Celebrating Elgar’s Big Music with Small Ensembles

Two new arrangements to mark the anniversary of Elgar's birth!




Sea Pictures, op. 37 for mezzo and string quartet

"Composer Kim Diehnelt uses subtle tricks of her craft to evoke full orchestral nuance."

 
…”this will make the “Sea Pictures” available for singers unable to perform with an orchestra and bring the work to a wider audience. - Hyde Park Herald - M.L. RANTALA

The details: Each instrument part includes a small clued staff above showing the vocal line and lyrics. This makes rehearsal and performances much easier to coordinate without a conductor.

Arranged for string quartet and voice. The string parts include mention of when the player is playing the line of a distinct instrument to help the player create an appropriate character and blend. For example, when the viola player is playing a solo clarinet line the part is marked with “(clar)”; the marking “loco” designates a return to string playing.

The arrangement strives to create the colors and textures of the original orchestral version. It uses sometimes ingenious combinations to achieve these colors and textures. 

“Replacing a sprawling orchestra with just four string players is a big task ….. But the arrangement is true to the original and engaging in its own right.” Hyde Park Herald - M.L. RANTALA

For advanced players as the work makes full use of each instrument, double stops, and extended ranges. Each movement sold separately and contains both score and parts.

Movements 1, 2, 4 were first performed March 2016 at the Elgar Society (North America Branch) Conference in Chicago, by the Grant Street Quartet.



This sheet music is available world-wide via Sheet Music Plus 




Symphony No. 1 in A flat Major - “Adagio” arranged for string quartet



“Even with only four voices, she was able to maintain a splendid multi-layered texture that captures the tension and the grace of the music. “Hyde Park Herald - M.L. RANTALA

The Details:  
Includes performances instructions pertaining vibrato, bow placement etc. to help achieve the sound and characters of non-string instruments.

Score and parts sold separately. For advanced players as the work makes full use of each instrument, double stops, and extended ranges.

The “Adagio” was first performed March 2016 at the Elgar Society (North America Branch) conference in Chicago, by the Grant Street Quartet.




This sheet music is available world-wide via Sheet Music Plus



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It is my hope to introduce more players and listeners to the music of Elgar, and to make these beautiful works more easily programmed by singers and ensembles. 

Happy Birthday, Elgar!