Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Jason Sifford has established himself as one of America’s most respected composers of educational piano music, and a jewel in the crown of music publishers The Willis Music Company.
Promoting his music more widely, I wrote a rave review recommending his two KEYBOP books when they appeared, and subsequently selected three of his pieces to appear in my Willis Student Recital Collection.
Introducing Sifford’s lavishly illustrated new collection, Here Be Dragons, Willis Music write,
“Cultures from around the world tell of thrilling tales and legends about magical flying creatures. This intermediate piano collection was inspired by these fantastical beasts and aims to provide performance material and adventurous music-making for all pianists with vivid imagination.”
This new collection is billed as suitable for Intermediate to Early Advanced players, and sounds exciting, so let’s brave ourselves and take a look…
The Publication
With its eye-catching cover and similarly bold illustrations within, Here Be Dragons immediately makes a good impression.
While the 48 pages within often comprise standard piano music notation printed on white paper, there are striking and vibrant images throughout, along with background text to introduce each of the eight dragons portrayed in Sifford’s pieces.
It’s clear that the Willis Music Company have spared no effort or expense in ensuring the collection lives up to their invitation:
“Unleash your imagination with Here Be Dragons! This unique, illustrated collection features eight original piano solos for intermediate to early advanced pianists, each inspired by legendary dragon lore from cultures around the world. From the fierce “Tiamat” of Mesopotamia to “Shenlong” of the Middle Kingdom and “Druk” of Bhutan, these pieces invite pianists to explore bold storytelling, rich textures, and dramatic character at the keyboard!”
Whole pages are devoted to striking and fanciful quotes, visuals, composer biography, and a two-page map of the world showing the locations (and modern equivalents) of the ancient civilisations whose legends inspired the book’s fire-breathing protagonists.
In some cases, this even spills onto the music pages themselves, leaving them smoking, or at least a little singed:
The publishers have also produced this promotional video, which (in addition to giving a flavour of the music itself) I think underlines how genuinely striking this collection is:
Eight Original Piano Solos
“For pianists who love powerful music and vivid imagery, Here Be Dragons offers repertoire that feels epic, imaginative, and unforgettable.”
The eight original pieces are named for the dragons they evoke, as follows:
- Kur (Babylonia)
- The Haietlik (Nuu-chah-nulth)
- Aido Hwedo (West Africa)
- Apalala (Meluhha, Indus Kingdom)
- Druk (Bhutan)
- Shenlong (Zhongguo, Middle Kingdom)
- Bolla (Shqipëri, Land of Eagles)
- Tiamat (Mesopotamia)
Sifford’s introductions to these pieces outline their cultural bones, and reveal an interest in folklore that goes beyond the casual, taking in traditions from North American indigenous peoples, West African cultures, Buddhism, Shamanism, and the ancient world of the Sumerians and Babylonians.
For those of us less versed in dragon lore, the lavish map at the rear of the book is certainly a welcome bonus that helps us locate the verbal and musical imagery in its cultural landscape.
Musically, these are striking, often dramatic pieces that rank alongside Sifford’s best. From the portentous Kur which opens the collection to the more jolly toccata patterns of The Haietlik (written on a single stave, and perhaps a modern counterpoint to C.P.E. Bach’s famous Solfeggietto), and onwards, these pieces effortlessly switch between memorable pattern-based passages, easy melodic, atmospheric, and lyrical writing.
Where they undoubtedly converge is in their consistency in sounding more impressive than they are technically difficult. This makes them perfect as concert pieces and as the publisher puts it,
“With strong visual appeal and vivid musical writing, these works are ideal for recitals and festivals, giving advancing students repertoire that stretches technique, tone color, and expressive playing while keeping them fully engaged in the adventure.”
Closing thoughts
These pieces are not only impressive to listen to, but stand out from the crowd as ingenious compositions that channel our imagination, will delight developing players, and promote joyful performance.
Here Be Dragons is undoubtedly one of the piano education highlights of the year so far, and deserves a place in the music collection of all late intermediate players (and of course their teachers). With its mix of distinctive performance music, imaginative content, and lush presentation, the music book really is worth every penny.
These are pieces which not only take flight, but which will elevate performers, and enchant their audiences. Bravo!
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