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'.

Originally a poem written by Thomas Moore in 1805, "The Last Rose of Summer" is based upon the Irish traditional tune of "Aislean an Oigfear", or "The Young Man's Dream."



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.[57] He was greatly in fashion and was imitated by others.[58] 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.'

Best Collection for Adult Piano Students: 30 of the most important and beloved classical piano pieces

Why this collection?

These are the editions I created and use for myself and my adult piano students. They are not "arrangements" or simplifications in any way. They are better described as "clarifications" with clean page layouts and comprehensive fingering.

These editions enable students to encounter the composers "face to face" by stripping away antiquated publishing conventions. Traditional editions, especially the economical older ones, prevent students from being able to prepare and perform the beloved music, rather than enabling and supporting successful performance.

Traditional piano music publications suffer from two fatal flaws: (1) the economic need to "save paper" resulting in page layouts that are too dense, and which compound the problem by obfuscating the natural 2 and 4 bar structures of music, and (2) the absence of technical solutions (fingering).

The exception in this collection is the arrangement of the Pachelbel Canon in D, because it was not originally composed for keyboard.

Contents

1 Canon in D and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Pachelbel

2 Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

3 Prelude No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847 and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

4 Prelude No. 21 in Bb Major, BWV 866 and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

5 Aria from the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 and#8195;and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

6 Invention No. 1 in C Major, BWV 772 and#8195; and#8195;and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

7 Menuet No. 2 from French Suite No. 1, BWV 812 and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Johann Sebastian Bach

8 Menuet No. 2 from English Suite No. 4, BWV 809 and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

9 Menuet from French Suite No. 2, BWV 813 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

10 ?Jesu, Joy of Man?s Desiring?, from Cantata, BWV 147 and#8195;Johann Sebastian Bach

11 Sarabande from Suite in D minor, HWV 437 and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; George Frideric Handel

Sonata in A, K. 331 ?Rondo alla Turca? and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

12and#8195;and#8195;III. Allegretto

Sonata in C, K. 545 and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

13and#8195;and#8195;I. Allegro

14 II. Andante

15 Für Elise and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Ludwig van Beethoven

Sonata No. 14 ?Moonlight? Sonata and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Ludwig van Beethoven

16and#8195;and#8195;I. Adagio sostenuto (transposed to D minor)

and#8195;and#8195; I. Adagio sostenuto (original key C# minor)

Sonata Op. 13, No. 2 ?Pathetique? and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Ludwig van Beethoven

17and#8195;and#8195;I. Grave/Allegro

18and#8195;and#8195;II. Adagio

19 Impromptu, Op. 90, No. 2 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Franz Schubert

20 Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Frédéric Chopin

21 Prelude in C minor, Op. 28 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Frédéric Chopin

22 Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Frédéric Chopin

23 Nocturne in Eb, Op. 9, No. 2 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Frédéric Chopin

24 Träumerei Op. 15, No. 7 from ?Scenes from Childhood? Robert Schumann

25 Ständchen (?Serenade?) D. 957/S. 560 and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Franz Schubert/Franz Liszt

26 Rêverie and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Claude Debussy

27 La fille aux cheveux de lin (?The Girl with the Flaxen Hair?) Claude Debussy

28 Arabesque No. 1 and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;Claude Debussy

29 Clair de Lune and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Claude Debussy

30 Gymnopedie and#8195; and#8195; and#8195; and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195;and#8195; Erik Satie