Customer Reviews

Music Minus One Alto Recorder, Flute, or Violin: Three Sonatas for Alto Recorder (or flute, or violin), Harpsichord & Viola da gamba (Händel, Telemann & Marcello) (Book & CD)

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is true that the music selection is excellent and that it is beautifully played. This is why I rate this item 3 stars.

However, I found that the product was hardly didactic. First, the music is played exclusively at concerto tempo, with the exception of Telemann's Allegro, which is also repeated at a slower tempo. Second, they only provide the score for the recorder, not for the acompaniment -- so you get very little guidance to play along with the CD. Third, the most annoying thing, in my view, is that they make unexpected long pauses. This is very nice to hear but is terribly difficult to follow. These pauses are, obviously, justified when you are in the same room with the other musicians and you can make them a sign with your head or by a look to pause and start again. However, how to devine the duration of a pause when you hear an accompaniment on a CD? For these reasons, even the easier pieces are very difficult to play along with the accompaniment.

I have been frustrated with other Minus One Products too and prefer, by far, the Dowani scores and play along CDs. They provide joint scores for the recorder and the B.C., and separate scores for every one of these instruments. They also provide 3 tempi play along CDs, so you are able to improve gradually your play, to study and enjoy yourself from the start. Last but not least, on the Dowani CDs you will hear exactly what is on your partition so it is easier to play along, moreover when you can follow the BC score together with your own score.

This Minus One product item could eventually be interesting for advanced recorder players, for professional musicians and recorder teachers. For me, an intermediate 'aficionado' player, it has been frustrating.