Review (PDF) Pictures At An Exhibition: Advanced Piano Collection (Alfred Masterwork Edition)
Based on the autograph manuscript and earliest editions, editor Nancy Bricard addresses the sources and discrepancies between the various publications of Moussorgsky's most important contribution to piano literature---Pictures at an Exhibition. This well-researched edition describes the close relationship between the composer and Russian artist Victor Hartmann, whose paintings and sketches inspired the creation of this collection of musical works. Bricard offers fascinating insight into the composer's compositional process by including music passages in her footnotes that Moussorgsky had discarded from the autograph. Also discussed are matters of tempo, fingering, pedaling and interpretation, as well as background on the historical, cultural and social environment that influenced the composer's music.
File Size: 8643 KB
Print Length: 68 pages
Publisher: Alfred Music (May 3, 2005)
Publication Date: April 30, 2015
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00EUO3I60
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
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Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled
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Alfred Masterwork Editions are always tough for me to review. For the price, they're excellent, but that's just it: for the price. Compared to urtext editions (in this case, the Henle urtext)...well, there really is no comparison. The Henle has better paper, printing, and, most importantly, fealty to Mussorgsky's directions. The Alfred is chock-full of editorial suggestions you may or may not agree with, and overall it just isn't as fine a volume.If you're a serious pianist, skip this and go with Henle. Of course, any serious pianist already knows this and doesn't mind spending the $20+ for an urtext edition. If you're a casual pianist looking to play a couple of the pieces, the Alfred edition is fine, and for the price, it's a great deal. I bought this for a student who just wanted to learn one piece (Il vecchio castello), and price was definitely a concern. It's actually been a great exercise comparing the Henle edition to this one - seeing where Alfred adds "improvements" and such.I'll close with this: I don't think you'll find a better edition for under $10.
What can be said - this book is perfect for playing this wonderful classic. The layout is very good, the notes are easy to read and the introduction is very interesting. A great piece of music that would do well for any pianist.
I'm really enjoying learning to play these pieces. Some of the editing is a bit odd (weird fingerings and sometimes half of the page is taken up by notes), but the notes at the beginning are good and the edition appears to be good, especially for the price. Too bad Mussorgsky didn't have a bit more formal training (way too many double flats and double sharps in these pieces and I think he could have avoided some of them) and definitely too bad he didn't live longer, but I'm glad he wrote what he did.
Pictures at an Exhibition: Advanced Piano Collection (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Mussorgsky -- Pictures at an Exhibition (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Pictures at an Exhibition: Arranged for Early Advanced Piano Solo Pictures at an Exhibition and Other Works for Piano (Dover Music for Piano) Sonata: 1919 Edition for Early Advanced Piano Duet (1 Piano, 4 Hands) (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Suite Española, Op. 47: Advanced Piano Collection (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Le Tombeau de Couperin: Advanced Piano Collection (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Selected Works for the Piano: For Intermediate to Early Advanced Piano (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Pictures at an Exhibition: In a Simple Arrangement for Piano (Get to Know Classical Masterpieces) Promenade Pictures at an Exhibition Mussorgsky Easy Piano Sheet Music La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair): For Early Advanced Piano (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65, No. 6: Early Advanced Piano Solo (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Liebesträume: For Early Advanced Piano (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Selected Works: Late Intermediate to Advanced Piano (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Alfred's Basic Adult Sacred Piano Book: Level 1 (Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course) Musorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Cambridge Music Handbooks) Pictures at an Exhibition - Wind Orchestra: Study score Highlights (from Pictures at an Exhibition): Score & Parts (Eighth Note Publications) Chopin -- 14 of His Easiest Piano Selections: A Practical Performing Edition (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Debussy -- An Introduction to His Piano Music: Book & CD (Alfred Masterwork CD Edition)
