String Quartet

The arranger Carlo Martelli has amused himself, and he hopes his audience, by combining Bach's famous melody with Puccini's Nessun Dorma which translated means, of course, 'None shall sleep' - hence Sleepers Awake!

It may come as a surprise to many who love this piece that the deep contentment and severity with which it is imbued carry no religious implications. Here arranged by Carlo Martelli for string quartet, it was originally a soprano solo with obbligato accompaniment for two flutes from the composers Birthday Cantata.

During his 27 years as cantor at St. Thomas's in Leipzig, Bach wrote over 160 cantatas for the various festivals of the church year. This arrangement by Carlo Martelli is of one of the best known numbers of these works.

The title of this composition derives from the manner in which instrumental contrasts are exploited as in the Concerti Grossi of the period. This arrangement by Carlo Martelli is, however, a straightforward adaptation for stringed instruments.

Bach's timeless masterpiece originally written for keyboard is here masterfully transcribed by Carlo Martelli for the string quartet medium. For colleges, conservatories and professionals.

Bach's vocal style has been accused, quite justly, of being entirely instrumental in origin - therefore this excerpt from the ​Mass in B Minor is particularly well suited to this arrangement for string quartet by Carlo Martelli.

Of all Bach's instrumental works the six Brandenburg Concertos are his most famous and well loved. This arrangement by Carlo Martelli of the first movement of Brandenburg No. 4 expertly transcribes for the four strings what was originally written for two recorders, solo violin and string orchestra.