Contains A Night in the House of Usher Un Jour affreux avec Le Diable dans le beffroi, Les accords de septi�me regrettent!!!, Petite Valse,F�tes galantes, and Pr�lude � ?L?Histoire de Tristan?

From Robert Orledge's notes:

My interest in the wonderful music of Claude Debussy began in the 1980s when I researched and published a book with Cambridge University Press entitled Debussy and the Theatre. During the course of my studies in Paris, I was amazed to discover that Debussy planned over 50 theatrical works but only finished two of these entirely by himself (the opera Pell�as et M�lisande in 1893?1902 and the ballet Jeux for Diaghilev?s Ballets Russes in 1912?13). Of the rest, many were never started musically (like Siddartha and Orph�e-roi with the Oriental scholar Victor Segalen, 1907); some had a few tantalising sketches (like the Edgar Allan Poe opera Le Diable dans le beffroi, 1902?03); some were half-finished (like his other Poe opera La Chute de la Maison Usher, 1908?17); while others were musically complete but had their orchestrations completed by other composers (like Khamma, by Charles Koechlin, 1912?13; or Le Martyre de Saint S�bastien and La Bo�te � joujoux by his ?angel of corrections? [?l?ange des Corrections?] Andr� Caplet in 1911 and 1919 respectively).

For it has to be admitted that what some scholars call Debussy?s ?compulsive achievement? could equally well be viewed as laziness, especially as far as the minute detail required for calligraphing his orchestral scores was concerned. It was as if creating the music itself was of greater importance than controlling its final sound, even if Debussy was an imaginative orchestrator when he found the time and energy to do it. It also seems true that Debussy also preferred inventing ideas to turning them into complete pieces. However, despite the lack of detail in many of his sketches (missing clefs, key signatures, dynamics, phrasing, etc.) the notes themselves are surprisingly accurate, whether or not they can be compared with a later draft. Thus, a large number of sketches exist for his Chinese ballet No-ja-li ou Le Palais du Silence and it is not too difficult to see which parts of Georges de Feure?s 1913 scenario (see below) inspired which ideas. But Debussy hardly made any attempt to join them together after the first few bars.

It was usually up to his publisher, Jacques Durand, to find solutions when Debussy risked a breach of contract. Debussy was supposed to supervise the orchestrations completed by others, but this supervision was usually very light and restricted to quiet, sensitive moments in which problems were easier to spot. Far from jealously guarding every one of his created notes, as Ravel did, Debussy once even went as far as to ask Koechlin to ?write a ballet for him that he would sign? on 26 March 1914 when he was hard-pressed to fulfil his lucrative contract for No-ja-li with Andr� Charlot at the Alhambra Theatre in London. In the end, Debussy (through Durand) sent Charlot the symphonic suite Printemps instead, whose orchestration had been completed by Henri Busser in the Spring of 1912.

So, when I was offered early retirement as Professor of Music at Liverpool University in 2004, I seized the opportunity it would give me to spend time trying to reconstruct some of Debussy?s lost potential masterpieces from his existing sketches and drafts?then orchestrating them in Debussy?s style when this was appropriate. I had begun this mission in 2001 with the most promising project, the missing parts of Scene 2 of La Chute de la Maison Usher and the sheer joy it gave me at every stage persuaded me to tackle other projects, especially when Debussy experts were unable to identify exactly where I took over from Debussy (and vice versa) in Usher.

Contains Le Roi Lear: Pr�lude,Premi�re Fanfare, and La Mort de Cord�lia,Toomai des �l�phants, Rodrigue et Chim�ne: Pr�lude � l?acte 1p. Le Martyre de Saint S�bastien: La Passion , and No-ja-li ou Le Palais du Silence

From Robert Orledge's notes:

My interest in the wonderful music of Claude Debussy began in the 1980s when I researched and published a book with Cambridge University Press entitled Debussy and the Theatre. During the course of my studies in Paris, I was amazed to discover that Debussy planned over 50 theatrical works but only finished two of these entirely by himself (the opera Pell�as et M�lisande in 1893?1902 and the ballet Jeux for Diaghilev?s Ballets Russes in 1912?13). Of the rest, many were never started musically (like Siddartha and Orph�e-roi with the Oriental scholar Victor Segalen, 1907); some had a few tantalising sketches (like the Edgar Allan Poe opera Le Diable dans le beffroi, 1902?03); some were half-finished (like his other Poe opera La Chute de la Maison Usher, 1908?17); while others were musically complete but had their orchestrations completed by other composers (like Khamma, by Charles Koechlin, 1912?13; or Le Martyre de Saint S�bastien and La Bo�te � joujoux by his ?angel of corrections? [?l?ange des Corrections?] Andr� Caplet in 1911 and 1919 respectively).

For it has to be admitted that what some scholars call Debussy?s ?compulsive achievement? could equally well be viewed as laziness, especially as far as the minute detail required for calligraphing his orchestral scores was concerned. It was as if creating the music itself was of greater importance than controlling its final sound, even if Debussy was an imaginative orchestrator when he found the time and energy to do it. It also seems true that Debussy also preferred inventing ideas to turning them into complete pieces. However, despite the lack of detail in many of his sketches (missing clefs, key signatures, dynamics, phrasing, etc.) the notes themselves are surprisingly accurate, whether or not they can be compared with a later draft. Thus, a large number of sketches exist for his Chinese ballet No-ja-li ou Le Palais du Silence and it is not too difficult to see which parts of Georges de Feure?s 1913 scenario (see below) inspired which ideas. But Debussy hardly made any attempt to join them together after the first few bars.

It was usually up to his publisher, Jacques Durand, to find solutions when Debussy risked a breach of contract. Debussy was supposed to supervise the orchestrations completed by others, but this supervision was usually very light and restricted to quiet, sensitive moments in which problems were easier to spot. Far from jealously guarding every one of his created notes, as Ravel did, Debussy once even went as far as to ask Koechlin to ?write a ballet for him that he would sign? on 26 March 1914 when he was hard-pressed to fulfil his lucrative contract for No-ja-li with Andr� Charlot at the Alhambra Theatre in London. In the end, Debussy (through Durand) sent Charlot the symphonic suite Printemps instead, whose orchestration had been completed by Henri Busser in the Spring of 1912.

So, when I was offered early retirement as Professor of Music at Liverpool University in 2004, I seized the opportunity it would give me to spend time trying to reconstruct some of Debussy?s lost potential masterpieces from his existing sketches and drafts?then orchestrating them in Debussy?s style when this was appropriate. I had begun this mission in 2001 with the most promising project, the missing parts of Scene 2 of La Chute de la Maison Usher and the sheer joy it gave me at every stage persuaded me to tackle other projects, especially when Debussy experts were unable to identify exactly where I took over from Debussy (and vice versa) in Usher.

Sounds like: Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, Liz Story's "The Gift", George Winston's "December", early Windham Hill solo piano artists, and "A Winter's Solstice" compilations.


Transcribed by: David Shenton ( https://www.shentonmusic.com/ ) verbatim to the sound recording

Contents:
1. Bring A Torch (Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella)
2. Children Go Where I Send Thee / The Holly & The Ivy
3. Star Of Wonder (We Three Kings of Orient Are)
4. Silent (Silent Night, Holy Night)
5. Midnight (It Came Upon the Midnight Clear)
6. What Child Is This?
7. Greensleeves (homage to Liz Story)
8. Three Ships (I Saw Three Ships, Come Sailing In)
9. The Coventry Carol (Lully, Lulla, Lullay)
10. Sing We Now Of Christmas (No�l Nouvelet)
11. Carol Of The Bells

Album & Songbook review by: Kathy Parsons (MainlyPiano.com):

I have discovered a real wealth of great solo piano Christmas CDs this year! Isadar?s In Search For the Meaning of Christmas definitely falls into this category! Thoughtful, introspective, and a bit moody, Isadar?s arrangements are true to the carols (with some small melody changes in ?Bring a Torch? and ?Carol of the Bells? that bother me just a little) and still seem very personal. ?Bring a Torch?, ?The Holly and the Ivy?, and ?I Saw Three Ships? are given a lighthearted, joyful treatment. ?Star of Wonder (We Three Kings)?, ?What Child Is This??, ?The Coventry Carol?, and ?Sing We Now of Christmas? are all minor, somber, reverent pieces, and all four are given loving arrangements that keep the dark, mysterious nature of the songs and reflect Isadar?s own sensibilities. ?Carol of the Bells? and Isadar's take on Liz Story?s arrangement of ?Greensleeves? are energetic without losing all abandon. ?Silent Night? and ?It Came Upon a Midnight Clear? present us with a very cold, deep solitude - both feel like late night with moonlight reflecting off the snow. Both are moody, but very beautifully so. George Winston?s ?December? is one of my all-time favorite holiday albums, and I feel In Search For the Meaning of Christmas holds up exceptionally well next to it. This is an excellent collection of Christmas music, and I highly recommend it!

In Search For the Meaning of Christmas is the companion songbook to Isadar?s 1999 solo piano release by the same name. Meticulously transcribed note-for-note by David Shenton of New York Music Publishing, the music is faithful to the recording in every way (except for the pianist - YOU!). The scores are clear, concise, and easy to read, and also include chord indications for improvisation or the use of instruments other than or in addition to the piano. Isadar?s arrangements cover a whole range of emotions, from very dark and somber to joyful and buoyant. All of the pieces from the CD are here, including Isadar?s homage to Liz Story and her beautiful version of ?Greensleeves.? My personal favorites of the eleven songs in this book are the bright and cheerful ?Bring A Torch,? ?What Child Is This??, ?Greensleeves,? the darkly gorgeous ?The Coventry Carol,? and ?Sing We Now of Christmas.? Other titles that I really like are ?Children Go Where I Send Thee/The Holly and the Ivy,? ?Star of Wonder (We Three Kings)," ?Carol of the Bells,? and the effervescent ?Three Ships.? ?Silent? (Silent Night) and ?Midnight? (It Came Upon a Midnight Clear) are a bit too dark for my own holiday tastes, but are interesting and very personal arrangements. This book will make a great addition to your holiday sheet music collection and is available from isadar.com and amazon.com.

Isadar is an artist on both Enlightened Piano Radio & Whisperings Solo Piano Radio, the latter featuring some of today's biggest names in solo piano music, including Ludovico Einaudi, David Nevue, Brian Crain, Kevin Kern, Robin Spielberg, Michele McLaughlin, Philip Wesley and over 300 more...

Also available as sheet music in physical songbooks, digital downloads, as well as software for Yamaha Disklavier player-pianos.

For more information, visit his website at: http://www.isadar.com

With these piano sheets, you can play ?Bohemian Rhapsody? on piano!

It?s an accurate piano arrangement of the whole piece, including all parts, full melody & instrumental solos.

I believe this is the most accurate piano arrangement of the song you will find anywhere.

It?s a ?Bohemian Rhapsody? piano version in the song?s original key, it?s playable, and it sounds fantastic!


I also created sheet music of the same piano arrangement with the song?s full lyrics - you can get it here: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21155920


?Bohemian Rhapsody? was, of course, written by the one and only Freddie Mercury.

It was included on Queen?s 1975 album ?A Night at the Opera? and became one of Queen?s biggest hits. Today, it is considered by many to be the best classic rock song of all time.


There?s a good reason why the 2018 biographical film about Freddie Mercuy (played by Rami Malek) is named after this song - arguably his greatest composition.


?Bohemian Rhapsody? is famous for its diverse parts: from the a-capella-intro to rock ballad verses, from hard rock guitar solos to operatic sections.

?Bohemian Rhapsody? really is the whole package - and all parts of it can sound surprisingly great on piano, if played right!


In my experience, many arrangements of the song seem to be lacking something: They are not accurate, don?t sound powerful enough, there are important parts or even whole sections missing.

So I took my time to create a piano arrangement of the song which I feel does justice to this wonderful piece.


I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do!



Here are the full lyrics to ?Bohemian Rhapsody?:


?Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landslide

No escape from reality

Open your eyes

Look up to the skies and see

I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy

Because I'm easy come, easy go

A little high, little low

Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me

Mama, just killed a man

Put a gun against his head

Pulled my trigger, now he's dead

Mama, life had just begun

But now I've gone and thrown it all away

Mama, oh oh

Didn't mean to make you cry

If I'm not back again this time tomorrow

Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

Too late, my time has come

Sends shivers down my spine

Body's aching all the time

Goodbye everybody I've got to go

Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth

Mama, oh oh (anyway the wind blows)

I don't want to die

Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a man

Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the Fandango

Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me

Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, figaro, magnifico

I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me

He's just a poor boy from a poor family

Spare him his life from this monstrosity

Easy come easy go will you let me go

Bismillah, no we will not let you go, let him go

Bismillah, we will not let you go, let him go

Bismillah, we will not let you go, let me go

(Will not let you go) let me go (never, never let you go) let me go (never let me go)

Oh oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me for me for me

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye

So you think you can love me and leave me to die

Oh baby can't do this to me baby

Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here

Oh oh oh yeah, oh oh yeah

Nothing really matters

Anyone can see

Nothing really matters

Nothing really matters to me

Anyway the wind blows?

Rock of Ages -This arrangement has a long intro which is a piece I composed during the time a favorite mentor was on his deathbed. In the youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6St2W_0KX6c , you can most likely feel the emotion my heart was experiencing as I penned this song. This timeless hymn is a favorite communion piece for me. It has been professionally recorded and is part of my album All the Day Long. I am currently working to transcribe the other titles on my album.
If you enjoy "Rock of Ages," please email me at christistillsmusic@gmail.com , and I would be happy to let you know when I have completed transcribing other titles.
Please follow my latest updates on Facebook at Christi Stills - Piano .

Here's how to play "Play the Game" by Queen on piano!

With this piano sheet music, you can play "Play the Game" on piano.
It's an accurate piano arrangement of the whole piece which is not too hard to play, and sounds fantastic!

The full melody is included in the piano part, so it makes for a perfect instrumental (piano solo) version.

"Play the Game" was written by Freddie Mercury, and became the first track on Queen's 1980 album "The Game". It was also included on their 1981 "Greatest Hits" album.

"Play the Game" is a wonderful song for piano!

Here are the full lyrics to Queen's "Play the Game":

Open up your mind and let me step inside
Rest your weary head and let your heart decide
It's so easy when you know the rules
It's so easy all you have to do
Is fall in love
Play the game
Everybody play the game of love
Ooh yeah
When you're feeling down and your resistance is low
Light another cigarette and let yourself go
This is your life
Don't play hard to get
It's a free world
All you have to do is fall in love
Play the game - yeah
Everybody play the game of love
Ooh yeah
My game of love has just begun
Love runs from my head down to my toes
My love is pumping through my veins
Play the game
Driving me insane
Come come come come come play the game
Play the game play the game play the game
Play the game
Everybody play the game of love
This is your life, don't play hard to get
It's a free free world
All you have to do is fall in love
Play the game
Yeah play the game of love
Your life - don't play hard to get
It's a free free world
All you have to do is fall in love
Play the game yeah everybody play the game of love

Here's how to play "We Are The Champions" by Queen on piano!

With these piano sheets, you can play "We Are The Champions" by the British band Queen.

It's an accurate piano arrangement of this legendary song including all parts of the song.

It's a "We Are The Champions" piano version which is not too hard to play, and sounds fantastic!

You can also get a version of this arrangement which includes the song's full lyrics:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21186075

If you want to play more Queen songs on piano, here are more of my arrangements:

"Love Of My Life": https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21145110
"Love Of My Life" (Easy Piano): https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21145489
"Bohemian Rhapsody": https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21155920
"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Piano Solo): https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/21156151


"We Are The Champions" is a song from Queen's 1977 album "News of the World", and served as the album's first single.
Of course, it was written by the one and only Freddie Mercury.

The song became a world wide hit, a popular anthem for sports events, the official theme song for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and stayed one of Queen's most recognizable and popular songs.

Now you can play it, too!


Here are the full lyrics to "We Are The Champions":

[Verse 1]
I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through
(And I need to go on and on, and on, and on)

[Chorus]
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions
Of the world

[Verse 2]
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all
But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose
(And I need just go on and on, and on, and on)

[Chorus]
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions
Of the world

With this sheet music, you can play "Santa Baby" on piano!

It's an accurate, playable arrangement of Eartha Kitt's famous 1953 recording, in the song's original key of Db major.

It comes with a few challenges, but sounds fantastic!

The full melody is included in the piano part, so it makes for a perfect instrumental (piano solo) cover.

Written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, Eartha Kitt recorded the song with Henri Ren� and his orchestra. After its release in October 1953, it became the best-selling Christmas song of that year!

The song's suggestive lyrics and sexual undertone were considered quite controversial (the song was even banned for some time in the American South), and "Santa Baby" has been named both one of the best and one of the worst Christmas songs ever written...

Still, the song has become a famous holiday hit, and has been recorded by many artists, including Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Michael Bubl�, Robbie Williams, Ariana Grande, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, and many others.

Many consider Eartha Kitt's original recording to be the greatest version of the song - it certainly makes for a fantastic piano cover!

Here are the song's full lyrics:

Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree
For me
Been an awful good girl
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, a 54 convertible too
Light blue
I'll wait up for you dear
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed
Next year I could be just as good
If you'll check off my Christmas list

Santa baby, I wanna yacht
And really that's not a lot
Been an angel all year
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa honey, one little thing I really need
The deed
To a platinum mine
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex
And checks
Sign your 'X' on the line
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing
A ring
I don't mean on the phone
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry, tonight

With this sheet music, you can play "Sweet Home Alabama" on piano!

It's a challenging, but playable piano arrangement for experienced players.
With this sheet music, "Sweet Home Alabama" will sound amazing on piano!

The full melody is included in the piano part, so it makes for a perfect instrumental (piano solo) cover.

"Sweet Home Alabama" was first released in 1974 on "Second Helping", the second album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Written as a response to Neil Young's songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama" (which were about racism and slavery in the American South), there later was some controversy about the song's lyrics.
However, Young called the song a "great record", and was critical of his own songs.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, on the other hand, repeatedly performed wearing a Neil Young t-shirt.

Without a doubt, "Sweet Home Alabama" is Lynyrd Skynyrd's biggest hit, a prime example of Southern rock, and an everlasting classic.

The song appeared in countless films, from "8 Mile" to the 2010 animated film "Despicable Me".

It's also an amazing song to play on the piano!

Here are the full lyrics to "Sweet Home Alabama":

[Verse 1]
Big wheels keep on turnin'
Carry me home to see my kin
Singin' songs about the southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think it's a sin, yes

[Verse 2]
Well I heard Mr. Young sing about her (Southern man)
Well, I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around, anyhow

[Chorus]
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

[Verse 3]
In Birmingham they love the governor (Boo! Boo! Boo!)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

[Chorus]
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come, Alabama

[Verse 4]
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two (Yes, they do)
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how 'bout you?

[Chorus]
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you