A wag once remarked that the oboe is ‘an ill wind that nobody blows good.’ Whilst it is true that the oboe is one of the more difficult of instruments to master, in the hands of a good player it may be the loveliest wind of all. It is certainly capable of a very wide range of expression—no instrument can be more lyrically plaintive than an oboe, or more spikily amusing—and over the centuries composers have taken advantage of the instrument’s many qualities to write some very fine concertos for it. Here are our favourites.
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More than any instrument the cello is known for its expressive singing qualities, making it a popular choice as a solo instrument for composers over the last two centuries. It's no coincidence, therefore, that some of the absolute best works in the repertoire are written for it. Here are our ten favourites....
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Bella Ciao (literally ‘Goodbye Beautiful’) is an Italian folk song symbolic of resistance, freedom and rebellion. In its present form it is often associated with partisan Italian anti-fascist fighters during World War 2, even though its origins are much older, probably stemming from protest songs sung by women working in the rice fields of northern Italy in the late 19th century. Its later use in wider culture, especially in the 2017-18 Spanish series 'Money Heist' made it phenomenally popular, making our 25+ versions of it here on 8notes amongst our most sought-after sheet music.
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The iconic Nokia ringtone, known by millions around the globe, has a surprisingly classical origin. It traces back to a piece by the Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega, titled Gran Vals
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Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) wrote some of our most popular pieces here on 8notes, including Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King and Death of Åse. Whilst these pieces are often performed alone, they are actually all from one work, a set of incidental music for performances of Henrik Ibsen’s play, Peer Gynt. Grieg later turned these pieces into two suites, known as Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 and Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55. Nowadays these are among the composer’s most beloved works.
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A sonata is a work for solo instrument, most commonly in three movements (fast-slow-fast). Though this may sound a little like a concerto, in a sonata the soloist is accompanied by a keyboard or unaccompanied, whereas in a concerto the soloist plays with an orchestra. This makes it more suited to intimate forms of expression associated with ‘chamber’ settings (i.e. small venues or in the home).
Most instruments have had sonatas in one form or another written for them, the flute being no exception. Here are some of our favourite examples of flute sonatas.
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Csárdás is by some margin the most popular work by Italian composer Vittorio Monti (1868–1922). Originally written for violin, it has nevertheless been widely adapted for other solo instruments and combinations, (over 20 versions of Csárdás can be found here). The story of its composition is a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist of the time, where composers became fascinated by folk music from their own and other countries.
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Alongside The Entertainer, Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag stands as his most well-known composition and one of the outstanding pieces of ragtime music by any composer. Its fame can be attributed to its innovative style and the quality of its melodic writing, features that led to commercial success and to the piece exerting a huge influence on composers that followed and in culture more broadly. Here then is the full story of one of our most searched-for pieces here on 8notes (over 20 versions of Maple Leaf Rag Sheet music here).
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If you’re looking for string quartet sheet music, we have a huge collection here at 8notes, most with both score and individual parts, including at beginner , easy, intermediate and advanced levels. You’ll also find classic works, such as Albinoni’s Adagio, Pachelbel’s Canon, Elgar’s Nimrod arranged for the ensemble (see a list of the most popular string quartet sheet music, here ).
But what if you’re searching for classical string quartets? There’s a huge range of these type of works to choose from, so it’s hard to know where to start. Here then is our guide to the most suitable works from this genre for easy and intermediate players.
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Mozart’s last composition, his Requiem Mass K.626, is not just celebrated for being a work of profound genius, it is also forms the centre-piece of one of music’s greatest mysteries. Commissioned by the dark emissary of an anonymous figure, Mozart died before he could complete it. Miraculously, after his death the finished work, apparently entirely by Mozart, was presented to the public. Involving an eccentric count, a suspected murder and a deceitful wife, the story of how this was achieved is very strange indeed...
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