5 comments about 24 Italian Songs and Arias - Medium Low Voice (Book only): Medium Low Voice (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics).

1. After 15 years, I have yet to begin a voice student without this book. I can't imagine a voice teacher who wouldn't have a student use this collection. I would recommend that you purchase your book new since you will want to make your own notations, phrase markings, etc.

   Oh - and check out Ceclia Bartoli's interpretations of these pieces!




2. This book is great for the beggining singer or the advanced singer. I'm using it to develop a singing technique. Its great for tenors and sopranos a like.



3. Although the music in this book has been used "ad infinitum" since the late 1880's, even the most rudimentary scholarship has shown that the editing (and in at least one case, the composition) of these pieces is not to be trusted.
   
   The editor of "The 24" and its sister two volume set "Anthology of Italian song" is Alessandro Parisotti. Mr. Parisotti was a publisher who was suspiciously eager to have his own edited works published. This "24" has its share of dubious songs. Three quick examples:
   
   1.) "Se Tu M'ami" is attributed to Pergolesi, but the style is laughably un-Pergolesi-like. No original of the score exists before Mr. Parisotti "discovered" it in time to publish the original 24. It is quite likely that Parisotti is the composer.
   2.) "Il mio bel foco" is fine until the last 11 measures, where once again there is no original of what's in "the 24". It appears that Parisotti sliced, diced and re-composed the last 11 measures including French sixth chords, and a piano accompaniment which is distinctly not from the Baroque era.
   3.) "Danza Danza fanciulla..." does have an original; it's all figured bass (no treble accompaniment written at all.) It's OK to place your own accompaniment there, but Parisotti's offbeat (and unnecessarily difficult) accompaniment does not follow the typical contrapuntal style of the Baroque period at all.
   
   There are several other problems with the realizations of these 24 pieces - too many to go into here, but worth exploring in research.
   
   That being said, Parisotti does get credit for at least noticing these pieces and arranging them for student voices (which may or may not have been his intent). The current edition is ridiculously cheap - which actually reflects the rather large (and much improved) collections of Baroque Italian songs that are out there.
   
   It still (for some reason) remains a staple of too many voice teachers out there (possibly because they are "comfortable" in some way), so accompanists should continue to purchase it due to the large number of voice students and performers who (unfortunately) rely on it.
   
   It probably deserves two stars, but because it's receiving way too many five star reviews, I'm giving it just one.



4. This book is perfect for both students and teachers. This book has alot of well known pieces and it is essential for any young singers repertoire. It contains songs like "Sebben,crudele by Caldara", "O del mio dolce ardor, by Gluck", and "Caro mio ben, by Giordani". I give this book 5 stars because it was very useful to me throughout highschool,college,and now as a teacher.



5. I do recommend this as part of the serious singer's repertoire, and have asked several of my students to pick it up. it does contain some great songs. HOWEVER, a more well-rounded approach would be the "First Book..." series which contains several of these same songs, but it also includes repertoire in English, French, German, Spanish and a wide range of styles.
   
   It is essentially tradition that keeps this book in the essential repertoire category.

3 comments about Norton Recorded Anthology of Western Music, Fifth Edition, Volume 2: Classic to Twentieth Century (6 CDs).

1. These CDs are great, i can appreciate them more however, through my music class.



2. The CDs in this set are not packaged in standard jewelboxes nor even in cheap sleeves, but are mounted directly atop a printed surface. As a result, when I purchased the set from my school bookstore, I found that several of the CDs had dried flecks of ink on the data side that made it impossible to play or rip certain tracks. Beware.



3. Excellent product..one of the standard anthologies available for studying Music History.
   
   One caveat, if you're using Hanning's Concise Grout as a companion text, be sure to match the correct edition of the anthology + recordings to the correct edition of the text.

5 comments about The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete.

1. The Well-Tempered Clavier: Books I and II, Complete are a very good and nice copy of Bach's music. I have the German Editions of these books as well, and there are only a two differences between the two books: Price and the ink sometimes did not print dark enough in the cheaper book, but it is still clearly readable. The best part about this book is the low price and the fact that it basically a copy of the German edition. It is a much better idea to buy this book rather than the German editions because you can really use the book, write in it, and not feel guilty that your ruining a book if music that cost you over $50. Highly recommended, very good quality for the price.



2. Don't let this book go... it is simply amazing and the price it's just symbolic. They might as well charge triple for it and it would be still a bargain.



3. Any pianist would be honored to own Bach's "Clavier"...
   This book moves through his growth as a pianist and musician.
   A 'must-have' for any serious pianist.



4. No more comments... this is part of Bach production! Fantastic and in an original format!



5. This is among the most well-known technical manuals for anyone studying the piano. But this, by far, does not diminish its beauty as a musical composition. Beethoven, in his youth, was said to have churned out "the 48", as it has been called, as part of his act. Its influence has come to be considered among the cornerstones of the modern concept of harmony as we know it in western music.

4 comments about Melodic Rhythms for Guitar.

1. This book is essential for any guitarist hoping to make it in the world. Sight reading is very crucial, as it is the language of music. If you couldn't read, then how good of a job could you get. The bitter truth is, if you can't sight read, what kind of gigs are you going to get?

   Back to the book. This book approaches sight reading with a very meticulous approach. It first examines a particular rhythm, then gives tons of differnet lines that go with that rhythm.

   This book is in my hands at some point the day after school. My reading has improved drastically since I bought this book.

   All in all, if you want to be able to read, buy this book and play away!




2. I use this book in conjunction with Reading Studies for Guitar. It has just about every quarter note and eighth note rhythm one can encounter. Your sight reading will improve immensely.



3. I learned a lot from this book. A great guide to becoming to become a better rhythm guitar player.



4. This is a useful and challenging book, extremely helpful as a structure for mastering the discipline of playing tight rhythm in a multi-guitar group. To some extent the principles are simple common sense that could be worked out without any book, but Leavitt's exercises provide a ready-planned progressive development path that helps a student to get the balance between perfecting what they can already do and pushing on to try new things.
   
   The print quality of this book is adequate but not great - the paper is coarse and the ink is smudged in some places, especially stave lines and 'full-body' notes (crotchets and quavers). In other places (particularly titles and explanatory text) the ink is under-applied, leaving the text faint and therefore harder to read.

3 comments about School of Velocity, Op. 299 (Complete): Piano Technique.

1. These exercises are invaluable to those looking to develop dexterity on the keyboard, especially in terms of digital independence. They have stood the test of time and are beloved for their simple progression of concepts and interesting patterns.

   Educators and students alike will benefit from this collection of exercises. These studies are meant to played slowly with proper technique and then eventually faster and more confidently...thus, the School of Velocity.

   Do yourself and/or your students a favor and pick up a copy of this book.




2. I am a serious piano player, almost went to music school to study it for life...And this is my textbook.



3. It is essential for students, Everyone should study Czerny's Studies. It has a good reviewing and the press is really black: you see everynote. The negative point is the book format, it should be spiral formatted, because it is almost impossible to leave this book opened and flat on the piano.

1 comments about The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 5: Mezzo-Soprano Book/2 CDs Pack (Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology (Songbooks)).

1. Terrific selections in this anthology and the cds are so nice to practice with and can also be modified (transposed, tempo changed, etc.). Good value for everything you're getting. Plan to buy more of this series in the future!

1 comments about Andres Segovia - 20 Studies for the Guitar: Book/CD Pack.

1. Any level guitarist will find something here to stretch their skills.
   
   The essential Sor studies are found here. The CD alone is worth the price.
   
   However, no tableture. But still a great collection.

1 comments about Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Mezz-Soprano and Belter Vol.5 SMTA (Mezzo-Soprano).

1. This is the latest entry from the broadway series. These books are very useful for aspiring young broadway singers. The text includes a brief synopsis of the show as well.

4 comments about Twenty-Five Easy and Progressive Studies for the Piano, Op. 100: Piano Solo.

1. I'll start with a preface: I have been playing piano for four years, I started when I was 18, and aside from six one-unit community college classes, I've never had any formal training. That said, this book is (in my opinion) a little tougher than the first "First Lessons in Bach" book and at the end is still easier than most of the second "First Lessons" Bach book. It fits squarely in the middle, which would be a good run up towards Schumann's Album Für Die Jugend or a book of Bach's inventions.
   
   Also it would be useful for an accomplished pianist to run through these as one would Hanon or Czerny, only these are actual songs, which helps to break up the monotony of finger exercises. Not to say Hanon or Czerny aren't important; diversity is simply a good thing to have.
   
   I'm a total amateur, and I was looking for something less intense than Bach, less repititious than Hanon, and less insane than Czerny. Burgmüllers Twenty-Five Easy and Progressive Studes fits the bill nicely.



2. I use this book for all my students and they love it! The pieces are very nice. They make learning piano technique and artistry really enjoyable. This book is for the intermediate students. Better to use this book after students learn scales, chords, and arpeggios so they can learn the pieces by recognizing patterns, which make them learn the pieces faster. Highly recommended!



3. When I was a kid, I enjoyed this book because of its pungent chromatic progressions (#25, ms. 7-8), its dominant chains (#23, ms. 17-24), and its modulations into relative major and minor keys (#14, ms. 13-20; #18, ms. 9-16).
   
   One might also praise the book for its motive play (#2, ms. 12-17), its contrapuntal sprinklings (#4, ms. 15-18), and, in two of its numbers (#12, #15), its liberality of phrase lengths.
   
   In circles of musical snobbery, the title of "great composer" is reserved for one who is consistently contrapuntal and consistently liberal with phrase lengths. Burgmuller may not be a great composer, but he is good enough for most of us.



4. I started taking lessons at 8, with Ferdinand Beyer's beginner's book, which deserves the highest praise, though it's not widely used in this country. After Beyer, I proceeded with this book, Burgmuller's 25 pieces. Each song has a title, and each song trains you not only technically, but how to express, how to interpret, how to use your imagination, and most of all, how to play beautifully. The pieces are easy, but they are of quality which advanced students can play them in really professional ways. That means, these pieces have depth that challenges the student's true musicality, imagination, and creativity.
   
   I have owned this book for more than 35 years now, still in very good shape despite the heavy usage. I am much more advanced now, of course, but I still use it frequently. These pieces can be played, for their beauty, grace, and integrity, at church, wedding, etc. I can't count how many of my church congregation have expressed their appreciation whenever I played any one of the pieces. They are just such precious jewels of music.
   
   Now I teach piano at home, and this book has been a delight for both my students and myself. I'd say these pieces are just as immortal as Bach's inventions. I'd recommend this book to anyone, from beginner to advanced students. It's for advanced beginners (if there are such thing), but very much enjoyable for even professional pianists, for whoever truly appreciates and loves music.

4 comments about Arias for Mezzo-Soprano: Voice and Piano (G. Schirmer Opera Anthology).

1. If you are calling yourself a mezzo soprano but you don't have this book, you are not doing yourself any favors. This book contains a wide variety of the most popular and most widely performed mezzo arias in the repertoire. It even includes arias from some contemporary operas. Like I said, if you are a mezzo, you need this book.



2. This book is a must-own for any mezzo-soprano (as are the corresponding volumes for any other voice type.) I daresay this is the anthology standard for aspiring opera stars. I purchased mine when starting college and learned my first aria from it--"Non so piu, cosa son". Ten years later I am still finding pieces that fit my voice as it grows into works by Bizet, Massenet, Donizetti. And I know that I will continue to use it in years to come as I grow into the luscious arias of Dalilah or perhaps Mascagni's Lola.
   
   Having had the opportunity to work with Dr. Robert Larsen, I can say that he is one of the most knowledgeable people in the business about opera and how to get young people started. The translations provided are not poetic--they are accurate, true translations! The plot summaries are brief but helpful, enough to get you started, but short enough to encourage you to do your own work. Larsen notates alternate endings, appogioturi, and other traditional performance notes. I guarantee, if you buy this book, you'll use it until it falls apart. I'm on my second one now.



3. Great book! The translations are so useful, and the collection is quite standard. Definitely a great book to have in any singer or teacher's library.



4. This book definitely has all the commonly sung arias for mezzos such as "When I Am Laid In Earth"(Dido's Lament) from Purcell's opera Dido & Aeneas,"Che Faro Senza Euridice?" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice,"Voi Che Sapete", and "Non so piu cosa son" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's Barber of Seville & more! I agree with the above posts! A must have for all mezzos!