Wendy Ireland, "Kitty Miniatures" for violin and piano DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
Please note: purchasing a digital version of the music only entitles you to one copy. Please do not share! And please store the file somewhere you will have future access to it. Should you have any issues downloading, please email [email protected] so we can make it right!
Australian composer Wendy Ireland (1958-2018) and I first "met" (via email) when I was looking for music to include in the Viola Music by Women anthology. I discovered the first Kitty Mini, "Sonnolento Gatto," loved it, and thought it would be nice to have a couple more to form a suite. Wendy thought she was being pranked, getting an email from Sleepy Puppy Press about a cat-themed piece, and almost didn't respond. I'm so glad she did! We were having so much fun we flew past three pieces all the way to five, which first appeared in volumes 1 and 2 of the viola anthology. In 2016, when an injury forced me to quickly reboot a recital program, Wendy kindly and quickly created a violin version of the original viola pieces for me to play.
While originally aimed at beginners, the pieces have a level of sophistication and adventurousness that makes them suitable for intermediate players and beyond. In particular, the "Romanza" cries out for at least 3rd position and vibrato, as well as musical maturity. Two of the pieces require the addition of a cat bell hung from the scroll (free bell with purchase while supplies last!) to be rung at specific times, and the "Tarantella Segreta" has a surprise at the end. Individual movements may be played separately, and the order of the pieces is totally up to the performer-- make up your own story!
To honor Wendy, 50% of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to organizations supporting cancer research or animal welfare.
Videos from that 2016 recital may be found at the following YouTube links:
Giocoso Gattino: https://youtu.be/i3JH44MfurY
Romanza: https://youtu.be/loHbXwwImUA
Tarantella Segreta: https://youtu.be/_57g0FsukWE
Sonnolento Gatto: https://youtu.be/ORT4lcc4Uwg
Avventuroso Gattino: https://youtu.be/2BFEVeU-1Ns