Koncocoo

Best Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words for the Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics Vol. 58)
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
"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."
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Three Romantic Violin Concertos: Bruch, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky: Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics Vol. 2117 For Violin and P
Three of the most beloved violin concertos from the Romantic era, combined into a convenient and affordable collection. 64 Allegro molto appassionato Andante Allegretto, ma non troppo - Allegro molto vivace Pyotr Il'Yich Tchaikovsky Concerto in D Major, Op. Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation has become the worlds largest print music publisher, representing some of the greatest songwriters and artists of all time.
Reviews
"I know of this book and other violin course books, and they are always excellent collections."
"Really good book."
"worth the price.from singapore Tevy violin."
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Mendelssohn -- Songs without Words (Complete): Comb Bound Book (Alfred Masterwork Edition)
Maurice Hinson has skillfully researched and edited these works back to their original form and provides a very informative introduction, which includes many detailed suggestions for a stylistic interpretation and performance, as well as biographical information on the composer's life.
Reviews
"This publication includes some interesting history about the songs and suggestions for learning how to play them."
"The plastic-comb binding, which allows the music to lay flat, is a good thing for a volume of this thickness."
"Actually a gift for my piano teacher."
"Good for weddings."
"This edition does tend to be more challenging than others, and is probably for an intermediate advanced player, but there are also some simpler selections that allow someone to begin playing immediately."
"Great purchase."
"This edition of Mendelssohn -- Songs without Words is another excellent resource for pianists."
"I love it, I've fallen in love with one of the songs and am learning how play it very quickly thanks to this book."
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Best Handel

The Messiah: An Oratorio for Four-Part Chorus of Mixed Voices, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Soli and Piano
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
"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."
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Best Mussorgsky

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION SCORE (BH6401230) MASTERWORKS LIBRARY (Boosey & Hawkes Masterworks Library)
(Boosey & Hawkes Scores/Books).
Reviews
"This arrangement of his most famous piece, a collection of piano sketches based on an art exhibition of a recently deceased friend, honors the source, but colors the music with strong textures, often brilliantly applied."
"Notation is just perfect, don't hesitate to buy."
"Congratulations to Boosey and Hawkes for here republishing a staple of the orchestral repertoire (Maurice Ravel did an outstanding job of arranging Musórgskiy's piano original, though I wish he had included the "Promenade" immediately prior to "The Market-Place at Limoges"), with beautiful layout and a scholarly quality in terms of editing out mistakes in the previous edition."
"Moussorgsky's most famous work, "Pictures at an Exhibition" (orch."
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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 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 Bloch

The Castrato: Reflections on Natures and Kinds (Ernest Bloch Lectures)
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
"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."
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Best Beethoven

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
"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."
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Best Debussy

Debussy - Favorite Piano Works (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics)
Many of Debussy's best-known pieces are assembled in this convenient, affordable collection.
Reviews
"She teaches piano but had no Debussy in her pile of sheet music."
"This provides a great collection of Debussy piano works."
"My son loves playing out of this book!"
"This is a fabulous book with many selections."
"Great deal on a huge selection of music."
"Title, in original language, at the end of a piece is a cool choice!"
"This is all original compositions - lovely!"
"Book is missing about 30 pages in the middle."
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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 Mascagni

Cavalleria Rusticana in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
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
"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."
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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 Pergolesi

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 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 Rossini

The Liturgical Organist, Vol 1: Easy Compositions -- Preludes/Interludes/Postludes for Pipe or Reed Organ with Hammond Registrations
This is the first and easiest book in a 4-book collection of preludes, interludes, and postludes compiled and arranged by Carlo Rossini for performance on pipe, electronic or reed organs, and with Hammond registrations included.
Reviews
"As other reviewers have written, this is easy to sight read and insert pedals where you will."
"I am new at playing for services and don't have time to prepare preludes, postludes, etc."
"Great options for short or longer preludes-postludes."
"I'm a pianist, not an organist, who plays organ for church services because we have such a shortage of musicians, locally; and when I found this book - worn and incomplete - at a yard sale a couple years ago, I picked it up on the cheap."
"I love it."
"I am a part time organist at a church which means months may pass between the times I am called on to play."
"The product was old, but worth the price."
"Arrived on time and as expected."
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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 Sondheim

Hat Box: The Collected Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: A Box Set
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
"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."
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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 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 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 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 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 Haydn

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (Expanded Edition)
A greatly expanded edition of the National Book Award-winning masterpiece by a world-class pianist and writer on music.
Reviews
"The classical period is principally characterized by sonata form and tonality. An understanding of the classical period is not only relatively easy to acquire, but of central importance to understanding nearly all subsequent composition."
"I read much of as an adjunct to Jonathan Biss's MOOC from the Curtis Institute on Exploring Beethoven's Sonatas."
"One real plus is how the author consistently includes contrasting opinions and often recognizes that, ultimately, he has learned from their insights."
"I needed a concise book giving me information on the classical style by the top three composers at the time."
"I bought this as a gift for my husband."
"Gave it as a gift to a professional cellist."
"A bit technical at times."
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Best Hummel

Big Road Blues - 12 Bars On I-80
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
"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."
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Best Hammerstein

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 Strauss, Johann

The Last Waltz: The Strauss Dynasty and Vienna
Captured in a beautiful package, including more than fifty color photographs, The Last Waltz tells the intriguing story of the Viennese Strauss family known for producing some of the best known, best loved music of the nineteenth century. "Very readable ... elegantly prepared with plenty of quality illustrations ... makes a fascinating read about one of the greatest musical dynasties that ever lived. John Suchet puts their personal lives into the context of the politics of the day without missing out on the musical history. Stuffed full of facts, both historical and musical, this is in no way a dry academic tome because John Suchet, as always, spins his enthusiastic way through the drama as if guiding us personally in the footsteps of the protagonists and their times. Importantly, and unlike almost every other contemporary writer in this field, Suchet embraces the fact that the Strauss family's music-making did not end with the death of the 'Waltz King' in 1899, but continued well into the 'swinging sixties' of the 20th century." "Handsomely produced and superbly written… As a former News at Ten anchor [Suchet] knows a thing or two about distilling narratives and crafting pay-off lines. The snippets and anecdotes have been carefully collected and put together in such a way that dipping in and out of the book is easy - highly recommended for anyone wondering what is behind the Blue Danube!"
Reviews
"Vienna outgrew its wall, tore it down, and made it into a boulevard where they placed some of their most important new buildings, like the opera house."
"These family members were the music superstars of the late 19th century, and the fame, trials and tribulations they went through would be the subject of front line news in magazines and papers today."
"I liked the writing style which is part story, part history/biographical and part gossipy....and not in the least bit overly music interpretation."
"It is hard to find a biography about Johann Strauss, Jr. and this one is excellent."
"A must have book for all music lovers and if you've never been to Vienna you really want to after, or even better during, reading this book."
"Great condition, good book (loved the lustrations and pictures)."
"It is a very well research story of the Strauss Family, the musical history of Vienna and Europe during their lifetime and an insight into the private lives of all the members of the Strauss Family."
"Really enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who loves music and the historical background of Vienna."
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Best Corelli

Complete Violin Sonatas and Trio Sonatas (Dover Chamber Music Scores)
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
"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."
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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 Bach

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
"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."
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Best Leoncavallo

Pagliacci in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
One of the most enduringly popular of all operas, Pagliacci is a classic of the verismo, or realistic operatic tradition.
Reviews
"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."
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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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