5 comments about The Ultimate Guitar Songbook.

1. This collection contains easy songs for guitar players. Some old favorites that I recognize and new songs my daughter enjoys.



2. Need some expierence to use this book, not desigined for new beginers. Good song selection and fun to work with. Easy to follow and understand.



3. First of all, before I say anything about the songs contained within this book, note that 98% of all the songs are in standard notation. I realize that most experienced guitar players this is not an issue but for beginners or those that have been taught to read tablature only this will not do anything for you.
   Now, as for the selection of music, I have to say that it is an interesting collection and not quite what I thought it would be. It has the Addams Family and Munsters theme songs, Auld Lang Sine, the theme to Mission Impossible, etc... If I wanted to play theme songs, I would download the music off the internet for free (sorry, I have an issue with playing theme songs).



4. I gave this to a grandson who was getting an electric guitar. It was easy for him to read and there were many genres and skill levels of songs.



5. Yes, a wide selection of tunes to choose from. Easy to use. Overall good value but not brilliant.

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!

5 comments about Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 in Full Score.

1. Beethoven's 8th symphony is one of his most underrated works. In this symphony by looking at the score, we see a mature master at work. It is a very good reproduction of the original score. How about his ninth!?! Considered by many to be his best symphony, the score to his Ode to Joy masterpiece is amazing. Any student, amature or professional will greatley benfit from this score. Even the novice who knows basic music will love this score. His ninth is unparralled, so why not buy it?



2. These scores (as well as those of the other symphonies) are worth having. Serious students of music can take invaluable lessons from Beethoven's knowledge of counterpoint, orchestration, dynamics, melody, harmony, notation, and form. Additionally these are great listening aids, pointing out "Nebenstimmen" ("secondary voices") that might not be noticed at first listen. This way one can learn to enjoy Beethoven (and other music) as many melodies intertwining into a larger fabric.



3. Like the other two books in Dover's Beethoven Symphonies set, the score to the Eighth and Ninth are wonderful. The print is large and very readable. The best part is the low price. This is a must for the starving (music) student, teachers, listeners, and professionals alike. I highly reccommend it.



4. If Beethoven's Ninth symphony is acknowledged as one of the supreme achievements of the musical arts and had an almost immeasurable impact on the 19th century, his eight symphony is far too lightly regarded. You can examine these two works in this very nice edition of the works. As you listen to the eight you will notice all the subtle rhythmic devices Beethoven provides to work his magic. You will also find the Ninth a wonderful adventure. How are those mountains of sound built in the first movement out of nothing? How are the voices set in the last? What about those crashing tympani in the second?
   
   I appreciate the Dover edition of these works because the large format makes for easier reading and provides room for making notes while you are studying. For example, you might want to make something special or unique to one recording so that when you listen to another you can compare the two.
   
   And if you don't read music very well, these symphonies are a good place to start. You can listen to the music and what the shapes go by. And eventually you will get used to the link between the sound and what you see. These scores are not as dense as, say Mahler or Strauss or works with huge orchestras. So, the classics make a great way to get into the pool, so to speak. Honestly, even if you can't read the notes, you will notice things after a few listenings that you had not heard before because you see the `shape' in the score.
   
   The Dover editions are also very durable and will last for many years of use. These editions are nice and clear and easy on the eyes because the contrast between the dark ink and light paper is very good, but not blinding.
   
   Recommended. Expand your horizons!



5. While Dover's many scores represent an amazing value across the musical repertoire, their collection and reprint of the Litolff Edition of the Beethoven Symphonies was a mistake. For the casual buyer they are workable, but not for serious use in performance, as they are riddled with editorial mistakes and problems. Purchaser would be better advised to find a set of the miniature (octavo-sized) Bärenreiter critical scores. They are bound just as nicely and the paper is of excellent quality. I use the full-size Bärenreiter set when I conduct my orchestra.

2 comments about Anthology of Twentieth-Century Music (Norton Introduction to Music History).

1. The order came very quickly. However, the discription wasn't accurate on the product. There is some staining on the last couple of pages and on one page, the last few lines have been completely cut out, as if with scissors. Overall the book is fine, but I thought it would be in better condition.



2. The 20th Century was a very innovative time period in music. The influence of globalism and technology undeniably effected the musical atmosphere of the world in the 1900s. Yet Morgan seems far more concerned with atonalism and anti-classicism than the influence of jazz, popular music, recording technology, and even cinematography. While he does not fail to mention these influences, I believe that he did not emphasize their importances adequately. However, there is much to discuss in the world of 20th century music, and Morgan provides excellent insight into the topics that he chose to focus on. A good study of the era but not quite a great one.

No comments about Sonatas - Book 1: Piano Solo (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1).

5 comments about The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works.

1. I have a difficult time finding the CDs mentioned in this book, and especially ones performed by specific orchestras. I've searched both online and music stores, but almost 90% of the items described in the book cannot be found since they're no longer being manufactured by companies. It's still nice to know the names of these composers and some background history. Another thing is that they should include pronounciation keys after each mentioned composer, artist, place names, and musical terms. Do you want to sound like an idiot talking to people?



2. An essential guide to the best recordings of the best classical and opera music. As there are literally hundreds of various recordings for each such music (combinations of singers, conductors, & orchestras), this guide saves hours of aggravation and misgivings while selecting the best recording to purchase, although you'll still want to decide for yourself which of the several recordings recommended.
   
   This guide is not comprehensive, however, as some composers, such as Glazunov (for his Violin Concerto, I recommend Heifetz on RCA), are not included. Also, some recommended recordings, such as Kyung-Wha Chung / Dutoit's Tchaikovsky's and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (single CD on London/Polygram), are no longer available (I had to resort to purchasing a licensed CD-R).



3. It takes guts to write a book that attempts to identify the 350-or-so most important works and their best recordings out of the entire canon of classical music. On top of that, Libbey includes a countless number of interesting, informative, and entertaining commentaries of the pieces and their recordings as well as a number of lists to provide the reader with some ideas on how to start their classical music collection. Libbey does an excellent job of providing the information in a way that will neither intimidate the classical novice, nor insult the more experienced listener. As someone who considers himself somewhere in the middle between those two extremes, I appreciated Libbey's descriptions of the pieces as a guide to "what to listen for".
   
   As a result of this book, I discovered a wide range of composers and compositions that I was not familiar with, and deepened my appreciation and understanding of the composers and works that I already knew. Some reviewers have criticized this book for spending too much time on X and leaving out Y, or for having a skimpy section of Z. While the comments are valid, one must recognize that they miss the forest for the trees. This book could be picked apart on the details, but that would miss the thoroughness and helpfulness of this book as a whole. I would give this book 4.5 stars if allowed, but given the difficult nature of the task before Libbey, I will round up and give him 5 stars. For the approximate price of one CD, this book contains an enormous wealth of information. My hat is off to Libbey's accomplishment!
   
   One final note, while Amazon (and other sources) have the majority of the recordings listed in this book (if not all of them), don't forget that your local library often will have many of them as well. It does not hurt to sample some of the music first to see what suits your taste before spending money on the CD.



4. I am a huge classical music fan, always looking for that perfect recording and being most critical when it doesn't suit my taste. Even so, I had a lot to learn about composers and pieces of great music that I was unfamiliar with. It delights me to report that I have found most of what Ted Libbey has said about building a classical CD collection to be true. He offers a list well thought out; not just according to sales but more in terms of history and attention to detail. Since buying, reading, and rereading this book, I have increased my classical collection considerably. What I find most surprising is how often I agree with the selections and comments the author makes here. Obviously, not all of the time but more often than not, I find his selection to be worthy. I would love to make recommendations for more music to add to the list; such as Mendelssohn's "Songs without words." But the author himself mentioned his difficulty in limiting the list to just 350. I appreciate his insite and have learned a lot from this book. I highly recommend it.



5. Ted Libbey's a really good guide for someone venturing into classical music without a lot of familiarity with the material. The book is put together pretty well, and Libbey's very knowledgeable and a good writer. His taste is broad, which is good for a reader whose tastes are developing. He tends to emphasize large orchestral works at the expense of chamber music and solo instrumental works, as well as at the expense of opera and sacred music (and he seems to have a bit of a preference for late Romantic works). But that's probably representative of the preferences of most classical music listeners, so it's okay for an introductory book like this. Anyone who develops interest in specific areas will need more than this book offers. But, in good introductory fashion, it provides a mix of music history, composer biographies, a bit of musicology, and some explanation of genres. Definitely a good place to start, and probably worth checking out even if you're fairly familiar with classical music

5 comments about The Messiah: An Oratorio Complete Vocal Score (G. Schirmer's Editions of Oratorios and Cantatas).

1. The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.



2. The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.



3. My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you



4. I developed an appreciation for Handel's Messiah over 60 years ago, and to this day I listen to recordings of it frequently. While in college I became a participant, singing in the chorus, and have done so many times since. A while back I gave my vocal score to my daughter for her use, not realizing how much I missed having it at hand. Since I recently purchased a replacement I feel complete again as I refresh my readings of this great work, truly an all time classical composition.
   Donald A Carlson



5. It got me through Christmas and Easter without having to use the choir's musty copies.

5 comments about Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment (P.S.).

1. This is a must read for anyone who loves music of anykind. This book clarifies the mystery of the history an the amazing story of two of western civilizations greatest individuals, tieing together the transition from old to new europe, shaping western culture forever.



2. I bought this book as a "bargain" because it looked interesting. I was most pleasantly surprised to find an articulate, informed and evidently very knowledgeable introduction to the lives of two fascinating individuals - Sebastian Bach ("The" Bach) and Fredrick the Great. Gaines' prose is informal and "homey" with an occasional "aside" where he speaks directly to the reader. It is a bit jarring to have him mention to me during a very complex description of counterpoint music to "not worry, this will be over soon." I suppose this is his way of acknowledging that in a Post-Modern culture the reader has to constantly have his feathers smoothed. Other than that, Gaines' prose is lucid and direct.
   
   What Gaines does very well is introduce us to the lives of these two very great but very different individuals. Along the way he illumines the age in which they lived, reminding us of its vagaries as well as its temper. It was the day when the great question of truth was addressed at every level. Does one find "truth" by being conformed to the harmonies of the universe through its self-evident symmetry (Bach, counterpoint music, etc. all the way back to Pythagoras) or does one rise to "truth" in the open ended quest for answers in a world of infinite possibilities, being stirred by passion and reflecting it in expression (Fredrick, the incipient romantic style, etc. all the way back to Aristotle). Quite frankly I had no intimation that such a philosophical tone had been consciously pursued in the underpinnings of Baroque music although I have long admired it. I am indebted to Gaines for this insight.
   
   Further, the historical figure of Fredrick the Great is worth this books reading alone. Gaines' understands him well and his treatment is even handed when such fairness with such a figure is difficult to maintain. Fredrick is one of those men that we feel compelled to justify or castigate. Even to this day his controversial nature moves people to take sides (much like Andrew Jackson in our own history. Gaines does a good job.
   
   I think this book has an awful lot to commend it and so - five stars though I admit that I am insufficiently acquainted with the more technical aspects of the book to affirm their accuracy. I would trust other specialists to that task.



3. A unique description of the life and art of Bach parallel to the times of his life with particular emphasise of Frederic the Great.



4. I do not understand why Amazon charged me $48.81 for this book
   (a 2005 HarperCollins publication) including economy shipping,
   when the list price printed on the front flap of the dust jacket
   is only $23.95. If I had known what the real retail price was,
   I would have purchased the book at a local Barnes & Noble or Borders
   bookstore. Somebody at Amazon really goofed on this one!



5. i have read numerous books on j. s. bach and own all the standard biographies yet i was beguiled with this book as the author is supremely adept at placing the information in the right perspective and is such a good writer that you cannot put it down. i read it through in almost one sitting. i have since recommended to other professional musicians that are colleagues of mine and they love it as well. i cannot recommend this book highly enough! buy it!!!

5 comments about The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

1. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book on a noble subject. On the basis of that rarity alone it deserves five stars.



2. Charles Rosen by now has attained a place among musical analysts on a par with the likes of Tovey and Grout, though his style is very different from either of these luminaries. Taking the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as the pinnacle of the musical style that developed in the late eighteenth-century, Rosen explains how around 1775 there was a decisive shift away from the High Baroque style of Bach and Handel, and why this new music was different. After his general introduction to the style most of the book explores different genres, symphony, opera, concerto and string quartet among them, to create a lucid and multi-faceted picture of how these three great composers approached and solved common musical and formal problems. The new edition adds a preface that addresses criticisms of the original book and an additional late chapter on Beethoven.

   Rosen's writing, though it can be dense and repetitive, at its best is unmatched in its ability to relate analysis to what actually is heard by a listener. To this end, an ability to read and understand the copious and detailed musical examples is essential to fully grasping his points--this book is not for the casual amateur. But to those willing to do the work, The Classical Style remains as richly rewarding after three-plus decades as when it first appeared. As another reviewer has mentioned, it is a book one returns to again and again simply for the sheer pleasure of reading it.




3. The author does an impressive job of showing how the classical style of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven evolved from the musical chaos following the high baroque period. Perhaps giving too little credit to transitional composers who blazed the trail for these three geniuses, Rosen intersperses analysis with superlatives that at times is useful but at other times seems more like hero worship.
   
   I found some parts particularly fascinating, such as the comparison between a work by Haydn and C.P.E. Bach. Certainly when the analysis was complete, you could see why Haydn's art was more rational and complete, however Rosen's dismissal of C.P.E. Bach's work as incoherent was somewhat off base in my opinion because the styles and goals of the two composers were not synonymous.
   
   Though I didn't always agree with the author's conclusions, this book is still the best out there that I have read on the subject and is well worth reading.



4. This analysis is most valuable in describing/explaining/analysing classical style in a way that assists actual performance of the piano music of that style. Excellent comments are interspersed throughout it.



5. This is an important and in many ways excellent book by Charles Rosen, who has also written other fine books. Rosen explains how the 18th-century sonata form was a logical extension and elaboration of what had come before and of what was inherent in traditional tonality. He shows that Romanticism wasn't a further development of the same principle, but rather a gradual dissolution. Rosen gives a scientific explanation of how traditional tonality itself is natural, grounded in physics. The implications of all this are clear enough. It's no accident that Beethoven was generally thought of as the greatest of all composers, until relatively recently (now it's not acceptable to think that anybody was greater than anybody else).
   
   The anonymous reviewer from July 3, 1999 talks about sloppy thinking, while himself indulging in straw men, ad hominem, and plain deception. The reviewer gives a single quoted example of Rosen's allegedly sweeping statements, and this quote is of course taken out of context and isn't even Rosen's. It's Rosen quoting someone else in a context in which the quotation seems quite appropriate. The rest of this reviewer's statements are similar smoke and no substance. Please, do yourself a favor and read The Classical Style, and make your own conclusions. It's politically incorrect enough to inspire devious reviews and to be enlightening even to many professionals (if they have an open mind). It's not dumbed down, but it's written in an understandable language--something many other academicians might want to emulate. But if you are a "Liberal Warrior" or some other mind-already-made-up duffer, don't bother with this book or any other intelligent book: read Harry Potter and other children's fantasy instead, because that way you can escape reality while remaining rather harmless.

5 comments about Meet the Orchestra.

1. As someone who teaches and coaches emotional intelligence, I'm always saddened to find people whose emotional lives are stunted for lack of introduction to the arts. I include great art, symphonies and opera, in my EQ Foundation Course for adults, and in my coach certification training program. Why? Because we know we need it! Classical music is an acquired taste, because in the US we don't grow up with it. I bought this book hoping to include it with my EQ products, and to offer it as a selection for my Club Vivo Per Lei/I Live for Music, and I love it. Buy the book for your little one and then go with them to Barber of Seville; it's humor appeals to all ages, over time. (Spend the money to sit right up front; the immediacy is important!) And put the arts in your budget right after food, clothing and shelter. The arts develops the emotional life in an intelligent way. It can't over-ride IQ, but without it, IQ is rendered ineffective. Ask Turandot, wink wink. He had to teach her that his name was love, and he didn't do it with his intellect, he did it with a kiss.



2. A delightful, beautifully illustrated book, wonderful for
   children three years and older.
   
   Stephen Halpern



3. I bought this book for my 4 year old grandaughter after members of the symphony visted her pre-school. The illustrations are beautiful and the animal musicians kept her interest as we talked about each of the instruments. The book is a wonderful way to intoduce any child to the joys of music.



4. I don't have any children, so maybe I'm being too picky with this book but I felt the string section was covered nicely. The Violin, Viola, Cello, and string bass all were discussed. When it came to woodwinds, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and bass clarinet were all shown (they seem to have forgotten saxophone may be more common than oboe.) . The brass section was empty only showcasing French Horn, Trumpet, and Tuba...leaving out euphonium or baritone, cornet, trombone. Basically that brings me to me to my point, the brass section of the book was bad...



5. I really like the pictures and descriptions in this book! I know my students will like it and will be able to learn from it!