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Liszt's Liebestraum No.3 for Piano
Franz Liszt is best known as a pianist and composer of piano music, but he was very influential as a composer and musician. Among his solo piano works is a set of 3 Liebestraum of which No.3 is the best known and available here in 2 versions (each including sheet music, midi, mp3 & video):
Bach: Some shorter works
Here are some shorter, less well-known works by Bach. From his Lute Suite in E minor BWV996, the Bourrée is very adaptable and can be played on Piano, Guitar or as a Duet. His Little Prelude in C minor BWV999 is not one of his 48 Preludes & Fugues but similar in concept, and well suited to either Piano or Guitar. Each of these versions has sheet music, midi & mp3 files available:
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Piano
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Guitar
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Duet (with alternative parts for different instruments)
- Little Prelude in C minor - Piano
- Little Prelude in C minor - Guitar
Isle of Dogs by Alexandre Desplat
Isle of Dogs is an unconventional stop-motion animation by Wes Anderson, and the director turns again to Alexandre Desplat for an equally eccentric score. As with Fantastic Mr. Fox, Desplat's music delights in quirky instrumentation, in this case including taiko drums reflecting the Japanese setting. More...
Ready Player One by Alan Silvestri
Alan Silvestri is the perfect composer for Spielberg's Ready Player One. His score effortlessly takes us back to the 80s with sly touches of Back to Future and other genre movies, but the score's sense of period homage is carefully balanced to allow its own identity to shine. More...
Black Panther by Ludwig Göransson
There's no denying the huge cultural impact of Black Panther, but it is also one of the best MCU films to date. Sonically there are the songs of Kendrick Lamar but the movie's soul is owned by its score. Composer Ludwig Göransson spent a month in Senegal absorbing the culture and musical colours, and the result is an exotic and diverse soundscape which does the movie justice. More...
Chopin's Nocturne: with Arrangements
Frederic Chopin is credited with 21 Nocturnes for piano, and many of these are ripe for arranging to suit different instruments and combinations. Here is his famous Nocturne in E-flat Op.9 No.2, the original for piano and two different arrangements (with parts):
- Nocturne in E-flat - piano solo
- Nocturne in E-flat - guitar (arranged Tárrega)
- Nocturne in E-flat - for violin and piano
Desplat wins the Triple
For the 3rd consecutive year a composer has made a clean sweap of the top 3 awards, winning Best Original Music/Score at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and the Oscars. In 2016 it was Ennio Morricone with the Hateful Eight, then in 2017 it was Justin Hurwitz with La La Land and now Alexandre Desplat has scooped all three for The Shape of Water. Congratulation to all the winners and nominees. More...
Doyle: Murder on the Orient Express
Patrick Doyle has worked with Kenneth Branagh many times since 1989. Murder on the Orient Express is their latest collaboration, and Doyle's score works well in the film with ethnic touches, action music, jazz cues, a strong lyrical element and a song performed by Michelle Pfeiffer. More...
Suburbicon by Alexandre Desplat
It's a shame that few will hear Alexandre Desplat's excellent score for Suburbicon will given its critical and commercial panning. It is resplendent in the composer's characteristic mannerisms whilst also serving its slippery, troubling movie brilliantly - a darkly comic score that both carves out its own highly entertaining territory. More...
Final on Vinyl?
There are a number of film scores previously out on vinyl which have yet to receive a CD release. Our article Final on Vinyl? lists 4 albums that record labels need to get these on their release schedule now! More...
New Sheet Music for Guitar
Here's some new sheet music for Guitar including 2 pieces by Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), often considered to be the "Father of Classical Guitar". The other 2 pieces are by Luis Narváez and "Anonymous" and all the works include midi & mp3 files in addition to PDF Sheet Music:
Polaris Duo: Illuminate
The Polaris Duo have been performing since 2011, playing the unusual combination of Saxophone and Harp. Now they have released their first album Illuminate to showcase their talents with a wide repertoire covering CPE Bach to contemporary composers such as Andy Scott. A unique sound and highly recommended. More...
Interview with Rachel Portman
John Caps interviews Rachel Portman covering her music both for the Stage and the Screen. The wide-ranging discussion touches on the composer's experiences with a range of projects such as "The Human Stain", "Oliver Twist" for Roman Polanski, and the Opera "The Little Prince". More...
Red Sparrow by James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard has already shown his versatility, but Red Sparrow is an usual score even by his standards. Half the score is dark and suspenseful, very Russian sounding and Herrmannesque in places. The rest of the score seems rooted in dance, with ballet music and a substantial dark waltz. But these all blend together well to make an excellent score. More...
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Preludes for Piano
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian born composer and pianist who later settled in the US. Among his works for piano solo are a total of 24 preludes one in each major and minor key. Here are two of his most famous preludes, available as sheet music, midi or mp3 files:
Phantom Thread by Jonny Greenwood
Phantom Thread is up for several Oscars including Best Original Score for composer Jonny Greenwood, working again with director Paul Thomas Anderson and chameoleonic actor Daniel Day Lewis. Greenwood's music is frequently sublime and gets to the heart of the characters and their story arc. More...
Beethoven: Sonatas and Arrangements
In total Beethoven composed 32 Piano Sonatas and 10 Violin Sonatas. However his most famous works are often converted into music for other instruments. Here are some famous piano sonatas, some arranged for different instruments, and also a sample from his first violin sonata. You can see the sheet music score and download the parts:
- Moonlight Sonata (1st movement) - piano original
- Moonlight Sonata - for guitar (Tárrega)
- Moonlight Sonata - for clarinet and piano
- Pathétique Sonata (2nd movement) - piano original
- Pathétique Sonata - for viola and piano
- Pathétique Sonata - for clarinet and piano
- 1st Violin Sonata (1st movement) - violin and piano
Best Film Scores of 2017
A preponderance of rising musical stars made their mark this year, further refuting the oft-held opinion that there's no creativity or spark left in film music anymore. Couple this with a strong showing from soundtrack veterans like John Williams and 2017 proved to be another dynamic, exciting and colourful year. Here are our Best Film Scores of 2017. More...
The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat
Despite the apparently simple story The Shape of Water is a complex movie with many facets and layers. Alexandre Desplat's music is instrumentally diverse, narratively appropriate, romantic, terrifying, exciting and otherwordly, serving the movie well and also standing on its own as a rich listening experience. More...
Breathe by Nitin Sawhney
Breathe is an inspirational movie drama based on the true story of Robin Cavendish (played by Andrew Garfield). The music by Nitin Sawhney follows the story arc with its ups and downs, but remains warm and retains focus on Cavendish's courage and enduring legacy. More...
Jerry Goldsmith's Walk of Fame
Earlier this year the composer Jerry Goldsmith received a posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To mark that event John Caps takes a look at the composer's career and legacy. As part of Jerry's Walk of Fame Caps identifies three specific ingredients that can be found in Goldsmith's best film scores. More...
