Recordings

CD – Three Sonatinas for Contrabass

Patrick Neher and Martin Kennedy have just released a new CD album of Neher’s three Sonatinas for Contrabass. This 52 minute album was recorded the second week of March, 2024, and is a sort-of “House Concert.” No A.I. here! This performance is minimally edited and has the energy (and full-blown human character, sounds, and technical problems) of a live performance! For students of composition and of contrabass, this recording presents a good example of contemporary counterpoint, rhythmical and expressive playing, combined with lyrical, sensitive, and accessible harmonies. Frankly, you have never heard bass playing, nor piano playing like this!!

Martin Kennedy is a well-known and prize winning composer as well as celebrated collaborative and solo concert artist. Patrick Neher, now retired, has traveled the world as a soloist, but is also known for his compositions for modern dance, film, orchestra, and chamber music that features the double bass in prominent roles. Together, these two Juilliard-trained professionals have created a unique and formidable concert CD, that can easily be a reference for virtuosity in performance as well as music composition. This CD is also available by usb2 thumb-drive (files included: mps3 tracks, cover art and info).

Now Available on ISG Music’s CD pages.

March 14, 2024 by the isg team Composers Duets News Recordings Solo Music

Concerto in D for Viola and Contrabass

Written for and to honor the accomplished career of Scott Slapin, violist, ISG Publications is pleased to announce the New Release of Patrick Neher’s stunningly virtuosic, yet accessible, Concerto in D for Viola and Contrabass with String Orchestra (or Piano). This new concerto for a moderately rare combination of instruments (viola and contrabass duet), is now available in two versions: full orchestra score with soloists and string parts by rental or purchase, and solo parts with piano reduction (see either our viola repertory page or contrabass repertory page). Both the orchestra and piano versions come with a demo recording performed by Scott Slapin, viola, and Patrick Neher, contrabass, with the Bellingham Technical Orchestra strings backing them up.

The piece is playful and energetic with three moderately quick movements, totaling approx. 18 minutes. The level of playing ability required is definitely “Professional” but is a good goal for anyone studying to be a solo violist or bassist (The contrabass part is in regular orchestral tuning. The composer does not recommend solo tuning for this piece, as the harmonic series of the regular open strings is utilized to its potential). Mvt 1 demo. Mvt 2 demo. Mvt 3 demo.

The demo recording can be obtained, gratis, by making an inquiry via our contact page. It will be sent to you via reduced fidelity mp3. Or you can receive a full-fidelity CD in the mail (USA only).

A welcome piece to the viola and bass duet repertory, Patrick Neher’s Concerto in D is an adventurous but enjoyable and rewarding composition with innovative musical development; a truly lyrical modern composition.

May 14, 2022 by the isg team Composers Duets News Recordings Sheet Music String Orchestra With soloist

Bottesini Seven Romantic Songs Second Edition

The Second Edition of the popular Bottesini Seven Romantic Songs is now available in clean and beautiful print. We gave the pieces a new cover and reduced the page size a tiny bit, to fit into the standardized “folio” size of sheet music (9″ x 12″). It will reside on your music stand more securely, and page turns are a bit easier.

Neher Romantic Songs CD
The Second Edition automatically comes with a wonderful performance CD. During the early 2000s, these songs were performed numerous times by Patrick Neher (bass), Betty Allen (soprano), and Suzanne Knosp (piano). The CD reflects years of consideration and is now considered a “classic” interpretation of the works.

January 7, 2021 by the isg team Chamber Music Composers Mixed Instruments or Voice News Recordings Sheet Music

NEW RELEASE – CAM Series: Donald Wheelock – String Trio

Wheelock String Trio (violin, viola, cello) – 2003/2019

Donald Wheelock presents his 2003 trio in a new revised edition (2019), prepared specifically for ISG Publication’s new series, Continually Advancing Music (CAM). This wonderful addition to the string trio repertory was written for the Forester Trio, and is a superb example of carefully crafted lyricism and counterpoint – following in the tradition of the great string trio composers, such as Beethoven. Listen to audio examples performed by the Forester Trio:
Mvt. 1, Mvt 2, Mvt. 3, Mvt. 4, Mvt. 5

This beautiful publication comes with a full-size (10×13″ pages), readable score and concert parts with intelligent page turns. PDFs (for reading on your tablet) are also available.

For professional musicians, and those aspiring to be, ISG Publications provides stunning and compelling concert repertory. Purchase this exclusive publication on our site:
LINK TO PURCHASE Full Sheet Music (link to viola page. Same on vln, and cello)
PDFs

October 17, 2019 by the isg team Chamber Music Composers Continually Advancing Music Series News Recordings Sheet Music String Trio

Romance for Contrabass and Orchestra

Romance for Contrabass and Orchestra, by Patrick Neher (2018) This short (7:30) vignette is not a difficult piece. Orchestra is small: One of each: oboe, bassoon, clarinet, trumpet, euphonium (or bass trombone), tuba, tympani, triangle, and a moderate strings section.

This piece is published in three additional formats:
~ for solo cello and orchestra.
~ for solo bass and small wind ensemble
~ for chamber orchestra alone (no soloist)

Go to our purchase site to rent or buy

September 12, 2018 by the isg team Chamber Music Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Solo Music Symphonic Music With soloist

Symphony #2 “Cascade” by P. Neher

New and hot-off-the-press, ISG Publications presents: Patrick Neher’s Symphony #2 “Cascade” (2016) in one movement. This 23 minute tour-de-force requires a rather large Classical orchestra with virtuosic players, particularly in the strings, wood winds and percussion.

A demo CD is available (gratis) as are study score, performance score and orchestral parts (rental or purchase).

“Symphony #2 ‘Cascade’ is a musical painting of mountainous environments, adventures and challenges. Imagine encounters of cascades of natural resources: water falls, of course, but also snow and rock slides, trees in large cascades of color, animals in large groups (herds, flocks) – cascading down mountain sides or traversing a meandering valley. My dreams while in these environments tend toward active movement; visions of falling debris, clouds, rain, hail, torrents of chemical reactions – catalyzed by sunshine and oxygen, myself falling from a high perch, piece-by-piece, yet soaring above cascades of wild flowers, striations of rock, glacier and lava flows.” – PN

November 30, 2016 by the isg team Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Symphonic Music

Concerto #2 for Contrabass and Orchestra (2016)

Patrick Neher has very recently completed his second concerto for contrabass and orchestra. He also has recorded it, along with Concerto #1 “Pop” on a new demo CD produced by ISG Publications and Bellingham Technical Orchestra (available now). If you want a demo copy of the CD, please use our inquiry page.

Concerto #2 is a bit more “serious” than Concerto #1 “Pop” and a tad longer. It utilizes the entire range of the double bass and has a special tuning to catch some interesting harmonics (G,D,A,D) but it can be played in regular tuning. The piece is of an expected three-movement structure, Allegro vivace, Lento (Pastoral Potpourri), and Vivace giocoso (Rondo) and orchestrated for full symphony orchestra.

Concert score (13 x 10 inches) and instrumental orchestral parts are now available for rent or purchase. The solo contrabass part and study score (8.5 x 11 inches) are sold separately. Buy here.

November 30, 2016 by the isg team Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Solo Music Symphonic Music

Neher – Antique Furnishings, Tone Poem for Symphony Orchestra

Patrick Neher’s first symphonic work, recentlypublished by ISG Publications, is “Antique Furnishings”, a Symphonic Poem in Olden Styles. Composed in 2016 for full symphony orchestra, each movement musically describes a lavishly furnished room in a Victorian mansion, and the human interaction that, perhaps in a romantic novel, occurs in each room. The first movement is titled, Gentlemen’s Parlor – Allegro vivace. The second movement is; Ladies Boudoir – Andante dolcissimo. The third; Master Bedroom with Columned Terraces – (also) Andante dolcissimo. And the fourth movement is; The Games Room – Vivace molto. Each movement runs the gamut of melodic and harmonic styles from Baroque and Classical to Rococo, Romantic and Contemporary – thus the “Olden Styles” subtitle.
A truly “listenable” work, Antique Furnishings is 22 minutes long and is the first of two symphonies composed by Patrick Neher, within a year (see blogs for Symphony #2).

A demo recording (gratis upon request), a master score (11×17 inches), a study score (8.5 x 11 inches), and a complete set of parts is available for purchase or rent from ISG Publications. Please inquire.

November 30, 2016 by the isg team Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Symphonic Music

The First Double Bass Concerto!

PatrickNeher6837

Patrick Neher has just finished writing his first concerto for double bass. Concerto #1 “Pop” for Contrabass and Orchestra is three movements, playful, energetic, and “not too long” (12:00 minutes). It is contemporary sounding but very accessible on first hearing with catchy melodies. It is an exciting new piece for the double bass repertory!

Patrick Neher plays Concerto #1 “Pop” for Contrabass and Orchestra, with The Bellingham Technical Orchestra (3rd mvt.). Orchestrated for chamber orchestra (1,1,1,2,2; 1,1,1; tymp, perc,4,4,3,3,2) and solo contrabass, the sheet music, study score with solo part, performance score and parts can by purchased at ISG Publications.
A piano reduction is being created and will be released soon.

We asked Patrick why, in all his years of composing compositions with double bass, he never wrote a concerto: “I think it is because there are already so many concertos for double bass that really do a good job of showing off a player’s abilities. Before now, I didn’t think I had anything to contribute to the repertory. Now, I have a lot of ideas, and this will not be the only concerto for bass that I will write – promise!”

And why is it subtitled “Pop?” “Well, the second movement is an Elegy to my father who passed away a little more than a year ago. My Pop…. and the composition is very much in a sort-of Hollywood style!”

This new concerto is recommended for adept high-school and college players, as well as for professionals who want to apply their new techniques to a soon-to-be-popular piece!

See more compositions for double bass at ISG Publications

February 16, 2016 by the isg team Composers News Recordings Sheet Music Solo Music Symphonic Music