Customer Reviews

Debussy -- An Introduction to His Piano Music (Alfred Masterwork Editions)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Haven't had it for long, but so far I'm pleased with this edition. The selections are great -- it has most of my favorites. I was a little disappointed that it didn't have Passepied, but I would have known that if I'd looked more carefully at the table of contents preview.

The binding is of the fold-and-staple variety, so it stays open well on the music stand (unlike editions with glue bindings). The music itself is clear and easy to read, with large dark noteheads appropriately spaced. Editorial marks for pedaling, fingerings, and translations of French are printed throughout in grey so it's easy to tell them from the actual music; some people might prefer a more "pure" edition, but I find the editorial suggestions useful.

I didn't even know this book came with a CD until it arrived, so it wasn't really a factor in my purchase. Overall the performances are good and very faithful to the music. You'll enjoy it if you don't already have one (or many!) recordings of Debussy's work, but I'll probably keep listening to my favorites (Pascal Roge, all the way!).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AFTER MORE EXTENSIVE USE: Though I really like the print quality and presentation of this edition I've noticed some places where editorial comments like "RH" conflict directly with m.g. notations I've seen on other editions (Doctor Gradus), a few missing accidentals (Reverie), and other minor quibbles. I still recommend this edition for anyone familiar enough with Debussy's music to know when things aren't quite as they should be. If I were rating it now I'd probably dock it one star for these minor mistakes.