Complete Preludes, Books 1 and 2 [Paperback] Review

This is one of those sets that I think, if I were stranded on a desert island with a Steinway (and a good piano tuner), I could delve into for years with little other music.
These short pieces are excellent for sight-reading difficult passages with many key changes and unexpected accidentals, for intricate harmony and for expression of mood. The names are evocative of feelings and sights, such as an underwater cathedral, bells in the evening air, wind through heather and the like.

Though short pieces of a few pages, each provides a particular challenge to the piano student, as well as being appropriate for concert encores or intimate playing.

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Product Description:
Here, in one volume, are two bodies of work that, perhaps more than any others, reveal the essence of Claude Debussy's extraordinary expressiveness and his innovative gifts for musical imagery. Each book contains 12 preludes for the piano, many of them well known to today's musical audiences because of their great popularity with pianists worldwide.

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Bach Short Preludes & Fugues (Kalmus Edition) [Paperback] Review

The layout of this book is exactly the same as older Kalmus editions, but the format is smaller. Not only scores are now too small, the print quality itself is low: staff lines and text elements have gaps, multiple beams touch etc. This makes everything very hard to read, especially for beginners. It simply looks like a cheap copy. I returned it and was lucky to find an old Peters edition elsewhere - a little discolored due to age, but much more enjoyable.

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No Description provided.

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Organ Works [Paperback] Review

This a reprint of Seiffert's 1901(?) ed. of both 'free' and hymntune-based works, with the free ones in a slightly more practical sequence than in the early publication. The scholarly apparatus is unfortunately omitted, and it both includes works now widely regarded as inauthentic, andexcludes works now widely regarded as authentic.Small print, but that has its advantages: a whole work on one page or a double-page spread (no page-turn).

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One of the great organ composers of the pre-Bach generation, Pachelbel left an enormous legacy of keyboard works. This rich treasury represents the full depth and range of his organ compositions. Included are 72 chorale settings for Lutheran ritual, 48 secular works, among them toccatas, fugues, preludes, ricercares and fantasias. All are reprinted from the authoritative Breitkopf & Härtel edition, edited by Max Seiffert.


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Czerny Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740, Complete" (Kalmus Edition) [Paperback] Review

I haven't gone much further in the book, but, based on the few exercises I have gone throu, I feel a great improvement in the security of my fingers to play.

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Product Description:
An intermediate/advanced piano study by Karl Czerny.

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Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Opus 43" (Belwin Edition) [Paperback] Review

Many people are familiar with the 18th variation of "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini" from the movie "Somewhere in Time."It's a very romantic piece.If you familiar with the 18th variation only, youshould treat yourself to listening to all the variations played back toback in the "Rhapsody."
This book has those variations whichhave been reduced by Rachmaninoff for two pianos/four hands.I wish, ofcourse, it had been a piano solo, because I would probably get a lot moreuse out of it.
"Rhapsody" is strictly for the advanced pianist. This edition has no fingering notations which would have been helpful forall except the most advanced players.And, those players may findRachmaninoff's "Rhapsody" not as challenging or rewarding becauseof the repetition involved in its themes.However, I find"Rhapsody" very rewarding to play largely due to its romanticthemes and its capacity for expressive interpretations.The 18th variationplayed by itself is an enjoyable recital piece.I give this book myhighest recommendation.

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Product Description:
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, for advanced piano duet.

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Songs without Words (Complete) (Alfred Masterwork Edition) [Plastic Comb] Review

I always like the layout and look of the Schirmer editions, but I ended up returning this one in favor of an urtext edition because it was so heavily edited.It seemed that nearly every measure had some editorital addition, and while I don't mind a little bit of commentary to clear up a phrasing or dynamic issue, this was really over the top.

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Product Description:
These 48 pieces were composed over a period of two decades, beginning in 1832, and published in eight groups of six each. Many of these songs were dedicated to the women in Mendelssohn's life and reflect the sunniest qualities of his melodiousness, spontaneity and invention. Maurice Hinson has skillfully researched and edited these works back to their original form and provides a very informative introduction, which includes many detailed suggestions for a stylistic interpretation and performance, as well as biographical information on the composer's life.

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Complete Preludes and Fugues for Organ [Paperback] Review

As other reviewers have mentioned, the term "complete" does not mean that every prelude and fugue by Bach is contained.Here is a complete list of its contents:

Prelude and Fugue, C Major (BWV 531; BG XV, 81)
Prelude and Fugue, D Major (BWV 532; BG XV, 88)
Prelude and Fugue, E Minor (BWV 533; BG XV, 100)
Prelude and Fugue, F Minor (BWV 534; BG XV, 104)
Prelude and Fugue, G Minor (BWV 535; BG XV, 112)
Prelude and Fugue, A Major (BWV 536; BG XV, 120)
Prelude and Fugue, D Minor (BWV 539; BG XV, 148)
Prelude and Fugue, G Major (BWV 541; BG XV, 169)
Prelude and Fugue, A Minor (BWV 543; BG XV, 189)
Prelude and Fugue, B Minor (BWV 544; BG XV, 199)
Prelude and Fugue, C Major (BWV 545; BG XV, 212)
Prelude and Fugue, C Minor (BWV 546; BG XV, 218)
Prelude and Fugue, C Major (BWV 547; BG XV, 228)
Prelude and Fugue, E Minor (BWV 548; BG XV, 236)
Prelude and Fugue, C Minor (BWV 549; BG XXXVIII, 3)
Prelude and Fugue, G Major (BWV 550; BG XXXVIII, 9)
Prelude and Fugue, A Minor (BWV 551; BG XXXVIII, 17)
Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (possibly spurious)
1. C Major (BWV 553; BG XXXVIII, 23)
2. D Minor (BWV 554; BG XXXVIII, 27)
3. E Minor (BWV 555; BG XXXVIII, 30)
4. F Major (BWV 556; BG XXXVIII, 33)
5. G Major (BWV 557; BG XXXVIII, 36)
6. G Minor (BWV 558; BG XXXVIII, 39)
7. A Minor (BWV 559; BG XXXVIII, 42)
8. B-flat Major (BWV 560; BG XXXVIII, 45)

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Product Description:
This volume reproduces all 25 of Bach's complete sets of preludes and fugues (i.e. compositions written as pairs), from the authoritative Bach-Gesellschaft edition. Organists and music lovers can enjoy Bach's beautiful compositions in one convenient edition-ideal for reading, study and performance. Table of contents.


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Complete Lyric Pieces for Piano [Paperback] Review

I have enjoyed flipping through the book and playing pieces at random. The pieces are so beautiful and unique. Some of them are easier to play than others, but most of them could be played at first sight. It's a great addition to my classical sheet music collection.

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All 66 works from the ten sets of little mood pictures created for piano by the Norwegian composer from 1867 to 1901, reprinted from the authoritative C. F. Peters edition. Technically uncomplicated and reasonably easy to master, these popular works have been favorites of generations of pianists, both amateur and professional.


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Fantasy in F Minor, Barcarolle, Berceuse and Other Works for Solo Piano [Paperback] Review

Chopin's music is usually published by category--i.e. Mazurkas, Polonaises, Walzes, Etudes, etc. There are a number of works that don't fit into any of these categories such as the glorious and technically horrific Berceuse and the surprisingly easy to read but showy Tarentelle--not only gorgeous but a good exercise for technical proficiency.
This book is worth having just for the Berceuse and Tarantella, and also for the Barcarolle, another brilliant and showy work that is all too rarely played. This is a great addition to any piano music library, especially if you adore Chopin. Easy to read edition, clear print.

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Features 15 works, including one of the greatest of the Romantic period, the Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49, reprinted from the authoritative German edition prepared by Chopin's student, Carl Mikuli.

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

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

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Technical Exercises for the Piano (Alfred Masterwork Edition) [Paperback] Review

in my opinion it helps emensly!

some of the pieces i was working on caused pain in my hands and back. i talked with a friend and they said that i dont enough strength in my fingers to play my pieces well in tempo and correctly. they suggested holding down four notes and playing the remaining finger. when i got home that night i looked in my library passed Brhms and Crammer and Czerny and yes even Hanon and found Liszt! i looked at the first exersise and i played through it a few times (id changed the fingers being played but stayed in the same key). it took about an hour. one thing the first exercise told me was what fingers i needed to work on! i talked with my teacher and she told me i can go on and work from Liszt but: DO IT SLOWLY and CONSENTRATE on a VERY LOOSE WRIST and finger development.

the strong accents can be a little tricky but after youve done it for a week or so it can be quite fun! it helps with accenting beats other than beat one! after finger controll has been established then you can play the full range of dymanics. in the first few numbers, fingers four and five are going to be the biggest challenge but if done properly it will soon pay off! after playing just the first five numbers in the book, i felt light in the fingers and not tensed. and thats one thing we cant have when playing pieces!

i used to start my pracitce by doing scales and Hanon; well now i do Liszt (for finger independence and strength/loose wrist)[the slowest tempo in my warmup session], Hanon (finger speed and dexterity)[medium tempo in my warmup session], then scales (for greater speed and finger accents)[fstest tempo in my warmup session]. all this takes about 45 minutes to an hour and im set to work on what ever i need to for the next several hours!

if you want to be fluent in all kinds of area of pianism (especialy Liszt!), this book is for you BUT it can not be set on a booksehlf! if you dont have a piano do some of the exercises on a hard surfice! 400something pages is alot and some of it will seem impossable but technique will not come over night....just as the world was not created in a day!

Pre-Requiments for the user of the book would be:
1. Patiance with yourself! if something doesnt come out perfect the first time, come back to it later! you brain is working but sometimes we shove information into it instead of programming the information! our brains need time to internalize what new task we give it. the brain is far more supirrior than any computer we humans can make!
2. Time...plenty of it! it takes time to learn any new skill! pianists are by no means exemped from this law!
3. an open mind!...if your mind is not on what your doing, it is then pointless continuing the task! just stop right there! your mind needs to be working just as much (if not MORE) as your fingers are working.

best of luck!

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Product Description:
This 223-page edition is comprised of 86 different technical exercises composed by Liszt during 1868 to 1880. Liszt intended these highly challenging exercises to build greater performance skills in virtuoso pianists. The complete series consists of twelve volumes, each one dealing with a different pianistic problem. This edition has been compiled from the original set to present the exercises in a reasonable length without harming the essence and effectiveness of the original work.

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Complete Sonatas and Fantasies for Solo Piano [Paperback] Review

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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Product Description:
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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