Koncocoo

Best Rimsky

Principles of Orchestration (Dover Books on Music)
This book, therefore, which differs from most other texts on the subject because of its tremendous wealth of musical examples and its systematic arrangement of material according to each constituent of the orchestra, will undoubtedly be of value to any music student. Chapter IV, Composition of the Orchestra, covers different ways of orchestrating the same music; effects that can be achieved with full tutti; tutti in winds, tutti pizzicato, soli in the strings, etc. Immediately following this text are some 330 pages of musical examples drawn from "Sheherazade," the "Antar Symphony," "Capriccio Espagnol," "Sadko," "Ivan the Terrible," "Le Coq d'Or," "Mlada," "The Tsar's Bride," and others of Rimsky-Korsakov's works.
Reviews
"Just started reading it, but was just what I was looking for."
"Explanations of how to orchestrate various groups of musical instruments to create beautiful sounding symphonic arrangements."
"This book is a great and to the point orchestration course book."
"The three stars is only for the "free" Kindle version."
"I don't have any background in music and never studied it but what the author writes here is clear an understandable."
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Capriccio Espagnol and Other Concert Favorites in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Full of atmospheric suggestion and luminous tone-painting, Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestration appears at its very best in the descriptive passages of these three concert favorites: Capriccio Espagnol, Op.
Reviews
"I have heard this piece many times and I now have the music to follow and study."
"Rimsky Korsakov is one of the greatest composers of Western music, but to many, just his orchestration knowledge is enough to study for a lifetime."
"Besides Capriccio Espagnol, opus 34 (1887), this volume contains the two following works of Rimsky-Korsakov: Dance of the Buffoons from Act III of the opera Snow Maiden (Snegurochka, 1887-82); and the overture Russian Easter, opus 36 (1888)."
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Principles of Orchestration
For example, a C major chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G. If the notes are held out the entire duration of a measure, the composer or orchestrator will have to decide what instrument’s play this chord and in what register. If the C major chord was orchestrated for the trumpets and trombones playing fortissimo in their upper registers, it would sound very bright; But if the same chord was orchestrated for the celli and string basses playing sul tasto, doubled by the bassoons and bass clarinet, it might sound heavy and dark.
Reviews
"Just started reading it, but was just what I was looking for."
"Explanations of how to orchestrate various groups of musical instruments to create beautiful sounding symphonic arrangements."
"This book is a great and to the point orchestration course book."
"The three stars is only for the "free" Kindle version."
"I don't have any background in music and never studied it but what the author writes here is clear an understandable."
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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 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 Liszt

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

The Rite of Spring in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Now music lovers can enjoy every note of this brilliant and stirring landmark of twentieth-century music, faithfully reproduced in this inexpensive, high-quality edition — ideal for study and for following both live and recorded performances. The leading composer of his day, Igor Stravinsky experimented with virtually every technique of 20th century music.
Reviews
"This is one of the greatest masterpieces ever written."
"As a composition student, studying this score in particular has given me a lot of inspiration."
"Study score is clean and accurate."
"What a beautiful piece of music."
"Its so nice to see how my timpani part fits in with everything else."
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Best Tchaikovsky

The Nutcracker: Complete Ballet in Full Score (Dover Music Scores)
Musicians will rejoice that previously difficult-to-find favorites like Waltz of the Snowflakes and Spanish Dance (Chocolate) are now available, along with the rest of this beloved score, in an affordable, single-volume edition.
Reviews
"Orchestration and performance introductory notes in Russian, German, and English, with Russian and French notations (in addition to the usual Italian notations) on the score itself, plus occasional English margin translations. 2) Inconsistency: The French score section headings are translated into English and placed on the bottom margin, whereas the Russian score note translations are put into the introductory section before the score."
"At this price, how wonderful to have the complete ballet score with the original performance notes right there on the staves."
"Wonderful tool for the upcoming staging of our show."
"The pages are a normal 9 x 12 (or so) but the book is about 2 inches thick and for a score with only 90 minutes of music that's unusual (I know, that was trivial factoid)."
""), and now I can look at the score with full appreciation, with more than one exclamation of "So THAT'S how he did it!""
"Good quality printing, affordable pricing."
"I looked around my orchestra's music library, and was disappointed that they had scores of the suites, but not the complete ballet score."
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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 Bizet

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

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

Complete Shorter Works for Solo Piano (Dover Music for Piano)
The entire corpus of Brahms's short piano pieces is contained in this volume: the delightful and familiar Waltzes; the effective Scherzo in E-flat Minor; the satisfying Eight Pieces; the two Rhapsodies; the Fantasies — among the most perfectly finished works Brahms ever wrote — the three Intermezzi; the Intermezzi, Ballade, and Romance comprising Six Pieces; and the superlative Intermezzi and Rhapsody that make up the final Four Pieces. German composer Johannes Brahms (1833–97) was a leading musician of the Romantic period and a virtuoso pianist who premiered many of his own works.
Reviews
"This is by far my favorite edition."
"I bought this when I needed multiple editions of Brahms' Op 118 for teaching/ comparison purposes."
"This book has just the pieces in it that I wanted."
"A great collection of shorter works."
"I have quite a few Dover edition books and never encountered this problem - on a quite a few pages, the bottom of two pages were connected together so one would have to manually cut the pages apart."
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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 Grieg

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

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

Antonin Dvorak Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9, New World, in Full Score
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
"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."
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Best Franck

A Treasury of Organ Music for Manuals Only: 46 Works by Bach, Mozart, Franck, Saint-Saëns and Others (Dover Music for Organ)
"; 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
"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."
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Best Chopin

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 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 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 Gilbert

The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan: 20th Anniversary Edition
It also features a completely new introduction, reflecting on the state of Gilbert and Sullivan nearly 150 years after the pair began their legendary collaboration, and new annotations addressing recent performance history, newly discovered 'lost' songs and dialogue, and, for the first time, Gilbert and Sullivan references in contemporary popular culture. Born and brought up in the south of England, Ian Bradley has lived for the last 30 years in St Andrews, Scotland where he is currently Principal of St Mary's College, the Divinity School of the University.
Reviews
"The annotations on facing pages bring the librettos to life!"
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Best Vivaldi

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

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

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

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