Quatuor concertant No.2 by Jean-Baptiste Davaux

Unlike all today’s Earth population, Jean-Baptiste Davaux knew about the Bastille being assaulted firsthand rather than century later. Revolutionary-minded violinist, he spent 28 years composing his 13 symphonies concertantes (1772-1800) and was perhaps very happy when the riot eventually led to a prison wreck just a year before his baker’s dozen of symphonies was completed. All in all, Davaux’s heritage is quite rangy: after constructing a device forerunning modern metronome he proved himself not only as a composer but inventor, as well. Still, music was on the first place for him and, I guess, for us, too.

Davaux's score is available here: Quatuor concertant No.2

Been forgotten, but revived

Johann Pachelbel was almost unknown to the wide public until 30s of the XX century though he won a reputation of a talented organist, composer and teacher already during his lifetime. It is notable that his piece Canon in D major became popular 1877, far ahead all his other works, having been completely neglected at time of its origin.

Sheet music of Pachelbel's Canon scored for three violins and cello is available for download here: Canon in D for Three Violins and Violoncello.

Advanced talent of Gabriel Fauré

It would be completely unfair if we left out at this blog legacy of Gabriel Fauré, an outstanding French composer believed to be the foremost composer of his time in France. He inspired with his works many Impressionist as well as modern composers and influenced thereby strongly whole contemporary classical music.
Sheet music of one of his most delightful pieces can be found here: Pavane, Op. 50. It charms with its harmony being very exquisite and subtle though sometimes broken and emotionally disordered because of unresolved mild discords which Fauré especially favored.

Thoughts about rare sheet music

As Aristotle said in his Rhetoric, “What is rare is a greater good than what is plentiful. Thus, gold is a better thing than iron, though less useful: it is harder to get, and therefore better worth getting.” And, of course, nobody will deny that rare sheet music is a huge cultural treasure of the whole mankind keeping on its old ragged sheets of paper deepest emotions and creative impulse of a composer which could be beyond recall, but for some real music lovers who preserved it carefully for posterity. And the greatest happiness for them is to share these priceless treasures with people who will do full justice to their beauty and play each note with bated breath making the piece flourish delighting the ears and the hearts of all listeners.

Aria "Intorno all'idol mio" by Antonio Cesti

Since being first produced in 1649 at the Teatro dei Apostoli, Venice, the opera Orontea composed by Antonio Cesti enjoys changeless popularity. Listening to its aria “Intorno all'idol mio”, you are being gowned slowly by a tender melody as if being embosomed gently by a dearest beloved. All fans of Baroque operas will surely derive great pleasure from playing this charming piece.
Score of this delightful composition by Antonio Cesti is available for download here: Intorno all'idol mio from Orontea.