Franz Schubert – Pianodao

Schubert • Masterpieces

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

The consolidation of Edition Peters within Faber Music continues to prove a fruitful alliance with the arrival of a new series, Masterpieces for Piano, bringing together Faber’s penchant for producing bumper anthologies with Edition Peters deep and respected classical catalogue.

The first arrival announcing the series is a stunning new 176-page compendium of music by Franz Schubert.

With selections suitable for players from intermediate to advanced level, taking in easy Ecossaises and other dances, and progressing through Moment Musicals to several popular Impromptus and the complete Sonata in A major Op.120, this could well be the ultimate Schubert collection for enthusiastic adult players and students…

Schubert • The Piano Sonatas

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Once in a while we enjoy the arrival of a genuine milestone in classical music publishing. Bärenreiter’s stunning 2019 release of Jonathan Del Mar’s new edition of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas was such and occasion, and I reviewed that publication here.

Though not introduced with so loud a fanfare, Bärenreiter have also recently completed their new three-volume survey of the complete Schubert Piano Sonatas, a project several years in the making.

Edited by Walburga Litschauer and based on the urtext of the New Schubert-Edition, this set of publications breaks new ground in scholarship while also offering unrivalled performing editions of this seminal, if still too little-known, cycle of masterpieces…

My First Schubert

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Schott Music’s My First Composers collections continue to prove one of the most quirky and enjoyable series of recent years.

With their combination of covers that resemble childrens’ storybooks, and content that includes music up to Grade 8 and beyond, they equally suit child prodigies and older players with a self-deprecating sense of fun!

I have previously been impressed with My First Beethoven (reviewed here), Haydn (here), Schumann (here) and Tchaikovsky (here). Each of these delivers a generous mixture of classics and lesser-known pieces, beautifully presented on cream paper within, and freshly edited by Wilhelm Ohmen.

The latest addition to the series is devoted to the music of Franz Schubert, delivering 37 solo pieces and 10 duets, and seems to me another immediate winner…

Schubert’s “Moments musicaux”

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Wiener Urtext Edition have, in recent years, made a particular effort to renew their editions of Schubert’s smaller-scale piano works, the two sets of Impromptus, Op.90 and Op.142, and the Moments musicaux op.94, a new edition of which has just appeared on the market.

Is this new version the definitive edition? Let’s see…