This collection of 18 lively pieces includes works from the 17th century to the early 20th century, all composed by women. You will be able to explore music from England, France, Germany, Hawaii, Scotland, and the United States. Well known women composers are included (Amy Beach, Fanny Hensel, Maud Powell), as well as some surprises (Euphemia Allen, Ethel Smyth, Queen Lili‘uokalani). Program notes about the composers will give you a deeper understanding of what these women went through during their creative journeys, and how they managed to persevere.
Each Tunes for Two collection consists of individual spiral-bound duet books presented in score form with melody on the top line and harmony beneath so you can play each tune by yourself or with others. Duo arrangements of the tunes in this collection, in the same keys, are available for violins, violas, cellos, basses, mandolins, soprano recorders, and alto recorders.
The tunes in this collection are laid out so that there are no page turns to interrupt the flow of your playing.
PDFs are available worldwide for each of the books in the Tunes for Two series.
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Allen, “The Celebrated Chop Waltz” Aufderheide, “A Totally Different Rag” Beach, “Children's Carnival” Chaminade, “Album Des Enfants” Gambarini, “Giga” Greenblatt, “Any Many” Greenblatt, “Banana Boy” Hensel, “Der Strauss” Hill, “Good-Morning To All” Jacquet de La Guerre, “Tempest” Lachau, De, “Li'l Liza Jane” Lili‘uokalani, “Aloha Oe” Powell, “Kingdom Comin'” Powell, “My Old Kentucky Home” Price, “The Deserted Garden” Schumann, “Mazurka” Smyth, “The March of The Women” Trott, “The Puppet-Show” |
“It is inspirational and informative to explore this collection of works of women composers arranged so well as Tunes for Two for any combination of two string instruments. The website has further information and allows purchase directly from the arranger, either in hard copy or PDF download.
The earliest work is by Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre, whose father and grandfather were harpsichord makers. La Guerre was the first woman in France to compose an opera. Many of us would know the song Li'l Liza Jane. This collection includes a lovely arrangement, where we can learn more about the context and the composer, Countess Ada Louis Metz de Lachau (1864-1956). More well-known names are included, such as Clara Schumann, Ethyl Smyth (The March of the Women, an anthem for the suffragette movement she was a part of), Maud Powell (student of Schradieck, Dancla and Joachim, who premiered the Sibelius Violin Concerto in the USA in 1904) and Josephine Trott (of Melodious Double Stops fame).
There are also two works by Deborah Greenblatt, inspired by various antics of her children. This collection contributes to our awareness that women composed in past centuries as well as today. The notes for each work tell stories and give context to the connection between arts, culture and a history that includes the endeavours of women. Who knows the story of the Queen of Hawaii? How interesting to learn about these women through their music. Technically, although the works are mostly in first or low positions, the chordal writing and ornamentation mean that these arrangements sit at intermediate level, and would also be a pleasant exploration for more advanced players. String teachers and players will find this album and its companion albums a happy place to 'inform, educate and entertain' their students and audiences.”
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