Roberton Publications

In 1876 Tschaikowsky composed his ballet 'Swan Lake' Op. 20. Despite its initial failure, it is now one of the most popular of all ballets. 'Swan Lake' was premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet on 4 March 1...

Paul Dukas (1865-1935) wrote his 'Villanelle' as a demanding exam piece for the horn class of the Paris Conservatoire in 1906. The title, referencing a cheerful traditional vocal genre that originated...

Pascual Marquina Narro (1873 - 1948) was a prolific Spanish orchestral and operatic composer. As a composer he is particularly known for his pasodoble works. Among these belong the 'Rey del Pasodoble'...

La danza' is a patter song by Gioacchino Rossini, in 'Tarantella napoletana' time. It's the eighth song of the collection 'Les soirées musicales' which he composed in the years 1830-1835. 'La danza' b...

The music for Johann Strauss' Operetta 'Der Zigeunerbaron' is regularly performed today. The orchestral pieces that Strauss furnished from the work were also well-recognised, among them, the sparkling...

Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his contemporari...

'Der Zigeunerbaron' is Strauss's second most popular operetta after 'Die Fledermaus'. Its 1885 premiere had political resonance; the plot popularized the Dual (Austro-Hungarian) Monarchy which was to...

About Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elias' The Times said: 'Never was there a more complete triumph - never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art.' The libretto of Elijah is most ski...

Band 2

Band 3

Band 4

In March 2019 I asked for help with editing, fingering and revising more than 20 works by my father, John W. Duarte. I was so overwhelmed with responses from guitarists all over the world that I, relu...