A First Book of Wagner: For the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable MP3s

The music of Richard Wagner can be daunting to beginning pianists, but this collection offers an accessible approach to the famous nineteenth-century composer's works. The arrangements focus on Wagner's melodies and style, presenting manageable excerpts from the more abstract works in simplified keys and with suggested fingerings.

More than 30 pieces consist chiefly of selections from Wagner's operas. Highlights include the thrilling "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Valküre, the second of the four Ring Cycle operas. Other pieces from the epic musical series include "Siegfried the Hero" from Siegfried and "Song of the Rhine Daughters" from Götterdämmerung. The collection also features pieces from Parsifal, Tannhäuser, The Flying Dutchman, Rienzi, Lohengrin, and Tristan und Isolde, as well as other works. Each selection features a brief Introduction that provides historical context and, in some cases, suggestions for performance.