Rimsky-Korsakov worked upon this work for over 30 years.The examples are from his own works.He originally planned to include examples from Glinka,Tschaikovsky, Borodin,and Glazounov.He did not to avoid notational and stylistic peculiarities.This is not primarily a notational work.It deals more with subjects such as resonance,timbre,register,and instrumental combinations and their various effects.He died before the work was published and many of the examples were chosen from his works by the editor Max Steinberg.The Principles,however,listed prior to example,remain untouched...and still do barring instrumental developments.These Principles could have just as easily been exemplified by the above four or many others.This book is a classic on "Principles Of Orchestration" and most certainly not obsessed with "Examples Of Orchestration".The laws are laid out in the former case.To any serious composer that is as it ought be!

One of the few Orchestration books that not only discusses the technique of the art, but also the emotional and psychological effect of instrumentation. The translation of the original text is well done. I always keep this book close by.

I own some of the great books of orchestration, say, those by Pistons, Adler and Forsyth, but this book certainly is the best of the best. This is not a book about instrumentation (general information as range, articulations, characteristics, notation), rather it concentrates aspects such as resonance, register, doublings, combination of instrumental colors, as well as information about the chorus. These are the points that need to be considered in the course of orchestration. A well-organized book, with many orchestral excerpts drawn from Korsakov's own works. It is very useful for any orchestrators to understand the principles the author said.

I had been happy to read about a supposedly unabridged and very inexpensive edition of "Queen of Spades" and the Belkin tales, as (as a college instructor) I often assign "Queen of Spades" in courses on opera or Petersburg, or in which one would not neces sarily need the student to order a whole compilation of Pushkin's fiction, such as Norton's very solid COMPLETE PROSE TALES.

However, this edition is *far* from unabridged. The editor has taken it upon himself to cut not only ALL the epigraphs from ALL t he stories (an absurd economy which distorts the tone of these parodic stories) but also fails to provide the two-page "From the Editor" frame without which the purpose of the Belkin tales is obscured.

I would not recommend this edition even to the casua l reader who wished to get the true flavor of Pushkin's Sternean, self-referential prose works. 'eo

If someone comes to me and asks what I think true Russian

spirit is, I would say, "duel" is. Russian duel is very reckless

and even absurd because the percentage of survival is only 50%.

Each load their gun and go to the opposite end and they shoot

from distance in turn until either one is shot.

In the book, German,the main character, is a half-bood of

Russian and Germany. Due to his birth,mixed with German blood,

he is usually very realistic and doesn't believe in magic or

tricks. In numerous gatherings German never participates in the

card games but always watches people play. When he hears that

an old woman knows how to win the game he sniffs and ignores

it. But ironically it is he who arrives at the gate of her

house. However, it is not his intention but he himself is

dragged by some magical power.

As quite an ordinary and poor man, German believes in

diligence and reason, but not fantasy or fate. That's why he

never participates in any games. Their game is like a duel. The

players say some number and they take cards until either of

them get to reach the number and he wins. Then a new game

starts as if they already forgot about the former game. Usually

the loser loses a huge sum of money, which means that the

winner becomes enormous rich. In other words, the game actually

changes their lives in totally different ways.

Everyone who has read this book would never forget the last

scene of the Queen of Spades. Perhaps she really does say so,

or he only dreams or imagins. No one knows except Pushkin.

Bytheway, he is not telling something moral to persuade or

teach us. All he shows is something like Matrix, I guess. Maybe

the whole story is just a trick or magic or some parts are. The

judgement is up to the reader. We all are German in a way.

This book is a nice (don't forget cheap) adaptation and translation of Russia's most celebrated author, A.S.Pushkin. I imagine that other editions (hardcover and so on) are extremely expensive, so this book is a good introduction into the works of a classic and exceptionally talented writer. I have read much of Pushkin in Russian language, so I can honestly say that this book is true to the originals and it is worth spending your $3 on. NOTE: To people, who know that Pushkin is considered greatest RUSSIAN (emphasis on "russian") writer and expect to find real Russia in his writings: you won't find much of it here, for the fact that Pushkin wrote mainly about his upper-class contemporaries, who (pretty much like Pushkin himself) lost touch with real Russia, hence the revolution awhile later... If you want to feel some of Pushkin's russian spirit, you should try reading his poetry instead of the short stories.

There is nothing in my review that mentions Tchaikovsky's music, it is only about him as a man. So, if you're not interested in my thoughts concerning his sexuality, and what I think his thoughts were about women, you probably won't want to read the rest of this. Anyway, I read this book, and I found a great amount of information some of which I personally thought curiously interesting regarding some of Tchaikovsky's statements or behavior. That is what I liked about the book. However, what I found interesting, psychologically, wasn't commented on by Poznansky. I don't know how interested he is in psychology concerning Tchaikovsky, but I think it's important because his book is suppose to find out more about the man personally. There are many statements Tchaikovsky made where I asked myself, "What did he mean by that?". It was frustrating for me because Poznansky didn't respond to some of Tchaikovsky's remarks or behavior. We all know that Tchaikovsky lived a homosexual lifestyle. Before, I thought that he just didn't find women interesting, sexually. But, my thought in Tchaikovsky's case, is that his sexual choice was based on a whole lot more than mere sexual taste. I read many books on Tchaikovsky and books on psychology (I'm not a psychologist nor a writer). We know that he was extremely shy, nervous, afraid at times, sensitive to a fault and inhibited. His perception of women or the feminine was based on teaching, and the women he grew up with. I think he saw them as basically uninterested in sensuous pleasure and sex (except to make babies or money). He learned from school that boys enjoyed sex, and he played with his own kind. His father may have acted somewhat erotic, and sensitive Tchaikovsky picked up on it. I think Tchaikovsky's mother liked him when he was young and obedient, but later something changed between them when he tried to express himself. I think he may have had mixed feelings about his mom, but would never ever directly say it. Anyhow, I could go on, but I don't want to make this review too long. However, the KEY TO TCHAIKOVSKY IS HIS CHILDHOOD! I don't think he was born homosexual, but rather he was born with certain emotional qualities and personality traits. Anyway, I read the book a few years ago, and I don't want to read it again because I don't like the way Poznansky ignores some of the little things Tchaikovsky said or did. This information Poznansky has in his book of which he thinks irrelevant and offers no psychology, I personally find interestingly curious. Please correct me if my memory of the following is incorrect :

Tchaikovsky said something like the one good thing about his future wife was that she loved him like a cat, and that he needs to be in control. Why did he have to be in control? He also said that Maria Anderson looked like a cat, and I think he observed her rubbing herself against something or someone. Psychologically, an animal represents a physical or primal thought I think. It's physicality or sensuality.

Tchaikovsky put in his diary something about a woman with a gold filling, and he said that his manservant's girlfriend had nice looking teeth. In addition, he said she was pretty and delectable. Why did he write in his diary about a woman's gold filling? Psychologically, it could symbolize something sexual.

He said he loved his mom in a sick way. Maybe he meant that the best thing about her was her physical touch. He says that maternal or sexual, it makes no difference. I thought that was a strange thing to say. Also, the poem Lily of the Valley, Poznansky said it could be about a male lover. I could be wrong, but the poem could be about his mom.

At first, he was hesitant to see, be with or visit his niece. Then, he saw her playing a leg game with some guy, and after he saw her monstrous behavior (he was quite taken by surprise), he visited to see her even unexpectedly. Also, he talks about her special female organs to someone. Tchaikovsky didn't have to mention that.

Also, Tchaikovsky was watching two different types of animals playing together. I think he made a comment that he was surprised to see it. I think he liked the idea of what he saw, and I personally think the two different animals he saw playing represented for him a man and a woman.

I can't make this review too long, so I will stop with my list. One last thing, I think Tchaikovsky's "inclinations" was not about homosexuality in particular. Tchaikovsky may have meant that he was a very physical, sensual person in general. I personally think that if a particular woman came into his life, he would have wanted her sexually, but without consequences. Anyhow, I don't remember Poznansky making any effort to analyze this specific information he puts in his book. I think Poznansky said that Tchaikovsky didn't want sex with women. Well, that's not good enough for me. Sometimes when people have difficulty expressing themselves, like Tchaikovsky, what they say can be more interesting than what they actually do. * Please reply to my review. If you want, I will talk to you and tell you more of what I think about Tchaikovsky.

There is no doubts that Poznansky's book started a revolution not only in our view of Tchaikovsky the man but as well in our appreciation of his music. Gone is a decadent psychotic and a homosexual martyr together with his mysterious Russian soul. This familiar mythological figure is now replaced by a fully drawn individual in flesh and blood with his sublimities and his failures, haunted by contraditions, as all of us, but at the same time committed to make as much good in his life, in terms of both creative work and human relationship as he was capable of. The book contains mines of factual information;the author's conclusions are entirely convincing, drawn as they are from the careful examination of all available (at the time of his writing) documentary material.It is remarkable, as we learn from the author's Preface to the British edition, that his reconstruction of the passages in Tchaikovsky's correspondence, censured by the Soviet editors, proved extremely close to the originals which he found out after he was given access to Tchaikovsky's archives in Klin. Another virtue of this book is the demolition of the silly story, popular among some biographers, claiming that Tchaikovsky commited suicide in result of the so-called "court of honor" held by his former classmates Finally, this dramatic narrative of the great composer's life makes a first-rate read!

If you love Tchaikovsky, this is a wonderful book! Nowhere else will you get such a strong feeling of having known him personally and this biography also explains a lot about his incredible, emotional and passionate music. Alexander Poznansky, thanks to superb scholarship and exercise of fine editorial judgement in the use of Tchaikovsky's letters, diaries and the archival documents, has built up a picture of the "inner man", reliant, as far as possible, on fact and not supposition. This book would correct many misconseptions about Tchaikovsky the man, created by some misguided musicologists. This biography makes clear that he was not a tormented homosexual, nor did he fear exposure and nor is there anything but gossip behind the notion that he commited suicide. This is major book.

This book has wonderful images that tell the story of Rodchenko.
His photography, painting, drawing, graphic design and sculpture. What a kick [butt] artist. I like the photography and sculpture best.
He was a contemporary
of Picasso, but he lived in Russia. His art was controlled by
the State. His fame rose with the State, and then declined when
the State changed.

I was interested in reading his biography and there are several
essays by different people. I found them hard to read and not
helpful and sequential. One essay was on Photography, one on Painting,
one on each aspect of his output. This separation did not work
for me. I did not complete the essays, because, they were too
hard to read. I liked the one written by his daughter.

This book by Peter Alexander will provide valuable insight, information, advice and guidance to the new or aspiring trader in either stocks or commodities. The author is knowledgeable and well qualified to offer such guidance, being an experienced stock and currency trader, and a long-time developer of financial software.

The title strikes me as misleading. Although substantial coverage is devoted to issues relevant to trading by computer, the book also covers many other topics which the new trader will find to be helpful as well. A more apt title might have been The Complete Guide to Issues of Concern to the New Trader.

Important issues covered include commission costs, liquidity, volatility, markets (and exchanges) to avoid, the relative pros and cons of daytrading versus position trading, money management, technical analysis and basic trading system design.

Since the book was written in 1997 it does not cover the current trends in online trading or the newest financial websites.

The author's style of writing is free flowing, interesting, and easy to understand. His colorful phrases and metaphors are, in places, reminiscent of Elder's Trading for a Living. I recommend the book to new traders looking for guidance and useful information in the subject areas covered.

This was a clear, easy to follow book on improving your child's alertness and ability in school through proper nutrition. As a practitioner, I found this full of sound advice and information. A diet plan was also included.

This is the best work of Shakespeare that I have read. It contains jems of wisdom, such as the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, or the sympathetic speaches of Queen Catherine. These are also events of history, not far removed from Shakespeare's own times; tragic events which ultimately reshaped the world we live in.

Marketing for Dummies is one of the best books a person can read to achieve a comprehensive understanding of marketing and its influence on the business world. The book's use of descriptive, understandable language and its focus on the essential "4 P's of Marketing" make it a much needed read for anyone new to the business world. The author carefully lays out the necessities of a marketing position, the goals of the marketing department, and powerful tools used to perform this essential part of business effectively and as economically as possible.

I really enjoyed Operating System 2.0, and expected an equal level of quality in 3.0-- and received it. This book is good, but not what I was expecting. It shows off a lot of work and is much more explicit about being a catalog. It does get very playful at times, which I liked, and even includes some drawings submitted to their website.

A reviewer below states that Shakespeare's literary value is unquestioned. This is patent nonsense. Every year, untold numbers of people (students, etc.) are forced to read him by trained teachers and they still end up questioning his value. Let's examine the Shakespeare cult:
1) Any author who needs an interpreter, explainer, or support from the educational system to keep readers is simply not a vital author. If Shakespeare was a vital author, people would love him without the brainwashing and spoonfeeding of a vast educational system that insists on teaching these tired plays year after year because everyone has done so year after year.
2) Silly romances and boring dramas driven by improbable plots and vulgar jokes are not great literature. These plays are the work of a man who spent far too much time on scandal and trivial junk to be taken seriously.
3) The Shakespeare nuts want it both ways and they can't have it either way. On the one hand, they insist that Shakespeare be regarded with the reverence one would give to holy scripture. No one must dare question its greatness, truthfulness, or entertainment value. If you do so, you will be attacked as a philistine. On the other hand, when people believe this nonsense and stay away from Shakespeare because they do not want to be bored, the cultists insist that we are taking it too seriously and that Shakespeare is simply great theatre (when it is nothing of the sort) which can be enjoyed with as much gusto as a rock concert or a stand up comedy act (which is a lie).
4) Any book that needs a glossary for the reader in order to be understandable must either be abandoned as dated or translated into modern English. The Shakespeare nuts wouldn't insist that anyone read Beowulf in Old English or argue that its Old English language is so beautiful that we all must learn what is now a foreign language to us but they do this when it comes to Shakespeare. This is beyond irrational. Imagine being forced to read a viking saga in Old Norse with only a glossary to assist you because the professor happens to love the cadences of Old Norse. This is no different from the nuts who do the same with Shakespeare.
5) I judge literature on two, and only two, criterion: Is it intriguing? Is it entertaining? I don't give a fig about some academic telling me I need to read something because it is hitorically important. I doubt that Shakespeare's audience paid to see his plays because they had historical importance and neither will I. Alas, what was entertaining even twenty years ago seems dated and boring today, nevermind what may have been entertaining hundreds of years ago. Old jokes lose their punch, old romances become foolish and insipid with time, old dramas about historical figures become irrelevant and sleep inducing, old concerns no longer concern us. Shakespeare is dated, unfunny, boring.
And no amount of forcing the issue will change that. Free Shakespeare from the support of the educational system and watch him become forgotten as quickly as last years fashions. And I say, "good riddance" to an author who should have been relegated to the trash heap at least a century ago.

The very idea of reviewing or giving stars to Shakespeare in this format is superfluous: he is the epitome of English literature. The source and inspiration for many subsequent classics, the well from which many popular expressions have sprung, the basis for many brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) stage and film renditions of these classics -- Shakespeare's literary greatness lies universally ackwnoledged and unquestioned. In reviewing any edition of the man's works, then, the reviewer's task is not to comment upon the work itself, but the presentation. This Gramercy edition of The Complete Works (yes, that's all 37 plays -- comedies, histories, and tragedies -- as well as all of the poems, sonnets included) is the most popular and widely-available -- and inexpensive -- version available. Is it the best? Well, no. Other reviews of this edition have commented upon its shortcomings -- extremely small print; very tight and hard-to-read layout; no margins for notes; no footnotes or annotations; no background information on the plays; errors, typos, and generally questionable editing. That said, this edition may have what you're looking for. It does indeed contain the complete works; it also has a few other small incentives: a hard cover that looks great on a bookshelf, a built-in bookmarker, and various illustrations. Clearly, this is not an omnibus for the Shakespeare scholar. If you want an edition of the bard for in-depth study or for academic use, you are better off buying more expansive editions of the individual plays themselves, with plenty of background info, notes, annotations, and space for your own writing; or else one of the more expensive editions of the Complete Works. That said, if you are just looking for a Shakespeare book that has all of his works in one place, that is convenient and, above all, inexpensive -- or you just want a Shakespeare tome sitting on your dust-ridden bookshelf to impress friends -- then you could do worse than picking up this.

Few writers in history have been able to come close to matching Shakespeare's astounding flair for writing, and this volume is the perfect compliment to his talent. The engravings inside are beautiful, and the plays, even without their numbers and their footnotes, are still as incredible as they ever were. To those of you who say that Shakespeare is boring, you're not really understanding his work, or you are simply unable to appreciate anything this old. I highly recommend this particular edition