Six comments
Madame Neruda
A tune that was mentioned recently on a thread about "show-off" tunes - and I think it certainly comes into that category rather than as a straight-forward session tune. But since it is by J Scott Skinner it deserves a little more exposure than perhaps it usually gets.
It was difficult to track down but John Culhane has very kindly emailed me a copy of the tune printed in a book on violin technique.
Skinner apparently described his tune as an "arpeggio movement in E flat" (and to play it properly you have to know your arpeggios and be able to do the leaping staccato bow stroke known as "saltando" on the second of each pair of triplets.)
The tune is actually in E-flat, but because TheSession tune database doesn’t have specific provision for that key I have had to describe as G minor and put in A-flats where required. Note that the A in the first bar really is A-nat and not A-flat. The original tune was a hornpipe in 2/4 with lots of 1/16 notes. I think it is more in accordance with today’s practice to have it in 4/4 with 1/8 notes.
Madame Neruda was a real 19th century violin virtuoso, but was known under her married name of Lady Halle, the wife of Sir Charles Halle the founder of the famous Halle Orchestra. She was mentioned in passing in one of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Holmes returned to 221B Baker Street one evening after having been to one of her concerts.
Scott Skinner was a contemporary of Madame Neruda and would certainly have known of her virtuosity; he may even have seen her perform. Anyway, this tune commemorates the lady.
Madame Neruda
I’ve just noticed that the low A-flats (_A, in the ABC) incorrectly come out on the sheetmusic as B-flats.
Madame Neruda
And the low A-nats show as low B-nats.
Submissions in Eb
To submit tunes in Eb,
would it work to use F Dorian from the menu?
Submissions in Eb
Yes, F Dorian would indeed generate 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab). I should have thought of that. Many thanks, Laitch.
Video
It’s worth noting that there is now a video of Dwayne Cote playing this after the banks on youtube.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wgp-3aK_E0Q
