Albums for the Young

[Daniel_piano]

I know almost any famous composer composed his own "Album for the Young"
Some of these are really masterpieces such as Prokofiev or Tchaikovsky 
Do you know of others good and pleasant "Album for the Young" ?
Also, is there anything from the Spanish and Norwegian period? Grieg or Granados?


Thanks for you help
Daniel

[BoliverAllmon]

shostakovich wrote 2 sets. one called children's notebook and the other dances of the dolls.

boliver

[BoliverAllmon]

i also think stravinsky wrote some.

[mound]

Schumann

[Daniel_piano]

Does any one know what is a good edition for Schumann and Tchaikovsky "Album for the young" ?
I only found the Schirmer edition but I've been told they're not good

Thanks
Daniel

[ariette]

Daniel,
I'm not sure if you're a student or a teacher, but if you're in need of fingering suggestions or any type of editing, you might use the Alfred publication. These are probably edited by Maurice Hinson, for whom I have great respect.

If you're a teacher, you might want to have Henle or another Urtext edition. Dover publishers also produce a nice urtext edition for less cost.

[ariette]

Daniel
You might also enjoy Grieg's Lyric Pieces, try them.

[bernhard]

Does any one know what is a good edition for Schumann and Tchaikovsky "Album for the young" ?
I only found the Schirmer edition but I've been told they're not good

Thanks
Daniel

The ABRSM edition is excellent.

A few more “Albums for the Young”

J. S. Bach – I guess his Little book for Anna Magdalena Bach and Little Book for Wilhelm Friedemann could be considered as “albums for the young".

Leopold Mozart  - “Nannerl’s Little book” – in the same vein as Bach’s, this album of teaching compositions has some real gems – mostly unknown. It was originally written for Mozart’s sister, but Mozart quickly mastered it and soon started adding his own compositions to it.

Amy Beach – Children’s Album op. 36 and Children’s Carnival op. 25 – both collections have superb pieces.

Enrico Bossi – Kinder Album – 6 pieces in Salon-like style

Robert Fuchs – Children’s pieces – op. 32 and op. 47 – similar to Schumann’s Album for the young.

Benjamin Godard – Etudes Enfantines (studies for children), op. 149.

Enrique Granados – Tales of Youth (Cuentos de la Juventude)- again, similar to Schumann, there are some amazing pieces in this album, “Dedication” being my favourite.

Cornelius Gurlitt – Albumleaves for the young, op. 101 and Albm for the young op. 140

Stephen Heller – Album for the young op. 138

Genari Karganov – Album for the young – op. 25 – Karganov wrote mostly pedagogical material, but it is of such a superior quality that it can easily be added to one’s repertory – excellent student's recital material.

Theodor Kirchner – New Scenes of Childhood – op. 55 – Kirchner was a great admirer of Schumann, and the title says it all. However it is more similar to the Album for the Young than to Scenes of childhood (which is really for adults – not children – to play).

Louis Kohler – Children’s Album op. 210 – I am afraid there isn’t much here to get excited about…

Theodor Kullak – Scenes from childhood – op. 62 and op. 81 – similar to Gurlitt’s

Gabrial Pierne – Album for my little friends  - six romantic pieces.

Edouard Poldini – Album for the young op. 122.

Max Reger – Album for young people op. 17

Gioachino Rossini – Album for Adolescent children

Anatoli Alexandrow – Pieces for Children – similar to Kabalevsky op. 39.

Fikret Amirov – Children’s pictures.

Bela Bartok – For Children

Ernest Bloch – Enfantines – Like Schumann’s these were written for the composers daughters. Impressionist.

Alfredo Casella – Pieces for children (Pieces Enfantines) – Casella was a disciple of Faure, so these pieces are in a more modern, impressionist style.

Debussy – Children’s corner.

Norman de lo Joyo – Lyric pieces for the young

David Diamond – Album for the young – ten contemporary pieces.

Jean Françaix – 10 pieces for young people – This is an interesting set: each piece describes a stage in a child development – the last pieces covering adolescence, adulthood and old age (and they get more difficult too!).
Luis Gianneo – Music for children – South American rhythms (Gianneo was Argentinian) and folk songs.

Alexander Gretchaninoff – Children’s Album op. 98 – similar to Kabalevsky.

Michael Hennagin – Children’s suite – superior modern pieces (but tonal) that can be played by adults.

Dmitri Kabalevsky – Children’s pieces op. 27 and op. 39

Aram Katchaturian – Children’s album

Lower Lieberman – Album for the Young – very modern (but tonal) – all the pieces are very easy, and yet sound very difficult and musical. (And thanks to Amanfang for pointing it out to me)

Alexi Matchavariani – Children’s album

Nilolay Miaskovsky – Children pieces op. 43

Walter Niemann – The children’s delight – op. 58 – 24 easy pieces in traditional writing.

Leo Ornstein – Memories of childhood – I bet some jaws are dropping! Yes, Ornstein of “Wild man’s Dance” notoriety wrote a children’s album! Check it out, it is pretty interesting. All the pieces are surprisingly easy and yet sound very difficult. I like “A tale from the moon” best. Expect a lot of dissonance though.

Soulima Stravinsky – Piano pieces for children – Solima is the son of Igor.

Villa Lobos – Petizada (little children) – Six beginner pieces with strong rhythms. Villa Lobos also wrote the “Guia Pratico” (Practical guide), a piano method based on Brazilian folksongs with some superb music.

Alec Wilder – Pieces for young pianists.

Mikhail Ziv – Album for Children – 30 pieces – not for beginners- written in neo romantic style. Ziv was a student of Kabalevsky.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Daniel_piano]

Thanks for your help Ariette !! 

Daniel

[Daniel_piano]

Does any one know what is a good edition for Schumann and Tchaikovsky "Album for the young" ?
I only found the Schirmer edition but I've been told they're not good

Thanks
Daniel

The ABRSM edition is excellent.

A few more “Albums for the Young”

<SNIP>

Thanks a lot Bernhard, what a good list 
Now, I have to "metabolize" all of this and try to find some of these sheet
Do you know where I can find the Rossini, Villa Lobos, Bloch and Granados albums?
I didn't find them on the editions I mostly know: curci, ricordi, wiener, editio musica budapest, henle, dover, schirmer and peters

Any thought
Thanks again

Daniel

[bernhard]

Do you know where I can find the Rossini, Villa Lobos, Bloch and Granados albums?
I didn't find them on the editions I mostly know: curci, ricordi, wiener, editio musica budapest, henle, dover, schirmer and peters

Any thought
Thanks again

Daniel

Rossini is published by Masters Music Publications Inc. (P.O. Box 810157, Boca Raton, FL 33481) in two volumes.

Villa Lobos: Petizada is published by Peer International Corp. (Theodore Presser Company), and the guia pratico is published by a number of companies – none of them offers the complete set: AMSCO, ABRSM and Peer Southern. To get the complete set you will probably have to get it from the Brazilian publishing house: Irmãos Vitale (Rua França Pinto 46, São Paulo)

Granados is published both by the ABRSM and Union Musical Española.

Bloch is published by Carl Fischer Inc., 62 Cooper Square, New York, NY10003.

Usually I order music through my local music shop. They have always been able to get me whatever I needed. However, I have on occasion used the following site and they have always been excellent:

http://www.burtnco.com/


Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mound]

are "albums for the young" generally described as music that is written for children to easilly learn, or music that children will enjoy hearing? or both?

[squiggly_girl]

Bernhard, I can't believe you left Burgmuller's Op. 100 "Album pour les Jeunes" off your list!

[legend]

the liebermann one bernhard mentioned is very cool.

hough has recorded a few - great stuff

[Daniel_piano]

are "albums for the young" generally described as music that is written for children to easilly learn, or music that children will enjoy hearing? or both?

Album for the young usually is intended as "music for beginners"
On the other other "children music" is divided in three categories:

1) music for young musicians: i.e. easy pieces, album for the young, children notebooks

2) music designed for children (but that adults can enjoy too) Peter and the Wolf, Toy Symhpony, Carnival of the Animals

3) music designed for adults (but that children can enjoy too) whose theme is childhood and infancy: i.e. Children Corner, Children Scenes, Children' Games

[lostinidlewonder]

Album for the young is not really for beginners because there is some tough pieces found there. It is more for smaller hands because the phsyical demand is not so great in these peices. That doesn't say anything for the expression needed though. The Schumann Album for the Young for instance has some very rhythmic and chordal music which is no sightreading walk in the park for most players, but easy for adults to keep within their hands.

[Daniel_piano]

Album for the young is not really for beginners because there is some tough pieces found there. It is more for smaller hands because the phsyical demand is not so great in these peices. That doesn't say anything for the expression needed though. The Schumann Album for the Young for instance has some very rhythmic and chordal music which is no sightreading walk in the park for most players, but easy for adults to keep within their hands.

Yes, some piece are clearly not easy
Even as a 7 grader you can't simply sightread through them
If I remember right they're 4/5 grader pieces
Though, the easiest ones can be used with beginners

Daniel

[Daniel_piano]

are "albums for the young" generally described as music that is written for children to easilly learn, or music that children will enjoy hearing? or both?

If you're asking in order to know if you could enjoy playing them, then the answer if yes!
They're not kiddy pieces! They're charming and passionate
Many of them are 4 grade pieces, yet even a virtuoso would enjoy their simple charm and beauty
They're also good as a sight-reading exercise
Tchaikovsky Album for the Young is a must-have for everyone

Daniel

[fnork]

Villa Lobos – Petizada (little children) – Six beginner pieces with strong rhythms. Villa Lobos also wrote the “Guia Pratico” (Practical guide), a piano method based on Brazilian folksongs with some superb music.

Do you think "Guia Pratico" is good? I have some of the sheet music in a book with villa-lobos music (entitled "The piano music of Villa-lobos"), but I looked at it and found it really boring. At least comparing to Villa-lobos other stuff. The book only includes a selection of Guia Pratico though... Perhaps I should give it a closer look.

[bernhard]

Villa Lobos – Petizada (little children) – Six beginner pieces with strong rhythms. Villa Lobos also wrote the “Guia Pratico” (Practical guide), a piano method based on Brazilian folksongs with some superb music.

Do you think "Guia Pratico" is good? I have some of the sheet music in a book with villa-lobos music (entitled "The piano music of Villa-lobos"), but I looked at it and found it really boring. At least comparing to Villa-lobos other stuff. The book only includes a selection of Guia Pratico though... Perhaps I should give it a closer look.

Yes. Guia Pratico is excellent.

Unfortunately only parts of it are available outside Brazil. And since it is a progressive course (it is actually a piano method) in order to be properly appreciated you must follow it.

Your disappointment may be due to the fact that you are looking at it as a collection of pieces, which it is not. As I said it is a pedagogical work, the pieces of which happen to have been written by a superlative composer. The majority of the pieces are based on Brazilian Nursery rhymes. Since you are probably not familiar with them, you will not be able to explore another source of delight which is the very personal way Villa Lobos treat these children’s folk songs musically. It is a bit like listening to Viktor Borge improvise “Happy Birthday to You” in the style of Mozart or Brahms. If you are not familiar with classical music and if happen to not know the Happy Birthday to you tune, you will not be able to truly appreciate what Borge is doing.

I have the same feeling of boredom and dullness when I come across some Russian methods for children. But for Russian children (for whom these methods were originally written) the pieces are quite enjoyable because they are based in Russian folk tunes with which they are thoroughly familiarised and which they can recognise instantly, something I cannot do.

Of course if you are truly interested in Villa Lobos music, at some point you will need to get a CD of Brazilian folk songs and traditional popular music, since his music (like Bartok’s and Kodaly’s) is heavily influenced by it.

The complete “Guia Pratico” consists of 18 books in progressive order of difficulty. The Brazilian publishers are: Irmãos Vitale (Adress: Rua França Pinto 46, São Paulo). You may try writing to them.

Brazilian pianist Roberto Szidon has recorded the whole Guia Pratico in a two CD set for Angel (3CBX401)

Best wishes,
Bernhard