Description
Adventures! was designed to help teachers produce a complete, themed “show” of fun violin/viola or cello chamber music within their own studios and classes. The arrangements are designed with flexibility in mind, cover a range of levels, and open doors to creative concert programming.
There are many ways to adapt these arrangements to your players. Piano accompaniment is provided, but all the pieces can be performed without. They function well with one person per part or several, such as with group class performances. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string parts are optional, so pick what fits your players best! Adaptations and performance options are provided within the guide sheets before each piece.
These arrangements are graded according to approximate Suzuki levels. 1st and 2nd string parts are kept very close to each other in level, but the 3rd part allows the teacher or players of different abilities to play along with their classmates.
For studios and classes that like to have fun performances, this collection’s theme is a great springboard to creative concerts. Consider costumes, story-telling, listening challenges for the audience, and surprise performers and guests joining the action on stage. Ideas for these are included a handy guide sheet for each title. Find solo pieces or other repertoire from your favorite places that fit the adventures theme, and give students performance opportunities for the other music they’re studying at the same time.
Though this collection was designed with student studios in mind, it is hoped that the arrangements are useful to college players and professionals, too. Much of this repertoire works great for unaccompanied gigs, and the more advanced pieces are fresh, easily prepared additions to recitals and other programs.
If you enjoy Adventures!, check out its partner collection, Shall We Dance?
Flexible instrumentation!
- Up to 3 players, plus optional piano
- Appropriate for large group playing or one player per part
- Viola supplement matches violin key and allows violists to join their violin classmates
- Violin and cello editions are in different keys and do not combine
Guide sheet
Each title comes with a guide sheet with pedagogical goals, program notes, and performance ideas.
Practice mp3s available for the violin edition
Included tracks: piano alone, all violin parts with piano, all violins without piano, and each violin part alone with piano.
The titles included in this collection may be explored or purchased individually:
Git Along, Little Dogies (“Western Round-Up,” traditional cowboy ballad)
Suzuki levels 1-2
The Glittering Caves (by Jennifer Rhodes)
Suzuki levels 2-5
Barcarolle (from Tales of Hoffman by Offenbach) – bonus optional 4th string part!
Suzuki levels 2-4
Moldau (by Smetana)
Suzuki levels 3-6
Train Ride (“The Traveling Song” by Glinka)
Suzuki levels 3-6
Fireworks (“La Rejouissance from Royal Fireworks by Handel)
Suzuki levels 3-5
Spanish Bullfight (“Toreador Song” from Carmen by Bizet)
Suzuki levels 4-6
In the Hall of the Mountain King (by Grieg)
Suzuki levels 4-7
