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Best Piano Sonatas

Ludwig Van Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1 (Nos. 1-15)
Combining scrupulous scholarship and profound artistic vision, Schenker achieved an edition which is universally admired by musicians and scholars. This edition will be welcomed by all pianists, both professional and amateur, for its accuracy and reliability; it is highly desirable for instruction, study, reference, and enjoyment. The triumphant genius of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) casts a long shadow over classical music — no other composer of the past two centuries has exercised an influence more profound than his.
Reviews
"Not that this book should be expected to address a longstanding problem with piano books, but even with the lay-flat binding, the front pages will keep shutting (this is just a peeve of mine, probably doesn't bother most people)."
"I could never really usee those because it was not easy to open and read, since this is a huge work (32 sonatas make a gross volume very impractical)."
"Easy to read, no mistakes that i can hear."
"Excellent urtext edition of this wonderful works."
"The famous musicologist Heinrich Schenker is known for his extreme attention to detail, including, for example, the directions of the stems (which other Urtext editions are not)."
"I love playing this and trying to sightread some of the movements."
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Mozart 19 Sonatas - Complete: Piano Solo (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1304)
(Piano Collection).
Reviews
"Maybe these Schirmer editions don't meet the strict editorial criteria of professionals in the field, but they work just fine for me, and they are affordable."
"Challenging and inspiring to attack Mozart again in my retired years."
"Perfect as expected."
"My childhood piano books had water damage & I wanted to play the songs I had played for contests & recitals."
"These are remarkable sonatas."
"Great book full of great music."
"I loved it because that was what I used to study when I was very young and now I am using it with my students."
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2103: Complete Piano Sonatas
(Piano Collection).
Reviews
"Just what I've been wanting!!"
"No more fighting pages which refuse to lay flat."
"I realize that they come from different texts and sources but put all that aside for a moment and look at how the beams of the semihemidemisemiquavers (128th notes) blur and blob together."
"(No, the issue continues to be getting the right finger on the right key at the right time, but I can't blame this book for that."
"I suggest that this collection be divided into 3 volumes; one volume is simply too thick: it falls off the piano music stand."
"My son's piano teacher was looking for a specific sonata of Beethoven's -- and it was one of the few not included."
"Big heavy book 3" thick, who knew?"
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Best Classical

Ludwig Van Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1 (Nos. 1-15)
Combining scrupulous scholarship and profound artistic vision, Schenker achieved an edition which is universally admired by musicians and scholars. This edition will be welcomed by all pianists, both professional and amateur, for its accuracy and reliability; it is highly desirable for instruction, study, reference, and enjoyment. The triumphant genius of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) casts a long shadow over classical music — no other composer of the past two centuries has exercised an influence more profound than his.
Reviews
"Not that this book should be expected to address a longstanding problem with piano books, but even with the lay-flat binding, the front pages will keep shutting (this is just a peeve of mine, probably doesn't bother most people)."
"I could never really usee those because it was not easy to open and read, since this is a huge work (32 sonatas make a gross volume very impractical)."
"Easy to read, no mistakes that i can hear."
"Excellent urtext edition of this wonderful works."
"The famous musicologist Heinrich Schenker is known for his extreme attention to detail, including, for example, the directions of the stems (which other Urtext editions are not)."
"I love playing this and trying to sightread some of the movements."
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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 Prokofiev

Sarcasms, Visions Fugitives and Other Short Works for Piano (Dover Music for Piano)
"Above all," notes Grove's , "his music shows a professional care for the performer, never reaching beyond the practicable limits of execution." Pianists will welcome this excellent new compilation of pieces composed between 1907 and 1922 — the great formative years of Prokofiev's unique approach to keyboard writing — from his highly original Diabolical suggestion and the dramatic, capricious Sarcasms to the very popular March and Scherzo transcribed by the composer from his opera The love for three organs . Prokofiev was a prolific composer, his works include numerous operas, ballets, and symphonies.
Reviews
"The print is easy on the eyes (and I have 64 year old eyes)."
"Love the music but the print is a little small."
"Excellent value for money."
"i n t e r e s t i n g t e x t u r e s a n d m e l o di e s."
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Best Early Romantic

Complete Preludes, Nocturnes & Waltzes: 26 Preludes, 21 Nocturnes, 19 Waltzes for Piano (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics)
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
"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."
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Best Orchestra

Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music!
Eye-catching illustrations and an accompanying 70-minute CD make this an exciting and educational introduction to the world of classical music-from composers and music history to the instruments of the orchestra-for elementary age children (and parents, too! There are interesting and sometimes humorous bits of information about the men, their music, and corresponding historical events. An accompanying CD provides musical selections for readers to listen to at specific places in the text.
Reviews
"I love this book."
"What a wonderful tool for teaching a child music appreciation."
"The writing level is difficult for some of my upper elementary students, but with connected classroom teaching the terms used are useful."
"I bought this book for my elementary students (Pre-K- 6th grade), and there are not enough pictures and the words are not big enough for them to really enjoy the book."
"I bought this for my 11 year old daughter after hearing how much she enjoyed stories shared during her music class."
"There was no CD in the sealed plastic!"
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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 Piano Concertos

Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in Full Score
Just as Serge Rachmaninoff's piano virtuosity ranked him among the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, his compositions for piano and orchestra won him an important position among modern composers. 1 in the years 1890–91, while he was still a young student at the Moscow Conservatory, and revised it nearly three decades later in 1917, when he began to devote his life mainly to his international career as a piano virtuoso.
Reviews
"Regarding those who say that the type is too small to allow pianists to learn their parts from this version of the score: fine, get a 2-piano version for your technical mastery of the music, BUT get this too if you want to be a real musician when learning this music."
"Love Dover Publications."
"Rachmaninoff is one of the truly great romantic composers, and I have purchased all of the scores for enjoyment."
"A must have for fans of the Rachmaninoff piano concertos... cheap in price while well printed and bound - it's a great addition to any music library collection!"
"His writing this while still a student in the Moscow conservatory is just a preview of what a notable pianist and composer he would become."
"The score of the First Concerto is basically the revised version, except there are occasional passages where the piano writing is something other than what you will find in any two-piano score."
"Structurally, it seems to be identical to the revised version, but much of the piano figuration (I'm unsure about the orchestral part) is based on the original version."
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Best Popular

All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release (9/22/13)
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work. *Starred Review* This hefty gem of a book catalogs every recording released by the Beatles, in chronological order of album release. They know their stuff (Guesdon is a musician; Margotin, a music critic), and it shows—especially in the Production and Technical Details sections, where the type of equipment is named and described, recording speeds are discussed, and there is much talk of the number of takes each song required and why.
Reviews
"book takes the "greatest bits of info" from the Lewisohn, Babiuk, Ryan/Kehew books, as well as previously published interviews by the Beatles and associates, recording anomalies (readily available on several internet sites) and puts them together under one cover (primary songwriter, instrument/vocal credit, dates/mixing/studio location and personnel, specific instruments used, the Anthology series audio material and additional background info). You will not see photos of the EMI recording boxes nor photos of every single instrument used, however there is certainly enough visual material to make the book a valuable tool covering the studio career of the Beatles."
"This is the book for it!"
"I received this great book for Christmas.....wow....exactly what I wanted."
"I was amazed how many instruments George Martin played on some later albums."
"Beatles 4 ever!"
"Bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad and he’s obsessed!"
"Loved it all, the pictures, instruments used on each song, the history and background."
"If you fell in love with the print version, as I did, but were waiting for the Kindle version so you wouldn't have to lug around that giant physical book be warned that the Kindle version has NONE of the great photos found in the print version."
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Best Violin Concertos

Concerto - Corrected Revised Version: Violin and Piano Reduction
Corrected, revised edition, incorporating newly discovered details from Barber's personal conducting copy.
Reviews
"In my opinion, the Barber Violin Concerto is on a level of its own."
"I am running into some issues when comparing this 2014 version with my teachers 1949 issue--which is to be expected."
"The revised (2014) edition has smaller prints, compare with the old (1949) edition, and it's harder to read."
"The violin part was missing."
"The 2014 revised version took some liberties with bowings, and most of them don't make sense."
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Best Lieder & Art Songs

All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release (9/22/13)
Every album and every song ever released by the Beatles - from "Please Please Me" (U.S. 1963) to "The Long and Winding Road" (U.S. 1970) - is dissected, discussed, and analyzed by two music historians in this lively, fully illustrated work. *Starred Review* This hefty gem of a book catalogs every recording released by the Beatles, in chronological order of album release. They know their stuff (Guesdon is a musician; Margotin, a music critic), and it shows—especially in the Production and Technical Details sections, where the type of equipment is named and described, recording speeds are discussed, and there is much talk of the number of takes each song required and why.
Reviews
"book takes the "greatest bits of info" from the Lewisohn, Babiuk, Ryan/Kehew books, as well as previously published interviews by the Beatles and associates, recording anomalies (readily available on several internet sites) and puts them together under one cover (primary songwriter, instrument/vocal credit, dates/mixing/studio location and personnel, specific instruments used, the Anthology series audio material and additional background info). You will not see photos of the EMI recording boxes nor photos of every single instrument used, however there is certainly enough visual material to make the book a valuable tool covering the studio career of the Beatles."
"This is the book for it!"
"I received this great book for Christmas.....wow....exactly what I wanted."
"I was amazed how many instruments George Martin played on some later albums."
"Beatles 4 ever!"
"Bought this as a Christmas present for my Dad and he’s obsessed!"
"Loved it all, the pictures, instruments used on each song, the history and background."
"If you fell in love with the print version, as I did, but were waiting for the Kindle version so you wouldn't have to lug around that giant physical book be warned that the Kindle version has NONE of the great photos found in the print version."
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Best Symphonies

Welcome to the Symphony: A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
This charming and interactive picture book with its panel of 19 sound buttons is like a ticket to a concert hall, taking readers on a journey from the exciting first moment when the musicians begin tuning up to the end of the first movement (attention newcomers: don’t clap yet!). Kids will want to match their voices to the A note that tunes the orchestra, dance to the rhythmic passages—and, of course, sing along to da-da-da- daah ! “An ideal way to introduce children to the magic of music—delightful, charming, wonderfully entertaining, beautifully illustrated.” —Gerard Schwarz, Music Director, the All-Star Orchestra. " Welcome to the Symphony [lives] up to the publisher's promise that children will enjoy it . “An ideal way to introduce children to the magic of music—delightful, charming, wonderfully entertaining, beautifully illustrated.”. –Gerard Schwarz, music director, The All-Star Orchestra and music director laureate, Seattle Symphony. (Gerard Schwarz). "A delight for kids of any age! (Terry Kinney). “Lively, beautifully written…a charming way to educate the next generation of concert-goers.”. –Orin O’Brien, double bassist, The New York Philharmonic. (Orin O’Brien). “This beautiful book appeals on so many levels...The charming illustrations and brilliant musical recordings provide the perfect sensory stimuli, while the text illuminates every question a child might have about the experience in the most natural and satisfying way.”. –Dorothy Lawson, artistic director, Ethel String Quartet. (Dorothy Lawson). "An introduction to one of the greatest of all classical works that quite wondrously includes not just words and pictures, but some of the music itself.
Reviews
"It provides great beginner information in a way kids understand and makes it interactive."
"I was surprised by how good the sound is, and that each instrument plays a different part of the piece."
"We read this before bedtime and the music (altho short clips) helps slow her down and lull her to sleep."
"It’s funny and silly with the mice, and also teaches about classical music- and I love that you can then hear what they are explaining with the sound buttons."
"Even though this book is a bit mature for our 2 year old, he loves pressing the buttons and saying the instrument names."
"Wonderful book!"
"I do like the book for my little one."
"Best first music book ever!"
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Best Musicals

Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany
After his acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat (named one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010), Stephen Sondheim returns with the second volume of his collected lyrics, Look, I Made a Hat , giving us another remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of this living legend, and his life’s work. The handsomely designed book, like the first volume, contains illuminating reproductions of pages from the author's beloved legal pads on which he works out rhyme schemes, as well as annotated scripts and pages of musical notations. A” —Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly “While the book technically covers Mr. Sondheim’s output from 1981 to the present, aficionados will delight in all the bits and bobs from early in his career that Mr. Sondheim didn’t make room for in the first volume .
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 Vocal

Hamilton - Vocal Selections
Our collection features 17 selections in piano/vocal format from the music penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including: Alexander Hamilton * Burn * Dear Theodosia * Hurricane * It's Quiet Uptown * My Shot * One Last Time * Satisfied * That Would Be Enough * Washington on Your Side * You'll Be Back * and more.
Reviews
"The songs included are: Alexander Hamilton. My Shot. The Schuyler Sisters. You'll Be Back. Helpless. Satisfied. Wait For It. That Would Be Enough. History Has Its Eyes On You. Dear Theodosia. What'd I Miss. The Room Where It Happens. Washington On Your Side. One Last Time. Hurricane. Burn. It's Quiet Uptown."
"I can't play piano parts from my phone without hunching over and squinting, and I can't play them from a larger screen like a tablet because they're much too blurry. But unless I'm missing something important in how to use Kindle editions of books, DO NOT buy the Kindle version."
"My only complaint is that this collection is missing some really great songs, a few of which are eminently playable as stand-alone pieces."
"Was a Christmas gift for someone who plays piano and has seen Hamilton 3 times already."
"Got this for my wife, who is a huge fan."
"Great book."
"This was purchased as a birthday gift for my grown daughter and she loves it."
"My daughter is obsessed with Hamilton and already had the songs memorized but she LOVES this book."
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Best Concerto

Concerto For Violoncello and Orchestra Op. 22 ( Full Score)
inch....this work is likely to become a standart work very quickly and is to be recommended to all schools where recorder studies are undertaken inch.
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Best Opera

Hamilton - Vocal Selections
Our collection features 17 selections in piano/vocal format from the music penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including: Alexander Hamilton * Burn * Dear Theodosia * Hurricane * It's Quiet Uptown * My Shot * One Last Time * Satisfied * That Would Be Enough * Washington on Your Side * You'll Be Back * and more.
Reviews
"The songs included are: Alexander Hamilton. My Shot. The Schuyler Sisters. You'll Be Back. Helpless. Satisfied. Wait For It. That Would Be Enough. History Has Its Eyes On You. Dear Theodosia. What'd I Miss. The Room Where It Happens. Washington On Your Side. One Last Time. Hurricane. Burn. It's Quiet Uptown."
"I can't play piano parts from my phone without hunching over and squinting, and I can't play them from a larger screen like a tablet because they're much too blurry. But unless I'm missing something important in how to use Kindle editions of books, DO NOT buy the Kindle version."
"My only complaint is that this collection is missing some really great songs, a few of which are eminently playable as stand-alone pieces."
"Was a Christmas gift for someone who plays piano and has seen Hamilton 3 times already."
"Got this for my wife, who is a huge fan."
"Great book."
"This was purchased as a birthday gift for my grown daughter and she loves it."
"My daughter is obsessed with Hamilton and already had the songs memorized but she LOVES this book."
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Best Ballet & Dance

Hog Wild!: A Frenzy of Dance Music
The ever-wonderful Kristen Bell convinces everyone to just “Dance It Out.” Samuel L. Jackson stomps his captivating way through “Tyrannosaurus Funk.” Stanley Tucci is the impossibly frenetic caller of the “Rat Race.” Five for Fighting goes full-on big band era with a stunning slow-build/big-finish “Swing Thing.” And when’s the last time you heard Laura Linney and “Weird Al” Yankovic perform a song together? Here they give you the electronic sci-fi “Robot Dance,” which Mr. Yankovic suddenly turns into (naturally enough) a Broadway tap dance number. Take a child by the hand, put on your sneakers or tap shoes (oh heck, bare feet will do), cue up the CD, and get out there and dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!! Michael Ford, Sandra Boynton’s esteemed collaborator on Philadelphia Chickens and Rhinoceros Tap , is a classically trained composer and pianist, with a long detour in Progressive Rock performance.
Reviews
"We love all the Boynton books and have about every single one."
"Though the songs seem much simpler than other Boynton albums, my kid loves it, and that's what matters most."
"Fun music by a number of artists."
"100% grand-daughter endorsed."
"A truly delightful book/cd."
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Best Requiems & Oratorios

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
"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."
"Item exactly as described; delivery was fast and accurate."
"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."
"Came quickly and a fair price and will use it for Christmas!"
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Best Religious & Church Music

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
"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."
"Item exactly as described; delivery was fast and accurate."
"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."
"Came quickly and a fair price and will use it for Christmas!"
Find Best Price at Amazon