Product Description
The lotus flower fascinated German Romantic poets as a symbol of purity and mystery, with its white blossoms, affinity for water, and association with the exotic Far East. A number of composers of the era set those texts to music.
This arrangement for string quartet pairs two different lotus-themed lieder by Clara and Robert Schumann. Both are in slow tempo. Claras Die stille Lotosblume (The Silent Lotus Flower), a setting of a poem by Emanuel Geibel, opens with a brief sequence leading to a held dominant seventh, which only resolves when the voice enters with the melody after a pause. Near the end of the song, the singer twice asks the flower, kannst du das Lied verstehn? (Can you understand this song?) The silent flower does not answer, and Schumann ends by repeating the opening chords, but this time she leaves the seventh unresolved. It is a quietly brilliant musical response to the text.
Roberts Die Lotosblume, to a poem by Heinrich Heine, is better known. The melody consists of thirteen two bar phrases over a simple chordal accompaniment, each one separated by a short pause while the accompanying chords continue. The arrangement distributes these among the four instruments.
CYPRESS PUBLISHING is pleased to be the imprint for arrangements for string ensemble by Stephen Levintow. He is a free lance professional violist and violinist specializing in chamber music, who began making string quartet and trio arrangements for wedding, party and corporate events, to expand the repertory or to improve on existing versions. Selections include unusual pieces by both familiar and lesser-known composers, plus standard classical and popular favorites.
The goal is to produce high-quality, musically satisfying arrangements faithful to the composers original material, yet sight-readable in most cases by working professionals or intermediate to advanced students. The full range of normal string technique is employed, while avoiding unnecessary technical complexity. Melodic material is distributed throughout the four voices where appropriate, to maintain listener and performer interest. All parts and scores are set in Sibelius© software format, with careful attention to legibility and page turns.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.