Easy Classical Alto Recorder & Piano Duets: Featuring music of Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, Handel and other composers

This is truly a wonderful duet book for intermediate players, arranged by Javier Marcó. The titles in the Contents are in mixed languages—English and German. The playing guide at the beginning of the book is easy to follow and covers material that beginners would want to know. A handy Baroque fingering chart is also included in the playing guide.The book starts out with the "1812 Overture," with quite an advanced part for both the recorder player and pianist. Don’t judge the book on that first piece for playing ability. There are a few songs for beginners, mostly in the back part of the book. However, the second song, "An der Schönen Blauen Donau," otherwise known as "The Blue Danube," might have appeal to a more advanced beginner. It has mostly quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes and a few quarter note rests along, with an eighth note rest and a few ties. The range is from A above middle C to high B-flat. The meter signature is in ¾ time, and in the key of B-flat.Some of the time signatures in the songs are not what I would consider easy--like 3/2 and 3/8, and some have irregularities, like "Allegro-la Primavera," where the meter signature follows the pick-up note.The songs all have the chords printed above the recorder part, and each piece has a tempo suggestion at the beginning, although I don’t agree with them all. For example, "Treulich Geführt" ("Wedding March from Lohengrin"), is marked with Molto Vivace. You’d have the bride running up the church isle playing the march very quickly!Personally, I would appeal to the intermediate player and change the title of the book to Great Classical Alto Recorder—Piano Duets, or Beautiful Classical… or Fun-to-Play Classical…. Nonetheless, this songbook has a lovely collection of Alto Recorder-Piano Duets with memorable music from the masters.