Ballades: Piano Solo (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) Review

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(More customer reviews)This edition of Chopin's Ballades is great. Notes are printed clearly. Fingerings are not confusing. Ballades are quite difficult so this book is suitable for late-intermediate to advanced pianists.

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Product Description:
In this edition, Palmer provides fingering and offers suggestions for the performance of ornaments and other markings as revealed through the study of original sources. The introductory material includes a helpful discussion of ornamentation in Chopin's music.--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Mozart 21 of His Most Popular Pieces: Alfred Masterwork Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)The Alfred Masterworks Editions are my favorite piano music books. I've been playing the piano for about 20 years, and these are the best series of books I've used. They have very good, clear notations, the arrangements are really well presented and put together, the fingering recommendations are the best I've seen (with the little numbers by the notes), and the biographical information and performance recommendations are a nice touch.

I only wish they had more books in the series.

This Mozart book is a good starter for someone who hasn't played Mozart before, and is looking to get better acquainted with his music.

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Product Description:
Some of Mozart's most popular works are contained in this volume, including the "Fantasia in D Minor," the "Sonata in C Major" (first movement) and the "Turkish March" from the Sonata in A Major. Other selections include intermediate-level transcriptions from operas and orchestral works. Arranged in the order of difficulty, each piece is prefaced by a short description. A biographical sketch of the composer is also provided.

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Complete Ballades, Impromptus and Sonatas Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book. I have used it on numerous occasions and can give no more than an absolute satisfactory report. Often, publishers write incorrect fingering and/or dynamics, and this book appears to have notsubdued to that level. The publishers obviously knew what Chopin wanted anddelivered just that instead of placing marks they thought were appropriate.

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Edited by Chopin's student and teaching assistant Carl Mikuli, this edition includes highly authoritative versions of these favorite pieces: Ballades-No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23; No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38; No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47; No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Impromptus-No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 29; No. 2 in F-sharp Major, Op. 36; No. 3 in G-flat Major, Op. 51; No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66 (Fantaisie-Impromptu) Sonatas-No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 4; No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35; No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58 New compilation of scores originally published by G. Schirmer, New York, 1894-1895.

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Sonatas, Vol. 1: Nos. 1-15 (Urtext Edition, for Piano) Review

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(More customer reviews)In a snobby music world, where editions like Durand and Henle are too quickly deemed top dog, it's very nice to be able to find an edition like this one for so cheap.It's the urtext, so one has a lot more confidence in this edition than say, the Schirmer edition.(NEVER buy a Beethoven Schirmer if you ever want to play REAL Beethoven!)
Beethoven is always a joy, and the top sonata in this volume is the Pastorale, of course!Get volume 2 if you want to enjoy op. 78 (a favorite) and the Waldstein.

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A collection of advanced piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven, urtext edition.

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Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Amadeus) Review

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(More customer reviews)Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, along with the two books of Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, form the summit of the pianist's art.These are works that all pianists must confront and, to a greater or lesser extent, master.The greatest pianists, the true artists, indelibly stamp these works with their own personalities and performances.The rest of us struggle to learn them well enough not to embarrass ourselves in front of others and, even more importantly, to satisfy our own inner drives to make music and to make this glorious music our own.Robert Taub's book, "Playing the Beethoven Sonatas," is a welcome addition to those books that seek to enlighten other pianists--both professional and dedicated amateur--on how best to perform these superb but very difficult compositions.
It may be useful to point out initially what this book is not:It is not a musicological analyses of the Beethoven sonatas.It is not a Beethoven biography, although Taub does not hesitate to use events from the Master's life to illustrate his performance suggestions.It's not a collection of "war stories," or inspiring anecdotes for struggling pianists or harried piano teachers.It's not Taub's memoirs.And it is not a substitute for Charles Rosen's masterpiece, Beethoven`s Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion.Indeed, as another reviewer has noted, Taub is best seen as complementary to Rosen.As I've noted in other reviews, I consider Rosen to be one of America's true public intellectuals; his vast erudition and wit grace every page he writes.But these same qualities sometimes obscure the point he makes; they often overwhelm the dedicated amateur pianist who's seeking a quick solution to a phrasing or fingering problem.Taub, on the other hand, writes not only with precision and clarity; he writes for the working pianist.While it is incorrect to call this work a textbook, Taub's careful, precise, measure-by-measure suggestions as to touch, pedaling, dynamics, tempi, fingerings, and tone come close to being just that.What separates this work from the mere textbook is the very personal nature of Taub's suggestions.It is obvious he has lived with the Beethoven sonatas for most of his life, struggling over decades to discover and lay bare their inner meaning.In this work, he makes the reader privy to that struggle.
And what a struggle it is!Beethoven is notorious in his disdain for the technical difficulties his sonatas present to amateur and professional alike.I have three different editions of the Beethoven sonatas from which I perform: an urtext edition, the Artur Schnabel edition, and the Bulow edition published by Schirmer.In many places, these editions can only agree to disagree, even as to the fundamentals.The value of Taub's book is that, for a fraction of the price of conservatory training, the aspiring pianist (and here I include myself) may find out how one of the greatest living Beethoven interpreters goes about his work.Where is the pianist who would not find such help invaluable?
Other reviewers have commented on the structure of this book; there's no need to repeat that information here.Taub is scrupulous in his reverence for the printed text, insofar as he can determine what the authoritative text is.Among the most useful features of this work is Taub's careful edition-by-edition analysis of problematic passages in Beethoven's sonatas.The author usually provides a satisfactory resolution of the textual problem he highlights, in the process imparting valuable information not only as to correct performance practices, but also giving advice as to how the reader might resolve other textual conflicts she might encounter.
In the last analysis, it is Taub's reverence for the text, his scrupulous attention to the tiniest detail, that makes this book so valuable.By this, I mean the difference between telling a pianist to play a passage with feeling, and showing the pianist how she may best articulate and communicate the deep feelings that Beethoven's music inevitably engenders.An example:the opening chord of the Pathetique Sonata, Op. 13 in Cm, is marked "fp."How to play it? Taub tells exactly how to do so.His solution involves touch, pedaling, sensitivity to dynamics, and careful listening; he tells you exactly how to apply these tools to achieve the desired result.And his explanations are clear and precise, easily understood by anyone with score in hand and a piano at the ready.Here it is obvious that Taub has not only had quality instruction, he himself is a master pedagogue.
Which leads me to my last observations:First, this book isn't bedtime or casual reading.You need to have a good, reliable edition of the Beethoven sonatas at hand, or at least the sonata(s) on which you are working.It's helpful if the edition is numbered by measure; otherwise, take the time to number each measure in your score.You will save yourself a lot of frustration.Second, your work with this book will be more rewarding if you have access to a piano that is capable of replicating the full panoply of effects Beethoven's sonatas demand--in other words, it works best with a good grand piano.Consoles or (shudder!) spinets or (double shudder!!) electronic keyboards just won't cut it.If you're talented enough to play Beethoven sonatas, make your experience more rewarding and play them on a quality piano.
Amazon's rating system only goes to five stars.This book deserves unlimited stars--the diligent pianist will find a lifetime of help in this book.Robert Taub is to be commended for producing such a fine volume, and for his unselfishness in sharing his formidable talent and considerable investment of time and energy with all of those desiring to climb the summit of the pianist's art.Bravissimo!

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Acclaimed pianist Robert Taub offers the insights of a passionate musician who performs all 32 of Beethoven's well-loved piano sonatas in concert worldwide, bringing a "fresh perspective on Beethoven," as the New York Times put it. In this book, he shares his intimate understanding of these works with listeners and players alike.

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Complete Sonatas for Pianoforte Solo Review

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(More customer reviews)Many piano scores are visually cluttered, possibly to save space and printing costs.They are printed on rubbishy paper and are a great dampener on wanting to spend the time necessary to master a piece. Some are socompressed that they have the ambience of an El Greco painting. Not so the Dover editions of piano music! They are nicely spaced and showcrisp, black notes on quality, firm paper. They are aesthetically excellentand makes one feel relaxed to practice the works. The Dover CompleteSchubert Pianoforte Sonatas contains the great D major work, the hauntinglybeautiful second movement of which was used in that fine Frenchfilm,"Tous Les Matins du Monde", starring Gerard Depardieu. Thissonata seems to be missing in some of the other so-called"complete" sets. Also, it is great to have all the sonatas in onevolume,as in the Dover edition. In sum, a most satisfying,usefulcontribution to the making of Schubert's piano sonatas better known topianists,as they so deserve.

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This affordable edition includes all 15 of Schubert's sonatas, reprinted from the authoritative and extremely expensive Breitkopf & Härtel edition.

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Le Tombeau de Couperin and Other Works for Solo Piano Review

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(More customer reviews)This book contains a great selection of pieces at a more than resonable price. I bought it as a set with Piano Masterpieces of Maurice Ravel also by Dover. (I saw another edition of Ma Mere l'Oye *on it's own* was more than what I paid for this whole book!)Dover editions I have found in the past have great quality.The pages are sewn in so the book will last a lifetime without pages falling or ripping out.
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.It opens with the table of contents and after that it has a complete glossyry of french terms and text used in the music!This I found was quite impressive. Even Dover's other Ravel book doesn't do this.Some of the terms sound enough like English words or Italian musical terms for you to figure it out but it's really great that they gave you it there for you to know for certain.Following that are translations of the wonderful quotes of fairy tales from La Mere and other text that appears in the book.
Before each multi-movement piece it receives it's own cover page followed by an introduction to the piece written by Ronald Herder citing Orenstein's book Ravel: Man and Musician as a primary source.It is really nice to learn a little about the piece before playing it and it's a wonderful inclusion.The music appears to be in chronological order with the three 1913 pieces grouped together under a single cover sheet (sans any introduction).The title piece is well deserving of it as it is a large section of the book with it's 7 movements.The book concludes with Ravel's transcription of La Valse.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.Instruments are named in french and can be translated via the glossary at the front of the book.
The only problem anyone might have with this book is that there are no noted fingerings as far as I've seen.I don't rely on them much myself but I know other people prefer them.If that is an issue, consider still getting this book and consulting someone on parts where you are unsure of the best fingering.Otherwise this is the perfect set!

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Essential pieces for intermediate and advanced pianists, reproduced from authoritative French scores. This superb compilation contains Ma mère l'oye [Mother Goose], Valse nobles et sentimentales, Le tombeau de Couperin: Suite pour piano, and La Valse as well as three shorter pieces: Prèlude, A la manière de Borodin (Valse) and A la manière de Emmanuel Chabrier.

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Complete Sonatas and Fantasies for Solo Piano Review

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(More customer reviews)Pianists beware: the sonatas/fantasies in this book are reprints of the old Breitkopf & Härtel edition, which is not a very "faithful" or "authentic" printing of Mozart's works.Certain markings, like long phrase slurs and use of the word legato, arevery un-Mozartean: they are clearly the work of the editor. Other edits,like appogiaturas written as regular notation, and certain post-trillornaments, may also cause concern among Mozart purists.
Despite thesealterations, this edition -- like all other Dover piano books -- isexcellent for playing. Once you open out the pages and press them intoplace, they won't drift back. The notation is printed clearly; the onlysonata with readability issues is the 9th in D major. The inclusion of two"new" Sonatas (which did not appear in older editions) is aninteresting surprise, but not necessarily a good or bad one.
If youreally can't stand to see Wolfgang's work altered by editors, then avoidthis book and buy an Urtext edition instead. If, on the other hand, yousimply want to play some melodious, intermediate piano music, then go aheadand buy this book -- it's the cheapest one out there. However, you would bewell advised to check out an urtext version just to see where the editingchanges are.

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Authoritative, inexpensive volume contains all 19 sonatas and 4 fantasies, ranging from the relatively easy Sonata in C Major, K. 545 to the profoundly moving Fantasy in D Minor, K. 397. Reprinted from the reliable Breitkopf & Härtel's Complete Works. Indispensable for serious pianists at all levels.

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Moonlight Sonata Opus 27, No. 2(Complete Edition) (A Belwin Classic Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is sheet music.What can you say?It is complete and the printing large enough to read easily and make your own notations.Includes a one-page bio of Beethoven plus background on the piece.If you are considering this one, you might want to get the Arthur Schnabel version.It is essentially the same (same publisher) but with Schnabel's notations, which you can always ignore if you don't like.

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Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata Op. 27, No. 2 is among the most popular andmost frequently performed compositions by any great composer. Reflectingthe depth of Beethoven's musical power, the Moonlight Sonata is one of thebest-loved sonatas Beethoven ever composed. In this Belwin Classic Libraryedition, each page of the music is spaciously laid out, meticulous anduncluttered, with clear, clean engraving. All three movements are included: I. Adagio sostenuto, II. Allegretto, and III. Presto agitato.

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Ludwig Van Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1 (Nos. 1-15) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an excellent value! For only about 10 bucks you receive over 350 pages of music in a high quality book.It opens flat, and doesn't fall off the piano while you're using it.The binding has not cracked or split,and shows no signs of doing so.I would pay twice as much as I did forthis book.

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Volume 1 of authoritative Schenker edition includes Op. 2, Nos. 1-3; Op. 7; Op. 10, Nos. 1-3; Op. 13; Op. 14, Nos. 1-2; Op. 22; Op. 26; Op. 27, Nos. 1-2; Op. 28.

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