Musical Instruments

Reviews

For the price, this is a pretty good bench. I was looking for something that was reasonably priced and could be adjusted, and this fit the bill. Pros: Looks nice and the adjustment range is very wide. Easy to assemble, and even comes with a wrench. Cons: When adjusted to the maximum height, the bench can wobble a bit when shifting from the low end to the high end of the keyboard. It's not a big deal, but there is a noticable shift that occurs. (It is rock solid when set to the lowest position, if that happens to be the height you need.) When raised up at all, there is a gap between the padded part of the bench and the base. I knew this would be the case and have considered tacking on some black fabric to hide the gap. Still, if that's a big issue you would need to spend more for a bench design that doesn't show a gap when raised. One other thing is that the unit doesn't look quite as good as the picture. It's pretty close, but there are only 6 buttons on the padding on the unit I received, while there are 10 in the ad. Overall, I am satisfied with this bench. If I had it to do over again I would probably save up more money and get a higher quality bench. But for the money, this one is pretty good.

My son started piano lessons 3 years ago and he was using a keyboard bench. I didn't realize that he would not get much use out of it for too long. They are very unstable and tip sideways. When my son starting doing scales/arpeggios and pieces that moved his fingers to different octaves, he was having a hard time staying on the bench. I ordered this adjustable piano bench and it is terrific. I wish I had ordered this from his very first lesson. He is only 7 so he needs to raise the seat and this one is so simple to raise. You can even do it while he is sitting dwon as there are knobs on both sides of the bench. There is even a storage area. The bench looks much more expensive than it costs. I highly recommend it.

Reviews

The first bench was received damaged. Upon my notifying the company, a replacement was shipped without further contact. The replacement was packaged much better and is in excellent condition. Can't beat the price for this item.

Reviews

I was excited to purchase this cd because my son really likes the BE videos. I was quite disappointed when I put it on the first evening I brought it home. The songs are fast tempo and very "chimey" sounding. I found myself not at all relaxed and found that he actually got wound up by the cd. This might be fun to play around the house but is not really soothing for us. I'll stick to the piano classics cd we've been using as he drifts right off to that.

When my son was 6 weeks old we tried everything to help him sleep. My favorite book suggested playing a cd EVERYTIME he went to sleep. We tried several different ones from a women singing lullabies (Husband said get rid of it) to the rainforest nature sounds. This is the one we stuck with. MY son is now 4 1/2 and still he listens to the cd. We just had a baby girl. I play this now for her and she sleeps great. I highly recommend.

I have used this CD with both of my kids in helping them go to sleep and I love it. It's great, mellow music and it helps them go to sleep. I highly recommend this CD to anyone looking for some peaceful classical music.

This Cd is wonderful. we put it on for baby to sleep with very relaxing for her.

My daughter was born 6 weeks early and is in NICU. The staff have this cd in a cd player near her bassinet and I play it on repeat the entire time I'm there visiting. Even on low volumes I feel it gives both of us something else to focus our listening on (instead of all the bells and alarms). It definitely helps to keep her calm and when its on she engages in "quiet alert" for longer periods of time. It has been a blessing to get to use this cd in the NICU and I plan on ordering it to have it at home.

Reviews

These 2 cds are the best collection of classical music that I think I will ever own.

I was impressed from the selection of the songs in the album. I advise everybody who are willing to relax by listenning these masterpieces. (Shut off the lights while listenning)

I have always sought a classical masterpiece and this product is truly amazing. The seller also delivered it on time and in great condition. It sure is a great deal. Thank you so much.

Perfect for a relaxing evening...just grab a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy this crisp, clear sound of the real Classics.

oops posted the wrong review for the wrong CD :). This one of course was a great CD, how can it not be - it's classic.

Reviews

I love this album. There are slow/beautiful songs, and fast/powerful songs. There are stories of life, love, loss, and death. Some you can fall deep into and others that you can rock to. All of them are blended together in one coherent album. This is one of the few albums that I listen to straight through. I am addicted to it. Buy this album.

I love Amy Lee's voice in this album the girl really got talent. Most of the songs in this album are great. If your a fan of rock music than you must have this album in your collection.

I had listened to the CD when friends let me borrow it before, but having my own copy has made it even better. With a great combination of dark undertones and complex melodies, Fallen can evoke a variety of emotions from the listener. I enjoyed it for years before, and I will enjoy for many years from now.

A good friend of mine told me about this Indiana hard rock band caled "Fiber" whose got a black female guitarist. He said they were similar to this, but I've got to say that I loved Fiber much more. They were just so raw and full of energy that it reminded me of why I started playing music in the first place! [...]

After reading most of the reviews, there's really not much that I can add. It is a great album. the only "defect" is that it's all in the same key. Amys voice is incredible. I just bought the CD, and I popped it in when I was driving. After I heard torniquet, I realized something I wasn't prepared for. It's a christian oriented band. ususally I never like Christian music because it's too preachy. The opposite is true here. She relates her beliefs, and trials and tribulations in a way that makes the message palpable. While Creed went overboard with it's Messiah complex, Evanessence delivers the message without ramming down your throat. The band is incredibe too. I wish she would change the key she sings in once in a while, and maybe show a bit more "bad girl" stuff.

Reviews

Tori Amos is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, she can do it all, write, compose, produce, and she knows how to work her uniqueness in her music videos. This is a great VHS collection of Tori's videos from her first four studio albums. My fave videos on this collection are Jackie's Strength, Cornflake Girl (U.S. Version), Caught a Lite Sneeze, Talula, Spark, and Hey Jupiter. Tori is a beautiful woman - iniside and out, these videos are creative, strange, and totally Tori. I highly recommend this wonderful item. Enjoy!

I cannot believe they skipped out on "Far Too Gone", which is the best video, in my humble opinion, that she's ever made. What a rip-off!!!

This video is a wonderful addition to a Tori collection. Her early visual work with Cindy is stunning.

I have owned this for years now and it is an esenital for any Tori fan. It is the only reason I keep my VCR pluged it, if this ever is released on DVD is the only thing that will make it better.

Tori's videos are among some of the most unique creations that I have ever viewed. Some really great concepts are used. I would say this is a must own. You get many beautiful visuals with outstanding music.

Reviews

As a run-of-the-mill pianist, I'm a sight-reader only, meaning that if the music isn't in front of me, I can't play. People who play by ear and improvise cool sounds seem mysterious and genius to me. I always wanted to unlock the secret of improv but the instructional books I bought demanded that I become a scholar of musical theory -- and still I can't remember how many sharps there are in the key of A! This video is different: it really had me improvising music within minutes. How? With a series of simple patterns that you can combine, alternate, play an octave higher or lower, and repeat. She tells you the notes that go together and the notes that don't. It was thrilling! I finally "get" what my play-by-ear friends were trying to tell me: music is all patterns! The video is well shot - shows her fingers in first-person perspective (that is, as if her fingers were your fingers) - and she demonstrates the patterns more than once, slowly, before putting it all together for you. The production value is good; it remains true to its instructional purpose and doesn't distract with dazzling effects. My only criticism of this video is that it was clearly shot in the late '80s, early '90s (check out those shoulder pads!), when New Age music was ambling its way into the mainstream - and into this video. I wish the video had more variety in musical style. Still, if your aim is to play the piano TODAY - not to become a music student - this technique will work for you. (I also bought her second video, Playing the Blues Overnight, and had fun with that, too.) If you stop the tape and practice every time she prompts you, yes, you will be playing the piano overnight. You might never get to bed!

Reviews

All the music videos they made, if your friend likes music videos get a dvd with music videos, its much more interesting then that concert dvd they saw last year. then they wont wonder if there in the crowd somewhere. 5 stars, have it your way.....

Well as a Backstreet Boys fan I'm glad to have a dvd of all their music videos but I am very disappointed that for the videos of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "All I Have To Give" they only have the short edited versions and not the full versions. I find this to be very ridiculous. And also that the video for "Drowning" isn't on there. It's on the "Greatest Hits" cd so why not be on the DVD as well? This DVD is a real disappointment. Only get it if you don't have high expectations.

Glad I bought this. Has all my favourite songs especially 'The Call'. All BSB fans out there should have a copy of this DVD. Very clear. Sound quality equaly good. No complains, no regrets.

I've loved this much; i've always seen this music video ever since i was a teen back then with all the pop idol all around it since then, i really heard the BSB albums on CDs and watching music videos on TV back then. So i've got it out now and i'll get a chance to watch these music video and there's one missing on this hits---- Drowning (three other music videos are missing as well: We got going on, Anywhere for you & Get down (you're one for me)on this DVD). Might could wait longer for the another hits in the near future soon.

I find this is a great video! I love all they're songs on this video and that's unusual for me to love ALL the music videos on one disc! They really did a great job of compiling they're videos to get the best of the best. Also, I prefer not to have concert scenes, they can do that in a seperate disc. If you love the Backstreet boys, you've got to get this DVD! I love it and I'm 46 years old! So its just not for a certain age group! Great DVD!

Reviews

Yes, the audio could be better, yes, the video quality is not A++, yes, Pete wanders at time and yes, you need to download his pdf file. BUT, this is a rare opportunity to sit beside a fine musician and an inquisitive mind! Mr. Sears is obviously not a music teacher, he's a music maker and that's what he's attempting to instill in the viewer. He provided a basic skeleton or structure with the chords, scales, modes, etc., and then he shows you HOW TO MAKE MUSIC! You have to know three things: 1) what to do, 2) how to do it, and then 3) do it. Pete gives you the first two, the third is up to you. I loved his expression, "let the music breathe". Make the music your own, don't copy him or anyone else he admonishes. As the Chinese say, ".... teach a man to fish and he'll feed himself for life." I think he does an admirable job all things given.

Pete Sears is a good piano player, he is not a good piano teacher. I already play guitar, and I wanted to learn about the piano keyboard(as per his title) like I learned the guitar fretboard. His delivery is slow and boring, he spends too much time playing piano rather than teaching piano. I went through only about 1/4th his lesson from the start and quit because I lost interest for the reasons stated above. I don't feel like Amazon owes me a refund, but if I had purchased directly from Pete, I would ask him for a refund. HRE

this is a great video to help learn to play the piano/keyboard. The guy teaching is laid back and makes it fun to learn. Worth the money

Do not underestimate the value of these lessons! Rock icon Pete Sears has generously created an inexpensive all inclusive package (DVD and online book) on how to improvise jazz blues and play like him and his contemporaries: e.g., Elton John, Ian Stewart (Stones), Nicky Hopkins (Stones), Ian McLagan (Rod Stewart), Ian Armitt (Long John Baldry). Instruction is purportedly for beginners or intermediate players, but it's for anyone who wants to get confident and proficient at piano improvisation. Simple blues exercises encourage improv right away, something I haven't always found with lessons, where the student must go through rote scales and arpeggios ad nauseam before getting to anything that sounds like music. Scales are important, but fun, feeling and listening are also necessary. The beauty of the instruction is the stressed importance of learning chords and exercises in as many keys as you can and noting the spatial relationships that allow for quick key transposition. Pete also encourages playing around with building chords in as many variations possible whenever you can. This promotes quick, creative thinking when improvising, rather than getting stuck in root positions and triads, like I had a problem with. I'm a fairly solid player but can't always pick out the construction of fast licks on recordings. Here, Pete tells you what he's doing, then performs the concept where his playing can be viewed through a camera angle above. Because it's a DVD: if something confuses, you can watch it again. Chord inversions and jazz voicings comprise rich arrangements. Scales and modes over chord progressions create a variety of moods. Everything but the time and hard work is in this package. You'll become great if you keep at it and follow Pete's thoughtful instruction.

The title of this DVD is a little misleading - while it does teach you "how to play the piano" and it covers all the rudiments that are necessary for a foundation of piano playing, in my opinion the real value comes "between the lines". The real gems are watching a well-rounded musician playing blues riffs with ease close up while explaining what is happening. The DVD covers the basics well and you'll need to know your 7ths, blues progressions etc if you want to play pop/rock piano. It covers the elements necessary for rock, pop and classical, i.e. scales chords and melody. Pete puts his own spin on piano lessons, especially when he says "play this chord and just listen to it for a minute". One sometimes forgets that listening is an important part of playing and putting a melody together with chords creates music. Pete is a bit soft spoken at time and a review of the chapter helps in revealing more than a superficial run through does. Pete Sears is a true rocker ( in the best sense of the phrase, a little "insane" as he puts it, a little mystical, a little spacey perhaps but always right on with the instruction. Well worth the money and time to invest into it! Rock on Pete!

Reviews

150 minutes of Angela speaking to us from her pinnacle left me with not only a realization of how foolish of it would be of mere me to ever attempt to play Bach again, but also a certain lack of desire to hear anybody else try what only the queen herself can (almost) manage. Angela thinks too much. Yes, there is depth upon depth in Bach. With the profundity there is solace but also the sheer joy of playing. I see (and hear) Hewitt diving for the depths but I don't sense she's have much (any!) fun at all, ever. Who's her intended audience? Some of the remarks are just plain sophomoric ("Bach fathered 23 children so he must've had a warm heart"??? Angela couldn't even get a job as intern at The Onion with lines like that), while others seem directed at maybe a handful of professional pianists in the world who can even attempt to manage five voices at one time. One glaring omission: The entire 2 1/2-hour production is about playing Bach on the piano but she mentions neither the importance of tunings and temperaments nor the physical requirements and/or adjustments desirable in a modern piano on which one intends to play Bach.

I try to play some Bach at the piano every day for about an hour. I'm finding the first disc of this set really helpful and challenging, even though I'm only about half way through it. There's a lot of advice-some of which I hadn't heard before, some of which I hadn't heard expressed and demonstrated in quite this way. There's a lot of conflicting information floating around about how you're supposed to play Bach, and its great to have an interpreter of this caliber lay out her knowledge and opinions so thoroughly and clearly. Even if you aren't a player, Hewitt's lecture will increase your understanding of her approach and the challenges of playing Bach generally. Highly recommended.

There are two discs--a series of lessons on disc 1 (see Mr. Lekan's list) and a live performance on disc 2. What Angela Hewitt does on disc 1 is set forth her approach to playing Bach. Even though I am not a musician--or perhaps because of it--I got more from disc 1 than from any other single Bach record I own. The reason is that Ms. Hewitt not only tells you what she thinks is the way to play Bach, but she does the telling from a piano bench, and then she turns to the piano and plays to illustrate exactly what she is talking about. She illustrates how a singing tone is achieved; she illustrates how she modulates timing and emphasis to achieve an effect similar to the way we modulate our voices as we talk or sing; she brings in the 'voices' one by one to show what happens as polyphony is built up. What Ms. Hewitt is really after, it seems to me, is to avoid monotony in her playing, and add the equivalent of color, light, and shadow. I will admit some of the lecture was beyond me. However, what I could follow is already adding immensely to my enjoyment of Bach--and not only her playing, but that of others. I am now enjoying listening and comparing Hewitt's playing of a particular piece with Gilels' playing or Gould's or Perahia. In short, I am hearing the music better now because of her instruction. Also, I take it as given that Ms. Hewitt is explaining her playing and her understandings, and that other Bach masters would differ with her. It matters not--let them come forth with their DVD and I may buy it too. Her explanations have meant much to me already. Highly recommended!! F. Horne

Curiously enough, I was moved to purchase this video by one of the less-than-stellar reviews on this page; I already knew Angela Hewitt to be a fine artist, and though I strongly doubted that there would be any basis for claims like "It's all about Angela" and so forth, this disparaging review added to the interest I already had about this DVD set. It is my pleasure to opine that such criticisms are unjust. Indeed, I am put in mind of the words of Erasmus in "The Praise of Folly," when he (as Folly) observes that no accomplishment is possible unless a person has some measure of self-love and of thinking well of one's self; without these, the orator goes silent, the musician hangs up the instrument, etc.. Ms. Hewitt has as much confidence in her own opinions as any artist of her eminence should have. She thinks she knows how to play J.S. Bach, and she thinks she has something to teach others about the subject. But I found nothing at all condescending about her presentation (nor am I quite sure why the reviewer felt Glenn Gould's name needed to be invoked; as fine a musician as I concede he was, did Bach playing start and end with him?). The first disc is a 2 1/2 hour presentation where Ms. Hewitt speaks on different aspects of Bach performance, sometimes with touches of humor (e.g., her amusing facial expressions when trying to play something as a beginning student would; her comment that the Schirmer edition of Bach, except for Ralph Kirkpatrick's Goldbergs, should be "banned"). This is rich in information, but I must concede that the technical nature of the presentation will be daunting to many, especially non-performers who are more taken with Ms. Hewitt's artistry than the 'nuts and bolts' of her technique. However, the second disc is an hour's worth of her simply performing Bach: the Fourth Partita, the Italian Concerto, and the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. This portion of the release will be accessible and delightful to music lovers no matter what their level of technical knowledge. I found this DVD set quite wonderful, and not at all what I would have been led to expect by the uncomplimentary reviews that called this "all about Angela" and condemned her as "snooty." I personally find no basis for such criticisms, and I doubt the average viewer will either. With only the caveat previously mentioned of the technical nature of much of Ms. Hewitt's lecture--which may not be as interesting to some as it was to me--, I would highly recommend this release.

Her tone of voice in the masterclass portion rubs me the wrong way. She makes it sound as if she alone can intuit Bach properly. And much of her masterclass--though somewhat informative in terms of performance and historical practice--is a bit sophomoric in scope and ultimately a waste of time and DVD space. The performance portion is only slightly more enjoyable. I guess after sitting through her seemingly endless masterclass I'm not much of an Angela Hewitt fan. I'm probably gonna review my Hewitt CDs and decide if I need to replace them with other bach interpreters. For the record, I'd enjoy the DVD a lot more if there was no masterclass (and a slightly longer concert program) attached. Currently I can't finish viewing it, knowing her approach to Bach performance and interpretion. My two cents.

Reviews

When I first played this dvd, I was so disappointed with the muddy sound, I just threw it in a drawer for a couple of weeks. It was hard to imagine that Max Wilcox, who engineered many wonderful CDs had anything to do with it! I have a feeling that the expansive acoustics of the Concertgebouw might be a little too expansive when there is no audience present. But after some further tweaking (such as turning the bass down almost all the way, and boosting highs)the sound is pretty good. And BTW, I'm not new to this - most other 70's dvds on DG (like Karajan, Bernstein, Pollini)have much better sound.) But this dvd has such wonderful artists, who have few dvds available, it really is a good acquisition (just remember to adjust the sound!)

Wonderful music and performance. Video and audio quality are outstanding. There are a few shortcomings, but they have to be tolerated. Hopefully there will be another release in the future aimed at pianists who would like to be able to observe some clues as to how the great master executed some of those difficult passages. In this one we are entertained by views of the organ pipes (aren't they beautiful!) and the highlights off the bassoon, and other such distractions. Yes, I would rather be observing the performance, but I am delighted to have this one in my collection. Highly recommended.

I ordered this DVD because Artur Rubenstein was one of my favorite pianists. Also, I wanted to play it for my piano class of students. It did not disappoint, it was excellent. It even included an interview, which was a nice surprise.

Following their release of Artur Rubinstein's Grieg, Chopin and Saint-Saëns concertos, Deutsche Grammophon issues another fascinating programme about the great pianist, recorded two years earlier, in August 1973, at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Rubinstein can be heard and seen in Beethoven's 3rd and Brahms's 1st, both accompanied by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink. Produced by the same team, with Hugo Käch directing, the great Max Wilcox who had been recording Rubinstein since 1959 as audio producer, and Robert Hofer responsible for the photography, this DVD provides further insight in the artistry of one of the most significant pianists of the previous century in the indian summer ("autumn" would be too strong a word for the 86-year old Rubinstein) of his career. Rubinstein at this point approached both concertos with an unforced, patrician distance, avoiding all excesses in sound and tempi, as if he wants to let the music speak for itself, at times almost turning it into chamber music. It's an old master returning once more to these works he has played, loved and explored for decades. Yet there's no sign of fatigue or errancy. Very few have been able to make this music sing with such freshness, clarity of line and naturalness of declamation as Rubinstein did. The Largo and the Adagio sections boast a mesmerizing serenity and almost nocturnal quality. Eventually, the simplicity of his music-making, the humanity reflecting Rubinstein's own rich vision of life, have something profoundly touching. Schubert's Impromptu in A flat major (D. 899/4), Brahms's Capriccio in B flat minor, op. 76/2 and his Intermezzo in B flat minor, op. 117/2, Chopin's Scherzo in B flat minor, op. 31 are concluding the programme and are much in the same vein. Soundwise the "Artur Rubinstein in concert" DVD is preferable to the earlier release because of the warmer acoustics of the Concertgebouw hall which seem to suit Rubinstein's lyrical and spacious approach better. The playing of the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink also boasts more character than the London Symphony under a neutral and often bland André Prévin. The rich and distinct sonorities of the Dutch orchestra are a joy from start to end. Curiously, this DVD gives us the exact same bonus as the earlier release with the "Rubinstein at 90" film, showing the pianist in conversation with Robert MacNeil at his Parisian home in 1977. Good as it is, there are plenty of other insightful documentaries of Rubinstein around which could have been offered as an extra. Highly recommended.

Reviews

My wife takes this to her rehearsals and says that it is invaluable. Would not hesitate to recommend this item.

Reviews

This pedal works great for me, I've never had any problems with it and am very happy I purchased it. I definitely recommend it.

This pedal is OK if you just want on-off use (like Yamaha FC4). Appears solid and has a nice heavy feel to it. However, I had to return because it does NOT have half-pedaling capabilities (contrary to what the description says). It does not have the "stereo" plug necessary for half-pedaling. I decided to get the Yamaha FC3 instead.

Originally bought a Yamaha FC4 sustain pedal for my Casio CDP-100. Apparently, one uses Yamaha pedals with Yamaha pianos, cuz the FC4 didn't work with my Casio (subsequent reviews for that pedal show that I am not the only one with that problem). Sooo, I bought this SP-2 pedal one year ago for my 10 year old son who is VERY ROUGH on it and it's still working great. So I give this pedal credit for (1) working with my Casio, and (2) continuing to function when under the foot of a ten year old.

There's not much to say, since there's nothing wrong with it. Haven't had any problems. I've dropped it a few times (Accidentally of course), but it's still fully functional. I move it around every now and then to practice with some buddies, and it's seen my foot well over a thousand times already. I'm using it with a Casio, and that's pretty much all there is to say. It's a good buy.

This pedal solved my problems with not having a comfortable, workable sustain pedal for my portable.