Looking for fun Chamber Music

September 30, 2014 at 02:15 PM ·

Replies (23)

September 30, 2014 at 02:40 PM · Bill Thorpe here in London has done some great arrangements of fun themes, such as Tristan and Isolde. I've played a few with him a long time ago but can't remember who publishes them. (For string quartet).

September 30, 2014 at 03:07 PM · William Grant Still, Danzas de Panama are fun, short and effective.

September 30, 2014 at 05:01 PM ·

October 1, 2014 at 09:47 PM ·

October 1, 2014 at 10:48 PM · Phil Green's String Boogie, if you like that sort of thing.

Eine Kleine Beatlemusic (known to be by the late Fritz Spiegel).

October 2, 2014 at 04:52 AM · What you want is effectively the kind of things people assemble into a gig book, I think.

Considering starting with Leroy Anderson. The string orchestra arrangements can generally also be played by string quartet.

October 2, 2014 at 04:01 PM · Last Resort Publishing has a "Music For Four" series with all sorts of well arranged and interesting pieces.

www.lastresortmusic.com

October 2, 2014 at 06:50 PM · yup, my hard-core gigging friends rely a lot on Last Resort (which does have the Brandenburg 3 arrangement, I believe) and Latham Music:

http://www.lynnelatham.net/

October 7, 2014 at 08:36 PM · How about the theme to Fawlty Towers by Dennis Wilson? There's sheet music for a suite for string quartet - the directions alone are worth the read.

October 7, 2014 at 08:39 PM ·

October 11, 2014 at 04:16 PM · Have you considered Kabalevsky, Opus 39. I think that #5, A Game, could be lots of fun. Piano music, but Dimity will not mind.

October 13, 2014 at 03:43 PM · Gershwin's "Lullaby" is another fun one.

video

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW2ZeDpARN8/">

sheet music

October 13, 2014 at 05:16 PM · Michael McLean's "Six Tangos for String Quartet" are a lot of fun!

October 13, 2014 at 05:16 PM · [deleted - double post]

October 13, 2014 at 07:09 PM · Hi Liz. If you're looking for contrast you could try a couple of Vitamin String Quartet arrangements. We recently picked up a couple, Wonderwall and Mr. Starlight -

http://www.vitaminstringquartet.com/sheet-music.html?limit=all

Wonderwall is good as it's so well known, but it's heavy on viola so make sure your violist can carry a tune :) Starlight is a really nice arrangement of that Muse tune (I really like Muse), so I'd suggest that one -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjFBUS3a27c

Haydn Op 76 no. 2 is really fun and interesting I think you ensemble would really enjoy it -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bua8BlrR06U

October 13, 2014 at 07:16 PM ·

October 14, 2014 at 12:40 PM · As it only takes two to tango, four should do it with ease. Or maybe you can do two tangos.

Whatever you do, don't drink the stuff - It's deadly on your teeth, though not as bad as coke/pepsi (I tell people whom I expect to know a bit of chemistry that to make a molar solution all they need to do is just carry on drinking that coke) and those other drinks that have phosphoric acid as an ingredient.

October 16, 2014 at 08:48 PM · Hugo Wolf "Italian Serenade"

October 16, 2014 at 10:30 PM · But it's all Wolf notes!

October 21, 2014 at 11:58 AM · Tristesse- chopin

celebre reverie - Schumann

October 17, 2016 at 09:43 AM · Depending on the audience and the level of the players.... Hindemith wrote at least two humourous pieces for quartet - Militarminimax (a suite of short movements) and 'Overture to the Flying Dutchman as played at sight by a second-rate orchestra ..... at 7am ....'. The latter is hilarious if you know the original, but I suspect it's very difficult.

I've heard an arrangement of Copland's Ho-Down which was very effective but I don't know if it's published.

October 17, 2016 at 01:10 PM · Frank Bridge's "Miniatures" for piano trio are delightful. Playing them is kind of like picnicking on a perfect Spring day. I imagine listening to them is too.

October 17, 2016 at 01:10 PM · Frank Bridge's "Miniatures" for piano trio are delightful. Playing them is kind of like picnicking on a perfect Spring day. I imagine listening to them is too.

This discussion has been archived and is no longer accepting responses.

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Email

Violinist.com is made possible by...

Shar Music
Shar Music

Pirastro Strings
Pirastro Strings

JR Judd Violins
JR Judd Violins

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Dimitri Musafia, Master Maker of Violin and Viola Cases
Dimitri Musafia, Master Maker of Violin and Viola Cases

Violinist.com Shopping Guide
Violinist.com Shopping Guide

Metzler Violin Shop

Southwest Strings

Bobelock Cases

Johnson String Instrument/Carriage House Violins

Jargar Strings

Bay Fine Strings Violin Shop

FiddlerShop

Fiddlerman.com

Los Angeles Violin Shop

Baerenreiter

String Masters

Nazareth Gevorkian Violins

Laurie's Books

Discover the best of Violinist.com in these collections of editor Laurie Niles' exclusive interviews.

Violinist.com Interviews Volume 1
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 1, with introduction by Hilary Hahn

Violinist.com Interviews Volume 2
Violinist.com Interviews Volume 2, with introduction by Rachel Barton Pine

Subscribe