The official sheet music edition of the same-named CD album Piano Songbook (Sony Classical). Includes arrangements and fantasies of popular works, ranging from baroque to romantic as well as own compositions by Martin Stadtfeld. Easy to intermediate difficulty - ideal for young pianists and returnees to the piano.

The works collected in this volume have accompanied me through my life. In difficult times, this music gives me stability and certainty.

The arrangements are partly free and subjective and distil what is essential for me. The motto was: as few notes as possible. This was also what I aspired to achieve in my 10 compositions in the third part. This means that most pieces can be used in piano lessons. Even those who return to the piano after a long time can pick up where they left off with these pieces. I hope that many people playing them will feel what I felt when making this volume: contemplation, absorption, inner strength.

(Martin Stadtfeld)

Thalberg (1812-1871) was a renowned piano virtuoso and composer. His technical specialty, since widely imitated, was to play a central melody with the thumb of either hand and surrounding it with brilliant arpeggios and arabesques.

Sigismond Thalberg was one of the most famous and most successful piano composers of the 19th century. During the 1830s and the 1840s his style was a major force in European piano-playing. He was greatly in fashion and was imitated by others. In 1852, Wilhelm von Lenz wrote:

'The piano playing of the present day, to tell the truth, consists only of Thalberg simple, Thalberg amended, and Thalberg exaggerated; scratch what is written for the piano, and you will find Thalberg.'

Ten years later, in 1862, a London correspondent of the Revue et gazette musicale wrote:

'Nobody in fact has been so much imitated; his manner has been parodied, exaggerated, twisted, tortured, and it may have happened more than once to all of us to curse this Thalbergian school'.

Expressions like "exaggerated", "twisted" and "tortured" indicate that some contemporaries were starting to feel jaded of his style. It was at this time when Thalberg's career as composer and as virtuoso came to an end.

In the late 19th century, Thalberg's fame had come to depend on his association with a single piano technique, the 'three-hand effect'. Carl Friedrich Weitzmann, in his Geschichte des Klavierspiels (1879), wrote about this.

'His bravura pieces, fantasies on melodies from Rossini's Mosè and La donna del lago, on motifs from Bellini's Norma and on Russian folk-songs, became extraordinarily popular through his own, brilliant execution; however, they treat their subjects always in one and the same way, [namely] ... to let the tones of a melody be played in the medium octave of the keyboard now by the thumb of the right, now of the left hand, while the rest of the fingers are executing arpeggios filling the whole range of the keyboard'.

Thalberg (1812-1871) was a renowned piano virtuoso and composer. His technical specialty, since widely imitated, was to play a central melody with the thumb of either hand and surrounding it with brilliant arpeggios and arabesques.

Sigismond Thalberg was one of the most famous and most successful piano composers of the 19th century. During the 1830s and the 1840s his style was a major force in European piano-playing. He was greatly in fashion and was imitated by others. In 1852, Wilhelm von Lenz wrote:

'The piano playing of the present day, to tell the truth, consists only of Thalberg simple, Thalberg amended, and Thalberg exaggerated; scratch what is written for the piano, and you will find Thalberg.'

Ten years later, in 1862, a London correspondent of the Revue et gazette musicale wrote:

'Nobody in fact has been so much imitated; his manner has been parodied, exaggerated, twisted, tortured, and it may have happened more than once to all of us to curse this Thalbergian school'.
Expressions like "exaggerated", "twisted" and "tortured" indicate that some contemporaries were starting to feel jaded of his style. It was at this time when Thalberg's career as composer and as virtuoso came to an end.

In the late 19th century, Thalberg's fame had come to depend on his association with a single piano technique, the 'three-hand effect'. Carl Friedrich Weitzmann, in his Geschichte des Klavierspiels (1879), wrote about this.

'His bravura pieces, fantasies on melodies from Rossini's Mosè and La donna del lago, on motifs from Bellini's Norma and on Russian folk-songs, became extraordinarily popular through his own, brilliant execution; however, they treat their subjects always in one and the same way, [namely] ... to let the tones of a melody be played in the medium octave of the keyboard now by the thumb of the right, now of the left hand, while the rest of the fingers are executing arpeggios filling the whole range of the keyboard'.

A modern, melodic original composition, suitable for students and advanced musicians alike.



Composer?s Note:

The title of this piece is taken from Sir Philip Sidney?s c.1590 sonnet sequence, known as Astrophel and Stella. The sonnets are meditations on romantic love, with the titular names derived from the Greek roots aster (star) and phil (love), and the Latin stella (also star). Hence, Stella is the object of Astrophel?s affection.


For interested students or teachers, here are a few pedagogical notes:

This piece is suitable for an intermediate-level student. It is playable as a simple waltz as-written, or as a jazz ballad with straight eighth notes. There are some left hand oom-pah shapes, as well as a couple of large arpeggiated shapes where the right hand might want to catch the top note of bass clef, primarily if a student?s hands are small (like the composer?s).


About the Composer:

Emily Nafius is a pianist in Southern California with her musical roots in jazz. As a soloist or sideman, she has performed at numerous music venues around California in an eclectic mix of styles, and recorded with a variety of jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, and rock bands. Her work as an accompanist spans classical, jazz, and musical theatre, receiving praise for her theatre work as a pianist and ensemble leader. She has maintained a teaching studio for over fifteen years, instructing musicians of all ages.

Solo piano music written by Scott A. Schmidt. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It is a dwarf planet. The inspiration for Ceres comes from NASA photos taken by the Dawn spacecraft. This piece is not difficult to play. It is suitable for all ages. This new music is perfect for a piano recital. It takes about 2 minutes and 50 seconds to play this piece. Experience the wonder of the cosmos through music.