Customer Reviews

The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Vol. 1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This and its companion volume The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book: Volume Two are the foundation of any early keyboardist's repertoire. I don't have the version with the CD, having bought mine some 10 years ago, but my students and I play from this book all the time, and it's a lot of fun if you love early English music. The selections are typical of the period and represent both well-known and lesser-known composers, and the critical notes are excellent. This book inspires me to practice!

This is a massive amount of music that is not well known in the general Baroque circles. It's interesting to see how the rules and styles of composition changed over time. If you aren't very skilled on the piano/keyboard I wouldn't buy it though, since it is relatively difficult.

I probably will not play extensively from this work but having it allows me to see what Schott ("Playing the Harpsichord") is talking about. I'm well past the age of adding much of this to my repertoire but I will certainly use some of the forward and several examples in what I do. I'm happy Dover provides works like this but I really dislike the binding which must be 'broken' in order to use the book on any kind of a key desk. I'd love to have it spiral bound but that would likely add more to the cost of what is probably a pricey sometime reference work for most new harpsichordists

Being just an `average' 'Tudor period' keyboardist I can play 3, maybe 4, songs in this book. That beats the kids who can play 1, [kinda]. ... no-one I know can `batter' more than 5. Worthwhile if you like to `follow' CDs, and I do, but most folks will get so discouraged by trying to play this music they would have to look up to see a lizard's belly ... the Rodgers Virginal Book, also by Dover, is a whole lot more realistic to play music from ... oh, it is not the `high falooten' stuff in this but it doesn't drive one to strong drink in the knots of frustration as fast, either.