Getting the Most out of Mozart

Unlocking the Masters Series No. 4. Mozart was the first composer whose operas have never left the international repertoire and for many he remains one of the finest vocal composers who ever lived. In a sense all of his music is vocal music depending as it does on arresting singable melodies but in his great operas single arias and sacred works Mozart put his melodic gift to work revealing the subtleties and expressive potential of a wide range of texts in languages ranging from Italian to Latin to German. In every case he created masterpieces from operas such as The Marriage of Figaro Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute to the sacred choral motet Ave Verum Corpus and of course the unfinished Requiem his final project. This second Getting the Most Out of Mozart volume in our Unlocking the Masters series focuses on Mozart's great operas and other vocal works but also discusses numerous lesser-known compositions from operas he wrote as a child to insertion arias for favorite singers or operas by other composers. In each case David Hurwitz describes how the musical setting and choice of instruments supports the text. He takes readers through the seven major operas aria by aria showing how Mozart uses vocal style and orchestration to create believable and moving characters that remain the standard for characterization in music to which all composers and dramatists aspire. The accompanying CD from Telarc Records includes 14 works.

A Creative and Interactive Piano Course for Children-A book of 12 fun and easy piano duets supplementing the other books in Level 2 of this definitive beginner method by leading piano educator H-G Heumann. This illustrated duet book is ideal for getting pupils together to learnthe valuable skill of ensemble playing. What is Piano Junior? Piano Junior is a superb piano course for beginners. It's creative it's interactive it's colourful it has its own website with additional online material - and most importantly it really works! Its characters PJ the friendly robot and his sidekick Mozart the dog motivate and encourage children throughout eachlevel. The course is available as core Lesson Books along with supplementary Theory Duet and Performance Books at each stage.   Who is Piano Junior for? Suitable for children from around the age of 6 Piano Junior takes young students on their first steps and prepares them with a solid foundation for early grades. A method for the digital age Teachers parents and students can visit www.piano-junior.com for demonstration videos and recordings along with a host of other free downloadable resources which really bring practice sessions at home to life!   PIANO JUNIOR - press reviews 'The careful introduction of all aspects of music notation is a standout feature of these books and to my mind Heumann has provided one of the best child-friendly introductions to reading music that I have seen... Piano Junior has in many respects raised the bar in some ways perhaps even setting a new standard by which piano courses for children will be judged.' - PIANODAO.COM