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88 Piano Classics for Beginners: Piano Book

$16.95 USD
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88 Piano Classics for Beginners Cover Image
88 Piano Classics for Beginners: Piano Book

88 Piano Classics for Beginners: Piano Book

Arr. David Dutkanicz

Level: Beginner

Item: 06-483886
$16.95
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Description
Beginning pianists of all ages will cherish this excellent compilation of classics. Each piece was carefully selected and simplified to help students develop their skills. Many of the greatest composers---J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and others---are represented by several pieces each, some newly adapted for the piano. Composers and works not usually featured in beginner's books include pieces by Borodin, Gluck, Rameau, and Tallis. Well-known classics include Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3", Debussy's "Claire de Lune", Moussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1," Schumann's "Child Falling Asleep," and "Spring" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Several orchestral pieces have been newly adapted for the piano, including "Dance of the Swan" from Swan Lake, "Elephant" from Carnival of the Animals, "Largo" from Xerxes, and "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker.

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Additional Details
Series: Dover Edition
Publisher: Dover Publications
ISBN10: 0-486-48388-6
ISBN13: 978-0-486-48388-7
UPC: 9780486483887
SKU: 06-483886

More about this title

Why we love this

This collection succeeds because it resists the temptation to oversimplify. Dutkanicz adapts iconic works, from Bach's Brandenburg Concerto to Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers, in ways that preserve their essential character while respecting what beginner hands can actually do. You get 88 legitimate repertoire pieces, not watered-down versions that leave students feeling like they're playing imitations.

What to expect

Opening this book feels like stepping into a museum where every frame is scaled to your eye level. There's Debussy's impressionistic shimmer, Bach's mathematical clarity, Tchaikovsky's theatrical sweep, Satie's haunting simplicity. Each piece carries the weight and soul of its original, even in reduced form.

Who it's for

Beginning pianists ready to play real music by real composers, not students stuck in a diet of simplified folk songs and original teaching pieces. This works equally well for young children building foundational technique and adults returning to piano who want immediate access to the repertoire they actually want to play.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the original orchestral versions before you teach each piece. Knowing what's missing (and what remains) helps you shape phrasing and tone color at the piano.
  • Pay attention to the harmonic structure in arrangements of multi-movement works. These condensed versions rely on clear harmonic voice-leading, so track the bass line as carefully as the melody.
  • Use pieces from the same composer back-to-back in practice sessions. Playing multiple Bach arrangements or several Romantic-era selections helps students internalize each composer's fingerprint.
  • Let students know the historical context of orchestral originals. A student playing "Dance of the Swan" practices differently when they picture Pavlova or imagine the full string section.

How to use it

Assign individual pieces as solo recital material throughout the year rather than assigning the book sequentially. A student preparing for a winter concert might pull "Waltz of the Flowers" and "Claire de Lune" while another works on Bach and Vivaldi, letting you differentiate by musical taste and learning pace. The breadth also supports themed student recitals organized by composer or era.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading hand position changes across a wider range of the keyboard
  • Sustaining melodic lines across broken accompaniment patterns
  • Understanding harmonic function through simplified orchestral reductions
  • Recognizing compositional fingerprints (fugal writing, Romantic-era rubato expectations, Baroque ornamentation)
  • Interpreting dynamic and tempo markings within historically informed contexts
  • Managing longer formal structures (multi-section arrangements) with structural awareness

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