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Someone mentioned to me a series of books for learning classical music in a traditional style. I just can't remember the name or the author. I think they may be quite old and there's a series of nine books or it may be eleven. Does anyone have any ideas what they may be?

Hi steveMac,

If I'm the one who suggested them, they are probably the Keith Snell books. You have two options with this series:

The newer option is the "Essential Piano Repertoire of the 17th, 18th, & 19th Centuries." This has one book per level going from Preparatory up to level 10, including a CD in each book. This is a nice series, but IMO the 20th century pieces are well worth studying.

The other series has 3 books per level, but the CD is separate. The books split the material up into Etudes, Baroque & Classical, and Romantic & 20th Century. This is the one I am mostly using right now.

He has also added a Beginner Piano Repertoire and Beginner Piano Theory for teachers that want to start off right with a classical style approach instead of using method books. These are not classical pieces, but rather arrangements and Keith Snell's own compositions that are aimed at leading into the Preperatory books above.

By no means is this the only series out there. You can also look for:
Bastian Piano Library
Celebration Series Perspectives (previous version was Celebration Series Piano Odyssey)
Alfred's Essential Keyboard Repertoire - This is not one of my favorites. The pieces are not chosen to be very close in difficulty, there is limited information on which pieces should be studied in which order, and the books do not progress in levels either.
The Festival Collection
On Your Way to Succeeding With The Masters followed by Succeeding With The Masters - I like this series. If it had the completeness of the Keith Snell series, it would be my favorite. However, it only has seven books at roughly 3 levels. On Your Way is the first level, followed by the two levels of Succeeding With The Masters books - Baroque, Classical, and Romantic at each level. What it does right: Practice tips for each piece! What it does wrong: not enough levels and only 3 - 4 composers in each book.
The Developing Pianist series

There are a lot more series out there, these are the ones I can mention off the top of my head.

Hope this helps,
Rich

Hi Rich,

In the newer Keith Snell series, do they combine different books together, or do they leaves out some pieces? Do they still have etudes in them?


Thanks,

Dave,

It's like a best of book.

For example, here are the contents of each of the Level 4 books:


Baroque & Classical • GP604 • $5.45
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Prelude in C, BWV 939
Minuet in C Minor, BWV 121
DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
Sonata in D Minor, L. 423
CARL PHILIP EMANUEL BACH (1714-1788)
March in G, BWV 124
Polonaise in G Minor, BWV 125
Allegro
JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
Allegro
DANIEL GOTTLOB TÃœRK (1750-1813)
Gigue
MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752-1832)
Sonatina in G, Op. 36, No. 2
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
Minuet and Trio , K. 1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonatina in F
FRIEDRICH KUHLAU (1786-1832)
Sonatina in C, Op. 55, No. 1


Romantic & 20th Century • GP624 • $5.45
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Waltz in B Minor, Op. 18 No. 5
Ecossaise in Ab
FRIEDRICH BURGMÃœLLER (1806-1874)
Innocence, Op. 100, No. 5
Ballade, Op. 100, No. 15
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
From Album for the Young, Op. 68
Hunting Song
First Sorrow
FRITZ SPINDLER (1817-1905)
Sonatina in C, Op. 157, No. 4
PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
From Album for the Young, Op. 39
The Sick Doll
The Dolls Funeral
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Elfin Dance, Op.12, No. 4
National Song, Op.12, No. 8
BÉLA BARTÓK (1881-1945)
From For Children
Love Song
Jeering Song
ARAM KHACHATURIAN (1903-1978)
From Adventures of Ivan
Ivan Sings
DMITRI KABALEVSKY (1904-1987)
From Thirty Children’s Pieces, Op. 27
Toccatina
A Sad Story
Sonatina


Etudes • GP644 • $4.95
CARL CZERNY (1791-1857)
Promenade
Allegretto
GIUSEPPE CONCONE (1801-1861)
Desire
HERMANN BERENS (1826-1880)
Dedication
FRIEDRICH BURGMÃœLLER (1806-1874)
From 25 Progressive Studies, Op. 100
Progress
La Gracieuse
La Bergeronette
Inquietude
LOUIS STREABBOG (1842-1907)
Bees in the Clover
The Cadets
Chromatic Waltz
JEAN BAPTISTE DUVERNOY (1904-1987)
Novelette Romantique, Op. 176, No. 18
DMITRI KABALEVSKY (1904-1987)
From Thirty Children’s Pieces, Op. 27
Dance on the Lawn
Playing Ball


Essential Piano Repertoire
DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
Sonata in D Minor, L. 423
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Minuet in C Minor, BWV Anh. 121
Prelude in C, BWV 939
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH (1714-1788)
Polonaise in G Minor, BWV Anh. 125
MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752-1832)
Sonatina in G, Op. 36, No.2
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Sonatina in F
FRIEDRICH KUHLAU (1786-1832)
Sonatina in C, Op. 55, No.1
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Waltz in B Minor, Op. 18, No. 5
FRIEDRICH BURGMÃœLLER (1806-1874)
Ballade, Op. 100, No. 15
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Hunting Song, Op. 68, No. 7
FRITZ SPINDLER (1817-1905)
Sonatina, Op. 157, No. 4
PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Sick Doll
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Elfin Dance
JEAN BAPTISTE DUVERNOY (1842-1907)
Novelette Romantique, Op. 176, No. 18

If you want to see all the other books, the tables of contents are located at www.kjos.com .

This document gives them for the original piano repertoire series:
http://kjos.vo.llnwd.net/o28/pdf/brochures/snell_reper_index.pdf

And links to the Essential Piano Repertoire are located here:
http://www.kjos.com/sub_section.php?division=5&series=217&showsamples=22

Rich

Rich,

Many thanks!

Thanks for the info Rich. I remember you mentioning these books in another thread. I was speaking to a teacher on the phone the other day, these are the books she teaches from, unfortunately she is another teacher and can't take lessons from. Her teaching times are too early in the evening for me.