Let’s continue the journey started in the previous article. Here is the second half of 2022 in review.
July
9. Piatti, La Corsa (The Race), for cello and piano
New month, and a new virtuoso piece by Piatti. This was written to celebrate the composer’s recovery from illness and surgery. He wrote this alongside Pioggia d’Aprile, the Elegy for Rubinstein, and the Entreaty, which will be published in 2023. This piece was the first one which also received fingering suggestions by Raphael Pidoux, cello professor of the CSNM of Paris, and cellist of the Wanderer Trio. He plays a Cappa cello, which was made in my hometown. A long story, which you can read in my past newsletters and in my weekly mailing list gift message.
Here is a sample page for you:
At this link you can purchase the score and part for this piece, while here you can read about it in greater details.
10. Dotzauer, Twelve Original Pieces, Op. 52, for two cellos
The third episode of the Dotzauer Project came right at the end of July. This has also been updated in December and it will be the first edition of the project to be printed and distributed worldwide. These pieces are somewhat harder than the previous two collections, but are beautiful and should be practiced by every young cellist. The abundance in contrapuntal music in these collections is a surprising and most welcome aspect of these editions, since the cello repertoire is globally missing enough good examples of this form.
Here is a sample page:
The edition can be purchased here. An article that dives deep into these pieces can be read here, while a promotional video can be watched here.
Oboe fingering template
While the project is far from being completed and I have not been able to work extensively on it as of late, this covers the same topic of the corresponding clarinet template, just for the oboe. I would have never imagined that the oboe could have been such a complex instrument, and learning new things is always good. At the end of July, I released a free version of this template, covering just the most basic fingerings. It may seem a small thing, but if you do not deal with contemporary music techniques, you will not need anything beyond this.
August
Proofreading Service
Aware of how much proofreading my engravings had improved my skill level, I decided to offer this as a service to composers, arrangers, and other musicians alike. You can read more about it here, and book a session here.
11. Vivaldi, Nine Cello Sonatas, RV 39-47, for cello and basso
The whole month of August was dedicated to releasing this massive edition with Prof. Yuriy Leonovich. This is the first edition of these sonatas to truly follow the sources, and even adds an alternative source version for three of the nine sonatas. A new piano accompaniment that respects the style of the time is also included.
Here is a sample page:
You can purchase one of the several versions of this edition here.
12. Rossini-Piatti, Soirées Musicales, for cello and piano
With a mighty effort I managed to fit this edition during August. The original piece by Rossini covers twelve pieces, and Piatti arranged two of them for cello and piano. One is “La Gita in Gondola” and the other is “La Danza”.
Here is a sample page:
You can grab your copy here. With this piece, I had officially overcome the challenge, with four months to spare! I would take a little bit of rest, and then resume publishing and creating!
September
On the 2nd of September I completed my course on LinkedIn Learning “Become a Graphic Designer”, a course that taught me immensely and whose skills I am using every day.
Online Cello Lessons
Trying to think of how to help cellists around with what I knew to do best, I decided to offer cello lessons online, with a specialisation on helping those with back pains and posture issues. You can read more about this here, or book a lesson directly here.
13. Dotzauer, Twelve Pieces with National Airs & Fugues, Op. 156, for two cellos
What’s better for the first extra edition than a new Dotzauer duets collection? This one is particularly interesting because of the origin of its pieces: apart from the four fugues, all others are drawn from famous national songs. There is even an adaptation for two cellos of “La Marseillaise”, the French national anthem.
Here is a sample page:
You can grab your copy here, read about the pieces here, and watch the promotional video here.
Music Notation Lessons
Same as for the cello lessons, I am now also offering music notation lessons, be it on paper, or on any software of your choosing. You may book a spot even just to ask for a solution to a specific issue, or for learning about a software feature. Read the announcement here, and book your lesson here.
14. Bach-Piatti, First Suite for Solo Cello, BWV 1007, for cello and piano
While this may be considered a heresy by some, I had wanted to publish this piece just for ever! The accompaniment to the most famous first suite for solo cello written by Piatti is much more than a simple harmonisation. It actually creates a new duet where the piano constantly dialogues with the cello. As a bonus, this edition also includes the fingering and bowing suggestions of Piatti himself.
Sample page:
Purchase your copy here, watch the promotional video here, and read the presentation article here.
15. Dykes-Whiting, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, for flexible instrumentation
This was a last-minute inspiration edition dedicated to British composer Martin Smith, for whom I have been engraving for the last couple of years. In one of his pieces, he quotes this most famous piece, so I decided to arrange it for as many ensembles as possible. This was also a good chance to create as many Sibelius templates as I used in this edition. It is available for SATB choir, voice & piano, and woodwind, brass, saxophone, cello, trombone, horn, and string quartet. Additional versions or alternative key signature for the existing ones are available on request.
Here’s a sample image:
You can find this edition here, and watch the promotional scrolling video here.
October
Update to my Metagrid Pro viewset for Sibelius
I released this product that allows you to control Sibelius from your iPad in March 2021. Since then, I have updated it several times, but this time it was a revolutionary update, as it finally gained compatibility with Windows. As I write this, the tool has been downloaded by almost 100 different people, which is just amazing for me!
If you own an iPad, use Sibelius, and would like to improve your productivity, you can purchase it here.
16. Cossmann, Mélodie Suisse & Canzonetta Napolitana, Op. 1, for cello and piano
Once more a request from the young French cello virtuoso Thibaut Reznicek, this piece was engraved and published in record time. Of course, every cellist knows Cossmann, but not for this piece, rather for the fiendishly difficult—and as much as useful—technical exercises. I believe these pieces to be of a rare beauty, and that they are unjustly missing from our concert halls. Well, now you can rectify this and play them!
Here is a sample page:
You can purchase it here, watch its promotional video here, and read the presentation article here.
November
17. Dotzauer, Twelve Original Pieces, Op. 63, for two cellos
With this edition, the first phase of the Dotzauer Project comes to an end, with the five books of two-cello pieces published. Dotter’s production for two cellos is just immense, and will not stop here, just these are the five “official” books! This collection, Op. 63, is just beautiful because most of its pieces are drawn from opera themes. In fact, it contains no less than five arrangements from opera arias by Mozart (La Clemenza di Tito, Die Zauberflöte) and Rossini (Ciro in Babilonia, Tancredi). Three fugues, an 80-bars-long canon, and more complete the collection.
Here is a sample page:
You can purchase it here, watch its promotional video here, and read the presentation article here.
Announcing the ASE+ Support Program
The time needed to create each of these editions is just huge and if sales are low one cannot do it full time. This is why I created this support program, divided in four tiers, with an increasing level of rewards. It’s all described in its presentation article, and you can get started here.
18. Christmas Carols arrangements
While I have labelled each one of these as a separate edition, I will list them as one here. I created five arrangements of Christmas Carols for SATB choir, Voice and Piano, String Quarte, and Cello Quartet. Dedicated articles have been published on this blog during the month of November, so please look for them if you want to know more about these pieces. They are:
- God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
- The Manger Throne
- A Virgin Unspotted
- Come, ye lofty
- Come, tune your heart
They join “Cantique de Noel” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” in my Christmas Carols collection. You can access them by clicking on one of the following links, according to the instrumentation you are looking forward to:
- SATB Choir: access it here.
- Voice and Piano: access it here.
- String Quartet: access it here.
- Cello Quartet: access it here.
December
Most of the rest of the year has been occupied by me trying to find a good printer for my editions, and a distributor that would have been willing to help me with just the few editions I had put out. I am glad to announce that both these goals have been met by December 31st, as I had hoped to, and that the first printed edition(s) will be available during January. I will write dedicated posts for each one of them as they become available.
During December I prepared for printing both Boccherini Sonata (ASE 0006) and Dotzauer Op. 52 (ASE 0027). Every new edition will already come print-ready, and in between each new edition I will prepare an old one for printing. This process will take approximately two years before I can expect all of my past editions to be ready and distributed. In the meantime, I will keep creating new ones, of course!
19. Kummer, Eight Grand Studies, Op. 44, for cello
This collection is one most dear to me, as I practiced it intensely during my student’s years. Sadly at the time there was no good edition of them, something that I managed to rectify.
Here is a sample page for you to enjoy:
You can purchase it here, watch its promotional video here, and read the presentation article here.
Bottom Line
That’s it for this massive walkthrough of all what was accomplished during 2022. I hope I will be able to keep up with this rhythm in 2023, and to possibly do even better!
I want to thank all and every one of you for accompanying me, even silently, during this journey of mine in the magical and challenging world of sheet music publishing. You have all my gratitude!
In case you are not already part of my mailing list, please consider joining it now, it’s free, and it rewards you with weekly gifts and discounts. An always up-to-date catalogue of all my products is available here.
I wish you a wonderful and successful 2023!
Yours,
Michele
Music Preparation Services 