Rated by buyers - Dover publications Beethoven piano sonatas
The Dover edition of the sonatas of Beethoven definately isn't the urtext edition. This edition is very cheap and that is a nice thing. But sometimes it misses some parts and has wrong notes. This edition is favorable to many people. However I suggest that this edition isn't the ideal edition. The cheap price tells you what's in the book.
Rated by buyers - Good Edition
Obviously there is nothing to say about the Beethoven sonatas. Simply amazing.
This edition has given us 1-15 in a very reasonably priced book. The binding is sturdy, and I have put it through some strain, trying to make it stay open. It will stay open, if you will work with the binding. But the binding seems to have no problem standing up to the strain I have put on it. Highly recommended.
Rated by buyers - Awesome Edition For the Cheap Price
I'm a piano major in college and I know several people who own this edition and have in soem cases for years and they're all still in very good condition for their age. Surprisingly, it holds up well over time and the pieces are excellently presented...I've never heard any editing complaints.
I myself own the Henley Urtext edition of the volume 2, but own teh Dover for the volume 1. If you're strapped for cash in your music shopping *which I have been many times*, this is a great choice!
Rated by buyers - Most bang for the buck
I might be biased because I almost exclusively buy Dover editions of piano music, but the LVB Sonata volumes are one of the better ones.
Firstly, it's clear that you can't Dover on value. It'd cost more to photocopy the entire book than to buy it. I like the binding of the books, as they are well-made. I do have some trouble keeping the pages open in the thicker books (esp. the Scriabin Etudes book), but I can't complain.
Secondly, the notes are printed as a good size, and notation/fingering is good. I like Heinrich Schenker's notation and commentary, and I feel that it's very helpful for the amateur pianist for suggestions. There are some fingerings that I don't necessarily agree with, but it's unobstrusive enough to not bother me. I'd rather have some suggestion than none at all.
For Beethoven Sonatas, Dover is a good choice, unless you'd prefer Henle Urtext, which is at least 2x or 3x the price of this. I would avoid the Schirmer editions, as they butcher the markings.
Rated by buyers - Has stood the test of time
As the other reviewers have noted, this book is printed with very high quality and attention to detail. I've owned mine for almost 20 years -- over that time, it has the the most-used and best-wearing piano book I've owned. As others have noted, it also lies flat, the print is very clear, and it's a total bargain.
- Dover publications Beethoven piano sonatas
- Good Edition