Best Puccini

(Vocal Score).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good clean copy - English and Italian."
"Who but the professors would bother about those...I cannot say anything else about Carignani's piano reduction than that by the looks of it, I really should have taken piano lessons at an early age -- I would love to lead my cast through this all (well, most of it -- there's the interminable "duet" between Scarpia & Tosca which rather few are happy about. The appreciation grows with each reading, and that pertains also to the historical introduction as well as the critical commentary, the latter of the "no stone unturned" type, but readable by a savant."

Here they provide concrete instances of how a listener might encounter the dramatic and musical structures of Turandot in light of the Italian melodramma, and firmly establish Puccini's last work within the tradition of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi. Puccini's final work, Turandot (1926), which was completed posthumously, is the last of the great Italian operas to enter the standard repertoire. examine the use of dissonance and exotic themes as well as Puccini's more melodic previous works in relation to the characters, with special emphasis on the two soprano-tenor duets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book begins with a philosophical discussion of different styles of opera--comedy, tragedy, melodrama, verismo."
"Indeed, this book reinforced what I always maintained: that Puccini was the heir to Verdi going down the line of great Italian opera composers all the way back to Monteverdi in 1600."

Puccini is the most beloved composer of opera in the world: one quarter of all opera performances in the U.S. are of his operas, his music pervades movie soundtracks, and his plots have infiltrated our popular culture. Combining his trademark irreverent humor with passionate enthusiasm, Berger strikes just the right balance of introductory information and thought-provoking analysis. The formula follows that of the earlier books: first, a brief biography of the artist; then a breakdown of each opera (eight here) with comments, introducing the characters and explaining what kind of singer each part calls for; then an act-by-act summary with instructions on what to watch and listen for.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love, love Puccini opera's!"
"Good overview of Puccini."
"A totally enjoyable and rewarding biography of Puccini."
"This is a very good book, you must really pay attention to some of it to get what was going on during the life of Puccini and what went on leading up to his opera's."
"This is a very interesting and detailed analysis of this great composer; ranks with this author's book on Wagner for anyone who wants an intro or anyone who wants some details."
"Great book and delivered as the seller advised."
"I like the book; it is full of important information and Berger's observations add a great deal to our understanding of Puccini's works. One aspect of opera that has troubled me for years is the almost total disregard for the psychological component that is at the very core of all human relations and without which we cannot understand the genre. In Act I of Puccini's La Boheme, Puccini re-introduces a musical theme during Rodolfo's aria - just before "In poverta mia lieta..." -that he used to introduce Rodolfo to the audience."
Best Rossini

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Poulenc

This Sonata For Flute and Piano is a virtuosic flute solo by renowned influential French composer Francis Poulenc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Chopin

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Bach

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Bruckner

Monumental and inspiring, the nine symphonies of Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) stand as late landmarks in the Austro-Germanic symphonic tradition.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is an explanation, including a picture of small part of facsimile of the addition to the 'original' score. Here there is lots of space to write and I like the number of bars per page, easy to follow phrasing/melodic line."
"The second movement of symphony No."
"To be clear, I am very glad that these scores are available, but I am not a fan of Bruckner's 4th (1 star at best)."
"Everything is printed very clearly and spaced out appropriately, so it is easy to read everything without much effort (and there's quite a lot to see- big orchestration and tons of accidentals)."
"Even the Kalmus parts we had, supposed to be Haas, had some differences, most notably for example in the 1st movement bars 125-130, where Dover has many brass doublings and Kalmus only 2 horns and tuba only in bars 127-130."
"the fiery rhythms and transcending beauty really come out when you read the score, even more so than when you listen to it without reading."
"I found this score very useful for a listening companion."
Best Borodin

This volume brings together Borodin's two most popular works: the melodious, vivacious "Polovtsian Dances" from Prince Igor and the richly evocative tone poem "In the Steppes of Central Asia." The enormous success of these works is evidence by their frequent performance in concerts worldwide and their many recordings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Minimum of 20 words about the product?"
"Borodin's list of musical works was very short but his brilliant works like "Polovtsian Dances" and "In the Steppes of Central Asia" shown in this study score more than make up for it."
"I would recommend this product to anyone who needs a quality bread product.""
Best Prokofiev

"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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Pergolesi

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Billings

Authoritative edition of the music of William Billings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon""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."
Best Haydn

A greatly expanded edition of the National Book Award-winning masterpiece by a world-class pianist and writer on music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Schumann

(Piano Collection).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Another great edition from Schirmer."
"Good sightreading literature for more skilled pianists."
"This is a wonderful collection, not too hard or easy -- highly recommended."
"These editions are taking up more and more room on my shelf."
"I have been a great fan of Shumann's works for a long time."
"Good paper and printing quality!"
Best Sibelius

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Albeniz

(Music Sales America).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Sometimes finding high quality tabs for Albeniz's songs can be a challenge online, and this book covers a good range of his most famous pieces."
"You can find performances of most of the songs from this book on You Tube, and I recommend using the videos for references as the music is quite complex."
"My daughter enjoyed it very much."
"This is a great book."
"Es un un autor que por años ha demostrado ser uno de los exponentes de métodos para educación musical más exitosos y usados."
"For example the fast run towards the last part of Granada (specifically bars/sections 109-116)is impossible to play from this poor positioning."
Best Faure

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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best 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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
