60 Famous Classical Piano Solos is precisely as described; a collection of 60 famous pieces transcribed in simple format, arranged for piano, curated by David Dutkanicz. This is a new collection, released 13th Dec 2023 by Dover. It's 96 pages and is available in paperback format.
These are perennial pieces and standard repertoire for students of music. Bach (JS & CPE) are represented of course, alongside Beethoven, Chopin, and Mozart, but there are some delightful surprises as well: Delibes Flower Duet, and even modern classics by Scott Joplin and Gershwin are included. The arrangements are -not- simple and there are no pains taken to make them easy for beginning players. These are demanding pieces and will frustrate beginners. The first piece in the collection, Solfreggieto by CPE Bach pulls no punches, and the editor has also included a couple of virtuoso pieces, including Brahms' Hungarian Dance number 5.
The text and printing are high quality and
contrast, rendering them easy to see and understand. Notations are very sparse throughout. There is no supportive online content (mp3s, online video etc) provided with this volume, but the pieces are famous enough that video and support can be found with a google search. The editor/publisher have included a list at the back of the book ranking the pieces in order of difficulty which could prove useful.
Five stars. Classical music. It would be a good selection
for public or school library acquisition, home use, or formal
piano instruction. It's not really suitable for self paced learning.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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