Best Verdi
(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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Text in Italian only.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book arrived on time, was in good condition."
"From the purely artistic and musical points of view the Requiem is certainly Verdi's greatest work to this date and an astounding manifestation of … continual progress and inner development. — Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians Composed in 1874 for the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, Verdi's Requiem reveals the composer at the height of his powers. The study score of this rich and dramatic work, called by some as Verdi's greatest opera, is presented here complete and unabridged, and in a fine, clear modern edition. There are requiems (settings of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead) in the classical repertoire by almost every important composer and suited for almost every taste: introspective, mournful, or confident of the promise of the hereafter. Verdi's Requiem is by far the most theatrical of them all, with big, dramatic arias (requiring big, dramatic voices) and choruses, heroic trumpets, and a deafening bass drum that provokes an inescapably visceral reaction in the bombastic "Dies Irae" section.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I wanted a full orchestra and vocal score, this is it!"
"Great score if you're looking for a conductors score."
"The entire score, which is okay for study but not so great for reading the music at performance."
"The Verdi Requiem is one of the greatest choral works ever written and all the details and nuances of the piece can be clearly followed here."
"If Mozart had the same orchestration for his Requiem ... move over Verdi."
"Verdi's Requiem is no exception."
"The parts are all scored correctly, it's clear where they are so you can follow the lines, printing is nice and clean and is easy to follow along."
"The publisher included the rehearsal numbers that are found in the parts. These errors are as follows: In number 1, measure 71, vocal parts should be double dotted."
Best Humperdinck
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The words in this score and not what is generally used in recordings at major opera companies."
"Very great edition with easy to follow score."
"Exactly what I needed - and it even arrived early."
"great music and lyrics, easy to use as play piano, price is right, will enjoy for future, wonderful opera score."
"This was exactly what I was looking for...a beautiful piano score with English parts."
"It's only in English and it's the first G Schirmer score I've ever bought and it's not had the original language of the score as well as the English - so very disappointed."
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 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 Bizet
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Ravel
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Bellini
(Vocal Score).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The opera director loves this edition."
"If you do not mind having the grey/yellow cover with an image of Norma on it, this score is just fine, and at a great price as well!"
"This score was exactly what I expected and is well printed."
"On page 86, we hear a melody first in isolation, then simultaneously with another melody."
"I ordered the score of Norma here on this page, which says on the front cover that it is the "full score" (see the cover shown above), but instead, I received a piano reduced score of Norma."
"This will do if you are interested in practicing the opera where there is no orchestra present, which I guess will be for most people, the usual situation. The classical purity of the music, the close relation between the text and the music, and the opera's relation to Greek tragedy has already been noted by Wagner."
Best Mahler
Symphony No. Symphony No. Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) wrote chiefly symphonies and Lieder.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Well, this book is useful only if you number the measures yourself with a pencil (which would take a very long time), since the book actually does NOT supply measure numbers. But each figure can be any number of measures, so when you read an article that makes reference to measure 435, you simply won't be able to find it, without actually numbering the measures yourself."
"This two in one score is terrific for the amateur music fan who likes to curl up in their favorite chair on a stormy Saturday night with their headphones and some hot chocolate and hear everything the composer wanted."
"Again, the Dover publications of scores is excellent and to have both symphonies in one volume is a real find."
"it's a symphony score!"
"The Dover reprints are not the best but for the price nothing beats it!"
"Perfect when you do not have the money to buy a better edition ;-)."
"It's the full score, just as you suspected!"
"Big clear print on quality paper."
Best Wagner
The translation is accompanied by Stewart Spencer’s introductory essay on the libretto and a series of specially commissioned texts by Barry Millington, Roger Hollinrake, Elizabeth Magee, and Warren Darcy that discuss the cycle’s musical structure, philosophical implications, medieval sources, and Wagner’s own changing attitude to its meaning. Text: English, German (translation). Original Language: German. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A very good book about Wagner."
"Very informative and thorough."
"i bought this because I am a theatre director and am getting ready to direct the farce DAS BBQ which is VERY loosely based on Wagner's Ring Cycle."
"This is a very useful set of libretti and translations."
"I bought the book to have a handy libretto and was pleasantly surprised with the wonderful introductory material."
"First, the translation, which takes up three quarters of the book, is well done, with German and English directly compared on a line by line basis, complete with alternate or discarded or rejected versions of the libretto included in an appendix."
"In his introductory note on the text and his translation, Stewart Spencer writes: "Whether or not there is any truth in the anecdote that Wieland Wagner used to insist that his singers translate the text of the Ring into German before beginning work on the stage production, the story has a certain poetic truth to it.""
"The introductory materials and commentary are useful to whatever extent the reader wants those things (apparently some reviewers here don't), but I'd guess most buy this book for the excellent English translation of the librettos. I've started the slow, tedious process of going through and placing bookmarks at each chapter start and on other important pages, but this is a very cumbersome solution, as you can't even edit the bookmarks into brief descriptive titles or organize them into an outline format. But honestly, I give the Kindle edition NO stars....it's the worst Kindle book I've ever purchased and I'd strongly urge others to avoid it until the publisher releases a restructured version."
Best Couperin
The consummate craftsmanship, elegance, and originality of Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) define this collection of masterly compositions for the piano.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Pros: -This book contains the Mother Goose Suite as transcribed for piano solo by Ravel's friend Jacques Charlot, the Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, a Prelude (1911), Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Ravel's piano solo transcription of La Valse--all reprints of Durand editions."
"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. Following that are translations of the wonderful quotes of fairy tales from La Mere and other text that appears in the book. The music appears to be in chronological order with the three 1913 pieces grouped together under a single cover sheet (sans any introduction). 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."
"Each piece is preceded by a very well written history and the book also includes a most interesting two page glossary of French terms and texts that pertain specifically to the scores in the book. I purchased this book primarily for the quality and to replace my current (les legible) edition of Le tombeau de Couperin, my favorite work by Ravel. This is definitely a quality book for anyone who plays or appreciates Maurice Ravel's work. These are the lovely pieces in the book - 116 pages of Ravel: 224 Le Tombeau De Couperin and other works for solo piano. Maurice Ravel. Dover. 1."
"I don't mind, but someone looking for easy arrangements or larger print won't find it in this book."
"Together with Le tombeau as promised by the title, this volume includes the original piano versions of Ma Mère l'Oye, all eight Valses nobles et sentimentales, the 1913 Prélude, the two pieces À la manière de (Chabrier and Borodin), and the composer's own piano transcription of La Valse."
"Easy to read and great Ravel."
"Seriously some of my favorite music for piano, the book is good quality and clearly notated."
Best Dvorak
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
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 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 Franck
"; 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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Hummel
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Mozart
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"I played piano years and years ago and forgot so much."
"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've always wanted to learn how to play the piano but either I never have the time or energy to do so, or the YouTube tutorials of random people are just not effective in it's attempt to teach. I got curious about the author and looked up other videos and I love seeing his passion for music."
"Ferrante is positive and encouraging without coming off fake, as some music instruction books do, which helps you have realistic expectations for your own progress."
"This book would be unsuitable for a more intermediate piano player, but as a former piano slacker who suddenly regrets not sticking with the instrument, this book was a lovely reintroduction."