Best Leoncavallo
One of the most enduringly popular of all operas, Pagliacci is a classic of the verismo, or realistic operatic tradition.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"By some book-binderish sleight-of-hand, Schirmer scores can be placed above the keyboard of a piano and (after a minimal period of break-in) be expected to remain open at the correct page I can report from both my own personal experiences and those of other singers, that Schirmer vocal scores are fairly formidable pieces of book-making which will typically last from initial study, during all the rehearsals and through several years of performance without falling apart--although, of course, a volume so often consulted, so casually set aside and so hastily snatched up sooner or later acquires a raffish and slightly battered, if pleasingly indomitable appearance. I notice that fellow singers and I can generally recognize our personal copies at a glance over considerable distances, even though, as may be seen from the illustrations of editions for other operas, Schirmer scores when new are as alike as so many peas in a pod. In the rough and tumble of preparing for actual performances, virtually every Schirmer opera score that I have encountered has disclosed some peculiar oddity--a misprint, a mis-attribution of a couple of of words or bars to an incorrect singer, that sort of thing. Rehearsals have not yet begun for the production for which I purchased tthis score, but I haven't the slightest doubt that substantial time will be diverted to page 205, upon which appear the words, "La commedia e finita!" Schirmer scores tend to include so-called "singing translations" printed beneath the words of the libretto in the original language."
"I needed this score quickly and what I got."
"There was a typo with the Italian in the chorus lyrics in Act 1."
"The score is virtually new and had only 1 very faint mark in the entire score."
"Everything was good in this transaction except delivery time."
"The print quality is light and not very crisp, and since the size is small, one really would like a clear and crisp print. This will sit on the music bookshelf and will probably never be opened again."
"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."
(Vocal Score). OPERA JOURNEYS LIBRETTO SERIES:
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"By some book-binderish sleight-of-hand, Schirmer scores can be placed above the keyboard of a piano and (after a minimal period of break-in) be expected to remain open at the correct page I can report from both my own personal experiences and those of other singers, that Schirmer vocal scores are fairly formidable pieces of book-making which will typically last from initial study, during all the rehearsals and through several years of performance without falling apart--although, of course, a volume so often consulted, so casually set aside and so hastily snatched up sooner or later acquires a raffish and slightly battered, if pleasingly indomitable appearance. I notice that fellow singers and I can generally recognize our personal copies at a glance over considerable distances, even though, as may be seen from the illustrations of editions for other operas, Schirmer scores when new are as alike as so many peas in a pod. In the rough and tumble of preparing for actual performances, virtually every Schirmer opera score that I have encountered has disclosed some peculiar oddity--a misprint, a mis-attribution of a couple of of words or bars to an incorrect singer, that sort of thing. Rehearsals have not yet begun for the production for which I purchased tthis score, but I haven't the slightest doubt that substantial time will be diverted to page 205, upon which appear the words, "La commedia e finita!" Schirmer scores tend to include so-called "singing translations" printed beneath the words of the libretto in the original language."
"I needed this score quickly and what I got."
"There was a typo with the Italian in the chorus lyrics in Act 1."
"The score is virtually new and had only 1 very faint mark in the entire score."
"Everything was good in this transaction except delivery time."
"The print quality is light and not very crisp, and since the size is small, one really would like a clear and crisp print. This will sit on the music bookshelf and will probably never be opened again."
"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."
Translated into English by Henry Grafton Chapman, this is the Piano Score of Pagliacci (Punchineelo.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"By some book-binderish sleight-of-hand, Schirmer scores can be placed above the keyboard of a piano and (after a minimal period of break-in) be expected to remain open at the correct page I can report from both my own personal experiences and those of other singers, that Schirmer vocal scores are fairly formidable pieces of book-making which will typically last from initial study, during all the rehearsals and through several years of performance without falling apart--although, of course, a volume so often consulted, so casually set aside and so hastily snatched up sooner or later acquires a raffish and slightly battered, if pleasingly indomitable appearance. I notice that fellow singers and I can generally recognize our personal copies at a glance over considerable distances, even though, as may be seen from the illustrations of editions for other operas, Schirmer scores when new are as alike as so many peas in a pod. In the rough and tumble of preparing for actual performances, virtually every Schirmer opera score that I have encountered has disclosed some peculiar oddity--a misprint, a mis-attribution of a couple of of words or bars to an incorrect singer, that sort of thing. Rehearsals have not yet begun for the production for which I purchased tthis score, but I haven't the slightest doubt that substantial time will be diverted to page 205, upon which appear the words, "La commedia e finita!" Schirmer scores tend to include so-called "singing translations" printed beneath the words of the libretto in the original language."
"I needed this score quickly and what I got."
"There was a typo with the Italian in the chorus lyrics in Act 1."
"The score is virtually new and had only 1 very faint mark in the entire score."
"Everything was good in this transaction except delivery time."
"The print quality is light and not very crisp, and since the size is small, one really would like a clear and crisp print. This will sit on the music bookshelf and will probably never be opened again."
"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."
Best Ravel
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Vivaldi
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Corelli
Among the chief glories of Baroque music are the violin and trio sonatas of Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713), elegant compositions of supreme lyric expressiveness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great music - nice clear edition."
"It was probably written for 15/16th century pianos and not for 21st century pianos and taste."
"I won't take the time here to sing the many praises of Corelli's music, but suffice it to say, his trio and solo sonatas are the standard by which all Baroque sonatas are measured."
"the violin sonatas include not only the straightforward version of the first print (Jan 1, 1700) but the elaborate ornaments included in later publications "as Corelli plays them" -- a fascinating light on what people actually did with this music."
Best Purcell
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is a lovely and lively performance of one of Purcell's best."
Best Smetana
Music of great beauty, charm and simplicity, reproduced from authoritative European editions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Bloch
In Italy, castration for singing was understood through the lens of Catholic blood sacrifice as expressed in idioms of offering and renunciation and, paradoxically, in satire, verbal abuse, and even the symbolism of the castrato’s comic cousin Pulcinella. "Working in from the broadest anthropological reflections to the most minute points of physiology and endocrinology—by way of musical and social history, the theory and practice of singing, the insights of three centuries’ worth of philosophers and psychologists, all illustrated with the rarest pictures and recordings— The Castrato is a scholarly and literary feast."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"An extraordinary and thoroughly engrossing study of the castrato in his heyday from the late 16th to the early 19th centuries, challenging but worth the effort for those -- not just fellow scholars -- interested in music history, theater history, gender and sexuality studies and general European social history, including religion."
"this is Professor Martha Feldman's third BIG book and the most readable for audiences who are not scholars."
Best Holst
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Handel
Neither have the more recent editions of vocal scores based on the Mozart orchestra score, with its many contrapuntal charms, quite fulfilled expectations, as they materially increased the difficulty of the piano part. Listeners who truly love this work may be interested in the full orchestral score --also at a great price--from Dover, edited by Alfred Mann.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Purchased for my mother."
"I had one from college, and bought this as a replacement since I lost my original score."
"Great for singing in a performance of the Messiah."
"When singing a part in this music, it is easy to get so focused on one's own part that one misses the fact that the notes themselves weave a tapestry on the page and to the ear that tell a story as rich as the verse."
"protected and delivered in very good time."
"My first Book fell apart from using it for 30 years."
"This is a beautiful, pristine copy of the familiar Schirmer Bpiano-vocal score of The Messiah."
"I'll be ready for the next sing a long."
Best Gounod
Solo piano and solo organ versions are also included.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best 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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Poulenc
This Sonata For Flute and Piano is a virtuosic flute solo by renowned influential French composer Francis Poulenc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Mahler
Symphony No. Symphony No. Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) wrote chiefly symphonies and Lieder.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Dvorak
9, "From the New World" (composed during Dvořák's three-year stay in America), echoes the folk spirit of his native Czechoslovakia as well as American influences, and is filled with the spontaneous melodic invention, rhythmic variety, and intensity of harmony that characterize his orchestral works. The Dover edition presents both symphonic masterpieces — among the most popular works in the orchestral repertoire — reprinted from authoritative editions in one inexpensive, practical volume.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good and inexpensive version of two major works by Dvorak."
"This is great score book that is strong & nice.They will last for a long time.They will not tear easy also.Also they are easy to read."
"I wish it was spiral bound so that it would lay flat, however it is otherwise and excellent purchase."
"These scores are great to conduct from and for score study."
"Not bad for the price, but be prepared to hand write the instrumentation on every single page of this score."
"This was a gift for my son."
Best Franck
"; Best's Prelude on a Chorale by Thomas Tallis; Buxtehude's Fugue in C; the charming Four Pieces for Flute Clocks, written by Haydn for his era's popular musical clocks; Mozart's "Fantasie de Salon," based on four themes from T he Magic Flute; and Pachelbel's beloved C anon in D. Other featured composers include Elgar, Dupré, Beethoven, Frescobaldi, Handel, Liszt, Couperin, and Franck.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Nice variety and selection of tunes, suitable for church services and perfect for someone switching from pot to org and t ready for "prime time pedals" yet!"
"This collection of organ music is a lovely addition to my church repertoire."
"After my injury I could no longer play the organ pedals and this book gave me a bunch of new preludes and postludes for manuals only."
"Looks pretty good, but a bit above my level."
"This is an excellent variety of compositions by a good variety of composers."
"I am a pianist/"fake organist" and love this book of wonderful manual only pieces."
"There is incredible variety in this inexpensive edition, and most are excellent for church use."
"I am the organist for a couple of Catholic churches and this collection of organ music provides many pieces that are perfect preludes and postludes, as well as a few pieces for special occasions."
Best Bellini
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Sullivan
From toughing it out in Texas to his appearance at Woodstock, his affair with Janis Joplin, his stadium-filling tours, and washing out on drugs and the temptations of the road before finally fulfilling his dream of becoming a 100-percent pure bluesman, resurrecting the career of Muddy Waters, and winning a Grammy Award for his effort, this is a raucous roller coaster of story.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My only hope is that in future editions they include some sort of appendix to cover the years the book did not - from 2009 (I believe) when the book was originally finished until his death on the road in 2014 - roughly one week before I had tickets to see him."
"I'm blaming the editor more than the writer because Ms. Sullivan did a good job of putting together a relatively coherent story from a wide variety of interviews. I believe it's the job of an editor to toss the book back to the author with advice on how to tighten up the story, put it in chronological order, etc."
"Since the author and Johnny Winters collaborated on this book, it was pretty tame."
"The exciting story of this brilliant and often overlooked musician is marred by repetitive accounts of the same story."
"This was a very clear case in which the reporter got suddenly lost in the process of editing the interviews she had done, perhaps due to her own nice feelings toward the interviewee."
Best Mascagni
Mascagni's first produced opera (1890), and ultimately his most successful, Cavalleria Rusticana is a tempestuous drama of adultery and revenge set in a remote Italian village.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This Dover score, like all Dover scores, is very nice."
"I am really impressed with amazon.com as I got this product £5 cheaper than buying it on .co.uk I wonder why?"
"Like always, Dover prints on high quality paper, and binds books in such a way that their products could survive any abuse short of a nuclear blast."
"Like always, Dover prints on high quality paper, and binds books in such a way that their products could survive any abuse short of a nuclear blast."
"Like always, Dover prints on high quality paper, and binds books in such a way that their products could survive any abuse short of a nuclear blast."
Best Berlioz
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Mozart
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Beethoven
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"Perfect for my return to the piano."
"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."
"Beginner Classical Piano Music: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Pieces by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven & the Great Composers (Book, Streaming Videos & MP3 Audio)."
"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."
Best Wagner
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Shostakovich
The eleven essays lay a foundation for a proper understanding of Shostakovich's musical language as well as providing new insights into the issues surrounding his composition.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"_Shostakovich_Studies_ is valuable first and foremost for Richard Taruskin's essay "Public Lies and Unspeakable Truth: Interpreting Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.""
"This book is indispensable if you are really interested in Shostakovich."
Best Bach
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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 haven't had my daughter start it yet, so it's sort of an untried review, but I can see her being able to work through it on her own with occasional help from me, which is what I was looking for."
"It’s an exceptional way to start learning piano with no experience, and this book can be used by many ages. I really enjoyed the MP3 recording of all the songs in the book, because it was good to verify what I was doing on the piano."
"This book does a fantastic job at teaching the basics."
"It provides links throughout the material for a good representation of the subject matter; for this, I highly recommend the Kindle version for its quick easy links to the source material."
"I played piano years and years ago and forgot so much."
Best Chopin
This new volume in Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics presents 26 preludes, 21 nocturnes and 19 waltzes a large amount of music at a value price.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Printing is not clear as I expected."
"Love this book and playing from it."
"It's Schimer -- what else can I say -- one of the best editions ever on the market."
"Came just like it stated, brand new and in a very short amount of time after I ordered it!!"
"I love Chopin music, and nocturnes and waltzes are my preferred."
"Pages Printed upside down on both shipments."
Best Hummel
Yet somehow, our harmonica virtuoso and promoter Mark Hummel, manages to play extended tours back and forth across the USA, Canada and overseas on a full time basis. Are you ready to meet some of the worldwide network of unethical bar owners and promoters, sleazy motel managers, paranoid highway patrolmen, grumpy toll booth collectors, bored waitresses and convenience store clerks, brain-dead teenage Burger King employees who can't get an order right, vengeful customs officers, unscrupulous mechanics, novice tour directors, drunken fans that regularly insist on singing and dancing on stages (when there even is a stage) that provide no security? Mark's extensive career includes traveling the, "Big Roads" and blue highways of the United States and Europe for over thirty years as a harmonica mystro, band leader, music producer, and journal and blog writer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book by one of the genre's true road warriors!"
"I know Mark Hummel and there's not a harder working, more dedicated Bluesman out there today."
"A pretty well written story about the adventures of a traveling musician."
"Gift for husband, Great just what he needed for his collection and I m the hero...lol amazon never lets me down."
"Well written, honest, look into life on and off the road of a working blues musician."
"I know Mark Hummel and I already heard from him some of this stories."
"Great reading.Reading the ups and downs come off with Humor,that makes you want to go on."
"Great book by a guy working his ass off."
Best Pergolesi
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Mendelssohn
6 * Elegy * The Evening Star * Faith * The Fleecy Clouds * The Flight * Folk-Song * Funeral March * Homeless * Hope * Hunting Song * The Joyous Peasant * Lost Happiness * Lost Illusions * Lullaby * May Breezes * Meditation * Morning Song * On the Seashore * Passion * The Poet's Harp * Regrets * Restlessness * Retrospection * The Return * Reverie * Sadness of Soul * The Shepherd's Complaint * The Sighing Wind * Song of the Pilgrim * Song of the Traveller * Spinning-Song * Spring Song * Sweet Remembrance * Tarantella * Unrest * Venetian Boat Song No.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The first page of music is missing at least half of the note stems, and looks pretty bad."
"Exactly what I was hoping to receive."
"delivery on time."
"I love his songs without words!"
"Replacement copy for my personal use."
Best Sondheim
In Hat Box , Stephen Sondheim presents his complete collected lyrics from the acclaimed Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat . Stephen Sondheim has written award-winning music and lyrics for theater, film and television.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Maestro wrote this erudite book, making it literate, engaging and terribly informative."
"If you agree with Tom Lehrer that Stephen Sondheim is the best lyricist of the 20th Century (I do but I would remover the temporal limitation), then these two books are an absolute must."
"If you enjoy Sondheim's shows, you need this book."
"The ultimate master class in lyric-writing, from the best musical theatre writer of all time."
"A real treat for those who enjoy Sondheim's lyrics."
"Very happy with product and seller!"
"I encourage all writers of music to read these two books."
Best Borodin
This volume brings together Borodin's two most popular works: the melodious, vivacious "Polovtsian Dances" from Prince Igor and the richly evocative tone poem "In the Steppes of Central Asia." The enormous success of these works is evidence by their frequent performance in concerts worldwide and their many recordings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Minimum of 20 words about the product?"
"Borodin's list of musical works was very short but his brilliant works like "Polovtsian Dances" and "In the Steppes of Central Asia" shown in this study score more than make up for it."
"I would recommend this product to anyone who needs a quality bread product.""