4 comments about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers).

1. Author Mike Venezia does a great job explaining biographies to children in a way that is both understandable and interesting. The writing style is not dumbed down or patronizing in tone. This is book is one in a series, others are about other musical composers and artists.

   The first few pages explain what the musical climate was like in Mozart's life and explains how people used music for entertainment purposes. This is brief and a very good opening to put Mozart's life in perspective. The rest of the book is a full span of Mozart's life. Unlike other books for children about Mozart, the fact that Mozart was a boy genius is not the main content of the book. Oddly, Mozart's children are never mentioned. Mozart's marriage is briefly mentioned as is Mozart's death.

   I have mixed feelings about the illustrations. I appreciated that the illustrations documented the various time periods of Mozart's life. I loved the illustrations that were photographs, fine drawings, or copies of fine paintings of the places Mozart visited, of Mozart and his family, and scenes of his operas. I did not at all like the eight cartoons whose illustrations and accompanying text were sarcastic and silly. These eight cartoons were completely out of character with the text of the book and I didn't appreciate them at all. My children and I have enjoyed other books by this author that did not have dumb cartoons and jokes. My children, aged 4 and 6 haven't needed these silly and sometimes insulting jokes to make the subject matter enjoyable. The interesting biography's text and other illustrations are high quality and are better off without these cartoons. The cartoons downgrade my rating to a 4.

   I recommend this book and others by Mike Venezia to teach young children about important people in history.




2. We used this book with elementary students in our after school program. Since this year Mozart celebrated a special birthday, we decided to call our class Mozart Mania. First, the students purchased a copy of this book and read it. During our first after school session, the students watched the video The Magic Flute. For their second session, we reviewed Mozart's life by talking about the book, and then we played jeopardy game based on the book's content. The children were divided into three teams, had hand-held buttons to push, just like the real jeopardy game. The book was easy to read and loved by the students. Our third activity was to take the children to a Mozart concert played by the Lincoln Symphony. The book was a hit!



3. I recommend all of these children's "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers" books. They are chocked full of information along with hilarious cartoons which keep a kid interested! Moviemaniac



4. Like all of Venezia's books, this is a great introduction to the musician. The story is in simple to understand language so young children can easily grasp what is being explained. The only caution I would give is in regards to the "comics." Considering a few incidents I've had with my preschool aged children, I would advise people to make sure to emphasize the make believe aspect of these parts when reading them to the younger children.
   
   For older children it is a great music appreciation lesson if you add some listening afterwards. With this book on Mozart I'd recommend listening to and reading about one of his opera's since at one point these are singled out for attention.

5 comments about Six Enhanced Multimedia Compact Discs to Accompany The Study of Orchestration, Third Edition.

1. I am a complete novice but I recognize this is the required study program. You must also buy the CD/DVDs that go along with the book.
   Not cheap, but an outstanding learning tool. I would recommend that you read a book on music theory and composition before buying this set to get the most out of the program.



2. This is the first textbook I've ever had that I couldn't put down. If you love writing classical music, get this book. I have found a few errors, but nothing detrimental to your orchestration education. It cites a lot of very useful examples and contains layers of information.



3. All I can say is these six CDs make all the difference when taking this orchestration course, no matter if it's in a class or on your own. In fact, this whole set, including the book and workbook, was a dream come true for me. Orchestration is greatly demystified with the accompanying CDs.



4. Samuel Adler's book covers all important instruments in the modern symphonic orchestra: how they look, how they are played, where they come from, how they sound, how they blend with other instruments, their practial range (both for professional and non-professional players) and the correct notation within various contexts. It also tells the orchestrator about limitations and build-in problems for each instrument and how to deal with it. This alone is worth the price tag.
   
   This book focusses on the orchestral "tone colors" and how they are mixed. Of course the widely accepted notation is widely covered as well in many examples.
   
   I would have loved to have an accompanying CD (which of course would be expensive to produce - but it would immensely add to the value of this work), and I also would have loved to learn more about how to build great sounding voicings and how exactly the various sections dovetail into each other (melodic and harmonic concepts and layers). From this book I know what I can do and what might sound odd. But I gained little insight on how to tackle an orchestration, how to start: the down to earth nuts and bolts.
   
   There are some examples on how great composers broke the rules. But (as I expected) we have no clue about the ideas behind it and if it actually worked. I would love to have for once a book who doesn't make gods out of famous composers (they are, no doubt, but that's old news - true teaching should equal motivation) but let us in on their secrets, at least as much as possible. Also: we know that rules are meant to be broken, but there are even rules on how to break rules. It's just the next level. I would love to have books on that.
   
   Otherwise: very highly recommended! Not to be left out in any orchestrator's library!



5. This is a wonderful addition to the already comprehensive book "The Study of Orchestration". People who may have a little trouble hearing what they read on the page--as is my case--will find very clear and well-recorded examples of everything discussed in the books.
   
   In addition to the useful audio recordings of several short score excerpts seen in the book, there are also very helpful video recordings of musicians playing various instruments using every different known technique.
   
   For those who cannot get a hold of a live orchestra to demonstrate the limitations and qualities of each instrument, these CDs and the book they accompany are an effective substitute, and worth every penny.

3 comments about Practical Method for Beginners, Op. 599: Piano Technique.

1. My son has been playing piano for 5 years. He uses this book for his reading exercises. It works out pretty well, except he had to skip the first few pages which were way too easy.



2. I don't know why I keep reviewing Czerny books. If you've seen one (op. 139, 599, 823), you've seen them all. They all start with a marathon of melodies in the key of C, repeating the tonic and dominant chords until you can scream.
   
   They all consist of square melodies in the binary form, with the same chords in the same places, and with the same rink-chink harmonic treatment. Counterpoint, what's that?



3. This method is very limited in scope and not for everybody, but it is just what I need, at least so far. It's about training the hands and getting a spacial (sic) awareness of the keyboard. Unlike Hanon,it does not take zen-like attention to relax the hands while doing the exercises. Also, it trains the fingers in chord shapes. I am an accomplished musician (trumpet, bass, vocals) who never learned to play piano properly. My ears and stylistic senses are fine: I can play some Bach inventions, a bit of Chopin etc, but each piece takes me a long time to learn (I wind up memorizing them before I can play them accurately). I also can lift many rock and pop tunes I hear in my cd collection and off the radio (example: Prelude to Angry Young Man by Billy Joel - no easy piece) with plenty of gusto and authenticity but I get tired quickly. I also cannot sight read effectively (esp when chord are involved) - I know the notes and can hear it but my fingers do not automatically obey.
   
   One negative review was accurate in that the musical content is, to say the least, not inspiring. But neither are drills for learning to dribble a basketball, swinging a baseball bat or any form of physical competence. The first page of this book is ridiculously easy musically, but due to the fingering alternations, I have spent days on it, and can feel myself building awareness of my fingers, spacing and developing the neuronal connections that are crucial to good habits. I anticipate eventually being able to look at a piece of music and unconsciously being able to play it. Yes, the musical content is not exciting (this should not be your only form of musical expression or practice!), but getting the true physical fundamentals down is worth it.

5 comments about 50 Classical Guitar Pieces - In Tablature and Standard Notation.

1. SINCE ORDERING THE PLAY GUITAR BY EAR BOOK,FOUR MONTHS AGO, I CAN PLAY AS GOOD AS ANY OF THE BOYS!!!!



2. This was the best music book that I have purchased over the past 25 years as a guitar player. I was hesitant to purchase a music book online and my expectations were low. Suprisingly though, it has provided a great selection of songs sorted chronologically by classical music historical periods together with those musicians with great influence on classical guitar. It was simple enough for a intermediate non-classical guitar player like myself and yet could be used by an advanced beginner or a very experienced guitar player. Today, I have learned 15 songs well and look forward to another 20 from this book in the coming year. Some of my best songs, from all styles of guitar playing, are now from this book. Many finger picking arrangements and styles are poor at best. The arrangements in this book are great. This book is well worth the money.



3. Best for an intermediate player even though includes tab. I like this book, it is a good book for an advanced beginner or intermediate player but has plenty of challenges. My only wish is that it could include a CD so I could hear how the music is supposed to sound. However, since these songs are classics most student probably have a cd or two with many of these songs.

   I am glad I purchased this book. Its also priced right.




4. I'm a self-taught guitarist who has played for 20 years and have mostly played lead guitar in pop/rock/blues bands as hobby. A few years ago I bought a nice classical guitar and decided to learn some pieces when I came across this book.
   
   Since then I have played almost every song in this book. There are a lot of short pieces that beginners will be able to play easily and some more challenging pieces for intermediate players.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn some classical guitar who doesn't read music (tablature is provided).



5. My brother loves this gift. Good to find a guitar book that has standard and tablature!

5 comments about Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom?.

1. This is a magisterial biography of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. It is meticulously researched, beautifully written and brings to life a remarkable man for those who never had the opportunity to work with him. For those of us who were fortunate enough to have done so, it is a wonderful and lively memory bank, bringing together the reminiscences of a large number of people who studied with him or were colleagues. I recommend it most highly to anyone interested in Tabuteau, and anyone interested in how one person can affect the style of playing of an entire nation.



2. The book offers a much needed portrait of one of the most influential woodwind players in 20th century America. All students or teachers of music should have this in their library. The historical references and personal insights are fascinating and inspiring. Ms. Storch was lucky to have had such a great teacher, and M. Tabuteau was even more lucky to have had such a dedicated, respectful student who writes well.



3. Marcel Tabuteau is a name any wind player of my age (60+) has been familiar with for many years. As a teenager, I purchased the "First Chair" album with Tabuteau and other pricipal players of the Philadelphia Symphony soloing. This is a very well written and thorough book on his life that any musician, and certainly any wind player, should read.



4. While I'm not through reading this book, I'm amazed at it in many ways. Tabuteau was perhaps the most important orchestral musician of the 20th century in that he taught and found employment for many oboe and other woodwind players. This book covers many details of his life in a readable fashion by the great Laila Storch, a student and worker of his. As a woman, she was not readily accepted by the orchestral community, but she persevered and became an outstanding oboist and musician as a result of his teaching. His methods are not readily understood by many players and I admit to some confusion at times, perhaps because of his choice of words.
   
   Included in the book is a CD of lessons with a Danish student after he had retired. I'm eagerly looking forward to listening to it and, perhaps, learning more.
   
   This book is a must for oboists. It is a great bargain!



5. Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom?
   
   A superb glimpse into Classical music in the 1950's. Interesting autobiographical notes and an intimate look at that icon of American oboe playing, Marcel Tabuteau, by a long time student, colleague and friend.

5 comments about Those Amazing Musical Instruments! With CD-ROM.

1. This book is absolutely fantastic. My 3 year old is getting interested in music and I came across this by chance. It has really clear explanations and pictures of all the instruments in the orchestra (and their obscure relatives you don't often see)and very clever and humorous narrative for when they get older. It also has a CD rom to demonstrate the instruments. I can't recommend this highly enough.



2. This book/CD is REALLY AMAZING! I couldn't believe the information in this book and the accuracy. I teach music in a public school and ordered this for a unit I will be teaching on the orchestra. The interactive CD-ROM can be used with a projector so the entire class can view it.
   
   The book is set up in sections: Introduction/Orchestra/Seating/Sound Waves; Strings; Woodwinds; Brass; Percussion; Keyboards; Voice; Electronic Instruments; Conductor; and even a Dictionary! An overview is given for each of the sections and each instrument has sound files on the CD-ROM. The photographs of each instrument are colorful, with the parts labeled. The descriptions include famous people who learned to play that instrument, how it is played, different genres where it is used; ranges of the instrument and it's relationship to the range of the entire orchestra.
   
   This book not only includes orchestral instruments, but some folk instruments such as guitar (acoustic and electric) and mandolin. The Woodwind section includes 5 of the recorders, great bass, bass, tenor, alto, soprano, and sopranino! Awe shucks, they left out the little garklien!
   
   I let children check out materials from my room and I want more copies of this book for them and one for myself!



3. Most of us either fiddled or tootled as youngsters. Grammar school bands and orchestras sounded all the better for our efforts. Now, in this amazing book, author Genevieve Helsby explains how that happened (or was supposed to happen).
   
   Under the direction of noted conductor Marin Alsop, musical instruments are described, their history explored, the complexity of their construction is illustrated and then the sounds are heard on the accompanying CD-ROM. They are heard alone, in groups, and finally in full orchestral glory. The book contains beautiful illustrations and captivating narrative and, together with the CD-ROM, makes a wonderful read aloud opportunity for youngsters of all ages. All the reader needs is a DVD player or laptop computer to present a wonderful program guaranteed to captivate the audience.
   
   Each family of musical instruments--string, woodwind, brass, percussion, and keyboard--is explained through word, illustration, and sound. The reader and audience will learn what inspired the shape of stringed instruments or the construction of woodwind mouthpieces, and that the nose was once used to play the flute instead of the mouth. And who knew that paper bags, toy frogs, tin foil, metal trash cans, or trays of dishes have all been used in the percussion section? These are just some of the tidbits of information that add to the joy of reading this book, either to self or aloud.
   
   Talented artists worked with the author to develop and design the book and the final product is a work of art. Don't miss this one.



4. My 6 year old son has recently taken an interest in music and instrumets. This book was exactly what we wanted. It gave him a good look and lots of information on all kinds of instruments. The CD was great and showed what each instrument sounded like. He loves to just sit and look through the pages, it has also encouraged him to read. Now he wants to play a saxophone, then a violin.



5. I am a home schooling mother who needed a way to introduce the orchestra to my children without spending a fortune. This book gives great information about the instruments, as well as historical facts. The best part is being able to let my kids actually HEAR the instruments being played on the cd-rom (included). There are famous pieces of music featuring each instrument, as well as the ability to hear each one played alone. I highly recommend this book/cd-rom set.

4 comments about Standard Vocal Literature - An Introduction to Repertoire: Soprano.

1. This is a fantastic book for anyone who is a baritone. There is great variety with classical, baroque, languages, and folksongs. Any singer should buy this book because it is outstanding.



2. This overall is an excellent collection of arias for the aspiring Baritone. The range is good, the selection overall is excellent. The slightly disappointing sections are the Italian Art Songs/Arias as well as the Opera selection. Also, the tempi on the CD can be quite akward at times, but the pronunciations are overall, quite good. I highly recommend this collection because despite it's faults it contains some truly great literature such as "Widmung" by Schumann.



3. This book is a great resource for a student, singer or a voice teacher looking to start their students on some basic repertoire. One of my students has this book and I ordered it because I liked what song selections were inside.



4. You will find a healthy year's worth of instruction in this book. A great blend of styles and languages.
   
   One of my favorite points is that this book comes with two CDs. The CDs include pronounciation aids for everything not in English, and piano accompaniament for all of the songs. I would, of course, have recommended that the money and effort be put out to hire a tallented soprano to demonstrate all of the pieces, but that's a minor gripe.
   
   The selection of songs was artfully chosen, with a wide range of challenging and beautiful pieces included. Although not one of my favorites, "I Attempt From Love's Sickness" is a great repertoire song, and is a great tool to develop flexibility and fluidity of movement in the voice. In contrast, Love's Philosophy is a huge "little" song, barely a minute in duration depending on how it's performed, but climaxing to a huge, full-voiced peak at the end. It's a perfect encore piece, and a great addition to any recital.
   
   In the French songs, the selection is limited to the typical French-style art songs. Since there is less variety in the really good French songs available, the editor has chosen some of the more beautiful and standard pieces. Si mes vers avaient des ailes is a beautiful, light love song, where Plaisir carries a bit heavier feel to the melody.
   
   Both of the Schubert pieces are outstanding German repertoire pieces, and Du bist die Ruh is one of the more challenging pieces in the book if performed correctly.
   
   In the theme of lyrical-type music, the editor includes Del cabello mas sutil as a Spanish piece, O mio babbino caro for Italian opera, and Pie Jesu for Latin oratorio. All three of these pieces showcase nearly any developing soprano voice, and provide a reasonable challenge to any young or begining singer.
   
   As a fun change, The Sun, Whose Rays Are All Ablaze, provides a change to the rest of the pieces, boardering on an introduction to coloratura styling. It moves much more quickly and demands a lightness in the voice that is not required for "Babbino", "Cabello" or "Love's Philosophy".
   
   I have selected a few of the most widely known and sung pieces to highlight, but the teacher and student alike would be encouraged to explore each of the pieces in this collection, as each provides a wealth of learning and development opportunities.

5 comments about Self-Healing With Sound & Music.

1. I absolutely love this 2 CD set. Dr. Weil's explanations of sound therapy are extraordinary and the sound attunements are amazing! I can always count on a great balancing realignment with the holophonic technology used in the recordings. Kimba's instrumentation is so relaxing and joyful that I listen to them over and over. Unlike some "New Age" musical CDs, this set is truly therapeutic in the use of vibration and sound to heal and strengthen the body and Spirit.



2. Self-Healing With Sound & Music by Andrew Weil, Kimba Arem is a wonderful background music source. I enjoy it for ambience during meals and especially when relaxing or resting during an illness.



3. This is a 2 cd pack. The first cd was an interesting lecture by Andrew Weil and Kimba Arens about the theory of healing with sound, with a bit of physics thrown in. They mention how we live surrounded by sound pollutants (car alarms, drilling, cell phone shouters) and how we should be more careful what sounds/vibrations we let in.
   
   The second CD has very lovely music by Kimba, with bells and water and subtle chants, which I find soothing. I find quite a lot of new age music really irritating, so the fact that this one works for me, makes this a very nice find.



4. "Self Healing with Sound & Music" does exactly what the title implies. The first CD is quite informative and I enjoyed Dr. Weil's explanation on the effect sound has on our body and mind. The second CD sends you into another world it is so soothing. If you are under stress, having health issues, or just want to relax and unwind I would recommend this CD.



5. I recommend this CD. A friend gave it to me and I have since bought several copies to give to others.

5 comments about Fifty Easy Classical Guitar Solos (Classical Guitar).

1. Ehhh, I'm truly disappointed in this book. It is truly for the very beginner and the songs are sub par. Many of the songs are very similar and just wasn't what I was looking for. I was hoping for something with more skill/technical. I would pass on this book if you have prior guitar experience.



2. I recently decided to take up classical guitar on my own after playing piano most of my life and diddling around with electric and acoustic guitars. While this book doesn't give any instruction, it is progressive, starting out with extremely simple pieces and working up to easy yet more complex works. Half way through, the pieces require special fingering, and the tablature and notation help show how it's done. I'd give the book five stars since it delivers what its title describes, but I think the book could have been prefaced with some intro to fingerings and other beginner techniques. Nevertheless, there are many books that cover that issue. The songs in this book have mostly a nice Spanish sound to them, and I have really enjoyed working on them. I'd recommend this book to any beginner, hobbiest, etc.



3. I am a beginner and can play the first 5 songs perfectly. I like how the songs get progressivly more difficult. Great book. The CD is handy to preview how the songs should sound.



4. This was my first ever classical guitar book, and I don't regret it for a second! The tablature with standard notation is definitely the way to go for beginners; also, the pieces, as other reviewers have stated, are simple enough for one not extensively versed in classical music to play. However, be warned that this is no method book, and the pieces are not exactly graded (I still have trouble with some of the songs toward the middle). I also agree with most of the other reviewers about the biographies and lack of spiral binding; it would have been better to have technical terms explained, and not force me to clip the book to my stand all the time (shifting those clips after each song becomes a major drag after a while). Problems aside, I love the fact that after the nonsensical biographies, there is nothing but pure repertoire for the budding enthusiast to dig in to. The CD also helps to give the player a better idea of how to play the songs, and can double as a nice addition to your casual listening music collection. When my friends ask me how they can get started making music like me, I always recommend Fifty Easy Classical Guitar Solos!



5. I own several other "easy to intermediate" level repertoire books, and this one has some good pieces not found in any of my other books. I tend to disagree with the reviewers who suggest that there isn't enough variety among these songs--I was actually pretty impressed with the selections here. The CD is very good, because Willard plays slowly enough to make it more helpful than if he was racing along at concert speed. I sure wish I'd had a book/CD like this 20 or 30 years ago! I've played guitar off and on for over 30 years, but just purchased this 2 months ago. I took lessons for a few months way back in 1980 to learn the basics of classical guitar, and have mostly played classical since. However, I haven't played consistently because of re-occurring pain in fingers/joints, and also what I perceive as a lack of talent. So I'm still not much beyond the "advanced-beginner" stage. Which leads to my final reason for recommending this package, and why, for me, one little thing was probably worth the 12 bucks I paid: Willard has slightly modified Tarrega's lovely Study in E minor (one of the best pieces in this book), making it easier by eliminating a bar chord that has always been hard for me to play smoothly--and hurt my wrist... And the change doesn't detract from the beauty of the song. I'm now playing it better than ever, and it doesn't hurt!!!

3 comments about Practical Method of Italian Singing: For Soprano or Tenor.

1. The premise behind Vaccai's method is similar to that of the great Corri. While the latter tunes one's intervals through the correlation between various chords and the messa di voce, Vaccai composed short songs to guide the voice. Corri trains the voice; Vaccai leads one to sing, say, a trill, in the context of a song; and the end result is singing Verdi with ease.



2. In Italy Vaccaj's volume is available in a Ricordi edition edited by Mr Battaglia, but I guess and hope the real content, meaning the wonderful little arias, is just the same.
   
   First of all, unless you already have a clearly defined vocal range, I suggest you buy the edition for mezzo/baritone, whose range is really a medium one and is good for nearly every voice. Later on, you can buy the edition more suitable to your register.
   
   This small booklet is small in size only.
   A beloved textbook, it should be the basis for anyone wishing to train as a singer.
   The short, apparently simple arias, are the masterpiece of a genius didactitian: every note, every interval, every sillable of the text is perfect and perfectly suited to educate the inexperienced singer. Those who despise the text as too simple should be ashamed of their musical skills: there is nothing simple here. The arias can be sung by beginners but to sing them properly you have to be a perfectly accomplished artist.
   Once you have completed the course you will be able to declare yourself competent in singing.
   
   Another fact is that the arias are beautiful. Vaccaj was not a great composer but he was a wonderful craftsman. All the short arias are small gems, very pleasing to the ear, with nice piano score.
   
   Last but not least this method will be extremely useful to pianists too: technically it is not difficult but it is a wonderful way to learn how to accompany a singer, a very difficult skill.
   
   I have been using this method for the last couple of months and I cannot get tired of it. You will have the most useful buy of your singing career for a couple of dollars. Do not miss it.



3. I have used Vaccai as a young classical singer and then have references and taught out of it as a Voice Teacher for years. The exercises are more like small songs. Each "song" concentrates on developing a different part of the voice for example cadenzas, trills etc... They are not classic vocal warm ups. You need to warm up a bit before you attempt them. I would use them after a warm up and before singing through your repertoire.
   
   Check out:Vocalize!