Jean-Michel Serres, Composer-pianist (Apfel Café Music): Website

14 May 202024 August 2023

Book Review | Novelist as a Profession by Haruki Murakami, Switch Publishing, 2015

Novelist as a Profession by Haruki Murakami is an auto-biographical essay (on the afterword, mentioned by Murakami). This essay treats themes of novelist, novel, literature, writing, art, school education and life. On this essay Murakami told how he lived, spent his life, wrote novels, think about literature and novel. Anyway, as a result, for readers, this essay Murakami told readers how to write novel and induced them to write a novel. But it is not a usual “how to” book or a guide book at all.

On this essay, Murakami wrote honestly his experience, way of life, thought and policy. He didn’t want to be a novelist seriously. At first, he had no enthusiasm to write novel. He ran a jazz cafe or bar, and earned a sufficient amount of money. Some epiphanies, chances and lucks made him a novelist. Also he continued to write novels of his own will.

Murakami is an ordinary and modest person, also is uncategorized and unconventional individual. He was a usual student, spent a daily life as an ordinary and normal citizen. Also he isn’t a stereotyped great writer or artist.

Murakami’s policy is such as a policy of non-policy or non-rule. He live and write by spontaneousness, freedom and nature. He doesn’t depend on any authorities, academism and large systems. He live his life the way he like. He doesn’t interest in any prizes and the Japanese literature scene. So he migrated to foreign countries, and made a distance to the Japanese literature scene.

His policy links to his way of writing and the content of his works. He writes his novels the way he like. He writes a novel by rhythm and free improvisation like jazz. He doesn’t set a heavy and proper theme, a strict plan and fixed personalities of characters. His policy and way of writing made the “voice” echoes with the hearts of readers.

Murakami wrote his novels for himself, “writing for enjoy myself as my basic stance” (p. 269). So the title of a novel by an imaginary writer Derek Heartfield in Murakami’s debut novel Hear the Wind Sing is “What’s Wrong About Feeling Good ?” (p. 270), it expressed the sense of incongruity to the Japanese literature scene.

Murakami has been enjoyed writing and wrote by his spontaneousness from his debut until now. And he has no desire to become a novelist or to succeed in a novel, and there’s any limitations. He alway wrote a novel by a plentiful and spontaneous pleasure. So he can own “a natural feeling that I’m free” and “free and natural feeling” (p. 111), and he thinks his originality caused by freedom.

On the other hand, Murakami has will and durability to write story, and his original way of work. He had been built his own style of writing and his original grand narrative by trial and error. When he write a long novel 5 hours in early morning everyday. And he trains the body and keeps his physical strength without fail. He founded healthy life for writing. He thinks to complete a long novel it’s necessary of concentration and durability.

Murakami is only a novelist and a creator. He isn’t good at analyse and criticize things like a scholar, also he want not his works analysed and criticized by scholars and critics. He won’t be a councillor or a literature prize, also he isn’t interested in any prizes. Over almost 40 years, he only wrote novels and texts. He only want to enjoy writing a novel. Murakami thinks he is only an ordinary person has a certain measure of capacity to write a novel, but by some chances and accidents made him a novelist, and by his will and durability he continued to write novels. I think Murakami told that “everyone can write a novel and become a novelist”. As a matter of fact, by this book, you should want to write a novel or create something.

A spring clear afternoon, Murakami visited the 1978 opening game of the Central League at an outfield stand of the Jingu Stadium, Tokyo. When the first batter of Yakult Swallows, Dave Hilton hit a fine double, an epiphany fell into Murakami, then he realized “That’s it, maybe, I can write a novel !” at the moment. (pp. 46 – 47) This essay makes you want to write a novel or want to do a creation. Like Murakami realized “That’s it, maybe, I can write a novel !”, to read this essay, you may realize “That’s it, maybe, I can write a novel !”.

Product Details

Novelist as a Profession
Haruki Murakami
Switch Publishing, Tokyo, 10 September 2015
313 pages, JPY 1944
ISBN 9784884184438
Content

Are Novelists Tolerant Persons?
When I Became a Novelist
About Literature Awards
On Originality
Well, What Should I Write?
Taking Side with Time: To Write Long Novels
Extremely Individual and Physical Activity
About School
How Characters That I Should Present?
Who is I Write for?
Going Abroad: The New Frontier
Place a Story Is in: Memories of Dr. Hayao Kawai

Book Review | Abandoning a Cat, When I Talk About My Father by Haruki Murakami, Bungeishunju, 2020

Abandoning a Cat, When I Talk About My Father is an essay by Haruki Murakami, about his family history especially his father. And it’s not only and usual essay, but also has a story and is like a novelette take up his family history and his fundamental experiments. His father, Chiaki Murakami (1917 – 2008) was the second son of a buddhist temple family, was a junior high and high school teacher of Japanese (literature). Main account of this essay is his life and the experience in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Why does Murakami think he should write about his father ? He may think his being and a part of origine of Murakami’s personality are made and shaped by his father directly or indirectly. Murakami’s father was a good, earnest and dedicated Japanese teacher, a book lover owns many books and his hobby was Haiku. And he gave up become a scholar, so he had and exception to fulfil his hope for the only son, but Murakami feel repulsion to his hope and the Japanese educational system of uniformity. Such elements of his father made and shaped the personality of Murakami includes antipathies and reactions.

Also, Murakami can be existed by the War. Unfortunately his father was conscripted by mistake into the army when the Second Sino-Japanese War, but fortunately somehow he wasn’t conscripted by the Pacific War. His mother’s fiancé (a music teacher) was died by the war, her parents’ home in Osaka was burnt by bombing raid. So his father and mother met and married, had birth to Murakami. That’s why life includes and is shaped by accidents. People are being lived by accidents, also accidents make inevitabilities, necessities and facts. Murakami states a precept below by the episode of a cat climbed up the upper part of a pine tree.

A result gulps a cause easily, and makes impotent. (p. 94)

So I think, a theme of this essay is concerning about accident and necessity on life.

And cats on this essay are gods or god-like beings of accident and fate, bring necessity and life. The first episode of a big female tubby cat is a metaphor of his father’s mysterious and incomprehensible discharge from the army. The second episode of a cute small white kitten is a metaphor of the Resurrection of the Christ. The cat vanished on the upper part of the pine tree, went to heaven. It’s an accident or a miracle brought a necessity or a story to Murakami, and became a fragment of him.

On the other side, another theme of this essay is story and history. Murakami’s personality and works may be affected by his experiences, environment, family and age. Two episodes about cats are consists of parts of Murakami. A talk by his father about he watched a killing of a Chinese prisoner or killed a prisoner, affected Murakami and he take over as a trauma even so it’s an indirect experience. His father was adopted into a buddhist temple in Nara temporary, might affect to Murakami as an unconscious experience. Personal episodes of a man shapes his personality and story. And Murakami thinks each of stories of men made the grand story of the world and the history. He wrote in the afterword.

History is not a thing belongs to the past. It’s a thing runs as living warm blood inside a consciousness and an unconsciousness, carries over to the next generation by force. In a sense, this essay is a personal story, in the same time, it’s a part of the grand story shapes the whole world we live. It’s a very small size of part, even so it can be trusted it’s a one fragment as a fact. (pp. 99 – 100)

People are to be existed by accidents, to be lived by facts, to be affected by the history. But we live in a society as a person, and need to think, to interpret, to decide and to act. The things connect between accidents and necessities, stories and the history are thinking, consciousness and will. I think this essay told the importance of each one of ways of living, wills and consciousnesses of the people on an age, made stories the history.

Details of the Book

Abandoning a Cat, When I Talk About My Father
Haruki Murakami
Bungeishunju, Tokyo, Japan, 23 April 2020
104 pages, JPY 1320
ISBN 978-4163911939
Contents

Abandoning a Cat
Afterword: A Fragment of History

List of Best Piano Étude Books & Repertory for Beginners, Intermediate & Advanced Players in a Reasonable Order of Study

Piano Etude Books for Beginners

1 – Beyer: Elementary Method for the Piano, Op. 101

The most popular piano étude score book for all children and piano beginners. It’s instructive also to play fun.

Level 1/5

Beyer: Elementary Method for the Piano, Op. 101
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Beyer: Elementary Method for Piano Op. 101
(Edition Peters)

Finger Exercise – Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises

A popular piano étude book for learning stable and equal touch and sync of both hands.

Level 1-2/5

Hanon
The Virtuoso Pianist In Sixty Exercises
For The Piano, Vol. 925. Complete
(Schirmer’s Library Of Musical Classics)

Hanon
The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Mechanical and Accurate Play Practice – Czerny: 100 Progressive Studies without Octaves, Op. 139

A very popular piano étude book for beginners. It’s consist of very short and short songs to study accurate fingering, reasonable positioning and right playing in Classical Music, and mechanical and technical playing. Most piano beginners use together with “Beyer” and “Burmüller”.

Level 1.5 – 2/5

Czerny: 100 Progressive Studies without Octaves, Op. 139
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Czerny: 100 Progressive Studies without Octaves, Op. 139
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Supplementally Text – Kabalevsky: – 24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39

Level 1 – 1.5/5

Kabalevsky: Easy Pieces
24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39 & 33 Easy Pieces, Op. 89
(Schirmer’s Library of Musical Classics)

Kabalevsky: 24 Pieces for Children, Opus 39
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

First Book of Musical Work – Mozart: Die Notenbücher der Geschwister Mozart für Klavier / The Music Books of Mozart and His Sister for Piano

Very easy and simple monophony music scores which Mozart wrote in his childhood.

Level 1 – 2/5

Mozart: The Young Mozart: Easy original pieces for piano
Written by Mozart at the age of six and eight years
(Schott Piano Classics)

Mozart: 14 of His Easiest Piano Pieces
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Mozart: An Introduction to His Keyboard Works
(Alfred Masterwork CD Edition)

Supplementally Text – Gurlitt: Album for the Young, Op. 140

Musically profound, technically easy piano pieces for Children.

Level 1.5 – 2/5

Gurlitt: Album for the Young, Op. 140
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Supplementally Text – Leopold Mozart: Notebook for Nannerl

A very easy the half of baroque and classical taste music scorebook for his children, Nannerl and Wolfgang lean music and piano.

Level 1 – 3/5

Notebook for Nannerl: Piano
(Schott Piano Classics)

2 – Burgmüller: 25 Progressive Pieces, Op. 100

Very popular piano étude score book for children finished “Beyer”. It’s compatible with melodious and technical.

Level 2/5

Burgmüller – 25 Progressive Pieces, Op. 100
Book & CD (Alfred Masterwork CD Edition)

Burgmüller – 25 Études Faciles Et Progressives Op. 100 for Piano
(Edition Peters)

Burgmuller – 25 Progressive Studies, Opus 100
Schirmer Performance Editions Book Only
(Schirmer Performance Editions-Hal Leonard Piano Library)

Mechanical and Accurate Play Practice – Czerny: 110 Easy and Progressive Exercises, Op. 453: Schirmer Library of Classics Volume 749 Piano Technique

More difficult to “Czerny: 100”, and “Burgmüller” learners use tougher with it.

Level 2 – 2.5/5

Czerny: 110 Easy and Progressive Exercises, Op. 453
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Supplementally Text – Mel Bonis: 20 pièces pour les tout petits, Op. 103

The album includes 20 short charming and unique pieces for children and beginner piano players, to lean styles and gain expression.

Level 2/5

20 pièces pour les tout petits, Op. 103
on YouTube

20 pièces pour les tout petits, Op. 103
on Spotify

IMSLP

Supplementally Text – Gillock: Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style

A reputable melodious and lyric also technical piano étude book.

Level 2 – 2.5/5

Gillock: Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style
24 Short Piano Pieces in All Keys
(Alfred Music)

Supplementally Text – Gurlitt: Selected Works for Piano

Level 2/5

Gurlitt: Selected Works for Piano
(Kjos Music Company)

Supplementally Text – Kabalevsky: Pieces for Children, Op. 27

Level 2/5

Kabalevsky: Pieces for Children, Op. 27 and 39
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

Kabalevsky: Short Pieces for Piano
(Schirmer’s Library of Musical Classics)

Supplementally Text – Kabalevsky: Thirty Children’s Pieces Opus 27

Piano pieces with titles and are fun, for piano students, good for their expression and imagination.

Level 2 – 2.5/5

Kabalevsky: 24 Pieces for Children, Opus 39
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

3 – Sonatina Album: A Collection of Favorite Sonatinas, Rondos, and Other Pieces for the Piano

Very popular piano score book for piano beginners finished “Burgmüller”. It’s the book for preparation of authentic piano songs and to be an intermediate piano player.

Level 2.5 – 3.5/5

Sonatina Album: Schirmer Library of Classics Volume 51 Piano Solo
(Schirmer’s Library of Musical Classics)

Sonatina Album: Comb Bound Book & 2 CDs
(Alfred Masterwork CD Edition)

Sonatina Album for Piano
(Edition Peters)

Sonatina Album
Schirmer Performance Editions Book
(Hal Leonard Piano Library Schirmer Performance Editions)

Supplementally Text – Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young (24 Easy Pieces), Op. 39

Tchaikovsky wrote this pieces for children and his nephews. Romantic taste imaginative and unique étude songs with title, is good for expression and acquire styles. Also good for a concert repertory.

Level 3/5

Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young (24 Easy Pieces), Op. 39
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Supplementally Text – Burgmüller: 18 Characteristic Studies, Op. 109

Level 3/5

4 – Sonata Album

A collection of the famous and royal road First Viennese School sonatas by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven for intermediate and high lank piano learners.
(But, I think this book is not necessary for learning. You may find and play your favourite intermediate and upper-intermediate level piano pieces, for example Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Grieg, Fauré, Satie and Granados, and complete sonata collections of Haydn and Mozart.)

Level 3.5 – 4/5

Sonata Album, Vol 1: Comb Bound Book
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Sonata Album, Vol 2: Comb Bound Book
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Modern Course for the Piano (Alternate Choice for Beginners)

Introduction to Polyphony Music

Bach: 18 Short Preludes for Keyboard

Level 2/5

Bach: 18 Short Preludes
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Bach: Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach / Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach

Level 2 – 2.5/5

Bach: Selections from Anna Magdalena’s Notebook
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook: Urtext with Fingerings

Bach: Inventions & Sinfonias (2 & 3 Part Inventions): Comb Bound Book & CD

Level 3/5

Bach: Inventions & Sinfonias (2 & 3 Part Inventions)
(Alfred Masterwork CD Edition)

Inventions And Sinfonias
(Henle)

Concert Repertory for Children

Emil Breslaur: Die Leichtesten Klavierstücke, Op. 46

one of the easiest repertory for Children’s exhibition and concert, and it’s useful to gain musical expression, is suitable for leaners who studies No. 50 of “Beyer”.

Level 1/5

Die Leichtesten Klavierstücke, Op. 46
on YouTube

Die Leichtesten Klavierstücke, Op. 46
on Spotify

IMSLP

William Gillock: Elementary Level

A good concert repertory book contains easy but play to fun for children and beginners, also it’s a good introduction to various style music.

Level 1 – 1.5/5

Classic Piano Repertoire – William Gillock: Elementary Level
(Willis Music)

Gillock: Solo Repertoire for the Young Pianist, Book 1 (Early Elementary Level)

Very easy concert repertory for children in various tastes.

Level 1 /5

Gillock: Solo Repertoire for the Young Pianist, Book 1
(Willis Music)

Louis Streabbog: “Les étoiles d’or” and “La violette”

“Les étoiles d’or” and “La violette” is famous concert repertory for children. They are gentle waltz pieces and play to fun.

Level 1.5/5

Louis Streabbog: Les étoiles d’or et Morceaux de piano
on YouTube

Louis Streabbog: Les étoiles d’or et Morceaux de piano
on Spotify

Louis Köhler: Children’s Album, Op.210

A very good concert repertory book for children and their first performance.

Level 1 – 1.5/5

Louis Köhler: Children’s Album, Op.210
on YouTube

Louis Köhler: Children’s Album, Op.210
on Spotify

Köhler: Children’s Album, Op. 210
(Kalmus Edition)

Louis Köhler: Short School of Velocity, Op.242

More difficult than “Children’s Album”.

Level 1 – 1.5 – 2/5

Köhler: Short School of Velocity, Op. 242
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Cornelius Gurlitt: Der Erste Vortrag, Op. 210

Gurlitt’s some songbooks are very good and fun concert repertory for Children, equal to them of Köhler.

Level 1 – 1.5/5

Cornelius Gurlitt: Der Erste Vortrag
on YouTube

Cornelius Gurlitt: Der Erste Vortrag
on Spotify

IMSLP

Cornelius Gurlitt: 20 Leichte Lieliche Klavierstücke Op. 155

Level 1 – 1.5/5

Cornelius Gurlitt
20 Leichte Lieliche Klavierstücke Op. 155
on YouTube

Cornelius Gurlitt
20 Leichte Lieliche Klavierstücke Op. 155
on Spotify

Cornelius Gurlitt: Cornelius Gurlitt: Albumblätter für die Jugend, Op 101

Level 2/5

Cornelius Gurlitt
Cornelius Gurlitt: Albumblätter für die Jugend, Op 101
on YouTube

Cornelius Gurlitt
Cornelius Gurlitt: Albumblätter für die Jugend, Op 101
on Spotify

Oskar Merikanto: Lasten Maailmasta, Op. 31

“Lasten Maailmasta” (From the Children of the World) is a piano album book for children by the great composer of Finland.

Level 1 – 3/5

Oskar Merikanto: Lasten Maailmasta
on YouTube

Oskar Merikanto: Lasten Maailmasta
on Spotify

Gabriel Pierné: Album pour mes petits amis, Op. 14

A nostalgic and humorous album by a French late romantic composer.

Level 2.5/5

Gabriel Pierné: Album pour mes petits amis
on YouTube

Gabriel Pierné: Album pour mes petits amis
on Spotify

IMSLP

Charles Koechlin: Dix petites pièces faciles Op. 61c

An album of dreamy and poetic short pieces for children, by a French late romantic and impressionist composer.

Level 2.5/5

Koechlin: Dix petites pièces faciles
on YouTube

Koechlin: Dix petites pièces faciles
on Spotify

IMSLP

Etude Books for Intermediate Learners

Concone: Twenty-five Melodious Studies, Op. 24

Level 3/5

Concone: Twenty-five Melodious Studies
(Kalmus Edition)

Concone: Fifteen Studies in Style and Expression, Op. 25

Level 3/5

IMSLP

Moszkowski: 20 Short Studies, Op. 91

Level 3 – 3.5/5

Moszkowski: 20 Short Studies
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Moszkowski: 15 Virtuosic Etudes, Per Aspera, Op. 72

A reputed melodious and skilful piano etude to prepare romantic repertory, Chopin and Liszt. Also, this etude book itself is a fine musical work.

Level 3.5 – 4/5

Moszkowski: 15 Virtuosic Etudes, Per Aspera
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Moszkowski: 15 Virtuosic Etudes, Per Aspera
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Cramer-Bülow: 60 Studies for Piano

Level 4/5

Cramer-Bülow: 60 Studies for Piano
(Edition Peters)

Sheet Music for Intermediate Players

Diabelli: 11 Sonatinas, Op. 151 & 168

Full songs of sonatinas by Diabelli, part of them appeared in “Sonatina Album”. Plain and pure compositions, you can play enjoying.

Level 3/5

Diabelli: 11 Sonatinas
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Anton Diabelli: Eleven Sonatinas For Piano
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Clementi: Sonatinas, Op. 36, 37, 38

I recommend this score book for the same reasons as above. And, also this sonatinas have Italian elegant and light taste.

Level 3/5

Clementi: Sonatinas
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Satie: Gymnopedies & Gnossiennes

“3 Gymnopedies” is the 3 song suit is consist of mysterious also transparent songs. The songs are suitable for an introduction to full-scale piano compositions and concert repertory. 6 or 7 Gnossiennes is the suit of strange but beautiful and calm compositions, but Alfred and Schirmer books below contains only the 3 parts.

Level 3/5

Satie: Trois Gymnopedies
on YouTube

Satie: Trois Gymnopedies
on Spotify

Satie: 7 Gnossiennes
on YouTube

Satie: 7 Gnossiennes
on Spotify

Satie: Gymnopedies & Gnossiennes
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Satie: Gymnopedies and Gnossiennes
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

Satie: Gnossiennes (1 à 6)
(Henle)

Satie: Complete Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes
3 gymnopédies and 7 gnossiennes

Chaminade: Album des enfants, Op. 123 & 126

“L’Album des enfants est un recueil de chansons influencé par l’impressionnisme et comportant des éléments de classicisme, doux, élégant et de niveau intermédiaire, écrit par une compositrice française de qualité, Cécile Chaminade.

Level 3/5

Chaminade: Album des enfants
on YouTube

Chaminade: Album des enfants
on Spotify

1ère série on IMSLP

2ème série on IMSLP

MacDowell: Woodland Sketches, Op. 51

Refreshing, sweet and nostalgic piano suit by an American composer.

Level 3.5/5

MacDowell: Woodland Sketche
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

Edward MacDowell: Woodland Sketches
(FJH Classic Editions)

Mozart: 6 Viennese Sonatinas

Level 3.5/5

Mozart: 6 Viennese Sonatinas
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Mozart: Six Viennese Sonatinas: Piano
(Hal Leonard Piano Library)

Schumann: Album for the Young, Op. 68

A educational songbook was composed by the great romantic composer, Robert Schumann. But the songs are good and beautiful as a musical work and to play fun.

Level 3.5/5

Schumann: Album for the Young
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Schumann: Album for the Young
& Scenes from Childhood
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Granados: Valses Poeticos

Level 3.5/5

Enrique Granados: Valses Poeticos
(Fjh Classic Editions)

Enrique Granados: Valses Poéticos
(Kalmus Edition)

Haydn: Piano Sonatas

All songs of sonatas by Joseph Haydn, part of them appeared in “Sonata Album”. Plain and elegant compositions, and the basis of the classical period music and monophony music.

Level 3.5 – 4/5

Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Book 1
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Book 2
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Mozart: Piano Sonatas

Level 4/5

I recommend this score book for the same reasons as above.

Mozart: 19 Sonatas, Complete
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Chopin: Waltzes

Level 4/5

Chopin: Waltzes (Complete)
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Chopin: Walzer
(G. Henle)

Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15

Level 4/5

Schumann: Scenes from Childhood
(Schirmer Performance Editions)

Schumann: Kinderszenen (Scenes d’enfants)
(G. Henle)

Debussy: 2 Arabesques

Level 4/5

Debussy: Deux Arabesques for the Piano
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Debussy: Deux Arabesques
(G. Henle)

Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte

Level 4/5

Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Grieg: Lyric Pieces

Charming and elegant sometime brave and melancholic 6 four part piano suits were written by the Norwegian most famous composer, were influenced by the French impressionism.

Level 3.5 – 4/5

Grieg: Complete Lyric Pieces
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Complete Lyric Pieces for Piano
(Dover Classical Piano Music)

Piano Solo Master-pieces & Grand Works

J. S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier

The standard and grand work of keyboard music by Johan Sebastian Bach. It was composed for to educate you players and to enjoy keyboard music. This suit book 1 and book 2, each book contains 24 songs of all 24 keys. I recommend this suit for players want to be a high grade player of polyphony music from an intermediate, and this book(s) can be used as a daily exercise text.

Level 4.5/5

Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Complete
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 1
(G. Henle)

Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 2
(G. Henle)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

The most famous and grandiose piano solo music. And the music of the peak and ripeness of the classical period.

Level 5/5

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Brahms: 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117

An elegant, melancholic and calm composition as Brahms. An perpetual and precious romantic music master-piece.

Level 5/5

Brahms: 3 Intermezzi
(Alfred Masterwork Edition)

Brahms: 3 Intermezzi
(G. Henle)

Chopin: Etudes

This song book is not a usual etude, one of the master-pieces and the most beautiful and brave but difficult compositions of the history of piano music. Also for virtuoso players, it’s daily exercise etudes.

Level 6/5

Chopin: Etudes for the Piano
(Schirmer Library of Classics)

Chopin: Etudes
(G. Henle)

Ravel: Jeux d’eau

A master-piece of the impressionism music. This elegant also extreme composition was an avant-garde music in that time. One of the most inspirational and effective repertories of concert performance, also in today.

Level 5.5/5

Ravel: Jeux d’eau
(G. Henle)

Notes of the Enrire History of Piano Solo Music

Best Classical Recordings
on YouTube

Best Classical Recordings
on Spotify

Links to Jean-Michel Serres

YouTube Artist Channel

YouTube Music

Spotify

Apple Music (United States)

Apple Music (Canada)

Apple Music (United Kingdom)