This collection of intermediate piano solos includes 20 arrangements of favorite classical pieces frequently used for weddings. All the songs in this collection are well-suited for processionals and recessionals of the ceremony participants (bride, groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents/family, flower girl, Bible boy, ring bearer, etc.). Several of these songs can also be used as part of the prelude, as interludes during candle-lighting, or as background music for a reception.

These arrangements were created to make challenging classical music more accessible for the intermediate player or easier to sight-read by more advanced players (comes in handy when asked to perform on short notice). Another feature of these arrangements is they are consistent at the intermediate to advanced-intermediate skill level throughout each piece. Many have been simplified and only include excerpts from the longer original movements. Other simplified characteristics include easier key signatures, timings, and fingerings and some melodies were modified to create a more contemporary sound.

Each of the 20 arrangements is also available separately with accompanying preview pages and audio samples.

Titles in this collection include:
Air from ?The Water Music? (George Frideric Handel)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from ?Solomon? (George Frideric Handel)
Bridal Chorus from ?Lohengrin? (Richard Wagner)
Clair de Lune from ?Suite Bergamasque? (Claude Debussy)
Fanfare (Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens)
F�r Elise (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Grand Processional from ?Symphony No. 1? (Johannes Brahms)
Hornpipe with Bourr�e from ?The Water Music? (George Frideric Handel)
Jesu, Joy of Man?s Desiring (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Largo from ?Xerxes? (George Frideric Handel)
Lascia Ch?io Pianga from ?Rinaldo? (George Frideric Handel)
Prelude No. 1 in C Major (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Rondeau from ?Theme from Masterpiece Theater? (Jean Joseph Mouret)
Serenade from ?Swan Song? (Franz Schubert)
Sleepers, Awake from ?Cantata No. 140? (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Spring from ?The Four Seasons? (Antonio Vivaldi)
St. Anthony Chorale from ?Variations on a Theme of Haydn? (Johannes Brahms)
Trumpet Tune (Jeremiah Clarke)
Trumpet Voluntary (Jeremiah Clarke)
Wedding March from ?A Midsummer Night?s Dream? (Felix Mendelssohn)

Duration: 2:30, score: 8 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 5 pages. A well-known favorite masterpiece suitable for a recital or school program.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of thegreat composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise,it appeals even to folks who don?t normally listen to serious music. This isprobably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes withgreat emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettableimpact.

Education
First of all, He attended classes at the RussianMusical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. PetersburgConservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He alsoconsequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems likeRubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as ?theFive.?

The Five
The Five certainly rejected Western musicalinfluences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. Theyfurthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials.

Western Techniques
More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovskystudied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the Europeanmasters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He thenintroduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained hisindependence from ?the Five.? Even more, he became the first Russian composerof international stature.

Influences
Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his balletscoring by L�o Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing.Tchaikovsky?s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite,and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies.The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the ?Path�tique.?

Swan Lake Op. 20
Tchaikovsky composed Swan Lake in 1875-76. To beginwith, most noteworthy the ballet failed to attract a positive reception. Overtime, however, the ballet became probably one of the most popular of all ofTchaikovsky?s works. The ballet was certainly first performed by the BolshoiBallet in Moscow.

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