Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 (""Pathetique"") (Kalmus Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Purchasing this book was a waste of money. Any decent bookseller should simply refuse to sell this book: printing quality is terrible, it looks like some original was scanned in low resolution. Apart from the too poor printing quality, the distribution of the bars and notes over the width of the pages is sometimes changing by the bar, completely illogical and unmusical and close to impossible to follow while listening to the music.
With only half a centimeter larger and wider, and just 1 mm in thickness, the slightly more expensive Eulenburg edition is a pleasure to work with, and is thus highly recommended to everyone who might even dare to consider buying this dreadful Dover edition.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 (Pathetique) (Kalmus Edition)

Product Description:
From the Complete Works, Russian Edition, reprinted as a full-size score.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 (Pathetique) (Kalmus Edition) now ?

Symphony No. 9 In Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The score print is too small for my 71 yr. old eyes.In contrast to other Dover scores that I have, I need a magnifying glass to read this.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphony No. 9 In Full Score

Product Description:
This landmark of 20th-century symphonic writing, one of Mahler's most popular and admired works, is notable for innovation, poetic drama and the fresh and formidable thinking Mahler brought to its composition. The full orchestral score is reprinted here from authoritative Universal-Edition, Vienna, 1912. New glossary of German terms.

Get 22% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphony No. 9 In Full Score now ?

Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While Dover's many scores represent an amazing value across the musical repertoire, their collection and reprint of the Litolff Edition of the Beethoven Symphonies was a mistake. For the casual buyer they are workable, but not for serious use in performance, as they are riddled with editorial mistakes and problems. Purchaser would be better advised to find a set of the miniature (octavo-sized) Bärenreiter critical scores. They are bound just as nicely and the paper is of excellent quality. I use the full-size Bärenreiter set when I conduct my orchestra.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Full Score

Product Description:
Superb authoritative German editions (Henry Litolff's Verlag) of Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21; Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36; Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major ("Eroica"), Op. 55; and Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60. Finest inexpensive full-score editions. Lists of instruments.

Get 32% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Full Score now ?

Symphony No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 27, in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The full score of Rachmaninoff's most popular symphony is a wonderful bargain at Dover's price.(The competing version by Boosey & Hawkes is more than twice as expensive, and hard to find outside of music stores, unlike the popular Dover series.)A problem: a production error resulted in the reprinting of the music on page 73 on page 78; the solution, photocopy page 110 (whose 8 bars are identical to the missing page) and paste it over page 78.Dover has been alerted by me about this error, but apparently errant copies are still in circulation.Also, be alerted that many recordings of this symphony make significant cuts in the music, especially in the outer movements, so be alert if you are using this to follow a recording!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphony No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 27, in Full Score

Product Description:
One of the greatest figures of late Russian Romanticism, Rachmaninoff exhibited his mature style in this work, written during 1906-7 and first performed at the Leeds Festival in 1910, where it was conducted by the composer himself. Admired for its fully developed melodic style and and the lavish and imaginative use of the orchestra (particularly in the scherzo). Reproduced from an authoritative source.

Get 25% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphony No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 27, in Full Score now ?

Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Being a Mahler lover, composer, timpanist, and conductor, I constantly pour through recordings and scores of his works.This edition, while a fine orchestral score, is full of errors which Mahler later corrected.While the musical ideas and feeling of the works here are present, there are some details which differ from newer editions.Do not be fooled; every note these scores contain are Mahlers own. But these are first-edition, first performance scores.Mahler was notorious--conductor that he was--for editing and revising his works after premieres.I have looked at other scores, later, more difinitive scores, which show errors, and some are quite audiable in recordings.But for any young conductor to get a flavor for the structure of these works, the Dover edition is the most practical and cost effective score to buy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 in Full Score

Product Description:
In these two works, Mahler moved beyond his song-oriented earlier works to take up the challenges of the purely instrumental symphony. The result was two of his most emotionally compelling, most often performed symphonic works. Both are reprinted here from authoritative full-score editions.

Get 34% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 in Full Score now ?

Complete Symphonies in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I Wanted to have a Schumann symphony score. I love the theme of the first movement of the 3rd symphony. I like to hear it on a piano my be someday i will make a transcription for the piano.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Complete Symphonies in Full Score

Product Description:
No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38 ("Spring"); No. 2 in C Major, Op. 61; No. 3 in E Flat Major, Op. 97 ("Rhenish"); and No. 4 in D Minor, Op. 120. Breitkopf & Härtel editions. Study score.

Get 27% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Complete Symphonies in Full Score now ?

Later Symphonies (Nos. 35-41) in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a musicology student on a budget, I've acquired quite a few Dover scores over the last years. They may be slightly antiquated in many cases, but there's simply no one who can match their prices.

This edition is from Breitkopf & Härtel's late 19th century edition of Mozart's complete works, which means that a lot of the archaic notation practices that existed in Mozart's time have been updated, allowing for a very easy to read product (The only C clef in use is in the viola). The font used is a bit heavy for my tastes, but by no means difficult to read. The print is of top notch quality; Dover Publication can be a little hit and miss when it comes to this, but this book has no notable printing flaws. The paper is of a high enough quality to withstand heavy handed rubber use.

The only minus I can think of right away is that there are no numbered bars, and that the instrumental organization of a movement is only mentioned on the first page of the movement; you have to keep track yourself after that. The first point is slightly annoying, the second one I don't really care about. These two points combined, however, force me to remove one star. Of course, this doesn't mean that it's not a top notch product in it's own right, or that there are better options out there, but there are some minor points that could have been improved without much work.

Since the instruments are only spelled out at the first page of a movement, this means that you won't get a reduced score; all instruments are written out all the time, even if they don't play anything. This makes the book slightly longer, but in my opinion, it actually makes the score a bit easier to read. Besides, it makes sure that you always have plenty of free space to write on, as opposed to some reduced scores that tends to get very cramped (you can find a couple of exceptions: pages where three separate lines of music have been added rather than two. You can probably count the instances of this on your fingers, though). A big point for anyone interested in analysis.

Bottom line: For this price, there's no better edition. It's a shame that Dover didn't take some few measures to improve it, because my fifth star could have been had for a very small price...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Later Symphonies (Nos. 35-41) in Full Score

Product Description:
This affordable collection includes Mozart's seven final symphonies (Nos. 35-41) including the great composer's greatest orchestral work-the last 3 symphonies. Reprinted from the authoritative and acclaimed Breitkopf & Härtel edition.

Get 32% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Later Symphonies (Nos. 35-41) in Full Score now ?

Sibelius Orchestral Works: An Owner's Manual (Unlocking the Masters) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I call the book Gigantic, I'm not referring to its physical size, which is quite modest.I'm talking about its intent and accomplishment.

Writing about classical music is difficult.Much of the terminology is unfamiliar to most readers, and there's always the temptation to go in one of two unwelcome directions: either over-popularizing the subject or being dry and academic.The effective path lies along a fine line between those two extremes, and David Hurwitz walks that line beautifully.I'm so impressed by this treatise on Sibelius that I'm going to immediately start collecting the rest of his similar books on Dvorak, Mahler, Haydn, and anybody else he's covered that I don't know about yet.

Although the market for a book like this one must be incredibly narrow, Mr. Hurwitz has waxed expansive and entertaining.His insights into the composition techniques employed by the Finnish master are unparalleled.The illustrative samples on the two included CDs are both wisely chosen and luminously recorded-- bravo!

I should probably explain that I consider myself somewhat of an expert on Sibelius and his music, having studied both the composer and his output for well more than fifty years.David Hurwitz, who is considerably younger than I am, has nevertheless studied these subject even more deeply than I have, and his analyses and evaluations ring absolutely true.From now on, when people ask me about Sibelius, I will quote Hurwitz rather than myself!

For anyone familiar with the jargon of classical music essays and with an interest in the subject, this book is a godsend.I had high expectations for it, and it exceeded them.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sibelius Orchestral Works: An Owner's Manual (Unlocking the Masters)

Product Description:
Jean Sibelius was not only Finland's greatest composer, he was one of the most distinctive and appealing musical voices in the first half of the 20th century, especially renowned for his characterful handling of the romantic symphony orchestra. His example has led directly to an unprecedented cultural flowering in his homeland, making this small country of 5 million people a powerhouse in the world of classical music composition and performance. Sibelius The Orchestral Works - An Owner's Manual considers over 80 individual orchestral pieces, from songs and choruses to symphonies, tone poems, overtures, and theatrical music. Along the way, readers are invited to identify and enjoy the fascinating mix of elements that make up Sibelius's colorful personal idiom. Two CDs accompanying the text offer not only a rich selection of music by Sibelius, including two complete symphonies and two of his most popular tone poems, but also a representative selection of the best Finnish music by his contemporaries and successors. This approach offers a unique opportunity: to hear Sibelius in context and gain an understanding of exactly what distinguishes him from his contemporaries, how he influenced later generations, and how it was that he came to be viewed as the musical spokesperson of an entire nation.

Get 15% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Sibelius Orchestral Works: An Owner's Manual (Unlocking the Masters) now ?

Symphony No. 9 (Dover Miniature Scores) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Dover scores have been invaluable to me as an adult.I believe the cheap, large versions of complete operas and symphonies, chamber music and solo instrumentals, began to show up around 1981.I say this only because I bought every one that came along, with rare exception, and loved the fact that at last I had something akin to what the conductor would look at, not a partitur that was 5 X 8.I would say that by 1985 I owned between 80 and 100 Dovers. All were large and take up a lot of shelf space.But they are clearly legible without glasses for me.

The "small size" has now been revisited upon us.It seems that with the Mahler Symphonies all have been reissued in a "single size" packaging.As far as I'm concerned, it's nice to have a cheap well made score, but the smaller size now makes the several I've bought almost impossible to read.The ninth requires high powered reading glasses as does the third.These are the two "new" ones that I have.The rest of the Mahler's are from the old, large Dover plates.While they may not be perfectly accurate in terms of up to the minute performance practices, their visual convenience trumps the small print of the newer more accurate (I hope!) editions.Worth having if you can't get anything larger, but better to go to a used book store and buy the larger scores if they're still available. If you can't do that, at least don't strain your eyes!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphony No. 9 (Dover Miniature Scores)

Product Description:
One of Mahler's most popular works, a masterpiece of symphonic writing. The composer brought fresh and formidable thinking to the entire structure of this innovative four-part symphony, shaping each movement into the intensely personal narrative his art had become. Reprinted from the authoritative Universal-Edition, complete with bar-numbered movements for easy reference.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphony No. 9 (Dover Miniature Scores) now ?

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The score is free of any errors and is VERY easy to read.Large binding for PIT's three greatest symphonies.Highly reccomended for classroom study, personal study, and professional use.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in Full Score

Product Description:
Complete orchestral score of Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36; Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64; Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, "Pathetique," Op. 74. Study score. Breitkopf & Härtel editions.

Get 34% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Symphonies in Full Score now ?

Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 in Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't what gremlin invaded the printing plant, but the first signature is overinked or overprinted in such a way that pages appear almost transparent, so that runs of eighth notes on a verso appear on the recto and vice versa. It's only the first sig, so you get used to it, but it's a serious defect and presumably would make for some tough orchestral harmonies if you actually had to play it this way.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 in Full Score

Product Description:
"It is hard to think of any music in which the composer is more spontaneous and masterful, and uncompromising in his thought."--Olin Downes, Thompson's International Cyclopedia.These revolutionary works brought a strikingly organic--almost architectural--unity to the symphony that music historians recognized as being far in advance of anything in the classical masters. Planted with seeds of change already evident in the beautiful, dark third symphony, the fourth symphony presented the most individual work in this form that the twentieth century had yet witnessed. Harmonically new, boldly innovative, and structured on a subtle continuity of line, this was a kind of music previously unheard in the concert hall. Austere and intensely concentrated, Sibelius's symphonies of 1907 and 1911 are frequently performed around the world by major orchestras.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 in Full Score now ?

Symphony No. 8 In Full Score Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the complete unabridged score for full orchestra, choirs and soloists. Presented in 256 pages with accompanying text and translation, glossary, and instruments and voices, this would be the conductor's copy.

The opening organ chord fills the air with such tremendous expectancy that one senses that this is a piece of music quite unlike any other. As the music unfolds and the choir make their entrance into the foray, I am suddenly conscious in a way I have never noticed before, as if I'm about to embark on a journey into unknown and unfamiliar regions of my mind. The first movement appears to describe death of the glorious kind, and for those twenty six minutes I am transported to a world that would embrace the very nature of Heavenly arrival.

Following the score while listening to the actual sound, and one is liable to get lost in the technicalities, especially since the choirs are not always singing the same thing at the same time. Sometimes they sing words and phrases that are unexpected. Best to forget the manuscript and just listen to the music. It is, after all, what Mahler would have wanted.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Symphony No. 8 In Full Score

Product Description:
Superb authoritative edition of massive, complex "Symphony of a Thousand." Powerful synthesis of motet, dramatic cantata, oratorio, song cycle and symphony, scored for an ensemble of orchestra, eight solo voices, a double chorus, a boys' choir and organ. Unabridged republication of the edition published by Izdatel'stvo "Muzyka," Moscow, 1976. Translation of texts. Glossary.

Get 32% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Symphony No. 8 In Full Score now ?

Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1-5 Transcribed for Solo Piano Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this book as a result of listening to the performance of it on CD. I have always enjoyed listening to Beethoven, and his symphonies have retained a place on my shelves for years. However, being a pianist, I never had a chance to actually play them. The way Liszt transcribed Beethoven's works onto piano is astounding, as he writes in a very natural way. There are, of course, some details of certain harmonies left out, but the overall impression remains remarkably similar. I look forward to being able to purchase the next book of the series when it is released.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1-5 Transcribed for Solo Piano

Product Description:
Memorable tribute from one musical genius to another, reproduced from authoritative editions, reveals Liszt's remarkable capacity for translating orchestral effects into pianistic terms. An astonishing, brilliant and sensitive tribute to the master by the 19th-century's greatest piano virtuoso.

Get 22% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 1-5 Transcribed for Solo Piano now ?

Unlocking the Masters Series: Beethoven Symphonies Book/CD (Softcover) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I picked this book up on a whim. I've always loved Beethoven's music,but the symphonies, in my opinion, stand out as the greatest of all. This book puts each one of them in its historical and artistic context, allowing you to understand what his music meant to the people of Beethoven's time as well as our own,Young is an amazing writer, as he explains things in a colorful and exceptionally vivid way that does not require any technical knowledge of music (which is totally unlike Charles Rosen's books on classical music, which I plowed through, but which I found way too technical, labored, and turgid). His analyses of the symphonies are really very cogent and easily understandable, but also sharp and intelligent. He doesn't talk down to the reader, or dumb things down, but brings the music to life in words.

Young'schapter on "intonatsiia" is especially fascinating and actually, very useful for the neophytes among us, as it details an approach to listening to music from the inside out. I'd never heard of "intonatsia" until now and it was really a revelation. All in all, this is an absolutely enthralling read that is hard to put down,by an author who I can say is certainly the most engaging, brilliant, and communicativewriter about music since Leonard Bernstein. It comes with a CD, too, with one movement of each symphony excitingly conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Unlocking the Masters Series: Beethoven Symphonies Book/CD (Softcover)

Product Description:
The latest release in this value rich book/CD series brings us the great German composer who bridged the classical and romantic eras. In Beethoven's Symphonies - A Guided Tour, readers are treated to a detailed nuts-and-bolts description in easy-to-understand English of each of the famous nine Beethoven symphonies. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to read, listen, and learn more about Beethoven (1770-1827), and discover how this musical genius changed the face of orchestral music forever.

Get 9% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Unlocking the Masters Series: Beethoven Symphonies Book/CD (Softcover) now ?