Brahms’ Op.120 No.1 and No.2 Sonatas insightfully transcribed for Alto Flute

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Aug. 7, 2015 - PRLog -- Noteworthy Sheet Music, LLC (NSM) is an online sheet music publishing enterprise with a catalog of >135 editions, most of which are unavailable from other sources.  NSM specializes in, but is not limited to, sheet music for flute and alto flute.  They offer original contemporary works by distinguished American composers, facsimile editions of rare historical scores, and unique transcriptions of pieces from the classical repertoire.  Selected NSM publications are offered as professionally-printed hard copy versions, and most of NSM’s catalog listings are available as convenient pdf downloads from the NSM website.  Visit www.NoteworthySheetMusic.com for additional information about the new release mentioned below and other NSM editions.  New sheet music selections are uploaded often, along with preview pages, contributing composer biographies, useful links, reviews and articles.

Noteworthy Sheet Music has recently released two new publications for alto flute—transcriptions by John W. Pratt of Johannes Brahms’ Sonatas, Opus 120, No.1 and No.2.  Near the end of his composing career, Brahms was deeply inspired by the clarinet playing of Richard Mũhlfeld and wrote several pieces for that instrument.  The two clarinet sonatas of Op.120 were Brahms’ final chamber works.  Though originally written for clarinet, the composer himself arranged these sonatas for both viola and violin, indicating their importance to him and their adaptability to the different characters of different instruments.  As Mr. Pratt writes in his foreword to the Noteworthy Sheet Music editions, “If Brahms was happy with versions for clarinet, viola, and violin, surely he would have welcomed arrangements for alto flute, especially since it is the mellow rather than the clarion aspect of the clarinet that he called on.  In making our arrangements for alto flute, the violin versions have been particularly helpful ...”.  Players and listeners alike will find Mr. Pratt’s arrangements of these beautiful, beloved works to be insightful, sensitive, and well-suited to the alto flute.

Here are links to listings on the NSM website of the alto flute editions of Brahms’ Sonata, Op.120, No.1 (http://noteworthysheetmusic.com/score-descriptions/5-tran...) and Sonata, Op.120, No.2 (http://noteworthysheetmusic.com/score-descriptions/5-tran...).