Clara Wieck's sincerest wish was that her future husband, Robert Schumann, turn his extraordinary genius toward the larger and more challenging task of composing orchestral music. Confiding in her diary in 1839, just one year before her marriage, she explained that "it would be best if he composed for orchestra; his imagination cannot find sufficient scope in the piano " In the years that followed their marriage Robert continued to devote much of his attention to piano music, but he also found time to comply with his beloved Clara's wish by cre-ating a number of musical pieces composed specifically for piano and orchestra. Although Schumann's genius is most in evidence in his masterful solo piano compositions and superb lieder, his lively and provocative imagination manifests itself with equal aplomb in the works composed for piano and orchestra. The same compelling romantic and lyrical qualities that captivate lovers of Schumann's piano music are evident in these compositions. Three of his finest are pr

Unique and comprehensive, this collection features a tremendous variety of slow movements for keyboard players. Highlights include selections from the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart, Chopin preludes, and classics such as the opening movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata, Bach's Sinfonia in F Minor, and Debussy's Claire de Lune.

A kaleidoscopic, colorful, and dazzlingly illustrated historyof Bulgari jewelry, this engaging book showcases more than threehundred objects from the late-nineteenth century to the presentday. The color illustrations are of such high fidelity that one canalmost caress the pieces that for more than one hundred years haveemerged from the firm’s design workshops. The catalogue highlightsBulgari’s signature use of gold coins and serpent motifs. And anentire section is devoted to Bulgari and the film industry of thefifties and sixties. Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren are amongthe house’s star-studded list of fans. Entertaining and didacticalat the same time, this book is the essential complement to anyjewelry lover’s collection.

Pattern Magic is the cult pattern-cutting book from Japan. Taking inspiration from nature, from geometric shapes and from the street, this book harnesses the sheer joy of making and sculpting clothes. The book takes a creative approach to pattern cutting, with step-by-step projects for fashion designers and dressmakers to enjoy. All the basic information you need to start pattern cutting is included, from the basic block to measurements and scaling. Each project is beautifully illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs showing the stages of construction, the toiles and the finished garments. These simple illustrations and detailed instructions make it easy to create stunning, sculptural clothes with a couture look.

Ideally (though not exclusively) suited for designers, graphic designers, illustrators, art directors and anyone working within the creative industries, or studying these disciplines, or simply interested in exploring his or her creativity. Artists have always relied on their sketchbooks. But art has changed: new visual styles tend to be not exclusively the product of painting and drawing but will often come out of illustration, graphics, film and animation, fashion, advertising, art direction and a number of creative activities. This new line addresses the needs of contemporary practitioners, trying to update that format. Helpful and user-friendly, these sketchbooks tread that fine line between giving users practical tools and information while not interfering with their creative freedom. As part of this updating process, this sketchbook has been made entirely out of eco-friendly materials.

Famed for his focused observation of nature, Flemish painterJan van Eyck (c. 1395–1441) studied fauna and flora in theirnatural environment and under carefully chosen lighting conditions,and then achieved a breathtaking and convincing realism in hispaintings. Each panel is a collection of minuscule details renderedwith superb clarity from foreground to background—or at least thatis the impression at first glance. As this book reveals, that isprecisely where Van Eyck’s exceptional talent lay: He understoodthat the human brain is able to supplement visual perception wherenecessary. Here, details from Van Eyck’s paintings are organized bysuch themes as nature, architecture, daily life, fabrics, glass,jewelry and mirrors, and portraits. This is an unprecedented lookat the work of a popular master.

Some 100 painted works by the preeminentImpressionist masters depicting Rouen and its surroundings. Rouenplayed a major role in the history of late 19th-century art. Whilenever ceasing to be a landmark for artists since Renaissance times,during the Impressionist period, the city's blossoming industry,beautifully intact architectural heritage and spectacular settingall combined to bring Rouen to the apex of its allure. From thistime on, the city that Pissarro deemed "as beautiful as Venice"became one of the most emblematic settings in modern painting.Masterpieces of Monet, Gauguin, Pissarro, Sisley and otherluminaries of late 19th century painting are assembled in thisvolume, which explores one of the last great themes in the story ofImpressionism, one that has yet to be the object of an exhibitionor a book: this Norman city as a workshop for the new frontier inpainting, with its urban ferment and pastoral beauty, itstime-honored stones and booming industry, all vibrantly reflectedin the waters of the Seine.

A spotlight on French landscape painters of the first half of the 20th century which is a true hymn to nature Eight French painters born after 1870 are brought together for the first time in an exhibition that highlights their mutual affinities and charts their respective influences and evolutions. Aside from Gaston Balande (1880-1971), who is well known for his art deco wall murals designed for transatlantic ships, and Paul Deltombe (1878-1971), who benefited from a retrospective exhibition in 1970, the work of the other painters collected here has remained uncelebrated for far too long. The present exhibition and its catalogue aim to repair this oversight, as well as to reignite the study of this generation of French painters who, without turning their back on the avant-gardists, concentrated primarily on the traditional genre of landscape, and to a lesser degree on still-lifes. The 80 works of art, mainly painted between the wars, are at the crossroads of the many influences of this creative period,

Claude Monet (1840-1926) was the most typical and the most individual Impressionist painter. His long life he dedicated to a pictorial exploration of the sensations which reality, and in particular landscape, offer the human eye. But while Monet the painter was faithful and persevering in the pursuit of his motifs, his personal life followed a more restless course. Parisian by birth, he discovered plein-air painting as a youth in the provinces, where one of his homes, Argenteuil, has come to represent the artistic flowering and official establishment of Impressionism as a movement, with Monet as its creative leader. In his endeavor to capture the ever-changing face of reality, Monet went beyond Impressionism and thereby beyond the confines of self-contained panel painting: in Giverny he painted the Poplars, Grain Stacks and Rouen Cathedral series in which he addressed one motif in constantly new variations. Here, too, Monet laid out the famous garden with its water-lily pond which he was to paint on huge canv

Few works in the piano literature are as essential to an understanding ofeighteenth-century style as Mozart's solo sonatas. Almost without exception, they are works of great sensitivity, classic design, and a wonderful balance oflyricism and drama. This new compilation unites 6 of Mozart's most familiar sonatas, including Sonata No. 8 in A minor (K310); Sonata No. 10 in C major (K330); Sonata No. 11 in A major (K331); Sonata No. 12 in F major (K332); Sonata No. 14 in C minor (K457); Sonata No. 16 in C major (K545).

This is a showcase of contemporary interior products that are both ecologically sound and beautifully designed,guiding you through the complex issues involved in creating and choosing eco-friendly designs for the home. An essential resource for consumers as well as an ideal reference for students in the growing filed of sustainable design,this book features 1000 of the most exciting stylish and environmentally friendly products for interiors.

Here for the first time is the complete history of the sleek,sophisticated, incomparable Batmobile. From its humble beginningsin the pages of Detective Comics, to its reimaginings every decadein the pages of DC Comics, to its unforgettable appearances on thebig screen, this book explores each incarnation of the Batmobile inincredible detail and scope. In addition to comic books, the Batmobile has been immortalizedin nearly every imaginable medium, including film, television,toys, and video games. Most recently, it was given breathtaking newlife—and incredible capabilities—in Christopher Nolan’sextraordinary film trilogy, which concludes with 2012’s The DarkKnight Rises. While each of the Batmobile’s incarnations will beexplored, special attention will be paid to the "Tumbler" Batmobilefrom Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark KnightRises. With stunning gatefolds and detailed specs, blueprints, andhistorical comparisons, BATMOBILE: The Complete History is aninformational an

Paired together in a single, affordable volume, these disparate works reflect two different sides of Wagner's compositional mastery. Aside from his operatic works, Wagner wrote relatively little music--a single symphony, some overtures, and a few choral and piano works. Of these, the Siegfried Idyll is the most frequently performed. Although not part of the Ring cycle, the Idyll draws upon several of the Ring's motifs. Written for the birth- day of Wagner's wife, Cosima, it was never intended for public performance but financial difficulties forced the composer into publication. "The secret treasure is to become public property," Cosima noted in her diary, and audi-ences have been the happier for it. With Wagner's Faust Overture, the nineteenth century's preeminent German opera composer took on the most discussed and written-about work by Germany's most revered poet. Inspired by Wagner's attendance at a performance of Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet, the original composition dates from 1844 and depicts

Every year, creative design studios around the world design acalendar as a gift for clients and friends. Traditionally, oursociety use to hang calendars annually on the walls of our housesand even now have been replaced by digital calendars on our mobilephones and computers, some still harbor the ancestral spiritraising its profit to a mere object of design. 365 Days of Design is a collection of the best ideas and. designcalendar solutions by some of the best designers, illustrators andartists worldwide. We selected the most creative designs, originaland visually interesting, making this title an amazing book ofinspiration for designers and creatives of all kinds..

The ubiquitous chair in all its shapes and forms (TASCHEN's 25th anniversary special edition) More than any other piece of furniture, the chair has been subjected to the wildest dreams of the designers. The particular curve of a back-rest, or the twist of a leg, the angle of a seat or the colour of the entire artefact all reflect the stylistic consciousness of each era. From Gerrit Rietveld and Alvar Aalto via Verner Panton to Eva Zeisel; from Art Nouveau to International Style, from Pop Art to Postmodernism, the phenomenon of the chair is so complex that it requires a reference work as comprehensive as this to do it full justice. They are all here: Thonet's bentwood chairs and Hoffmann's sitting-machines, Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair and Ron Arad's avant garde armchairs. The book, a slightly abbreviated version of our classic title 1000 Chairs, devotes one page to each chair, displayed on its own as pure form, with biographical and historical information about the chairs and their designers. A special treat

This book can be regarded as the 'prequel' to our first book,which was intended as a reference guide. This new book concerns thestudy of form. Sketching: The Basics contains many step-by-stepguides to making drawings. It is about learning to draw efficientlyby employing different techniques, both manual and digital. Drawingan object or idea is not a rigid process but a lively interactiveprocess. Revealing the steps in that process allows us to explainthe decisions taken and their impact on the final result. Everychapter contains an exercise for the reader. After all, practice isprobably the best way to learn. Can you remember your struggle as achild as you were learning how to write? Developing the skill towrite by hand was hard work, but you managed. The same will happenas you learn to draw.

In the autumn of 1819, refreshed from a three-month stay in the Austrian countryside, Franz Schubert returned to Vienna to begin one of his major choral works, the great Mass in A-fiat Major. Completed three years later, this work has been praised as a grand harmonic adventure with deeply affecting moments of rare poignance. Along with the Mass No. 6 in E-flat Maior, it is the most performed of Schubert's masses. The latter work--composed in 1828, the year of his death was among the final musical achievements of Schubert's brief life. It is especially memorable for its touching commemoration of the birth of Christ in a haunting lullaby, and its powerful evocation of the cruel spectacle of the crucifixion. Both masterworks of church music have been reprinted from the definitive Breitkopf & Hartel Critical Edition of 1884-1897. Separate English translations of the Latin texts are provided.

Aston martin plays a very special role in the exclusive world ofthe luxury sports car.the name of the noble marque from NewportPagnell has a fine ring to it,and it is not only for its dedicatedcircle of devotees that the British Racing Green of as Astonprovides the perfect answer to the racing red of its illustriousItalian rivals

He was the founding father of modern art, the grand master who pointed painting forward on its way from Impressionism to the 20th century: Paul Cezanne (1839-1906). In Paris, but above all in Provence, he quested tirelessly for "a harmony parallel to nature" - discovering it in still lifes of apples, in bathers, or in the renowned landscapes of his beloved Montagne Sainte-Victoire. This book discusses this extraordinary artist's major works and his theories of painting and colour.

The result of the second international photography competitionorganized by the distinguished Musee de lElysee, this book sets outto discover what young photographers are up to as the 21st centuryapproaches its second decade. How do they see the world? How muchdo they respect, build on or reject tradition? Are they busy in thedarkroom or the computer lab or both? Here, in more than 200 superbimages brimming with inspiring creativity and ingenuity, are theanswers to these questions. The variety of subjects and techniquesconfirms that photographers of extraordinary talent are well ontheir way to making their mark. Useful reference material includesbiographical details of each of the eighty featured photographersand a note on the selected winning photographers from the firstedition of the book, many of whom have gone on to forgeinternational careers. This is an unmissable opportunity to previewthe work of those up-and-coming photographers who may well emergeas the finest artists of their generation.

This exciting addition to the literature of guitar duos features special selections and arrangements by guitar scholar David Nadal.Spanning the Renaissance through the twentieth century, it spotlights such favorites as Handel's The Harmonious Blacksmith, Byrd's arrangement of Dowland's Lacrymosa, and selections from J. S. Bach's Art of the Fugue and Two-Part Inventions. Other featured composers include Beethoven, Schubert, Granados, Sor, Giuliani, and Albeniz. Perfect for beginning guitarists as well as advanced players, this edition is organized progressively by skill level and has been newly engraved.An ample assortment of teacher-student duets is included.

Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail--the Abduction from the Seraglio-- was one of Mozart's first operatic hits, and received performances all over Europe, even if the emperor did think it contained too many notes. Too many tenors is closer to the mark (the male roles include two tenors, one bass, and one character who only speaks), but this singspiel is a bright and bubbly work, endearing in its comic scenes and impressive in its serious moments. This score is one of Dover's reprints of other publishers. That means that it's not the most up-to-date edition available, that the words appear in German only, and that it's not as suitable for singers to use as a plain piano- vocal score would be. But this is a reasonably priced version that gives the student or enthusiast the opportunity to check out just how Mozart achieved that great "Turkish" instrumental color.