Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Give me something to sight read!

I have a bad edition, so that doesn't count... I'm fixing that pronto!

I was going to say me, because I don't play any Bach; but it turns out I do have the 2nd volume of the Schirmer's edition. At any rate, I thought he might be reading them straight from his computer monitor, hence the request.

Well then you still don't really have any Bach, if Schirmer is all you have.

I realized that recently and bought myself the Henle Urtext edition. I hope you consider that an appropriate edition to use.

Also, do you dislike Schirmer for everything else too? I do have quite a few Schirmer books (eg: Chopin Scherzos, Beethoven piano concertos, Liszt piano concerto, Chopin piano concerto, Brahms complete works, etc). Are these not acceptable books to use, say for the purposes of an amateur competition?

Well if you have the Schirmer WTC, you have the Czerny version, which would be argued an interpretation of Bach by Czerny.

But if you have Schirmer for Rach 3 (a reprint of the original...), or Schirmer for Barber....well it's probably fine.

I think Schirmer for 20th century up to now is more reliable.

Schirmer is just reprints of old editions. If you don't mind paying a premium for 19th century scholarship when you can get it on IMSLP, then by all means, knock yourself out. Any other suggestions? I ruled out the Liszt Mazeppa because there isn't an adequate piano reduction, and the other two of the Alkan Op. 15 were going to make me go blind. I'm not John Ogdon, I read pretty well but I'm not an automaton.

Jeffreyjones, regarding Liszt Mazeppa, that probably meant Transcendental Etude No. 4, not the orchestra poem.

Okay, for Alkan, how about the Capriccio Alla Soltadesca from Op. 50?

Ehh, I'll try it but the scan quality is the worst I've seen.. (except for that Clara Schumann manuscript)

Yeah, that's a problem with his music, isn't it...

Alkan Capriccio alla Soltadesca: http://www.box.net/shared/kg3uxx2nccahu3h0uz9t

I literally had to spend 15 minutes just poring over the score in magnified mode before I could try it. Hopefully the results were worth it.

How about Fiorentino's transcription of the Waltz from Der Rosenkavalier (#891 on this page):

http://www.classicscore.hut2.ru/F.htm

or his transcription of Vocalise(#890 on the same page)?

Do you print out the music or read it off a monitor?

Renewing my challenge. I have vacation time and I hate vacation time, because I want to be productive. I'll do pianoloverus' last request tomorrow and anything else I've gotten by that time.



I read it off my laptop.

Alkan Prelude Op. 31 No. 16 "Dans le Genre Gothique"
Alkan Chant Op. 38 No. 1

Medtner Skazka Op. 26 No. 1, 3, Op. 51 No. 3
http://imslp.org/wiki/4_Tales,_Op.26_%28Medtner,_Nikolay%29
http://imslp.org/wiki/6_Tales,_Op.51_%28Medtner,_Nikolay%29

Kapustin Suite in the Old Style Op 29 No. 1 - Allemande
http://www.scorage.ru/view.aspx?id=076506898646F9550246394ED669D96A
(from classicscore.hut2.ru)

Kapustin Prelude Op. 53 No. 9/11 (i can recommend the whole set, but maybe most of it is too rhythmically and jazz-wise challenging for sightreading)
http://www.scorage.ru/view.aspx?id=3EDC1654CDDFD7ADB722A9D401E610B8

Alkan Esquisses Op. 63 No. 4 Les Cloches, 14 Duettino, 36 Toccatina, 46 Premier Billet Doux, 48 En Songe (again, recommending the whole set)
http://imslp.org/wiki/Esquisses,_Op.63_%28Alkan,_Charles-Valentin%29


Awesome job so far! But i do think others have to practice regularly to get better at sightreading, like me. You're either the exception or your 'practice' was done long ago.

I'll be sure to tackle some of these as I'm recuperating from my root canal.. music is my therapy.

I feel for you, get well soon!