Music for More than One Piano: An Annotated Guide

Book Description

Praise for the first edition:

"Hinson concentrates on works that include the piano as an equal participant, and each entry is annotated with a brief description of the style of the composition, both musical and technical, and an assessment of its difficulty from the pianist's viewpoint. . . . A reference work of exceptional value for teachers, students, and performers."
-- Library Journal

The Piano in Chamber Ensemble describes more than 3,200 compositions, from duos to octets, by more than 1,600 composers. It is divided into sections according to the number of instruments involved, then subdivided according to the actual scoring. Keyboard, string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players and their teachers will find a wealth of chamber works from all periods.

Customer Reviews:

best book of its kind.......2001-07-06

Amazingly comprehensive text, with objective, intelligent reviews of most of the works listed, written by the author and/or those who heard the music first-hand. I didn't find a listing for the composer Kjerwulf, but I found listings for many others, including many I never heard of. Every piano piece of importance, and many others, are listed here, along with publication histories for most all works, and suggested bibliographies. You don't know how much piano music has been written until this book informs you of it. Very interesting biographical sketches are included of the most important composers.

Another useful guide by Hinson.......2001-06-07

Maurice Hinson's _Guide to Pianist's Repertoire_ is now a standard fixture on the bookshelves of performers and teachers everywhere. The current volume is another staggeringly comprehensive repertoire guide, listing published chamber music written with the piano as an equal partner, in combinations of up to eight instruments, composed since 1700 (although a few works prior to that date are included). Hinson follows the format he has used before, grouping works by instrumentation, with the emphasis being on locating publishers. Other information is given as available, for example, movement titles, timings, no. of pages, level of difficulty, etc. (It may be noted that no discography is attempted.) Selected works are given descriptive annotations and evaluations. While a volume of this type will invariably require multiple editions to stay current, the information contained herein will be of value for many years to come.

Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis

Average customer rating:

Enlightening and Infuriating at the Same Time
Definitive book on Miles
fine book, but . . .
Bravo Chambers!
The definitve biography of Miles Davis written thus far

Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis
J. K. Chambers
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306808498

Customer Reviews:

Enlightening and Infuriating at the Same Time.......2007-03-12

Yes, this is THE source for information on Miles Davis' career. It should get five stars but there is a major sticking point for me. The book pretty much sticks to the musical aspects of Miles' life and it is chock-full of great information about line-ups, tours, recording dates.

I love all of Miles' work from his days with Parker until the day he died. It ALL has its place. Given that, I have a very serious problem with this book. Chambers is incredibly biased against Miles work from In a Silent Way onwards. He delivers many judgments about some recorded performances a "failures". He has very few positive things to say about this period. His comments about Big Fun and On the Corner (now considered far ahead of its time and a masterpiece) are inexcusable. He claims any listener to the music on Big Fun will find it frustratingly boring. Speak for yourself Chambers, Big Fun was the very record that got me into Miles Davis. If it's so lousy, why is it still in print in both a 24 bit remaster AND SACD? Chambers describes "He Loved Him Madly" from "Get Up With It" as "monochratic" and asserts it is incapable of sustaining the listener's interest. What? Again, if it's so boring, why is "Get Up With It" still in print and beautifully remastered 27 years after its initial release? SOMEbody is buying this stuff. We know who we are ;-)

I believe most folks don't read a book like this because they want a critique, they want information and perhaps insights from the folks who were there, playing the music, producing the music, etc. The information is here in this book, but the reader has to put up with Chamber's shallow opinions about Miles' later work. His comments about the Cellar Door gig with McLaughlin are ridiculous - especially given we can now actually hear much of those performances on the Cellar Door Sessions and that this was an incredibly good band with or without McLaughlin.

Chambers also prefaced this new edition with a long diatribe about Miles' last decade, calling him "Freaky Deaky" and making lots of plagerism complaints, i.e. Miles ripped off many of Chambers accounts and stories to create his autobiography. That may be a very valid point but I didn't buy this book to read about that sort of thing. So what, Chambers is upset that an old man who always claimed to have a poor memory used his book to recall some of the instances of his own life? Pathetic. Chambers forgets that he's made a handsome profit off of the life of Miles Dewey Davis. If Chambers felt he just HAD to include it, then it should have appeared as an epilogue not as a prologue full of sour grapes.

If you want to learn a lot about Miles, this is definitely THE book to purchase, but ya sure have to endure a lot of the author's sour grapes and subjective, snotty criticism to get the goods.

Definitive book on Miles.......2005-12-26

The best book on Miles Davis and one of the best jazz books ever written. Originally published in two volumes, the first half covers Miles from his birth up to 1960, the second half since 1960. The book is a bio-discography and centers around Miles's recording sessions. Full session details are given along with excellent commentary by Chambers.

Chambers knows what he's talking about when it comes to the music (a lot of jazz biographers are shaky when dealing with the actual music involved). Additional biographical detail is related as the book proceeds chronologically - club dates, personnel changes, business deals, troubles. It's a fascinating, detailed, and authoritative account of the life and career of Miles Davis. Definitive and a must-have book for anyone at all interested in Davis or modern jazz in general.

fine book, but . . ........2004-03-15

A fine book.
But Chambers is also slightly upset, I think, that Quincy Troupe got to work with Miles on his autobiography and not he -- and what Chambers' book is missing is exactly the kind of personal material (and voice) you find in Miles' autiobiograpy ("Miles").
The best thing about this book is the discussion of the wider context of Miles' music and performance ("the times"), but without Miles own voice it degenerates through the end of Part Two into a kind of annotated discography (mind you -- that's not all bad -- it is accurate and gave me a few ideas for out of the way purchases).
So, I recommend reading both this book and "Miles", for a complete picture.

Bravo Chambers!.......2003-02-04

This is probably the best book about the life of Miles Davis I have found. I have read his autobiography, the biography by Carr, and So What along with a couple of other Miles books. This one simply gives the best detail and most interesting about the artists life. If you want to read a book about Miles Davis start with this one. It is quite lenghty but there weren't many dull moments in Davis's life.

The definitve biography of Miles Davis written thus far.......2001-01-09

Jack Chambers has done a very hard task and that is to present the life of the legendary Miles Davis to readers in a very interesting, yet complex style which was reflective of the way Miles Davis led his life and music.

Miles Davis was the premiere jazz musician of his time along with John Coltrane, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Herbie Hancock, etc, yet while you can love Davis's music, to know the man was very hard to do, since Miles Davis was a standoffish and sullen individual. Chambers describes Davis's behavior as being sullen and hard to know because Davis's was a very shy man. I am sure that Davis lived a tough life because of injustice, yet it is sad that he didn't trust his fans and those who cared for him. Davis certainly lived the life of a "star", he over-indulged in sex, was an abuser of drugs, and had split personalities later on in life, yet his musical vision was almost always focused and clear, whether it be in the pinnacle of his talent (1950-1962), or his creating fusion (1967-1973), or the later part of his life.

Chambers does an excellent job of detailing the relationship Miles had with his fellow musicians such as the love-hate relationship with Theolonius Monk, the admiration and jealousy between Coltrane and Miles, as well as Miles being a mentor to such jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, John McGlaughlin, Chick Corea, etc.

I am a tremendous fan of Miles Davis jazz visions, I love his music and his musical style, yet after reading this book I feel sadness because I don't know if I pity Davis or just not liking him altogether, or admiring him no matter what, his final years were spent in paranoia, suspicion and feeding his ego, that is sad because if he would of just relaxed and enjoy his fans admiration I believe he might have lived longer. Anyways, this is an outstanding book and is highly recommended to all jazz lovers and fans of the immortal Miles Davis.

Average customer rating:

A well-written guide to SOME major chamber works

Best available

A must have for all lovers of chamber music

Guide to Chamber Music
Melvin Berger
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Guide to Sonatas: Music for One or Two Instruments

Chamber Music

The Symphony: A Listener's Guide

The Concerto: A Listener's Guide (Listener's Guide Series)

Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide

ASIN: 0486418790

Book Description

Authoritative, beautifully written guide presents 231 of the most frequently performed pieces of chamber music by 55 composers. For each, the author gives a brief biography, followed by discussions of the individual compositions — both their historical and musical contexts and their salient features, including formal organization, content, and any extramusical associations. Preface. Glossary.

Customer Reviews:

A well-written guide to SOME major chamber works.......2005-03-25

The primary audience of this guide is the classical music fan who has limited musical knowledge but a keen interest in learning chamber music in more depth and following the form and details within each movement. For each work, Berger presents a brief but quite interesting historical prelude, followed by 'play-by-play' highlights of each movement as to its structure, harmony patterns and distinguishing features. While each description is not long, there is enough condensed information to give a definate sense to the flow of the piece and what makes it unique. I really admire Berger's writing style that is engaging, creative and says a lot in a few words. Also, his prose are not overly "flowery," intimidating or condesending. Also included is the brief but excellent glossary at the end which contains really clear definitions of key musical terms encountered in chamber music.

Overall, this guide should be a staple in the library of the chamber enthusiast and it is inexpensive as well. It is my most used guide out of many. Musicians too can benefit from this book as an intro to some works but it will not likely satisfy them with enough details as to the score. While a healthy amount (or all) of each composer's chamber works are represented in this volume, the sonatas (for one or two instruments) are not. These are covered in a different book by Berger: "Guide to the Sonatas," which unfortunately is a very short book that tends to leave one wanting for more descriptions and details. But, what is here in this book is quite good. Berger gives wonderful, in-depth coverage of most major works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn and Schubert, but much less for "minor" composers like Dvorak, Faure, Ravel and others. Hard to fit too much into a small paperback I guess. What many of us would love to see who greatly enjoy Berger's skilled commentary is ONE DEFINITIVE BOOK on the entire (or at least most of) chamber-music repertoire - combining this book, his tiny, rather-superficial book on the Sonatas and expand it into a new major edition. Then, we would have a volume for the ages.

Best available.......2004-01-13

As far as we know, this is the best available book of commentary on standard repertoire of chamber music. It is also terrific - gives a little relevant biographical information on composers as well as notes on the works. Useful to look at before hearing a performance of a work, and great material (when combined with other sources) for writing program notes.

A must have for all lovers of chamber music.......2001-08-15

This book covers quite a vast output and describes each work movement by movement. A very useful reference.

The Piano Duet: A Guide for Pianists (Da Capo Paperback)

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The Piano Duet: A Guide for Pianists (Da Capo Paperback)
Ernest Lubin
Manufacturer: University of Maryland Sea Grant Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306800454

An Annotated Guide to Wind Chamber Music: For Six to Eighteen Players (Donald Hunsberger Wind Library)

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An Annotated Guide to Wind Chamber Music: For Six to Eighteen Players (Donald Hunsberger Wind Library)
Rodney Winther
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0757924018

Chamber Music: A Research and Information Guide (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities)

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Chamber Music: A Research and Information Guide (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities)
John H. Baron
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0824083466

WHO'S AFRAID OF CLASSICAL MUSIC? : A highly arbitrary and thoroughly opinionated guide to listening to and enjoying symphony, opera and chamber music

Average customer rating:

Good for novices and musicians alike
Good intro, and more
Good light, breezy intro
A guide in every sense of the word
It's the music thats important...

WHO'S AFRAID OF CLASSICAL MUSIC? : A highly arbitrary and thoroughly opinionated guide to listening to and enjoying symphony, opera and chamber music
Michael Walsh
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671667513

Amazon.com

Walsh, the classical music critic for Time magazine, writes in a humorous, easy-to-read style that aids in making classical music accessible. A good choice for those with a newfound interest in good music.

Customer Reviews:

Good for novices and musicians alike.......2007-02-01

This book, though by nature opinionated at times, is a very good look into classical music as something other than the sacred form it has taken. My favorite parts of the book look at composers not as demi-gods, but people. An amusing chart in the back lists major composers with their main vices! A joy to read, for sure.

Good intro, and more.......2006-01-03

This is a very good introduction to classical music. It's also very unconventional--it's not one of those books whose primary recommmendations are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the Nutrcacker, Pachebel's Canon etc. As Walsh says, he's trying to get you to love music, not appreciate it. Sometimes, yes, he does forget who his audience is and throws out a couple terms or names without explaining them (e.g. "scherzo" or Rossini), and his recommendations are, to say the least, electic--his first recommended opera is Berg's Wozzeck, and in the symphonic repetiore he skips, say, Haydn and Tchaikovksy entirely, and includes Ives and Messiaen. But this makes the book more unique and mind-opening, and means you can still read it even if you already know something about classical music. Walsh also includes a few biographical chapters about Bach, Mozart, Wagner etc., and a very interesting (but one of the most confusing) one about modern American composers. He discusses the problems with classical music today, such as the seemingly closed-circle repetoire and gap between composers and audience. In short, a very good introductory book that can give pleasure even for a more learned person than Walsh is writing for. (By the way, Walsh does indeed discuss the Beethoven sonatas and quartets, and his "more respected than loved" comment only refers to the Op. 18 quartets.)

Good light, breezy intro.......2005-04-19

This is a good light intro if you're curious about classical music but have yet to "take the plunge," or if you have a friend in a similar situation. I'd recommend "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" by Jan Swafford more than this, but this is a pleasant-enough book and a good breezy intro. Occasionally Walsh forgets who he's talking to and goes off on a tangent that only a more seasoned classical person might get something from, and there are a few small errors, but what book doesn't have these? I disagree with some of his recommendations and find his tastes a little mainstream, but he's the first to admit his opinions are hos own and oftentimes arbitrary at that. Also, while he compares Schubert to the Beatles with a straight face (this seems to be the rage in academia these days) he examines only the songs. The Beatles never produced anything approaching Death and the Maiden or the String Quintet or the "Unfinished" Symphony, but he does not deal with this, focusing on the songs instead (where I'm still not convinced). More critically, there are some major pieces and movements he simply glosses over ("If you like these works, check out Beethoven's late string quartets or piano sonatas," without further discussion of the works or why they're important) and other lesser works he spends too much time with--could it be his own personal familiarity and lack of? He also raised my eyebrows with a few tossed-off comments, my favorite being, regarding Beethoven's string quartets, "These works are more respected than loved." (Really!?) --Still, this is a fun book that can get a newcomer deeply immersed in real classical music (not crossover crap or "lite classics for dinnertime") without intimidating them. He's also good at aquainting the reader with classical terminology ("Adadio," "sonata form," "fugue") in an unintimidating manner, though why people find it intimidating when they are capable of learning all sorts of arcane things about football or the stock market or html is a mystery to me.

A guide in every sense of the word.......2002-07-17

I first read this book early in high school just as I was discovering classical music. Not only is it funny and informative, it gives you ways to branch out and discover things on your own. (The author even puts a "if you like X then try Y" chart in the appendix!) It was my first introduction to the opera (I am now an avid opera-goer). Not for a moment does Walsh leave you confused or disoriented -- he is a guide in the truest sense of the word! My only criticism is that it is now a little out of date.

It's the music thats important..........2001-04-26

I first read this book when I was 15, 10 long years ago as I was getting into classical music. Years later I was delighted to discover that it is still in print. It is a great introduction to classical music, a "pre" dummies book that does not talk down to the novice. Although the technical explanations could have been a bit better, it does not distract from the main message: the music is what is important, not the famous name who performs it. A good introduction to help one along the way to classical music, not just a list of famous names who perform even more famous music.

A Guide to Orchestral Music: The Handbook for Non-Musicians

Average customer rating:

The Best Guide on Orchestral Music
Best introduction to classical music for novice listeners!
Lives up to its name. Excellent.

A Guide to Orchestral Music: The Handbook for Non-Musicians
Ethan Mordden
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195040414

Book Description

Relaxed and accessible in style, this authoritative guide is the first symphony handbook for non-musicians. The book begins with a general introduction to the symphony and short pieces on the orchestra and musical styles. Mordden goes on to describe, chronologically, over 700 pieces--from Vivaldi to twentieth-century composers. Further aids to the reader include two lists of repertory builders and a glossary of musical terms. "Easy and pleasurable to read...a genuinely useful guide for the music lover who has not had a musical education but loves concert music."--John Barkham Reviews

Customer Reviews:

The Best Guide on Orchestral Music.......2000-03-20

This is probably the best guide about orchestral music I've ever come across. The author's style is familiar, accessible, and enjoyable. He also does not try to impress his opinions on the reader (though he does allow himself to vent his feelings about suites drawn from operas).I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to become familar with classical music.

Best introduction to classical music for novice listeners!.......1998-02-02

This book is probably the best introduction to classical music I have come across. The author never condescends to the reader and speaks in a language that nurtures interest and enthusiasm in a world waiting to be discovered. There is a brief history of each composer that puts the music in historical context and is followed by a description of the major works with clues to listen for in enjoying the music. I find the program notes included with recorded music tend to be written for listeners who already have a moderate to advanced knowledge of classical music. Mordden seems to remember when he was a "beginner listener" and has shown the path leading into an exciting world just waiting to be discovered.

Lives up to its name. Excellent........1996-10-10

I was consulting this book again, today. The edges of thepages are starting to get a little worn from thumbing.I find it consistently more interesting and more helpful than the typical CD program notes, and has the great advantage of guiding you toward other works by the same composer. _Very_ complete. If you're looking for "a book on classical music" for yourself or as a gift, this is a good candidate. Covers about 700 works by 80 composers--every classical composer _I've_ heard of-- and the notes strike a good balance between the "received wisdom" and Mordden's own opinions. Idiosyncratic transliterations of some composers' names (he spells Tschaikowsky "Chaikofsky."

Wind Chamber Music: Winds with Piano and Woodwind Quintets--An Annotated Guide

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Wind Chamber Music: Winds with Piano and Woodwind Quintets--An Annotated Guide
Barbera Secrist-Schmedes
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810831112

Book Description

An invaluable reference work for music teachers, professional and amateur musicians, and music students. This guide lists works in print for woodwind quintet and piano with two to five wind instruments-- flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or horn. Each entry provides composer birth and death dates, composition date, publisher, nationality, recording availability, instrumentation, length, and general description of the compositional style.

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