DOC The Nutcracker. March by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in Arts-Photography

Review

196 of 202 people found the following review helpful. Pretty Good!By J. MathewsThis book is a mixed bag of emotions for me; but I gave it four stars because the music is excellent and I know that I will get use out of the book. Features 11 songs from the movie (listed in other reviews).Pros:-The book itself is beautiful; including several pages of artwork from the movie.-The music is represented fairly well; sounding a lot like it does in the movie and on the soundtrack.-There are some tricky parts; but overall I would say the music is very playable for advanced and intermediate pianists. (Ive been playing for 18 years.)-Songs are represented as they are on the soundtrack with full musical interludes.-Most of the vocal harmonies are written out; with the exception of some of the more challenging parts of "Fixer Upper;" but those harmonies are most likely what is given in the piano part.Cons:-Melody is doubled in the piano part. This is a BIG negative for me because I do a lot of singing and performing; so I prefer to have the piano accompaniment. This also makes some of the songs harder to play than they should be because you are trying to catch rhythms from the vocal line instead of focusing on (usually) more simplistic/repetitive phrases in the accompaniment.-This is super nit-picky; but there is a "D.S. al Coda" in "Let It Go." I realize that these are used to save ink/pages in printing; but to me this makes the song harder to play because youre dealing with extra page turns back and forth; trying to find where you are in the music; instead of simply being able to move forward. This also uniforms how all of the choruses sound in the song; whereas in the movie the first chorus is more delicate and it becomes more powerful each time you come back to the repeated phrase. I am really picking on this because this was the song I most looked forward to playing; and it wasnt what I was hoping for.All in all; I am VERY happy with my purchase; but there are things Im left wanting. If youre looking to use this book for piano solos or to accompany younger children it is the perfect product for you. Even if you are a more mature performer that prefers the piano accompaniment (like me); this is a cheaper solution that buying each song individually on a site like MusicNotes; and if you have an experienced pianist; they will be able to fill out the accompaniment by using the chords given for the guitar.11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Good simple versionBy CustomerMy son begged me to get the music even though I told him it was too hard. He wanted to play Frozen Heart. He is six and has only been taking for ten months. I bought it and showed his teacher and she said he could do it for a recital if he practiced hard. She said it was way above his level but she knew he could do it because he practices hard. It has been about a month and a half and he just about has it down. It took a lot if practice with either me or my husband sitting by him each time. I wouldnt recommend it with less than a year of piano unless you want to spend a lot of time practicing. It is probably good for three years experience. It doesnt sound exactly like the movie but that is expected for something simplified.27 of 28 people found the following review helpful. frozen big note piano songbookBy BrendaKperfect gift for a 7 year old with over 1 year of piano lessens. Easy to read notes to play