Customer Reviews for 59 Piano Solos You Like to Play
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Kay
Location: from Fort Mill, SC
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
October 15, 2011
BARGAIN!
This is a wonderful collection of favorites, some quite challenging but worth the effort. I expect to spend a good bit of time with this album!
11 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Debra
Location: from Grenoble France
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
April 9, 2009
A classic
Like many of the reviewers, I grew up with this album and am now purchasing it again because my copy is tattered beyond belief (and recently displaced). It is for the advanced intermediate and advanced student. It is also an EXCELLENT source book for a piano teacher, because it offers a wide variety of original, seldom heard pieces which are relatively short. AND... it offers some composers who are NEVER heard (i.e. Palmgren, Cui, Chaminade) who SHOULD be heard more often, as their music is beautiful. This is program music of the highest nature. And this album is STILL a treasure. I'm not surprised that Schirmer is continuing it. It will be around when WE are all down under, as my grandmother used to say... I agree with a previous reviewer that it could be a good idea to install a spiral binding...
19 of 34 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Spokane
Difficulty Level:
Advanced
December 10, 2008
My favorite compliation book
Don't be dissuaded by the dorky cover - this is the best collection from different composers I've found. My first copy (from the '70's) was worn to shreds, so I was happy to find it still in print. Great for adv-intermediate to advanced pianists.
20 of 35 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
July 25, 2008
Great Collection
Same great book that I've had for many years. This time I took it to Kinko's for spiral binding. It cost about $7, and they did a great job. No more problems with the binding.
21 of 34 people found this review helpful.
Connie R.
Location: from Lansing, MI
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
February 21, 2008
My Favorite Music Book
Back in 1953, my piano teacher gave me "59 Piano Solos You Like to Play." I was twelve years old at the time. I gradually learned to play most of the music, but over the years the book really took a beating. It lost its cover, became dog-eared, scotch-taped, and was falling apart. It didn't matter. I loved it and the wide variety of classical music presents a challenge to this day. But somehow, unfortunately, my old book with teacher's notes and dates was thrown out. I was heartbroken. It held a lot of sentimental value to me. Then I thought, maybe, just maybe, I could find a copy of it online. Oh my gosh, I was astonished to see that it was still in publication and I bought another copy right away. Don't ever stop publishing this very fine collection of classical music. It is a gem.
16 of 31 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
February 18, 2008
Love this book!
I've worn out 4 of these books...just wish the publisher would spiral bind it. I've been playing these pieces for longer than I care to remember.
11 of 20 people found this review helpful.
Bill Caukill
Location: from Sydney, Australia
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
January 1, 2008
Solos for the experienced amateur
This is a delightful albumn of piano solos ranging from the baroque to 20th century. There are transcriptions, skilfully arranged as well as original solos. They comprise famous works extracted from larger volumes such as the Bach 48 and Rachmanninoff Preludes. The volume is a very satisfying sampler of masterworks over a three century period and can form the basis for an enjoyable recital series by an experienced amateur as well as encores for the professional.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Virginia Isbell
Location: from Kealakekua - Kona - Hawai'i
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
September 25, 2007
Best piano solo book ever published !
I have used this book for over fifty years when my first piano teacher (Jean Crockett - Montana) gave me the book. I have purchased several for my piano students over the years as I know they will keep playing out of it their lifetime, just as I have. It has something for everyone.
7 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Nick
Location: from Pittsburgh, PA
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
January 17, 2006
I love this book!!!
I am about 13 years old and I love to play the piano. I found this book and bought it. I love the pieces because some of them are harder than others. There is a very diverse selection of composers and songs. Wome of the songs are difficult because they require lots of technique and look deceptively simple. The songs of the composers are very common and well known, it is a great book for any advanced player.
7 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Springfield, MO
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
October 1, 2004
Good, solid, challenging collection
This was a gift from my piano teacher when I graduated from high school. Well-edited, although rather ancient-looking engraving, this collection provides the performer with a number of the most popular piano works (Chopin's Minute Waltz, Mozart's Rondo ala Turka, Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# minor) along with a few really quality works that often fall below the "standard" repertorie. While about 20% of the book contains "easier" works, 30% or more of the book contains pieces that require upper level technique and musicality. The "average" piano performer may only find twenty or so pieces accessible. And, of course, with the standard flat binding, it's possible for pages to fall out if one breaks the spine too strongly. However, as a compendium, the collection works well, is flexible, provides music with different challenges, different moods, and from vastly different periods. Very much worth the price
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Anonymous
Location: from Napa, CA
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate
October 30, 2003
we all like to play
I grew up with this collection. My Mom played from it; I played from it; and now my daughter has taken it to college. I used several pieces for recitals, as did my daughter. This is a good collection for learning pieces of different styles and eras. There are also a few challenging pieces for the intermediate student.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Sheila
Location: from Indianapolis, IN
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
October 9, 2002
Good Selection
I "like to play" the selections in this book. I'm glad to have these familiar standards. Some of the pieces are too difficult for me, however, so I would rate this book more advanced than intermediate.
4 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Sam
Location: from Atlanta, Ga
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
September 3, 2002
Great Music/Poor binding
The pieces in the book are wonderful. After having my book for only a short while though, it has fallen apart. I now have to piece the pages together, taping where pages have become loose from the binding. If they had this book spiral bound, it would make it less of a headache.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful.
jennifer
Location: from Piscataway, NJ
Difficulty Level:
Intermediate/advanced
March 28, 2002
great collection!
I bought this book solely for Sinding's Rustles of Spring, and was just thrilled with the collection. The only thing I've noticed is that the binding is a bit weak for constant use, meaning hours and hours at a time, but a bargin price for the number of works included.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.