Presents
Joseph Holbrooke
Four Dances, Op.20
For Piano and String Quartet or Piano, String Quartet and Bass
Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958) born near London in the town of Croydon. Both his parents were musicians and his early lessons were with his father. He was sent to the Royal Academy of Music in London and after graduating worked as a pianist and conductor, all the while composing. Eventually his big works for orchestra and chorus and his operas brought him considerable fame, however, after the First World War, he and his works fell into obscurity. He composed a considerable amount of chamber music, most of which is of a high quality and awaits rediscovery.
The Four Dances were published with the title Sextet for Piano and Strings. However, the bass part is ad libertum and is not required but an option. Completed in 1894m it was one of several works composed while Holbrooke was a student at the Royal Academy of Music. These works though written by a student, were in no way 'student' works. They often won prizes and received several performances by professional ensembles. The Four Dances are entitled Bohemian Dance molto allegro, Valse Triste moderato grazioso, Plantation Dance allegro espressivo and Tarantelle presto leggere. Holbrooke very accurately captures the exciting and captivating rhythms and moods in the first two and last dance and the melancholy moodiness in the Valse triste,
When played together, the Four Dances are the length of a standard Piano Quintet or Sextet but any one of them could be played as an exceptional encore.
| (A) Piano & String Quartet-Parts | $39.95 |
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| (B)Piano, String Quartet & Bass-Parts | $44.95 |
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