of the Middles Ages, this piece was inspired by French and Italian manuscripts pertaining to the Hours of the Virgin. Although church modes play in important role, the work incorporates quartal and dissonant harmonies, as well as special effects. Musical quotes and references can be heard from traditional carols, Vivaldi, Bach, Strauss and Mahler. 22 p. AE373 $22.98

BURGUNDIAN COUNTERPOINT violin and piano duet. 13' Anthony Lis
"The pulsing, bravura Burgundian Counterpoint wound up the concert with rousing motorism and plain ol' roll-up-your-sleeves fiddling.". -The Cincinnati Enquirer
Based on the "L'homme arme" melody, a favorite cantus firmus of composers at the court of Burgundy in the early Renaissance, the work is unfolds in three contrasting sections. The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that "the pulsing, bravura Burgundian Counterpoint wound up the concert with rousing motorism and plain ol' roll-up-your-sleeves fiddling." 25 p. Score & Part AE0453 $32.98

CHAMA "The Eagle and the Plumed Serpent" violin and piano duet, or violin and guitar duet. 14' Peter Ware
Hear the violin and guitar in a free MP3 excerpt of Ware's Chama from Americas
"Ware's style, inspired by North America's landscape and Indian heritage, has been described as 'paintings in sound.' Chama, "the Eagle and the Plumed Serpent", the opening composition, is exactly that. It evoked exotic imagery which produced a blend both real and dramatic." -Kitchener Waterloo Record
This evocative work was inspired by the writings of Carlos Castaneda. In a variation form, it opens and closes with an extensive solo (violin/fl.) of meditative character. Exotic scales along with portamento convey a primitive, near eastern quality. 9 p. Score & Part violin, Guitar AE56X; violin, Piano AE314 $15.98

DARK WINTER WALTZ Viola solo 6' Peter Ware
Exploiting the lyrical aspect of the viola, this piece captures the spacious and desolate qualities of the north. The melody unfolds with soulfully, interjected with double stops over a pizzicato drone. In an expanded ternary form, the middle section explores the lower register in a slow, dark waltz. 2 p. AE292 $7.98

ELEGY violin solo 4' Peter Ware
Fluid and unhurried, with plaintive sigh motives and mournful tremolo, Elegy weaves pure lyric poetry, a meditation for all time. 1 p. AE950 $5.98

ELEGIE UND TOTENTANZ Piano 9'. Peter Ware
The Elegie, shifting between monophonic and polyphonic two part dialog, imparts a sacred quality similar to Gregorian chant. Accompaniment chords serve as quiet answers to the phrases. The Totentanz is a dance of the body after death and is the last play of the muscles. In moderate triple meter, Totentanz features staccato articulations that give it a perky and playful character. Opening with a rhythmic motive of four eighth notes, this motive is subsequently marked with an embellished grace note. and spun out in a Baroque fashion. This "single affection" pervades the entire fabric. Use of a motor rhythm sustains a great sense of momentum, until the ending where it winds down majestically.   6 p. AE0429 $6.98   Download Adobe Acrobat 3 excerpt of
Elegie und Totentanz (295K)

THE HIBISCUS ON THE WATER Piano 6' Peter Ware Free Piano MP3 of excerpt of Piscataway performed by Yvar Mikashoff
Free score sample of Hibiscus on the Water
Inspired by the delicate flowers that grow so plentifully along the riverbanks of the Piscataway creek in Virginia as illustrated by the poem Hibiscus by Piscataway by Agnes Ware. This fantasy variation flows simply and unpretentiously with a lyrical melody and undulating accompaniment. The Hibiscus on the Water is published in the Conservatory of Canada's New Millennium Series. It is part of the grade nine piano requirements and is published in the Grade Nine New Millennium Piano Series by Waterloo Music. Score edited by the composer 5p. AE1018 $5.98

IMPRESSIONS violin and piano duet 7' Gwyneth Rollin
Impressions, is a collection of five descriptive pieces for violin and piano which can be played individual or as a set. They employ a mildly dissonant language in a whimsical style. 17 p. Score & Parts NE0224 23.98

KABAH string octet (violin (4), Viola (2), Cello. (2)) 35' Peter Ware
"Kabah, inspired by a Mayan ruin in Mexico's Yucatan peninsular, is a forceful and intense piece that yields little to the narrative style." -Tim Panting, Classical Guitar magazine
Named after a Mayan ruin in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, this three movement Octet is fashioned in a fast-slow-fast arrangement. The outer movements are lively and rhythmically active with a compelling character, while the Andante proceeds with a ceremonious beauty. The work is recorded on the Acoma CD GXD5733. 55 p. Score AE918s $55.98, Score & Parts AE918 $157.98
Kabah Score Excerpt (489K) Click for Free MP3 excerpt of Peter Ware's String Octet Kabah 1st movement Free string octet MP3 excerpt of Peter Ware's Kabah 2nd movement Free string octet MP3 excerpt of Peter Ware's Kabah 3rd movement

KLUANE Violin/Cello 22' Peter Ware
Free Cello MP3 Excerpt of Kluane 2nd Movement
This four movement suite is a virtuoso showpiece, featuring idiomatic string writing with extensive use of double stops, melodies accompanied by pizzicato, tremolos and harmonics. Opening is the evocative and highly dramatic North Face, followed by the jazz inspired Blues with syncopated rhythms, hemiola and blue notes. Dark Winter Waltz then opens solemnly, progressing to a slow waltz in the cello's lower register. Wind Dance, marked prestissimo, is a furious, fluttering tremolo study. 12 p. violin AE1522 ; Cello AE1581 $13.98

LONDON PIANO TRIO violin, Cello, Piano 22' Peter Ware
Click for Free MP3 excerpt of the first movement of the London Piano Trio
Click for Free MP3 excerpt of the second movement of the London Piano Trio
Click for Free MP3 excerpt of the third movement of the London Piano Trio
Click for Free MP3 excerpt of the forth movement of the London Piano Trio
Click for London Piano Trio Score Excerpt in Adobe Acrobat (515K)
The first movement uses multiple tempos and opens with a violin and piano duet. When the cello enters, much dialogue and jest ensues. The harmonic and melodic material is derived from the symmetrical chords of the violin and piano duet. This material is transformed and developed, at times humorously, throughout the movement. The second movement is an Elegy, with plaintive sigh motives, tremolos and grace notes to nothing. It is fluid and unhurried, weaving pure lyric poetry. The Totentanz follows with the cello starting the playful and sinister dance of death. The last movement Presto appassionata is dramatic and driving, commencing with an angular cello solo. After the piano enters, the muted violin is heard in exchange with the muted cello. The driving tempo proceeds with syncopated interjections. Later, the unflagging pulse halts in a jagged violin interlude, which matches the opening cello solo in character and wit. This Andante espressivo section is followed by an animated Prestissimo. A short Adagio is inserted before the final rush to a terse closing theme in triple octaves. Score 47 p. AE381 $47.98. Violin part AEVl381 $10.98. Cello part AEVC381 $10.98

MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS harp 7' Kathy Henkel
Excerpted from The Book of Hours, this piece captures the Christmas story in a programmatic way. It opens in a mood of joyful mystery with glissandos and harmonics. Then follows a "Troubadour's Song", announcing the birth of Christ and a brief quote from Angels We Have Heard On High. 7 p. AE594 $7.98

THE NIGHT RAINBOW Clarinet, Viola, Piano 11' Peter Ware
Free clarinet, viola and piano MP3 excerpt of Peter Ware's Night Rainbow
A Fantasy-Variation, this piece was inspired by the moonbow at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky. Enchanting melodies of the clarinet and viola weave a texture of atmospheric awe, deliberate and unhurried. The piano, frozen in its higher register, contrasts with a crystallized tone, creating a sense of starkness and desolation. 10 p. Score & Parts AE713 $14.98

PISCATAWAY "On Looking Deeper into the Water" Piano 12' Peter Ware
MP3 of excerpt of Piscataway performed by Yvar Mikashoff
"Romantic, lyrical and impressionistic all at once, the pieces have a beautiful natural pianism" -Hamilton Spectator
Utilizing the extreme ranges of the piano in a virtuoso display, this piece is named after the Piscataway river in Virginia. Colourful flourishes contrast with long-breathed melodies; and although metered, the rhythm is perceived as free, symbolic of the river's rapid current and still eddies. As numerous sustained trills and tremolos shimmer on, dynamic balance and endurance are essential. 11 p. AE1557 $11.98

SONATA ON ZUNI CEREMONIALS AND DANCES violin 13' Robert Rollin
This four-movement sonata blends elements from North American Indian music and Greek folk music. Challenging in technical demands, extensive use of double and triple stops allow simultaneous presentation of independent melodic lines. The first and third movements are lyrical and romantic, while the second and fourth contrast with dance-like asymmetrical rhythms. 10 p. FE187 $21.98

SONG FOR GAIA Clt, violin, Viola, Cello. 11' Alan Green
Inspired by a set of poems by California poet Gary Snyder, the music mirrors the changing character and formal elements of the text in a sometimes reflective, sometimes vivacious and playful spirit. Musically, the instruments are treated equally with a blending of timbres in a true chamber music style. 5 p. Score & Parts AE705 $19.98

SPANISH SERENADE violin and guitar duet 4' Edward Arteaga
This short, spirited piece progresses in an accessible style with a Spanish flavour. Multiple tempos employ much tempo rubato, requiring accomplished ensemble playing. 6 p. Score & Part FE454 $9.98

THREE HAIKU FOR PIANO 3' Peter Ware
These concise works are musical Haiku in an expressionistic style. 3 p. AE659 $4.98

TOTENTANZ violin, Db., Piano or violin, Tb., Piano 3.5' Peter Ware
Opening with a bass solo, this playful and sinister dance of death, features the violin and bass in dialogue and paired against the piano accompaniment. 7 p. Score & Parts violin, Db., Piano AE195 ; violin, Tb., Piano AE11X $11.98

THE UNHEARD VOICE violin, Piano/Guitar 15' Alan Green
This duet was inspired by a poetic theme, that of the inner thoughts and songs of earthly beings as described in the writings of Gary Snyder, Uendell Berry and Uilliam Irwin Thompson of the Lindisfarne Association. 11 p. Score & Parts violin, Piano FE411; violin, Guitar AE993 $16.98

Download Acoma's String Catalogue and/or order form in Adobe Acrobat
Order form will Auto completion!
Right click and select "save target as"
Download: Solo and Chamber Music for Strings Catalogue
Free MP3 excerpt of Peter Ware's String Octet Kabah
Click to order Impossible Dream CD at Amazon.com!

click for Ordering Information
Orders@Acoma-co.com

Download: U.S and International Order Form with automatic calculation
Download: Canadian Order Form with automatic calculations
Download: US & International order form for scores from the Americas CD