Sapphire Quintet has created new arrangements for our More Than Muses series that are now available as digital downloads for purchase through SheetMusicPlus or SheetMusicDirect.
Adoration by Florence Price, arranged by Anna Najoom
This beautiful piece was originally written for organ, and the lush harmonies and gentle melody are brought to life in the woodwind voices.
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Overture to “Céphale et Procris” by Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, arranged by Lisa R. Taylor
This lively overture was written by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, a female French composer from the Baroque Period. It is from an opera first performed in 1694 and was originally written for string orchestra with oboe and basso continuo. The piece has 3 sections defined by different meters, and the bouncy melodic lines get energy from dotted rhythms and ornaments. It’s a great addition to woodwind quintet libraries and recitals since it offers music by a female composer from the Baroque Period.
Diligam te Domine by Raphaella Alleotti, arranged by Lisa R. Taylor
This beautiful setting of a Psalm was written by Raphaella Alleotti, a female Italian composer, and published in 1593 as a sacred motet for 5 voices. Its independent melodic lines work well for woodwind quintet, bringing out the lyricism of each voice as the parts intertwine. There are not many compositions by women composers from the Renaissance Period, and this arrangement would be a great addition to any woodwind quintet library and recital to represent this early period in music.
Divertimento by Herzogin Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel, arranged by Lisa R. Taylor
This beautiful piece of classical chamber music was written in 1780 by the German Duchess Anna Amalia, who was a notable female composer and patron of the arts in her time, and a contemporary of Haydn and Mozart. It was originally for Clarinet, Viola, Cello and Piano and is arranged here for a standard woodwind quintet. It is a rich two-movement work, with a lyrical Adagio and lively Allegro with ornamented solo lines. It is a great addition to any woodwind quintet library and recital program since it features a woman composer from the Classical Period.
Introduction to “Choleramusick” by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, arranged by Allison Wehrle
The “Cholera Cantata” was written in 1831, to mark the end of the devastating epidemic that had struck Berlin. The 13-part work uses Biblical texts to take the listener on a journey through the misery, despair, mourning felt during the height of the epidemic and ends with triumph and praise at its cessation. After the initial performance at one of Fanny’s Sunday salon concerts, the piece remained unpublished (and likely un-performed) until it was rediscovered in the Mendelssohn archives at the Berlin State Library 150 years later. Click here to purchase
