John Burge

Publisher: Red Leaf Pianoworks/John Burge [Copyright 2017] ISMN: 979-0-9001530-0-5

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COLLECTION IS PUBLISHED WITH RED LEAF PIANOWORKS AND IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE USING PAYPAL AS EITHER A HARD COPY (SHIPPED BY CANADA POST), AS A SINGLE-USE PDF (WHICH INCLUDES A PDF MUSIC BOOK LICENSE FROM JOHN BURGE) OR AS A MULTIPLE-USE STUDIO PDF (WHICH INCLUDES A STUDIO PDF LICENSE FROM JOHN BURGE). ALTERNATIVELY, TO MAKE OTHER PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS THROUGH DIRECT INVOICE, CHEQUE, OR E-TRANSFER, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND JOHN BURGE AN EMAIL. FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE THAT LONG AND MCQUADE NATIONAL MUSIC STORE ALSO DISTRIBUTES RED LEAF PIANOWORKS IN CANADA.

USE THIS PAGE'S SHOPPING CART TO ORDER A PDF OF THE MUSIC AND A STUDiO PDF LICENSE WHICH ENTITLES THE PURCHASER TO REPRODUCE THE DIGITAL MATERIAL SOLELY FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL USE AND FOR THE USE OF THEIR STUDENTS. UPON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT A LINK WILL BE SENT BY EMAIL TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF. THE STUDIO PDF LICENSE WILL THEN FOLLOW, USUALLY WITHIN 24 HOURS.

Program Note: THE MATA HARI SUITE, for solo piano, consists of six pieces that were written to provide background music during the opening run of ONE LAST NIGHT WITH MATA HARI. This one-woman show requires a male pianist with acting abilities and was created by John Burge (music) and Craig Walker (book and lyrics). Mata Hari (1876-1917) was renowned as an exotic dancer and courtesan in the early 20th century but it is her conviction and execution by France on charges of spying for Germany during World War I that accounts for much of her ongoing infamy. Her final days were spent in the Saint Lazure Prison in Paris and this show uses the prison setting to give her one last time to tell her side of the story in a kind of cabaret performance. The musical language employed in the show draws heavily upon the styles of many composers of the period including Claude Debussy, Kurt Weill and even Arthur Sullivan, but Strauss waltzes are often percolating near the surface. More specifically, the six movements of this collection were composed to provide incidental music to aurally engage the audience before each of the two acts by combining melodies taken directly from the show with original melodies coloured in the same stylistic vein. Each movement is designed to be performed separately and has the suggested difficulty level of Grade Ten repertoire. Playing two or more contrasting movements would be an ideal performance presentation.

Contents:

No. 1 – Overture: The Tale of Mata Hari
No. 2 – March
No. 3 – Mata Embraces the New Day
No. 4 – The Incognito Rag
No. 5 – Avec Amour
No. 6 – The Abandoned Waltz