Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Attn Sightreaders! A Bach Chorale book you can actually see!

By "standard edition" you mean, the standard edition of the Chorales, right? If so, there's no comparison, none whatsoever! The new edition, the Czarnecki edition, is fantastic, easy to see, easy to use. I love it. IMO the standard edition is practically worthless when it comes to sight-reading practice because it's impossible to see. I found that everything seemed harder and I was less successful. Also, there's no space to write notes for myself etc. And let me just add, my vision isn't that bad, and I have dedicated piano glasses that have my prescription for the mid-distance, I don't have any problem reading other sheet music. The standard edition of the Chorales is just a horrible horrible size.

So yes, I think the Czarnecki edition is totally worth it! (If you hadn't figured out that was my opinion already!

Thanks ShiroKuro,
Yes, I meant the Riemenschneider edition (didn't mention the name because I wasn't sure how to spell it) which I assume is the standard edition, it seems to be the one everyone has.
I've always found it a bit dense which is why I haven't gotten very far with it, although I'd love to do more - Bach's harmonization and voice-leading is without peer, IMHO.
Anyway, thanks, you've helped me make up my mind to get it.

Be sure to write back and tell us what you think when you get the book. And I agree, I find working on the Chorales very satisfying.

Got the book, what a difference. Thanks for turning me on to this. It's now a regular part of my sight-reading program.

Glad to hear it!

Seriously, read-ability makes such a huge difference!

I just ordered both books through Amazon - the Chorales that others here are ordering AND the analyzed Chorales. Books such as this typically are expensive when coming from small publishers and being specialized as these are. In the past, I have found that specialized books like this can go out of print with no warning and if I am even remotely interested, get while they are available. I have the three volumes of Mick Goodrick's "Almanac of Guitar Voice Leading". Those were likewise expensive and I have never regretted owning them. A lot of people now do regret not having bought them, since the price has skyrocketed on Ebay among collectors. These are long out of print and in high demand especially the third volume, and especially among guitar players, of which I am one. They are a great study in voice leading and are suitable equally for keyboard. Mitch Haupers compiled and edited the books and wrote a two-part article in Keyboard magazine a number of years ago specifically detailing how to apply the books to keyboard. Those articles can be found online as PDFs. I would regret not getting these Bach Chorale books as a set later down the road, so now is the time.

Tony

Ahh, that's interesting. I hadn't t though about the going out of print bit. But that has happened to score books I've wanted, where I have gone to crazy lengths to try to get something. I don't know that I'll ever do that kind of analyzing, but for someone who thinks they might some day, then I agree purchasing it now is definitely a good idea.

I don't want to be the voice of gloom but the analysis of the chorales in the edition we're discussing isn't great. In fact it verges on awful because it's full of inaccuracies - I posted on that w/examples previously in this thread.

Whereas I haven't seen the Mick Goodrick books -and I'm about to look them up, but I'd assume, because they're coming from MR, that they're excellent in whatever area he's discussing.

By and large the large oversize print of this new Bach edition is welcome and excellent. If material for sight reading is the goal it's a great edition. If analysis is the goal then avoid the version that comes w/chords written in. Or get it and use it but understand that it has huge flaws.

All I can say is that if your assessment of the Bach Chorale Analysis book is truly accurate, their publishing business is toast. Word travels very fast on the internet and really, looking at their site, the Analysis book is their primary product. If word gets out that this book is seriously flawed, then people will steer clear, wondering also if they were that sloppy in creating the regular Bach Chorales book too. Sloppiness is a habit that is not likely to be evident in only one of their products if the same person(s) are doing both books.

I am not questioning your assessment, but instead stating what would seem logical to me.

Tony

I haven't seen the analysis book, but nothing sloppy that I've seen about the chorale book. It's one of those "why didn't someone do this sooner" things, as far as I'm concerned. For me it's just for sight-reading, I'll do my own analysis.

I just ordered a copy for my own sight reading practice. The recommendation is appreciated. I look forward to receiving it.

Both of the books I ordered have shipped and should be here next week.

Tony