Customer Reviews:
review for book "Keyboard Musician".......2005-07-23
some of the printing is not clear enough.
shipping is excellent and on time.
Adults learning piano.......2000-04-21
Both my wife and I have been recommending this book for many years to adults wanting to learn the piano. As part-time piano teachers, we found that the lessons progress at an very good pace for most adults. The choice of songs used in the lessons are tasteful mixing both folk and classical traditions. This book also works well for someone with some music reading background but no previous piano playing experience. This book uses the classical approach and doesn't offer instruction on specific styles like rock, jazz, blues, etc. Overall, I still think it's the best adult piano method book that I've come across so far.
Book Description
This popular series from Boosey and Hawkes features favorite orchestral works in full-score format. Combining high-quality production with affordable prices, each volume of the Masterworks Series features: full-size format; full-color fine art covers; newly published introductory notes, commentaries and illustrations; more. Essential scores for every library! A revised edition (1993) including Bartok's alternative ending.
Customer Reviews:
The one to get!.......2007-05-21
Larger size for failing eyes. I bought my first copy in the mid-60s, the miniature score, and paid almost 50% more for a score 50% smaller. If you collect scores, add this one to your collection!
Solid score.......2007-05-09
This is a good full score of one of Bartok's most famous pieces. It includes some notes about the piece as well as the composer's original program notes. It also includes both the original and alternate endings to the 5th movement. I used this for study with a high school music class.
B&H Masterworks Library version of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.......2006-12-12
This is THE edition to buy. Good print, adequate size, everything you need is there.
Book Description
With a graceful gift for lyrical vocal writing, English composer Roger Quilter (1877-1953) created a rich body of art songs. Very few composers working in English have matched his achievement of a living body of beloved, relevant, literate repertoire. The strong melodies and natural phrasing make his compositions perfect literature for the progressing singer. There has never before this publication been a significant collection of Quilter. This new edition conveniently and economically collects 55 songs, all in clear, new music engravings and in two keys (with original keys noted). Many of the songs have never been published in transposition before this edition. This collection features a biography of the composer and notes on the songs. 224 pages, sewn binding.
Customer Reviews:
Roger Quilter: 55 Songs: Low Voice The Vocal Library.......2007-05-22
good collection of songs by R. Quilter. Suitable for Bass, who can sing higher notes up to F, and for Baritone who can manage lower range.
Hal Leonard's Vocal Library is the new standard........2006-12-21
I have a multitude of Hal Leonard Vocal Library publications in my library and I am very pleased with the quality... especially for the price. Even at full price (which I have yet to pay for one of these gems at Amazon), they are well worth it. I recommend "The Vocal Library" to students and educators alike.
Beautiful Collection of Classic English Repertoire.......2005-01-02
Roger Quilter is a minor figure in British music, but his art songs continue to be some of the most popular in the English repertoire. The music is indeed beautiful. Melodic, lush, dreamy, and heart-wrenching, these songs sound more like well-written popular love balads than the stodgy repertoire most young singers are exposed to. Given some time with these pieces, a young singer can devlop indefinate control, and ease of expression. This collection from Hal Leonard is incredibly well concieved. It is nice to look at for one thing. I'm actually surprized how usable the volume is. The music is beautifully rescribed - extremely readable size and beautiful figures. The print is in a lovely font, too. The paper much higher quality than most compilations of this nature. The binding is quite hardy. Some of the songs are available in keys you can't get anywhere else. The Low voice version is actually suitable for a medium-low voice, and the high voice version for a -medium high voice.
Hopefully this collection will be made more widely available (it currently is a bit difficult to track down a copy).
Customer Reviews:
An artful course in harmony.......2006-01-24
I have read most reviews below...and I find most of them incomprehensible. Someone compares Shoenberg's Treatise to the Treatise by Rameau,for example. A rather irrelevant comparison,because both books have their area of undeniable expertise. How do you compare a book about building a Ferrari and one about building an aeroplane? They both talk about aerodynamics,but there are differencies,I think!
Then there is the person that finds the book very hard to grasp. Well,I doubt this is Mr. Shoenberg's fault!
This is a books about CLASSICAL harmony! It seems that nowadays people playing popular pop or doing songwriting or jazz-rock fusion guitarists (nothing wrong with any of this ) think,for some strange reason, that Shoenberg's book is actually a whatever course of harmony and because he was so open-minded and wide ranging,that actually anyone after learning a Beatles song just starts on Shoenberg? Or that in the book the technique of 'atonality' is taught ?
No,no....there is some very real confusion here. Not many people know that Shoenberg practiced and learned the traditional techniques in an amazingly diligent and through way for years....incredibly hard work. On his own! The 'serialism' part it's entirely his own quirk and style,and it is not the main point in this book...it's only people that see it this way. It is basicly an assumption.
So basicly,if you want to fly,learn to run properly on your own ground first. That is the philosophy,and this is exactly what he does in the book: he starts and progress VERY logically. Some people may be puzzled ,but again,if you dont understand,well,read it 'till you do. Do not forget that Shoenberg had unsurpassed experience in teaching ,and that he started teaching in universisites WITHOUT the help of titles or master degree's but ONLY because of his SKILL.
And that has to be kept in mind too,so,if they appear ramblings,I am sorry,it's only laziness on the part of the student. Sure it's not easy to keep pace,but if you do,you will be rewarded.
If anyone actually STUDIED seriously even part of the book,he would realize that ,in fact,this is exactly what Shoenberg says:
''I bolt the door against the bravado which would like to burst in absolute disregard for the rules. I bolt the door by developing his sense of form,according to the rigorous old rules.''
The people that say that 'it's not a textbook' ,dont know what they are talking about. This is a course in harmony prepared by a real artist,a real composer,not by an historian,not by a teacher in a university,master's degree or otherwise. You make out of this whatever you want. Of course I am not saying that the other people are bad ,or good. I am only saying that this book was written by a real composer,not by a theorist. He just happened to study most major harmony texts and compose in his mind for 14 instruments while going for morning walks!
People who think of his book as having a place as a theorist treatise did not really know the book in question.This book was written for people that want to learn about harmony. Very simply. But not to the extent that a guitarists may really study it on guitar! Otherwise,as some reviewer mentioned ,it will not be understood why Shoenberg calls a first inversion chord a 'sixth' chord. This is classical method,Rameau for example calls it the same way. It is simple: because the bass ,being in first inversion,forms a sixth with the root above it.
It cannot be studied by a guitarist if that guitarist does not know the difference between a root and a bass note. In popular music it's just the bass,but not in classical.
I am about halfway the book,and no,I did not read it,I am STUDYING it.That is an ENORMOUS difference. Some people said that they read it...or worse,studied 'a couple of chapters,and then read the rest'. I STRONGLY doubt that you will get much from that book in this way. That is just superficiality and laziness,let's be very clear about this. Again,this is hardly Mr. Shoenberg' fault.You will better off by not even starting on it.
To me he is a unique teacher ,musician and artist. I am learning A LOT from his book,and I am grateful he took so much time and patience to write it down. I really like his book,even going so far as being very honoured that I actually study a book written by such an intelligent artist ,musician and teacher. Someone mentioned that he calls the student of the book 'pupil' as if it's a strange,unnecessary thing....I fail to understand why,I would not really be interested in knowing why either,since the book is a complete course in harmony,if not ,infact, a much better one than even the university one. I feel honoured that he calls the person that decides to study the book, 'pupil',and I only hope I will work even much harder than I do.
It's no-one business if Shoenberg viewed harmony in his own way,he does not have to excuse himself for lack of superficiality or laziness or personal idea.
If you want the book that teaches you modulation in a couple of ways only,then, by all means 'Theory Of Harmony' was definitely not written for you. By all means buy another book.
But ,if you want to became an EXPERT about modulation,then start eating it! It's up to you. Shoenberg it's not making it simplistic for you. But it does not ,ever ,makes it difficult or superficial.
You do not care about the roman empire,fine,but just so you know,Shoenberg was a very cultured person,and he really cared about self-education,musical independence and independence of thought. He knew people like Strauss,Mahler,Brahms,Goethe. He had amazing musical and pedagogy skills. He was a famous and controversial composer from Vienna,and,quite frankly,I doubt that anybody here has even a right about saying what's best or not about him,and I refer even to master's degrees owners here,simply because you cannot be taught such independence in in any school;as Bruce Lee said 'All real knowledge it's ultimately SELF knowledge'. You will not be taught that in any music course,Shoenberg is a real master because his wish in his books is not to create students or historians or theorists,his hope instead is to create creators.
Someone here even said that 'it's not a textbook' ; 'it's a supplement'. I do not think those people understood much about the book. Those are just pretentious assumptions of people who just box the book into a narrow category,and the job's done.
It's funny,but I do not find Shoenberg's book difficult. I have bought it because I wanted to teach myself CLASSICAL harmony. And believe it or not, I learn more from it than going to a music college. Yes,I say that without any doubts because I actually went to a college ,and as I was studying BOTH the book and at the college,I found I was really MUCH better off with the book.
I must say that at the very beginning,I too did think the book was hard and complex and had 'too much philosophy' in it,although I did think highly of it from the start,and never actually went as far as defining Shoenberg's thoughts 'ramblings'...it may appear so only to superficial and green attidudes. Someone with a penchant for doing things quickly rather than throughly,maybe?
There are other misundertandings,I think,about the book,for example the fact that most people do not really know that this book is about TRADITIONAL harmony ,not a manual that makes of a total ignoramus a 'serialist' in a couple of months.
It's your choice...but one last thing I will say; I have seen concepts such as modulation and many other treated with such amazing detail ONLY in this books. I have bought many others,including Rameau,C.p.e Bach,Piston,Kitson,Lovelock and others,but I will stay with this one because it teaches in such detailed way.
I recommend it highly,very highly,but only to people that really want to create ,not to historians or 'theorists'. I respect all of them ,but to me Shoenberg is no mere historian.
So,if you have courage and true dedication,buy this amazing book and go slowly,but actually start it and make sure you keep going. I think it is amazing just as the other books by the same Shoenberg....they are all keepers as far as I am concerned.
Very interesting and important treatise by a very important composer - NOT a textbook.......2005-11-15
From where we stand in history, it is not possible to grasp how important and how influential Arnold Schoenberg was during the first seventy years of the twentieth century. The post war generation of academic composers were almost all spiritual and technical disciples of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. He is most remembered for his 12 tone method of composition, which too many people associate with atonality. It is not chaotic music and can have tonal gestures, even if it studiously avoids actual tonal methods. What is not often remembered are his lush and highly chromatic but very tonal compositions that he wrote prior to his development of his serial compositional techniques. He was a master of late Romantic chromaticism (late - late - late Romatic).
This book is not a text for teaching theory, although he meant it to be used for study by students. It is more of a philosophical treatise. There are no examples from the literature, but many musical abstractions by Schoenberg to provide schematics of his views. There are also no assignments or exercises (although he provides these in another book). However, this is an important work by a titan of 20th century music.
Somewhat dissapointing.......2005-08-06
I am not particularly fond of this book. If you're interested in reading Schonberg's view on the pedagogical aspects of music, then you'll love this book. I, however, did not find it that appealing. It is a very philosophical, thought-provoking book; but, it is NOT your typical music theory book. There is a good bit of information, but it is often presented in a very cumbersome manner, and difficult to understand. This is partly due to Schonberg's aptness to go on philosophical tirades after intoducing every new concept.
A Masterpiece for every musician.......2004-05-31
This book is a must for a musician.
It is not a textbook. You need another standard one for this purpose. But it is essential as a companion, if you want to UNDERSTAND the reasons behind the rules. And you better read it in parallel with a standard textbook.
Schoenberg starts from the most ancient sources to the most modern and EXPLAINS everything! You are his pupil because this book was written for his real pupils. (And btw a 6th chord is a 6th chord for every classical harmony manual...).
I agree that sometimes some digressions may be questionable and some "rules" are introduced and then eliminated in a questionable way, but he is undoubtely an artist, and this book reflects it. The way he explains, for instance, the minor mode is unsurpassed.
You can't break harmony rules if you don't know what's behind them.
AMM
An Historical Study in Pedagogical Verbosity.......2003-09-12
This book is a virtual time machine. It takes the reader back to early twentieth century Vienna, a fertile time and place of cultural development. Schoenberg addresses the reader as the "pupil," and holds forth at great length on all manner of digressions and tangential topics. His style is dense, complex, pedagogical, and further obscured by having been translated from German. For the music student of today, this can be exasperating. It takes Schoenberg an entire page to introduce the idea that a chord tone other than the root can occur in the bass. He then goes on to refer to the first inversion of the major triad as the "sixth chord" throughout the book, presumably because the root appears a minor sixth above the third? This is at odds with our present-day notion of a sixth chord. At one point, by way of analogy, Schoenberg digresses at length as to what caused the downfall of the Roman Empire. Does the student of harmony really need this?
Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony is an interesting book from an historical perspective, for the reader willing to slog through page-long paragraphs. It stands alongside the works of contemporaries such as Sigmund Freud. As a student of harmony, for whom this book was written in a distant time and place, I find it tedious.
Two stars, in deference to Schoenberg's work as a composer.
Book Description
From the very first lessons in Book 1, students are making music as they explore the piano keyboard through fun improvisation pieces called My Own Song. The beginning of the book introduces finger numbers, the black-key and white-key groups, and basic rhythm patterns. Directional reading is taught first by finger number, then by note name, and then by interval (stop, skip, and repeat). Once the students are introduced to the staff, they learn reading guides Bass F and Treble G and read by interval in several different hand positions. This package includes a Piano Lessons Book and CD featuring wonderful tracks to accompany the student during practice or performance.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent program for 6 year old........2007-09-28
I'm using this to teach my six year old, and couldn't be more pleased. It moves at a really slow, easy pace which is exactly what she needs. She does not feel overwhelmed and yet finds the exercise challenging. She also gets the songs stuck in her head.
Great for early learners.......2006-10-10
I bought this book at the same time as a couple of the John Thompson books. Even though I learned with the John Thompsons, I think this book is great for early learners because it starts simply with finger numbers and pictures of the keys, without trying to teach note reading at the same time. My five year old is really enjoying the book so far and is enthusiastic about learning the piano. He is young enough that if you try and fit too much into the lesson at once, he loses interest. I definitely recommend this book for young ones.
excellent learning tool.......2006-07-13
This is a great book for beginners. The very first day the student is playing a little song. Easy to follow and understand even if you have no prior piano experience. I have tried others and did not like them, but I would definitely choose this method again and recommend it to others. The price is very reasonable and it comes with the CD.
Great Beginning Piano Book.......2006-04-20
I bought this book for my 4 year old daughter to begin piano as part of homeschooling for Kindergarten. I also borrowed Usborne's First Book of the Piano from the library and was glad I didn't buy it! Although I like that in Usborne's the notes are written with the letters C,B,A, etc, instead of finger numbers, there are way too many concepts per page and very very busy pages. Leonard's Piano book on the otherhand introduces one concept at a time and the pages are not cluttered. The CD is a great and fun feature. It has accompaniament music for each song the student plays, which not only is great for a "teacher" who doesn't play, but great that the student can hear the music as s/he is learning. A great way to teach piano, btw, is to "show" how the piece is played and is suppose to sound first and then let your child do it.
great for learning.......2006-01-30
I bought this book/cd for my 6 year old daughter. She is at that age where she will not let me show her how to do anything! She took the book and the cd and is teaching herself how to play the piano! She has given several "recitals" for our family and I am amazed at how much she has learned.
It is a wonderful introdution to the piano and I would highly recommend it for anyone, young or old.
Book Description
The Black Dog Opera Library is one of the most popular, informative, and budget-friendly ways to enjoy all the great operas. Each book in the series includes a history of the opera, a synopsis of the story, a complete libretto in its original language as well as in English, and dozens of photographs and drawings depicting great scenes, singers, performances, and more. Each book also includes an excellent Angel/EMI recording of the entire opera on two CDs, as well as commentary from experts in the field who guide you through the music as you listen.
Customer Reviews:
AN A (AS IN "ARIA") FOR THIS SET OF WORDS AND MUSIC.......2006-01-03
The marriage between words and music has never been better produced. And more popularly priced. Each volume includes two compact discs with the complete opera, as well as a hardcover book containing the libretto in it original language and an English translation with annotated commentary and expert commentary. Stunning color photographs illustrate the history of the opera and the production's performers, including Grace Bumbry, Birgit Nilsson, Renata Scotto and Franco Corelli. The slipcased set includes Aida, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, La Traviata and The Marriage of Figaro; each volume is also priced individually. Break out the bubbles ... that's "bubbles" as in Beverly Sills, the star of La Traviata.
Customer Reviews:
Step by step but can be confusing.......2007-09-20
I had this recommended to me as a good tool to teach beginning note-reading and I've found the book is indeed step-by-step, i.e. it spends a lot of time teaching higher and lower, and then steps and skips on the staff.
What I don't like is that it introduces an incomplete staff to start, and students are expected to read only steps and skips, going up and down. For a long time students are reading notes on one, two, or three lines, before the entire 5-line staff is shown. There is no correlation to the treble or bass clefs, the beginning note is indicated afresh for each song. I've found this to be confusing for some beginners. What is more, the actual music in this book sounds chintzy and simplistic because it revolves so much around two and three notes.
I prefer the Hal Leonard series for teaching note-reading; in presenting the clef at once it is actually simpler to read, their pages are colorful but less distracting, and Hal Leonard does a great job of using good-quality music. I think having children play a good-sounding tune is inspiring for them and keeps them more motivated than playing ditties revolving around two or three notes, as they feel they are playing actual music.
Great Choice for Young Children!.......2006-09-23
My son is in first grade and using the first book - we love it! This method does a great job of teaching how to count the beats for each type of note. When I was a child, that was what I had the most trouble with. Looking back at the old books I used, it's no wonder! The first song in my old book included quarter, half and whole notes, with a full staff. Time to Begin introduces just one new thing in each lesson, so my son is able to get through a few 'songs' each week and feel that he is progressing well. That makes him much more agreeable about practice time since he's not just staring at the same piece for 30 minutes. He used the Alfred book in kindergarten and prefers the new one. The little characters Chip and Bobo (who give practice tips and a bit of theory for each lesson) are cute! Presentation counts for a lot at this age.
Book Description
Words from the Missa pro defunctis and the poems of Wilfred Owen. Other scores available: Vocal (48009029), SATB Choral (48009030), Boy's Chorus (48009031). Orchestral performance materials available on rental from Boosey and Hawkes.
Book Description
This innovative new series is authored by the skilled writers of the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library method books.
Customer Reviews:
Hal Leonard Student Piano Adult Piano Method - Book 1.......2007-06-12
Very good info. Wish it had more practice pages / songs, per section. Also would be nice to explicitly let student know how many beats to expect before each song begins, so student can always start with the CD. Otherwise, it's a very good system!
Complete and accessible..........2006-04-22
Many children's methods may not appeal to the adult learner. Hal Leonard's Adult Piano Method takes all the core concepts of it's student method books and presents them at a more 'graduated' pace. This book combines theory, technique, and solos. The CDs have both practice and performance tempos for each accompaniment track. The accompaniments are also written at the bottom of each piece in the book.
This book can be used with a teacher or on your own. Having four authors keeps the material fresh and varied. Also important is the inclusion of improv exercises. And if you like this book, there are supplementary items like 'Popular Hits' and 'Christmas Favorites.'
Good Book.......2006-02-19
This is a good book for Adult beginners. We use it for our piano class in our university
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The Music Tree (Music Tree (Summy))
Class Piano for Adult Beginners, Fourth Edition
Tonal Harmony Wkbk with Wkbk Audio CD and Finale CD-ROM
Tonal Harmony
The Music Tree: A Plan for Musical Growth at the Piano : Time to Begin (Frances Clark Library for Piano Students)
