My First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements [Paperback]

Bergerac (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Music for Piano | Publication Date: September 8, 2000

Fun-to-play, pedagogically sound piano arrangements include themes from Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata and Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony, along with such favorites as Schumann's Träumerei, Brahms's Lullaby, Chopin's Prelude, Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave, Moussorgsky's Promenade (from Pictures at an Exhibition), and many more. Includes 20 piano arrangements.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (September 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486410927
• ISBN-13: 978-0486410920
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Beethoven
  • #1 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Chopin
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Classical

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

191 of 192 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun for Adult Beginner!!, September 26, 2001

By 

"jazymom" (san jose, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements (Paperback)

I am an adult beginner and I'm teaching myself. This book has fun and easy arrangements to songs that you may already know the melody to. It's good for the adult beginner that is ready for their second book after getting down the basics. You should know how to read the notes (at least figure them out) in the bass and treble clef. It's a good book because you can probably play these songs right away, and you'll feel like you're really playing something, that otherwise would take years and years to accomplish. It's much better that playing kiddie songs. It has easy, short, two-hand abbreviated arrangements of classic's such as Nocturne by Chopin; Minuet by Bach; Ode to Joy by Beethovan; Minuet in G by Beethovan; Hungarian Dance by Brahms; Rondo in C by Clementi; From The New World by Dvorak; Sarabande by Handel; Sonta in C by Haydn; Suprise Symphony by Haydn and others.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another adult reteaching themself the piano, July 16, 2006

By 

Susan K. Schoonover "Sue Yingling" (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements (Paperback)

I'm another adult who had piano lessons as a child and am now trying to relearn the piano with my own 10 year old. As advertised this book has a lot of familiar tunes that are easy for a novice player. I like the notes about the composer and song that preface each of the pieces. Almost all of the pieces are written in either the key of C or F which was much appreciated by me. Both hands are used in all pieces but in many the left hand simply plays chords while the right carries the melody.

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book makes me sound GOOD!, October 25, 2005

By 

K. Radloff (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements (Paperback)

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn't stick with my piano lessons when I was a child. I took for about three years, never practiced, and basically, have to struggle through most arrangements, usually with only the right hand. This book, however, makes me feel like a virtuoso!

The book includes familiar sections of well-known classical pieces. Each one is done in a very simple arrangement that somehow still captures the essence of the original composition.

I am able to sit down and sight-read most of the pieces without too much difficulty, and within a week or so of practicing, even my husband (a true musician) admits that I don't sound too bad.

The book is easy enough that I don't get frustrated, yet challenging enough to give me a sense of accomplishment. I highly recommend it to anyone who's taken lessons for about 3 to 4 years.