Zeitgemasse Vermittlung und Qualitatssteigerung des Orgelspiels ist seit Jahrhunderten ein zentrales Anliegen von Organisten. Dies spiegelt sich auch in den Orgelschulen wider. Diese Untersuchung betrachtet schwerpunktmassig reprasentative Lehrwerke des 18. bis 20. Jahrhunderts aus dem deutschen, belgischen, franzoesischen und italienischen Raum, erganzend angloamerikanische sowie zeitgenoessische Schulen. Was aus diesen lehr- und lernbar ist, warum und wie gerade altere Schulen den Orgelunterricht bereichern koennen, wird aufgezeigt.

Up-Grade! Pop Piano Grades 0-1 is part of Pam Wedgwood's hugely successful Up-Grade! Series, allowing pianists of all ages repertoire to bridge the gap between grades. Up-Grade! Pop offer's Pam's own take on songs such as Robbie Williams' Angels, Queen's Another One Bites The Dust and James Blunt's You're Beautiful as well as her own specially composed pieces. The varied pieces in this lively collection are demonstrated on the online audio and are designed to ease you gently on towards the next grade! There are several other spin-offs to the Up-Grade! series for piano, including jazz and Christmas.

'Beguiling ... Limpidly written, effortlessly learned' William Boyd, TLS, Books of the Year In November 1838 Frederic Chopin, George Sand and her two children sailed to Majorca to escape the Parisian winter. They settled in an abandoned monastery at Valldemossa in the mountains above Palma, where Chopin finished what would eventually be recognised as one of the great and revolutionary works of musical Romanticism - his 24 Preludes. There was scarcely a decent piano on the island (these were still early days in the evolution of the modern instrument), so Chopin worked on a small pianino made by a local craftsman, which remained in their monastic cell for seventy years after he and Sand had left. This brilliant and unclassifiable book traces the history of Chopin's 24 Preludes through the instruments on which they were played, the pianists who interpreted them and the traditions they came to represent. Yet it begins and ends with the Majorcan pianino, which during the Second World War assumed an astonishing cultural potency as it became, for the Nazis, a symbol of the man and music they were determined to appropriate as their own. The unexpected hero of the second part of the book is the great keyboard player and musical thinker Wanda Landowska, who rescued the pianino from Valldemossa in 1913, and who would later become one of the most influential musical figures of the twentieth century. Kildea shows how her story - a compelling account based for the first time on her private papers - resonates with Chopin's, while simultaneously distilling part of the cultural and political history of Europe and the United States in the central decades of the century. Kildea's beautifully interwoven narratives, part cultural history and part detective story, take us on an unexpected journey through musical Romanticism and allow us to reflect freshly on the changing meaning of music over time.

(Willis). A comprehensive step-by-step course specifically designed to suit the needs of all children beginning the piano. Includes: characters and illustrations * writing exercises * sight reading drills * review work * accompaniments * and more.

This volume brings together two early collections by Grieg to form an attractive first book of characterful piano pieces. The 'Lyric Pieces', published when the composer was 24, are amongst the easiest pieces Grieg wrote for the piano, and represent a conscious attempt to provide accessible and tuneful music for beginners.

For those who prefer a compact book here's a solution from the bestselling music learning author Jake Jackson. Left and right-hand chords, organised as a chord per spread, this is a simple, direct solution for anyone learning the piano or keyboard, or needing a quick reminder. Great for beginners, and for those playing with others needing a straightforward reference.

Matching folio to the eagerly awaited Einaudi album arranged for solo piano. Einaudi is one of the great composers of our time and his music, full of melody and hypnotic patterns makes for a uniquely satisfying playing experience.

'To Richter (no first name necessary), warm greetings to the best pianist in the Soviet Union - indeed in the whole world.' Prokofiev Throughout a life dedicated to music, Richter maintained a stubborn silence about his own ideals and aspirations. Here at last he opens up his heart in these exceptional interviews with Bruno Monsaingeon, who became close to Richter not long before the pianist's death in 1995. These conversations take us on a journey which begins with Richter's childhood memories, follows his early career and his development into 'an artist of the people', and finally charts his rise to international acclaim. Richter's personal notebooks, kept for nearly thirty years, constitute an unparalleled witness to the music of our time. The pianist writes with precision, humour and clarity and is uninhibitedly himself. These are the private thoughts of a nonconformist, one of the greatest performers of the century, yet one whose life was inextricably bound to the history of the USSR.

The Cambridge Companion to the Piano is an informative and practical guide to one of the world's most popular instruments. This collection of specially commissioned essays offers an accessible introduction to the history of the piano, performance styles, and its vast repertoire. Part 1 reviews the evolution of the piano, from its earliest forms up to the most recent developments. Part 2 explores the varied repertory, up to contemporary music, with a final chapter on jazz, blues and ragtime. The Companion also contains a glossary of important terms and will be a valuable source for the piano performer, student and enthusiast.