Koncocoo

Best Gilbert

The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan: 20th Anniversary Edition
It also features a completely new introduction, reflecting on the state of Gilbert and Sullivan nearly 150 years after the pair began their legendary collaboration, and new annotations addressing recent performance history, newly discovered 'lost' songs and dialogue, and, for the first time, Gilbert and Sullivan references in contemporary popular culture. Born and brought up in the south of England, Ian Bradley has lived for the last 30 years in St Andrews, Scotland where he is currently Principal of St Mary's College, the Divinity School of the University.
Reviews
"The annotations on facing pages bring the librettos to life!"
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The Pirates of Penzance: or The Slave of Duty Vocal Score
Listed as 'Acceptable', but likely in G or VG condition.
Reviews
"Schirmer Pros: + heavier paper, slightly. Schirmer Cons: - text and musical notation not clean (slightly blurry). - no measure numbers. - no notations of additional versions."
"It's my third time doing this show, and I wanted a new score to mark up."
"Excalty what I needed for my daughters opera."
"Very good historically accurate score for Pirates of Penzance."
"Wonderful!"
"Condition as described; fast delivery; good price; cannot ask for more."
"If this is the kind of thing you can imagine in your Library, you won't be disappointed."
"This was a great help for me as I prepared to sing this operetta."
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The Mahler Album: New, Expanded Edition
This expanded edition, published to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mahler's birth (and the 100th anniversary of his death), presents newly discovered photographs and works of art, and a selection of colorful postage stamps featuring Mahler. Founder of Institutional Investor magazine, Gilbert Kaplan is one of the foremost authorities on Mahler.
Reviews
"Because of my deep love for Mahler's music, about six years ago I somehow scraped together more than a hundred dollars to buy a copy of The Mahler Album. Gilbert Kaplan's "The Mahler Album" is a treasure of incalculable value for those who love the music of Gustav Mahler. The Mahler images are grouped as those relating to Mahler, his family, his homes and halls, paintings, drawings and sculpture relating to Mahler, and finally dozens of period cartoons which help show the public's and the critics' attitudes toward Mahler. Introducing the Album with Roller's insightful thoughts about Mahler is yet additional evidence of Gilbert Kaplan's brilliance, good taste, and love for Mahler."
"THE MAHLER ALBUM has been updated by author Gilbert Kaplan, one of the foremost authorities on Mahler having written and lectured extensively on Mahler, and as a conductor, he has led more than 50 orchestras around the world in acclaimed performances of the Second Symphony."
"The new album includes several new photographs from Mahler’s childhood, Mahler conducting, places where he lived or worked, a new section of cartoons, posthumous art and postage stamps and an additional photograph of Mahler’s death mask. In that regard, The Mahler Album is an invaluable resource not only for the photographs of Mahler but as others saw him through caricatures, cartoons and works of art."
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Best Schubert

Music by the Masters: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Handel, Haydn, Schubert and more
This consistent top-seller includes 65 works by these famous composers: C. P. E. Bach, J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Grieg, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schubert , Schumann and Tchaikovsky.
Reviews
"I'm learning to play the piano and although this isn't a beginner book It will be great when I reach this level."
"Useful collection with nicely selected pieces, although i found some wrong notes, and awkward notations, so not sure of the quality of the edition."
"It's a great book."
"Shipment was extremely fast."
"I learned many pieces from this collection when I was younger and this book has them all."
"Disappointing small book with very little in it."
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Best Grieg

Complete Lyric Pieces for Piano (Dover Music for Piano)
Between 1867 and 1901, Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) wrote ten sets of little mood pictures for piano that display his great musical gifts at their lyrical best.
Reviews
"As noted on the back cover, Grieg's harmonies here are interesting and late-Romantic, sometimes anticipating the music of Debussy and Ravel, et al. Note: coming back to my review, I kind of feel bad about using the term "salon music" in the original title! I feel that Grieg put a lot of genuine emotion into these utterly delightful mood pieces, and the more I play them the more I get out of them."
"Great value, and the fonts are very clear."
"LOVE this and so inexpensive!"
"I had it cut & fixed with rings to make it easier to use."
"I ordered it again because I missed playing them; the great variety of style and flavor is wonderful, as well as the variety of difficulties."
"Nice to find all the Lyric Pieces in one volumn, at a nice affordable price!"
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Best Gluck

Music Minus One Cello: The Cello Soloist: Classic Solos for 'Cello and Piano (Sheet Music & 2 CDs)
This long-awaited re-release of a Music Minus One classic features a completely new edition of 17 famous solo cello works, complete with helpful tips for cellists playing them for the first time. Includes an authoritative, newly engraved music score printed on high-quality ivory paper, complete with performance suggestions from Mr. Thomas, and a compact disc containing a complete version with soloist; then a second version in digital stereo of the orchestral accompaniment, minus the soloist. Helping educate musicians since 1950, Music Minus One provides performers at every skill level, an easy way to study, rehearse and perform with professional musicians in the comfort of their own homes. Offering compact discs with accompanying solo music parts from world-renowned soloists, Music Minus One albums offer a superb practice experience.
Reviews
"It's a treat to hear your playing with other instruments, not to mention an excellent way to measure and achieve intonation."
"Unfortunately, it was too advanced for me, I was feeling like a bit of a failure, or at least a disappointment, to myself and my teacher already, so I gave it to my teacher. I'm not sure what I would think of it now, but I don't want to ask for it back as my teacher had his bag with music stolen from his car and I don't want to make him feel bad if it is gone."
"This is a good selection of music, and the accompaniments are well-done."
"Love the CD."
"This is a good way to practice well-known cello solos."
"great add-on to much of my current music - love the audio cd as well!"
"It is great to have an accompaniment as well as listening to a professional cellist."
"BTW If you have this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MWBWTM?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_81 It's the same book just different cover."
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Best Albeniz

Spanish Classics for Guitar in Tablature (Classical Guitar)
(Music Sales America).
Reviews
"Sometimes finding high quality tabs for Albeniz's songs can be a challenge online, and this book covers a good range of his most famous pieces."
"You can find performances of most of the songs from this book on You Tube, and I recommend using the videos for references as the music is quite complex."
"My daughter enjoyed it very much."
"This is a great book."
"Es un un autor que por años ha demostrado ser uno de los exponentes de métodos para educación musical más exitosos y usados."
"For example the fast run towards the last part of Granada (specifically bars/sections 109-116)is impossible to play from this poor positioning."
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Best Bizet

Carmen: Opera in Four Acts
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
"This was probably necessary to keep the volume from being even thicker, and the problem can be solved by tacking a copy of the crucial line onto the edge of the preceding page."
"Cons: I mention the timeliness of delivery above because I buy a lot of products via Amazon and, just this past 14months or so; I have been receiving approximately one or two items out of five later than the two days specified in my Prime membership."
"Great score, great opera, great read."
"So, if you order this particular score (any Schirmer score, really) check to make sure all the pages are there, especially if you're the rehearsal pianist."
"As a result, I suggest individuals who need to purchase a Schirmer version of Carmen either go to a music store where they can ensure they have all the pages, find a copy online, or purchase a version with good reviews and no mention of missing pages."
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Best Mahler

Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Symphony No. Symphony No. Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) wrote chiefly symphonies and Lieder.
Reviews
"Well, this book is useful only if you number the measures yourself with a pencil (which would take a very long time), since the book actually does NOT supply measure numbers. But each figure can be any number of measures, so when you read an article that makes reference to measure 435, you simply won't be able to find it, without actually numbering the measures yourself."
"This two in one score is terrific for the amateur music fan who likes to curl up in their favorite chair on a stormy Saturday night with their headphones and some hot chocolate and hear everything the composer wanted."
"Again, the Dover publications of scores is excellent and to have both symphonies in one volume is a real find."
"it's a symphony score!"
"The Dover reprints are not the best but for the price nothing beats it!"
"Perfect when you do not have the money to buy a better edition ;-)."
"It's the full score, just as you suspected!"
"Big clear print on quality paper."
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Best Liszt

Reflections on Liszt
In a series of lively essays that tell us much not only about the phenomenon that was Franz Liszt but also about the musical and cultural life of nineteenth-century Europe, Alan Walker muses on aspects of Liszt's life and work that he was unable to explore in his acclaimed three-volume biography of the great composer and pianist. Alan Walker is Professor of Music at McMaster University.
Reviews
"If the three volumes on the life of Franz Liszt by Mr. Alan Walker left you begging for more, then this book is for you."
"I've read the three Liszt biographical volumes a few times each already, and yet I find things I haven't caught previously.This is another of that type of book, where one can read it many times and still find it enjoyable.Mr."
"I have read pretty much everything Alan Walker has written about Liszt, including his Von Bulow biography."
"As I expressed to Dr. Walker in writing, there are those gifted pianists who have the experience and ability to interpret the music of Franz Liszt while Dr. Walker has the equal ability [and credentials therein] to interpret Franz Liszt the man. There are many tomes and recitations, indeed even dedicated websites, about Franz Liszt but Dr. Walker's writings offer an almost You-Are-There quality of his narrative and thus you at least figuratively yet perceptively 'see' and 'hear' Liszt more so than you simply read of the man whether Liszt remarks to one of his students about certain "uninvited guests" [sic -- Liszt's buzz-word for 'wrong notes' or "clinkers"] or Liszt becoming yancy when pressured or indeed even very politely cajoled to play [which happened virtually everywhere he went] versus his own initiative and hence 'desire' to play, as Dr. Walker puts it, "because it is then within his gift to do so.""
"A NICE ADDENDUM TO WALKER'S MAGNUM OPUS ON LISZT."
"hope my nephew likes this."
"for lisztomaniacs only."
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Best Elgar

Enigma Variations and Pomp and Circumstance Marches in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Authoritative British editions of the 14 Variations, rich with melody and vibrant rhythms, each revealing a facet of a central theme never fully expressed and each depicting an unnamed friend of the composer.
Reviews
"...except that they don't include the 5th P&C march for some reason."
"This edition of Elgar's Enigma Variations is a very high quality print with a reasonable price."
"The only problem I have with this compilation of Elgar's works has to do with the omission of Pomp And Circumstance March No."
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Best Holst

The Planets in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Scored for huge orchestral forces and a wordless chorus, the work is divided into seven movements, the music of each embodying the astrological and mystical qualities of a different planet.
Reviews
"Score in excellent condition, virtually new."
"Excellent score, perfect for what I wanted to use for study purposes both at home for my pleasure and at school for my students."
"I really enjoy the Planets and seeing how it's made it amazing (If not a bit terrifying)."
"Easy to read - has everything including double chorus and organ."
"Great piece, I'm going into Music Composition and found this to be a good piece to study."
"Get a pencil and analyze the hell out of this to become a better composer."
"Great way to study one of the greatest pieces of orchestral music ever written!"
"I've purchased orchestral scores before that have not been legible."
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Best Wagner

Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung: A Companion
The translation is accompanied by Stewart Spencer’s introductory essay on the libretto and a series of specially commissioned texts by Barry Millington, Roger Hollinrake, Elizabeth Magee, and Warren Darcy that discuss the cycle’s musical structure, philosophical implications, medieval sources, and Wagner’s own changing attitude to its meaning. Text: English, German (translation). Original Language: German. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
"A very good book about Wagner."
"Very informative and thorough."
"i bought this because I am a theatre director and am getting ready to direct the farce DAS BBQ which is VERY loosely based on Wagner's Ring Cycle."
"This is a very useful set of libretti and translations."
"I bought the book to have a handy libretto and was pleasantly surprised with the wonderful introductory material."
"First, the translation, which takes up three quarters of the book, is well done, with German and English directly compared on a line by line basis, complete with alternate or discarded or rejected versions of the libretto included in an appendix."
"In his introductory note on the text and his translation, Stewart Spencer writes: "Whether or not there is any truth in the anecdote that Wieland Wagner used to insist that his singers translate the text of the Ring into German before beginning work on the stage production, the story has a certain poetic truth to it.""
"The introductory materials and commentary are useful to whatever extent the reader wants those things (apparently some reviewers here don't), but I'd guess most buy this book for the excellent English translation of the librettos. I've started the slow, tedious process of going through and placing bookmarks at each chapter start and on other important pages, but this is a very cumbersome solution, as you can't even edit the bookmarks into brief descriptive titles or organize them into an outline format. But honestly, I give the Kindle edition NO stars....it's the worst Kindle book I've ever purchased and I'd strongly urge others to avoid it until the publisher releases a restructured version."
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Best Mozart

Beginner Classical Piano Music: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Pieces by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven & the Great Composers (Book, Streaming Videos & MP3 Audio)
This book and streaming video course is all that you will ever need for getting started playing the most famous and cherished piano classics by the great composers, like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven! Are you struggling to follow online piano lessons that seem to jump all over the place without any sense of direction or consistency? Would you like to expand your musical understanding and learn how to play the piano through an affordable, step-by-step book and video course? Bach's Prelude in C Major Mozart's Turkish Rondo Pachelbel's Canon Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Liszt's Hungarian Dance Brahms' Lullaby Mendelssohn's Wedding March Strauss's The Blue Danube Waltz Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King Handel's Hallelujah Dvorák's New World Symphony Chopin's Prelude Bizet's The Toreador Song Verdi's La donna è mobile Schumann's The Wild Horseman Paganini's Caprice Number 24 Beethoven's Ode to Joy Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice Dvorák's New World Symphony Erik Satie's Gymnopedie. Greensleeves Rossini's William Tell Overture (Theme from the Lone Ranger ). and many more classics! I took piano lessons many years ago, and Iwanted tostart playing again, but it seemed like I couldn't remembereven the most basic things. by DanniPal:This has to be one of the best learning tools I have ever read forlearning the piano. 5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Valuable Piano Resource by Hannah Curtis: I play piano and have a big upright piano occupying my living room.Myfriends frequently express interest in learning to play the pianobut...
Reviews
"I played piano years and years ago and forgot so much."
"Who wouldn’t want to play pieces including Pachelbel’s Canon, Beethoven's Fur Elise, or Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Mirlitons from the Nutcracker? The videos are the biggest bonus as I am a fan of visual learning, and I feel if a student gets stuck or doesn’t fully understand how to interpret a passage at first, they can look to the video for advice and direction."
"Step by step this book and video instructions teaches you the basics of playing music. As we all know, keeping students engaged in the classroom isn't always easy and for some students, a music program is the only reason they come to school every day."
"Very happy with Ferrante's method of teaching!"
"I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano but either I never have the time or energy to do so, or the YouTube tutorials of random people are just not effective in it's attempt to teach. I got curious about the author and looked up other videos and I love seeing his passion for music."
"Ferrante is positive and encouraging without coming off fake, as some music instruction books do, which helps you have realistic expectations for your own progress."
"This book would be unsuitable for a more intermediate piano player, but as a former piano slacker who suddenly regrets not sticking with the instrument, this book was a lovely reintroduction."
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Best Von Weber

Der Freischutz, Op. 77: Vocal Score
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
"Davis is able to maximise the score's dramatic contents with such wonderful tool, and his singers, though far less eminent than Carlos Kleiber's (especially on the female side), nonetheless deliver what are required for them/. as Agathe, Mattila is not as vocally polished as Janowitz or Grummer, and one must not forget that Karita was just at the start of her international career at the time of this recording. The Annchene is probably the most disappointing character, as Lind is not fully capable of depicting the varied emotions of this supporting role, robbing the plot of considerable drama by her rather bland reading."
"I performed the role of The Hermit and I was able to go through and highlight my part just fine."
"One of my favorite German Operas!"
"Araiza, although Mexican, has spent his entire career in Germany so sings idiomatically with his always dependable bright, sure, focused and stirring tenor and, with his outstanding acting ability, he makes a Max that is hard to beat. greatly enhancing the spookiness and Davis allows room for Kaspar's Kugel count and Samiel's voice to be heard amid all the driving orchestral intensity and the building musical climax."
"Der Freischutz is a recording under the direction of Sir Colin Davis who leads the Staatskapelle Dresden on this Phillips Classical Productions recording from 1990."
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Best Verdi

La Traviata Vocal Score Cloth (Italian Edition)
(Vocal Score). Daniel S. Brink is the Artistic Advisor and Principal Coach/Accompanist for the Colorado Opera Festival, Artistic Director for the Company Singers, a development program for young operatic hopefuls and Artistic Director/Conductor of the Colorado Springs Choral Society small ensemble, MOSIAC.
Reviews
"The quality printing not is the best, if you ask me the perfect size for this score is the letter, yet with this little things is the best edition for the singers."
"No translation -- just the original Italian."
"Exactly what I expected, brand new, no markings or scratches."
"These Ricordi cloth-bound editions are the most well-bound vocal scores I own."
"And the score will not stay open on the music stand."
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Best Gounod

The Complete Ave Maria: Voice, Piano and Organ (Vocal Collection)
Solo piano and solo organ versions are also included.
Reviews
"Received as promised and in the condition it was described."
"A friend had this book and I wanted to get a copy for myself and a few of the other choir members."
"I play piano and organ for weddings and this book is all inclusive, with low voice, medium voice, and high voice settings for both piano and organ."
"I didn't really need all these different arrangements but I found my favorite arrangement in this book and the others are great for practice."
"Bought it for the Catholic Church I sing at, very useful."
"An absolute must for any church musician."
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Best Rodgers

The Sound of Music: Vocal Selections - Revised Edition (Rodgers and Hammerstein Vocal Selections)
(Vocal Selections).
Reviews
"Got the male lead in school play!"
"These are comprehensive vocal and piano arrangements for singers and pianists."
"Love this music from my childhood."
"Also I guess I am that guy, you know, the one buys books for musicals to make his kids sing..."
"Great piano book with good arrangements."
"This is great."
"I love the Revised version of this songbook."
"This music collection is very easy to read and easy to play."
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Best Sibelius

Sibelius 7 Music Notation Essentials (Avid Learning Series)
SIBELIUS 7 MUSIC NOTATION ESSENTIALS provides the most thorough introduction available to the fundamental operations of Sibelius 7 and lays the foundation for continuing studies at the more advanced levels. He was previously Director of Applications and Education at Sibelius Australia.
Reviews
"At the same time, it provides an organized overview of the features of Sibelius 7 that will be enormously valuable to new users and may also be useful to seasoned Sibelius users who want a leg up in exploring and using the new interface that centers around the Ribbon. Here, for example, are the sections of Lesson 1: Amazing Grace. Before You Begin: Copying Course Files to Your Computer. Moving Around the Score. Exploring the Ribbon and the Status Bar. Exploring Playback. Simple Editing. Exploring the Ideas Panel. Exercise 1 Rearranging a Score. Ideas to Get you Started. * Organization: Each Lesson begins with the name of the piece that you work on to learn the elements of Sibelius covered in that lesson. * Bonus: The book doesn't require it, but James has included Appendix A: Elementary Music Theory for those who may be entering the world of music notation for the first time. * Scores: Scores are well-engraved, and the Agent Zero scores provide a taste of James's considerable skills as a composer."
"I've purchased two other Sibelius books (which I liked), but this is the by far the best book for Sibelius 7."
"This is an excellant course for learning Sibelius 7."
"I purchased this for my husband who said, "I would have rated it 5 except it is not a beginner level book as was advertised."
"Sibelius 7 is actually very easy if you learn it well."
"I used Sibelius first so some of the explanations don't apply but overall an excellent book."
"This book will make learning the ins and outs of the computer program so easy!"
"The class refers to page numbers in the physical book."
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Best Faure

Gabriel Faure: 50 Songs: High Voice (The Vocal Library)
Contents: A Clymene * Adieu * Apres un rEve * Arpege * Au bord de l'eau * Au cimetiere * Aurore * Automne * Avant que tu ne t'en ailles * C'est l'extase * Chanson * Chanson d'amour * Clair de lune * Ddans la forEt de septembre * Dans les ruines d'une abbaye * Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'ete * En priere * En sourdine * Fleur jetee * Green * Ici-bas!
Reviews
"I highly recommend this book for any level singer who shows in interest in Faure, Melodie, or building up their repertoire library."
"Great book; these is a lot of songs to choose from."
"This book is so so lovely for the soprano voice!"
"Shipping is fast and the book is in good quality."
"Nice clean edition with helpful notes."
"This collection is your typical Faure."
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Best Ravel

Daphnis and Chloe in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Often described as Ravel's orchestral masterpiece, Daphnis and Chloe is a 20th-century classic, a rich musical setting of the Greek novel by Langus.
Reviews
"This work of Ravel's is one of the greatest gems of 20th Century music of the world."
"The pages could be a little bit whiter for a clearer reading."
"I just kinda sits there and lets you look at it."
"It serves my needs as a study score."
"Great score and easy to read."
"This is a great score of this piece, it is easy to read, and obviously is a print for the original copy."
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Best Poulenc

Sonata for Flute and Piano (Music Sales America)
This Sonata For Flute and Piano is a virtuosic flute solo by renowned influential French composer Francis Poulenc.
Reviews
"A history of the piece, extensive critical notes, and bibliographic accounts of the source material used for the edits within are all provided in the scores first few pages (in English, French, and German)."
"It is a paperback, but the outside front and back cover is a thick, shiny, coated paper."
"Exactly what we needed for my daughters audition and less expensive than the sites the school recommended."
"Very nice music, great for teaching."
"Best sonata ever written."
"Written for and with Rampal."
"have no complaints."
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Best Vivaldi

Easy Classical Violin Solos: Featuring music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi and other composers.
Includes: 1812 Overture. A Little Night Music. The Blue Danube. Bourre from Lute Suite BWV 996. Bridal Chorus. Canon in D. La Donna é Mobile. Dance of the Flowers. Für Elise. Greensleeves. In the Hall of the Mountain King. Jesu, Joy of Man Desiring. Land of Hope and Glory. Lullaby. Minuet in G. Ode to Joy. Spring - Four Seasons.
Reviews
"I like it very much, but would like it better if you could print out the pages."
"excellent for a beginner like me."
"I have only gotten to D major in my studies (essential elements violin book 1), but there are a few songs I think I can learn by Christmas."
"the book had good music."
"I love love love playing from this book."
"Have been playing for about a year and wanted some new tunes to practise with."
"Terrible print quality and shoddy versions of melodies."
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Best Schoenberg

Theory of Harmony: 100TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
A new critical foreword by Walter Frisch, H. Harold Gumm/Harry and Albert von Tilzer Professor of Music at Columbia University, expands this centennial edition. Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951), renowned Austrian and American composer, musical theorist, painter, and teacher of composition, pioneered compositional and critical approaches to atonality that were landmarks in twentieth century musical thought.
Reviews
"A classic text by one of the true masters of the musical craft."
"This book is absolutely amazing, a must have for any music library."
"This is the best music theory book ever written....It is a little dry but it contains everything you will ever need to know about harmony."
"If you take the time to study it properly and reread any sections that seem a bit hazy, it will take you a while to get through it, but your understanding of music and harmony will be incredibly profound. If you want a hardcore study, and want to come to understand things about sound and harmony you would never even guess at; if you want to learn to write music (and not just throw chords together because they sound great) with purpose; if you yearn to understand WHY that one song sounds so incredible, and to learn how to evoke emotions through similar progressions and melody, this is the book for you, and it is worth many times the amount of money requested here."
"I have been writing 4 part harmony exercises as directed by ASchoenberg in this book. Writing out one's own harmony exercises according to Arnold's instructions is KEY, I believe, to getting the real value out of the book. I play jazz piano, in addition to sight read through Bach (currently pieces from his French Suites)."
"The fact that he never read a book on the subject of harmony or even music history might mark him as an ignoramus, but he does admit to looking through several textbooks. He defends the issue of the possibility of a 7th that resolves by rising upwards but fails to show the classic example of it in the opening allegro of the Op. The chapter on rhythm is incorrect because bar lines are necessary to understanding that weak progressions are not to be written over them especially in chorales unless his majesty would like to quibble about that."
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Best Couperin

Le Tombeau de Couperin and Other Works for Solo Piano
The consummate craftsmanship, elegance, and originality of Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) define this collection of masterly compositions for the piano.
Reviews
"Pros: -This book contains the Mother Goose Suite as transcribed for piano solo by Ravel's friend Jacques Charlot, the Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, a Prelude (1911), Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Ravel's piano solo transcription of La Valse--all reprints of Durand editions."
"If you're not already impressed by the selection of pieces (I love the 1913 Prelude which I already had a copy of and memorized a while ago), Dover goes even further with this set. Following that are translations of the wonderful quotes of fairy tales from La Mere and other text that appears in the book. The music appears to be in chronological order with the three 1913 pieces grouped together under a single cover sheet (sans any introduction). It is annotated with Ravel's own notes on the orchestra version sometimes including a third ossia staff showing parts of the orchestration unincluded in the transcription."
"Each piece is preceded by a very well written history and the book also includes a most interesting two page glossary of French terms and texts that pertain specifically to the scores in the book. I purchased this book primarily for the quality and to replace my current (les legible) edition of Le tombeau de Couperin, my favorite work by Ravel. This is definitely a quality book for anyone who plays or appreciates Maurice Ravel's work. These are the lovely pieces in the book - 116 pages of Ravel: 224 Le Tombeau De Couperin and other works for solo piano. Maurice Ravel. Dover. 1."
"I don't mind, but someone looking for easy arrangements or larger print won't find it in this book."
"Together with Le tombeau as promised by the title, this volume includes the original piano versions of Ma Mère l'Oye, all eight Valses nobles et sentimentales, the 1913 Prélude, the two pieces À la manière de (Chabrier and Borodin), and the composer's own piano transcription of La Valse."
"Easy to read and great Ravel."
"Seriously some of my favorite music for piano, the book is good quality and clearly notated."
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Best Berlioz

Treatise on Instrumentation (Dover Books on Music)
With 150 illustrative full-score musical examples from works by Berlioz, Mozart, Beethoven, Gluck, Weber, Wagner, and others, and numerous smaller musical examples. Text: English (translation). Original Language: French.
Reviews
"The Berlioz and Rimsky-Korsakov books should both be on your bookshelf..."
"Got my book in couple days time."
"The revision by R. Strauss added a lot of technical in-depth, that today remains current."
"Not realizing how widely the invention would be disseminated, Berlioz devotes less than half a page to the subject. He offers comparable space to a couple of Adolph Sax's other inventions--the saxtrombas and the saxtubas--which most of us have never even heard of. There was also an instrument called the octobass, which was like a contrabass, but with three strings tuned to G, D, and A. Oh well, it's always nice to learn a little music history. If you ever heard the piece, you will surely agree that only a roar results, no matter how accurately the drums are tuned."
"This is perfect for someone who wants to see, know, and understand how the various instruments of an orchestra work: their ranges, characteristics, abilities...it gives many many examples from various compositions from various composers: Wagner, Berlioz, Beethoven, Gluck, Weber, Mozart... Every part of the book except for a couple pages in the beginning talk about the specific instruments...the "meat" of the book IS the book...no "fluff.""
"This is definitely NOT the book with which a contemporary beginner student of orchestration should start."
"Hector Berlioz sets out each section of the orchestra in a logical fashion, reference book style and describes each instrument in a clear, readable and enjoyable manner. This is a first class book on instrumentation/orchestration and would recommend it to composers of all levels of experience."
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Best Billings

004: The Complete Works of William Billings: The Continental Harmony (1794)
Authoritative edition of the music of William Billings.
Reviews
""This first critical edition of the works of an American composer - - ", The product of many years' effort by The American Musicological Society in collaboration with the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, presents in four handsomely bound volumes Billings' entire psalmody, historical and biographical notes, as well as the composer's textual musicological theory and rules, with references, indices and commentary."
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Best Massenet

Manon: Opera in Five Acts
(Vocal Score). — Daily Telegraph --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Reviews
"had to replace well-worn Schirmer hard cloth-bound."
"Well bound on sleek paper - easy on the eyes - wonderful score."
"In the score there is a little not clearly written which part some role sings, but i like it."
"He is so taken with these "Mini Guides" that each and every one of his twenty-eight five-star reviews begins, "The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is just wonderful; it's like a "Cliff Note" [sic] of the opera, and extremely informative and educational." Then, go out to see the opera. Older performances of operas that in many cases can only be described as superb can be found on CD right here at Amazon for about the price of this pamphlet."
"I congratulate Burton Fisher for a job very well done and Amazon for making these handy, information-laden booklets available. My tip: acquire the entire collection because you will be in easy reach of superbly presented opera guides consisting of story analysis, principal characters in the opera, story narrative with music highlights, background, analysis, and commentary."
"will buy next time ."
"The price is quite normal, as scores go, and you shall find accurate markings and index."
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Best Purcell

Henry Purcell (Oxford Studies of Composers)
It is the first book to explore in detail the historical context of Purcell's music, dealing fully with the institutions he worked for, the origin and development of the various genres to which he contributed, and the sources of his music. -- Observer Review "The great merits of the book derive from the fact that the author knows the music well both as scholar and as performer and similarly knows the music by Purcell's predecessors and contemporaries....It is as clear as its subject allows and perserverence is rewarding. -- Early Music Review "A balanced study of Pucell's music...his discussion of music is insightful, and his observations concerning instrumental developments are particularly valuable."
Reviews
"This is a lovely and lively performance of one of Purcell's best."
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Best Bellini

Norma: Vocal Score
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
"The opera director loves this edition."
"If you do not mind having the grey/yellow cover with an image of Norma on it, this score is just fine, and at a great price as well!"
"This score was exactly what I expected and is well printed."
"On page 86, we hear a melody first in isolation, then simultaneously with another melody."
"I ordered the score of Norma here on this page, which says on the front cover that it is the "full score" (see the cover shown above), but instead, I received a piano reduced score of Norma."
"This will do if you are interested in practicing the opera where there is no orchestra present, which I guess will be for most people, the usual situation. The classical purity of the music, the close relation between the text and the music, and the opera's relation to Greek tragedy has already been noted by Wagner."
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Best Smetana

Czech Piano Music: 42 Works by Dussek, Smetana, Dvorák, Janácek and Martinu
Music of great beauty, charm and simplicity, reproduced from authoritative European editions.
Reviews
"Several of these pieces have become real favorites, including almost all of the Smetana Czech Dances, Dussek's theme and variations "Leaving for Syria", and the awkwardly titled but wonderfully spirited Smetana "Memories of Bohemia in the form of a polka," Op.13 no.2."
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Best Donizetti

Dom Sebastien: Vocal Score (Ricordi Opera Vocal Score)
Includes extensive historical articles and critical notes.
Reviews
"A very quality product of a not well known but important opera by Donizetti - Part of the Critical Edition Series of Donizetti's Operas."
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