Ponyreiter

From: Happy Hours at the Piano Happy Hours at the Piano | Heures exquises au piano From the first piano lesson to the accomplished pianist This piano method was written in New York between 1943 and 1944 and bears the inscription: “Dedicated with all my heart to my dear little Clarice.” The work contains 25 short pieces of varying character, 1 some of which are ideally suited for youth ensembles.

About the arrangement: This arrangement can be performed with a flexible 5-piece ensemble and is primarily intended for youth wind orchestras (ensembles). A gentle introduction to the world of “Viennese music” and a wonderful piece for “small” concerts.

This edition is published in cooperation with Edition REX and Astoria Musikverlag.

Robert Stolz (1880–1975) needs no further introduction. He was a successful composer and conductor from Graz. Highlights included two Oscar nominations. His extensive body of work has still not been fully explored. However, many of his melodies remain unforgettable to this day, and his work as a conductor—especially in the genre of Viennese music—has been immortalized on countless recordings. What made his work so exceptional was summed up by Marcel Prawy as follows:

“Unlike Johann Strauss or Franz Lehár, Stolz is a composer whose music can withstand any arrangement, as it were, and can be ‘dressed’ in any style: His music sounds magnificent, whether performed by a philharmonic orchestra, sung by a world-class tenor or a jazz singer, or played by a band, a guitar, a zither, or a solo piano. The significance of the arrangement makes this Graz native the American among the masters of European music.”