Review (PDF) Complete Ballades, Impromptus And Sonatas
Edited by Chopin's student and teaching assistant Carl Mikuli, this edition includes highly authoritative versions of these favorite pieces: Ballades — No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23; No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38; No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47; No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Impromptus — No. 1 in A-flat Major, Op. 29; No. 2 in F-sharp Major, Op. 36; No. 3 in G-flat Major, Op. 51; No. 4 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66 (Fantaisie-Impromptu) Sonatas — No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 4; No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35; No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58 New compilation of scores originally published by G. Schirmer, New York, 1894–1895.
Series: Dover Music for Piano
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications (September 1, 1981)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0486241645
ISBN-13: 978-0486241647
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.4 x 12 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #91,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Ballet & Dance #7 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Piano Sonatas #8 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Chopin
This is a great book. I have used it on numerous occasions and can give no more than an absolute satisfactory report. Often, publishers write incorrect fingering and/or dynamics, and this book appears to have not subdued to that level. The publishers obviously knew what Chopin wanted and delivered just that instead of placing marks they thought were appropriate.
I've had this book for several years, and have marked it up, dog-eared it, spilled coffee on many pages, and otherwise treated it with familiar reverence. It has become a great friend.The type-setting is crystal-clear. The edition notes are instructive. The pages never fall out, even if you crease the spine to keep the book flat against the piano stand.Then, of course, there's the glorious music itself. So much magnificent music in one volume. Perhaps we should even see this as one of the Great Books of the Western World.
I'm currently studying this piece, and bought this item, which looked just like my teacher's, only it's edited by Carl Mikuli instead of Paderewski. (both have the perry winkle front cover). There are significant changes in dynamics and articulation. I spent one week marking it up, only to find that my teacher is making me buy the other one - the Paderewski, and that edition's pages are thicker, darker, and less crammed onto the pages. We compared the two editions and it is a big difference. The Paderewski is more recognized and favored as being better.
This collection is well-offered. However there are a few things you should be wont to know:First off, the pages are scripture-thin. I prefer a heavier page.More importantly, the editor often mixes the right and left hand cleffs. what I mean is, the editor places the right hand and left hand on the same cleff when it is convenient for him. I however, find this more difficult to sight read because you can't tell where one hand's chord ends and the others begins. It's like the laziest kind of writing.Also the printing is not perfectly sharp (but it is acceptable).So there are probably better (clearer) editions if that's what you're looking for. I would buy this again for its price, however.
I am concerned that the casual buyer might not notice that the excellent Paderewski edition has an almost identical cover. See below for the Paderewski cover. It is much better than this particular addition and contains excellent fingerings. As other reviewers have pointed out the Paderewski addition has much heavier pages and is clearer throughout. I have no concerns as to Mikuli as an editor although I do think that Paderewski was the better editor.
I have not found a less expensive score than Dover. The book is sturdy and the pages are bound tightly. I put my scores through much use, and none of the pages have ever fallen out of the Dover editions. One thing to note about this score is that it's edited by Mikuli, one of Chopin's pupils; the older Dover publications of this book had edits by Paderewski, which I actually prefer over Mikuli. However, the fingerings are only minor issues.
These pieces and fingerings are very accurate as to Chopin's own fingering. It even contains a foreword written by Carl Mikuli, one of Chopin's students, and later his teaching assistant, so he was in a position to know certain things about Chopin's playing and ability that perhaps few actually witnessed. He gives very valuable insight into Chopin's own ability, skills, and how he played his pieces.The music is rather large, and thus very readable.However, the binding is...well, I tried everything I could to find a spiral binding for this book and could not. I honestly feel that all piano music should come in spiral-bound books because of the frustration inevitably involved with any music print in books other than spiral-bound. But, that is my only complaint, and thus not just specific to this book, but all non-spiral-bound music books.
I'm a pianist/piano teacher. I choose this edition for teaching my students. This is a complete book at lower price. The book is durable. Pages don't come out easily.
Complete Ballades, Impromptus and Sonatas Ballades: Chopin Complete Works Vol. III (Fryderyk Chopin Complete Works) Ballades: Chopin National Edition Volume I (Series a. Works Published During Chopins Lifetime) Impromptus: Complete Works for the Piano, Book 6 (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1553) Mazurkas, Poemes, Impromptus and Other Pieces for Piano (Dover Music for Piano) Schubert -- Impromptus, Op. 90 (Alfred Masterwork Edition) POULENC 5 IMPROMPTUS FOR PIANO Schubert -- Impromptus, Opp. 90, 142, & Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Schubert -- Impromptus, Op. 142 (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano: With Separate Violin Part (Chamber Music Scores) Complete Sonatas and Fantasies for Solo Piano (Dover Music for Piano) Complete Sonatas, Invitation to the Dance and Other Piano Works (Dover Music for Piano) Ludwig Van Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 2 (Nos. 16-32) Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2: Hoboken Nos. 30-52 The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol 3 (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Mozart 19 Sonatas - Complete: Piano Solo (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, Vol. 1304) Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1: Hoboken Nos. 1-29 Complete Piano Sonatas (Dover Music for Piano) Haydn -- The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol 2: Comb Bound Book (Alfred Masterwork Edition) The Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 1
