Tag Archives: contemporary music

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 AI 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 (no cover art, no “record jacket”).

Soon available on ISG Music’s CD pages.

City Vignettes – Revised 2023

Patrick Neher’s 2008 composition for contrabass flute, double bass and piano, has been revised, re-edited, and arranged for two contrabasses and piano. This jazzy piece has received a face-lift!

After numerous performances and two recordings by the eminent contrabass flute player, Peter Sheridan, Patrick Neher came to the conclusion that the piece could likely be more accessible and would do well arranged for two basses. So, during the pandemic, he revised and re-edit the composition. With a few “tweaks” and some judicious editing, Mr. Neher has released the 2023 version. City Vignettes is now available for two contrabasses and piano, as well as the original composition for contrabass flute, double bass, and piano.

The three movements are: I – Corner Encounter, II – Lunàcité, and III – Block Party. As with many of Patrick Neher’s compositions, very competent players are required, and jazz is the primary genre, but there are many episodes of lyrical contemporary harmonies. This is a wonderful addition to the double bass duet repertory! Please see our contrabass in ensembles page to purchase either version.

AgroDolces trio for violin, cello, piano

Patrick Neher’s latest composition, AgroDolces for piano trio (violin, cello, and piano) is an exciting concert work that explores various ways to define and interpret music, including the feelings of “sweet and sour,” playful and forceful, lyrical and punctual. This virtuoso work was written for Nancy Bean, former Assistant Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Lloyd Smith, cellist, also formerly with the Philadelphia Orchestra; and it is in four movements: Happy, Bossa, Sara (Andante), and Allegro e giocosa

Purchase this romantic concert work, AgroDolces trio, on ISG’s violin page, cello page, or piano page. The composition will also, soon, be available in PDF format for tablets. Check out our page of sheet music available to download.

Incantation for Viola Second Edition

ISG Publications announces the Second Edition of Patrick Neher’s Incantation for Solo Viola (1991).

This lovely soliloquy has recently been performed by Nancy Bean, violinist/violist formerly with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The performance, Sept. 10, 2023, at the German Society of Pennsylvania, was videoed by Dr. Edmund Cohen.

Hear/See the performance (below)
Incantation for Solo Viola is available on our Viola repertory page.

Incantation for Solo Viola is available on our Viola repertory page.

Double Stop Study No. 2

Patrick Neher’s latest double stop study for contrabass, Double Stop Study no. 2 is now available on the Premiere Pedagogy page and the double bass solos page. This work is intended as an etude but is well suited to performance. (Hear Patrick Neher performing) It is approx. 06:00 minutes in length, and utilizes the entire range of the double bass. It is an expressive work with lots of challenge, on par with college and professional players.

This composition is an elegy, dedicated to continuing the memory of the charismatic, compassionate and talented bassists, Robert Black and David Neubert. These lovely humans were taken from the bass world all too soon. They will be dearly missed.

Two Springtime Arias for basses

Patrick Neher’s new Two Springtime Arias for Two Contrabasses and Piano is now available on our contrabass in ensembles page. (be sure to scroll down the page to find it!)

This lyrical work, written in the spring of 2022, reflects on emotions of hope, sadness, joyfulness, frivolity, and curiousness. It is in two movements: “After Noon’s Lament” and “Reminiscence.” Performance time is just over 13 minutes. The composition is written for accomplished bassists of equal playing ability; amateurs and professionals. It is a good pedagogical piece as well but is designed for performance. The piano part requires a good command of the piano but is not terribly challenging – an accomplished student of accompanying will enjoy the expressive yet co-collaborative nature of the part.

Patrick Neher says; “Two Springtime Arias was written during the world-wide pandemic of Covid 19. When there was a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel, in the spring of 2022, I was inspired to compose an uplifting and challenging duet for basses, that expresses hope for a return to adventurousness; hope for a return to questing for knowledge (and shuttering of popular complacency). The duet is to be romantically interpreted with liberal tempo changes and rubato. While playing and working together, bassists will enjoy the comradship combined with feelings of accomplishment that they have created something meaningful… And they will have fun playing toegther!” ~PN, Dec. 2022

Audio Examples: Mvt.1 “After Noon’s Lament” and Mvt.2 “Reminiscence” both examples performed by Patrick Neher but are not intended to be the only “proper” interpretation. We’d like to hear Your Way!

Go to ISG’s contrabass in ensembles page to purchase.

Character Waltzes for Bass and Piano

Neher-CharacterWaltzes

ISG Publications announces the Second Edition of Patrick Neher’s Character Waltzes for Double Bass and Piano. This work, composed in 2014, is approximately 10-12 minutes and is four lyrical and short waltzes based on theatrical characters (there are “Izia”, “Marco”, “Frankie”,  and “Josephine”).

The level of challenge is rated at 8 (out of 10) for the composition’s use of the entire range of the double bass and having challenge equal to a professional bassist’s ability. See a video performance, for more information, samples, and ordering information, please head over to our music for contrabass page. For more information on Patrick Neher and his compositions, please click here.

ISG Publications / ISG Music Promotions is dedicated to publishing, presenting, and promoting today’s composers of music for double bass, cello, strings, and other instruments in combinations and solos that provide challenge for the player and lyrical yet contemporary accessibility for audiences.

patrickneher.com
patrick neher.com

Second Edition – Van Hulse Sonatine-Etude

Sonatine-Etude

Camil Van Hulse’s short and spirited work; Sonatine-Etude pour contrebasse solo, has been given a face-lift. ISG Publications is please to offer the Second Edition of this popular bass solo. The work has been composed quite idiomatically for the double bass, even though Camil Van Hulse was not a bassist. The work is a perfect choice as an introduction to American contemporary classical music for bass students of all ages.
Be sure to listen to the audio examples. The piece is a lot of fun to play!

Camil Van Hulse, composer

Camil Van Hulse, was born in Belgium in 1897 and died in Tucson, Arizona, in 1988, after a lengthy career in music, particularly symphonic direction and opera composition. Though not a bass player, Camil wrote the composition, Sonatine-Etude, after hearing the incomparable Gary Karr performing works of Bottesini on the local classical music radio station. Sonatine-Etude is both lyrical and technically challenging, yet surprisingly, it is written quite idiomatically for the bass. Camil’s knowledge of orchestration is evident and the piece is a welcome addition to the repertory.

Purchase the sheet music on our contrabass page. PDF license is available for tablets.

Sextet for Contrabassi

Neher – Merci François, Souviens-Toi! for six double bass players was released in 2018 but is now available in a Second Edition print. This lovely sextet was written for and performed by the faculty of the 2018 Rabbath Institute Los Angeles, organized by Cielito de Jesus (performance video link here – sorry it is from a cell phone so the audio is not high fidelity). It is an original composition of Patrick Neher based on an etude from Francois Rabbath’s Nouvelle Technique pour Contrebass (Leduc), in three lyrical sections, with the middle section being completely “free composed” with no references to the Rabbath etude, then returning to the referenced material to end the piece. This composition is a perfect piece to display the potentially sweet and lyrical qualities of double basses in ensemble. One of Patrick Neher’s formidable compositional skills is writing lyrical music for contrabasses in ensemble. Any level of performer(s) will enjoy this piece!

Be sure to see the video and order the music on the basses in ensembles page of ISG Publications.

Swing Set for Contrabass (2021)

ISG Publications is please to announce the new release of Patrick Neher’s concert etude, Swing Set for Contrabass. As part of our Virtuoso Creation series and our Premiere Pedagogy series, these challenging set of four lyrical etudes can be performed as a short (about 07:00 minutes) concert solo, or can be part of your daily study to facilitate both your technique and musical interpretation skills. There are some “extended techniques” required of the piece, including some humming/singing in pitch.

Patrick Neher’s new piece, Swing Set for Contrabass, is a lyrical and dynamic solo work that can be a wonderful addition to any bass player’s library, but a professional level of performance is required.

Purchase Swing Set for Contrabass on our contrabass page or our pedagogy page.

Giampaolo Bracali – Soliloquy

Second Edition

ISG Publications is please to release the Second Edition of Giampaolo Bracali’s competition solo, Soliloquy. The late Maestro Bracali composed Soliloquy for the 2005 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition, and it was the required new music piece for the competition. Though played by numerous bassists at the time, it seems to have been forgotten. With this issuance, we’d like to remind bassists of this seminal work. It is mostly lyrical and utilizes the entire range of the bass. Though a tad challenging for most bassists, it is a great study piece as well as a deeply thoughtful concert work. The Second Edition is attractively covered and printed with good contrast for your music stand. A PDF version for tablets is also available.

Please see our Contrabass Solos page for more information and purchasing.

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.

Character Suite for Contrabass and Piano

Patrick Neher – Character Suite for Contrabass and Piano, (or for Contrabass Solo, or for Contrabass with another bassist accompanying), is the latest title added to ISG Publications’ Premiere Pedagogy Series of innovative compositions for students and teachers.

Written for Cielito de Jesus and her students, this composition explores four “characters” and how to develop musical personality. The four movements can be performed individually or as a group and total approximately 10:00 minutes. The movement titles indicate the characteristics to develop: Foup and Twils (allegro moderato), Under Dripping Palms (andante), Plumb Foup (allegro), and G’mma’s Waltz (allegro). The solo bassist can perform in orchestral or solo tuning, as both piano parts and accompaniment bassist parts come with both tunings. Hear demonstration recordings of Character Suite on Patrick Neher’s personal web page (click the Book Two tab).

Bassists are encourage to study the pieces with a teacher, and the teacher can play the accompaniment bass part or the piano. But these pieces can also be rewarding to perform solo, with no accompaniment. This innovative way of making music provides potential for spontaneous creativity. In fact, the soloist could specify where he/she wants to be accompanied and by whom – the bassist or the pianist. Fun!

The level of skill required to play these pieces is in the moderate to advanced junior high or high school range, but college students and professionals alike will be challenged to be creative with the material. Thus, the four character tunes are oriented toward multi-skill level, they are listenable, and are especially fun to play!

Purchase Patrick Neher’s new Character Suite at our contrabass solos page.

Concert Solos for Contrabass 2021

ISG Publications is pleased to announce a new album of four concert solos for contrabass by Patrick Neher. These pieces were composed in February through April of 2021, during the world-wide pandemic. Three of the four compositions are written for and dedicated to contemporary bassists, whom you may know: Cielito de Jesus, Jason Heath, and Frank Proto. Each composition is lyrical and expressive, and challenges a bass player to really “dig in” to the bass, honing his/her interpretive skills and delighting in accomplishing music that has such deep expressive potential, utilizing the contrabass’ great range of pitch. The titles of the pieces are: For Love of the G String, Grandma’s Attic, The End of March, and Divertimento for J.

Patrick Neher’s new Concert Solos for Contrabass 2021 album of four contemporary compositions is available on the contrabass solos page at ISG Publications.

See Jason Heath’s review of one of the pieces in this album, Divertimento for J

New Release: Pedagogy Series, Double Stop Study #1

Patrick Neher has released his new Double Stop Study no. 1 for Contrabass. As an additional title to the Premiere Pedagogy Series of innovative study works, this new etude is also perfect for concert. It’s a 7 minute work that covers the entire range of the double bass, both technically and musically. Double Stop Study no. 1 is a perfect piece for bassists wanting to learn how to play double stops in a contemporary style, while honing their musical interpretation chops!

Purchase the sheet music on ISG Publication’s contrabass page or pedagogy page.

New CAM Title: Forest Paths for Piano Trio

Randall Snyder’s new compositions, Forest Paths for Piano Trio, recently publish under our Continually Advancing Music Series (CAM) is an exciting addition to the repertory. The work is a set of contrasting expressions that create a “Nature” or “Garden” (Japanese-music influenced) feeling in the listener.

This short lyrical work was influenced by traditional Japanese music. Mr. Snyder says: “Forest Paths was inspired by my friendship with master Shakuhachi player, Yoshio Kurahashi. … The evolving form follows the Rokudan –  a suite of connected sections,  each becoming more rhythmically active, before a return to the quiet of  the beginning.“
See more about Randall Snyder on our Composers Page.
Score and Parts
Purchase the sheet music here.

NEW RELEASE: Richard Heller-String Trio

Richard Heller – Statement for String Trio

Richard Heller’s work, Statement for String Trio, is the fifth work in our new series of publications, Continually Advancing Music.

This older composition (1977) is for the first time published in the United States, and explores the entire range of each instrument. The short work (under 5 minutes) is virtuosic and has an extended solo for the viola. Though tradition in its form, it is an energetic and intimate “conversation” among the instruments.

Richard Heller (Austrian born living in Germany), born in 1954, has received numerous accolades for his compositions, and has been performed around the world. It is Richard Heller’s aim to balance emotion and construction in his works. He describes the; “starting point for composing is mostly the imagination of instrumental colors (therefore the sense for rare combinations) leading to motif materials which in their turn lead to the architecture of the pieces.” See more at richard-heller.eu

Purchase Richard Heller’s Statement for String Trio on our Violin, Viola, or Cello page.

NEW RELEASE: Jean Ahn – Froggy, Froggy for Piano Trio

Jean Ahn’s “Froggy, Froggy” for Piano Trio

The second new composition in our Continually Advancing Music Series; Froggy, Froggy for Piano Trio by Jean Ahn, promises to be an immensely popular piece for contemporary music concerts. Dr. Ahn was influenced by Korean folk lore and poetry, and brings the well-known “Froggy, Froggy …” to life in her 2009 composition adapted in 2013 for piano trio.

Jean Ahn composer
Dr. Jean Ahn

From an international call that resulted in more than 50 submissions, Jean Ahn is one of five composers that ISG Publications has chosen to highlight in our new series of chamber music publications, Continually Advancing Music.

Purchase the music on our sheet music sales web site, here.

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

Sonatina #4 for Contrabass

Patrick Neher’s latest opus is Sonatina #4 for Contrabass and Piano. This lyrical but virtuosic work is about 24 minutes total and includes two movements: February (Moderato, rhapsodic and very lyrical) and March (Allegro vivace giocoso). Completed in January of 2019, the Sonatina was written for the Dixie State University bass festival (February, 2019), and is dedicated to composer and bass player, Frank Proto. See video example. Buy the sheet music here.