Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Looking back, 2026 has been a year of graded anthologies, with new syllabus publications from LCME (reviewed here), from ABRSM (reviewed here), and the latter’s recent Encore Plus series (reviewed here).
Whether one is committed to exam preparation or not, these are useful collections of music which (one hopes) will be suitably levelled, offering diversity and variety for players and, for those taking grades, alternative repertoire selections and ‘own choice’ pieces.
Reviewing the 2027-28 ABRSM syllabus and Piano Exam Pieces books (with some disappointment). I noted:
“I think that few will argue with the point that, across every grade, the alternative selections offer several easier and more appealing options. I suspect these lists may therefore prove a more attractive repertoire focus for teachers wishing to maximise motivation and confidence.”
Right on time, Edition Peters have now published their own Grade Piano Anthology collections based on the ABRSM 2027-28 syllabus, further swelling our options. In common with their previous series reviewed here, they offer books for each of Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8.
So do they offer a more tempting and balanced selection of music than the rather lacklustre ABRSM 2027-28 books, and might these collections have wider appeal? Here’s my review…
First impressions
The four new Edition Peters Grade Piano Anthology collections have smart covers, the clean white lower border offset with different colours for each grade, and a dynamic piano image which I much prefer to the rather drab look of the latest ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces books.
It is natural that Edition Peters are keen to answer the question of whether their music book is valid for the ABRSM assessments, so inside the title pages they remind us,
“ABRSM’s examination requirements provide this: ‘Candidates may use any edition of the music, except where a particular arrangement or transcription is specified. Editions quoted in the syllabus are given for guidance only and are not obligatory’.”
Within, the books are presented on bright white paper, and as in previous years the scores themselves are a mixture of fresh engravings in the publisher’s modern house style and older ones from their back catalogue, which are often less spacious and in different music fonts. The lack of consistency here creates a slightly less favourable impression than ABRSM’s ever-superb engraving.
Each book concludes with five pages of Performance Notes (six in the case of the Grade 8 Anthology). Written by Ates Orga, these are excellent. The first page is standardised in all four books, and offers generic advice about choosing your programme, preparing away from the piano, developing an interpretation, and ‘mindset’.
The specific notes on each piece which follow are each presented as a lengthy single paragraph, and cover background information, practice and performance tips. They go beyond the footnotes included in ABRSM’s Piano Exam Pieces books, but are not quite on the same level as those the board publishes separately in their Teaching Notes booklet.
As usual, the Edition Peters collections include far more music from the syllabus than the official ABRSM ones, which readers will remember include three pieces from each of Lists A, B, and C.
Edition Peters Grades 5, 6, and 7 Piano Anthologies include 5 pieces from each of those three lists, plus an additional 3 ‘own choice’ pieces, which the publisher have selected and benchmarked themselves. In their Grade 8 Piano Anthology, they offer 7 pieces from each of Lists A and B, with 6 from List C, and 4 additional selections.
Those considering these anthologies will likely be interested in how their selections compare with those in the ABRSM publications, so let’s turn to each of the four for more detailed comment.
Grade 5 Anthology
Here’s the full list of included pieces, together with their ABRSM syllabus list numbering. The final three are Edition Peters’ ‘own choices’. The ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces books include the first three pieces from each of Lists A, B, and C, meaning that there is almost no duplication here:
- A16: Rondo Scherzando (Sifford)
- A6: Gavotte (Chaminade)
- A7: Andante (Fiocco)
- A9: Norwegian Air (Grieg)
- A15: Theme, Var. 1 and Var. 5 (Mozart)
- B1: Étude in C (Farrenc)
- B9: Andante (Kirchner)
- B5: Arabesque Sentimentale (Gillock)
- B11: Mélodie (Massenet)
- B14: Chant de l’alouette (Tchaikovsky)
- C5: The Sea is Angry (Alwyn)
- C10: Lounging by the Pool (Bell)
- C16: Bright Orange (Starer)
- C17: Fra Jacopino’s Morning Cappuccino (Tanner)
- C12: Elegy for the Arctic (Einaudi)
- Drifting Away (Mathews)
- Dawn of Evening (Greenaway)
- Bucolics No. 1 (Lutosławski)
While ABRSM’s Grade 5 book includes at least one attractive piece from each of their three lists, the Edition Peters selection clearly has more to offer, and from an educational perspective their larger anthology delivers a more balanced overview of the syllabus repertoire, with something for everyone.
As well as limiting overlap with the ABRSM book, Edition Peters have largely avoided duplicating the pieces that appeared in their own previous Grade 5 Piano Anthology, but I’m pleased to see that they have retained the popular Elegy for the Arctic by Ludovico Einaudi, one of his better pieces to play.
The trio of ‘own choice’ pieces that ends the selection focuses on music that teachers and players are unlikely to have elsewhere on their shelves. I wouldn’t quibble with their benchmarking, although I think that Sally Greenaway’s Dawn of Evening is rhythmically quite challenging for this level.
Grade 6 Anthology
Here’s the list for the Grade 6 collection:
- A9: Andante in D (Haydn)
- A11: Village Dance (Paine)
- A7: Allegro, from Sonata No. 6 in G (Cimarosa)
- A16: Allegro, from Fantasia No. 1 in D (Telemann)
- A12: Allegretto, from Character Pieces (Lindeman)
- B15: Prelude in E, from 24 Préludes, Op. 11 (Skryabin)
- B6: In the Cold Moonlight (Burleigh)
- B8: Prayer of the Matador (Dello Joio)
- B11: Nocturne (Hartmann)
- B9: Prelude in D flat, from 8 Easy Pieces, Op. 43 (Glière)
- C1: Sultana (Gonzaga)
- C5: Arabesque in A minor (Cairos-Rego)
- C14: Lavender Field (Tanaka)
- C15: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel, arr. Churchill (Taylor)
- C16: Four Seasons in Kyoto (Yamada)
- Spiderwebs of Clouds (Belli)
- Gnossienne No. 4 (Satie)
- Moonlight Toccata, from Star Light, Star Bright (Louie)
Having picked the best pieces from ABRSM’s alternatives list in their 2025-26 anthology, Edition Peters’ apparent determination to avoid duplication doesn’t work so well in their favour here. The List A selection in particular suggests that this admirable desire to add value can sometimes leave slim pickings.
That said, John Knowles Paine’s Village Dance is a gift: a fairly attractive piece which also seems particularly easy for Grade 6. Meanwhile, Christian Hartmann’s lovely Nocturne, which I first reviewed (and recorded) here, is a continuing favourite.
Edition Peters’ List C selection is far more appealing than ABRSM’s selection for their own Piano Exam Pieces book, and of their own choices I enjoyed playing the Olivia Belli and Eric Satie pieces.
Grade 7 Anthology
Edition Peters’ Grade 7 selection is a highlight of the series, offering considerably more interest and appeal than ABRSM’s Piano Exam Pieces book for this grade:
- A11: Toccatina, from Mostly Short Pieces (Mageau)
- A12: Allegro, from Sonata No. 6 in A (Paradies)
- A15: Sonata in E, Kp. 380 (Scarlatti)
- A6: Menuetto and Trio, from Sonata in D, Op.10/3 (Beethoven)
- A4: Allegro di molto, from Sonata in F minor (C.P.E. Bach)
- B12: Rhapsody in E flat (Price)
- B3: If I Told You I Loved You (Feenstra)
- B7: Mélodie, Op. 4 No. 2 (Hensel)
- B10: Song without Words, Op. 19 No. 1 (Mendelssohn)
- B13: Romance, from Soirées à Saint-Petersbourg (Rubinstein)
- C5: Soaring Seagull (Calvache)
- C6: Tribute to Roberto Garcia Morillo (Ginastera)
- C13: Milonga del ángel (Piazzolla)
- C12: Pop Bossa, from Latin Preludes 2 (Norton)
- C16: Nimbus 2000, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Williams)
- Étude mélodique, from Tre Etuder (Berendsen Nathan)
- May Night, from Spring, Op. 27 (Palmgren)
- Andante in A flat, from Three-Fours (Coleridge-Taylor)
This is a wide-ranging and genuinely inspiring selection of music, showcasing the musical possibilities of this higher level while also demonstrating the breadth of repertoire available to teachers and players.
With enduring favourites by Scarlatti, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn alongside rediscoveries by Paradies, Price, and Piazolla, and with the added appeal of the contemporary works by Kathleen Feenstra, Christopher Norton and John Williams, there’s certainly something for everyone here.
My only quibble is that the three ‘own choice’ selections seem challenging for the grade, especially the movement from Coleridge-Taylor’s Three-Fours, which ABRSM themselves include on their 2024 ARSM Diploma syllabus. Hmm…
Grade 8 Anthology
Reviewing ABRSM’s 2027-28 Piano Exam Pieces book for Grade 8, I noted that,
“These are some of the most demanding selections for several years. A direct comparison with other recent Grade 8 choices that remain as alternatives (such as the decidedly simpler slow movement from the Pathétique) serves to highlight that standards are somewhat inconsistent, resulting in a notable disparity between the music featured in the new Piano Exam Pieces books and the approved alternatives.”
With this in mind, and in search of a collection that more obviously showcases the wonders of the piano repertoire at this level, and with more representative benchmarking, the Edition Peters Grade 8 Piano Anthology can be strongly recommended:
- A16: Un poco agitato (C. Schumann)
- A5: Sarabande and Rondeaux (J. S. Bach)
- A10: Toccatina (Hough)
- A9: Allegro (Haydn)
- A13: Andante grazioso and Variations 1–6 (Mozart)
- A14: Les cyclopes (Rameau)
- A12: Scherzino, Op. 77 No. 2 (Moszkowski)
- B14: Romanze in F-sharp major (Schumann)
- B4: Nocturne in D-flat major (Arensky)
- B6: Adagio cantabile (Beethoven)
- B7: Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4 (Chopin)
- B13: Impromptu in A-flat major (Schubert)
- B16: Hiding Rainbow (Wolf)
- B8: Andante cantabile in D-flat major (Hensel)
- C8: Rêverie (Debussy)
- C2: Footprints in the Sand (Ffrench)
- C9: Eco Warrior (Garland)
- C10: Trolldans (Backer Grøndahl)
- C13: Autumn Crocus (Mayerl)
- C15: La colombe (Messiaen)
- Mixolydian (Tabakova)
- Blue Air (Dring)
- Prelude and Fugue, Op. 87 No. 7 (Shostakovich)
- Remando (Nazareth)
While continuing the pattern of not duplicating with the pieces in Edition Peters’ 2025-26 anthologies, they have brought back many favourites from their previous 2023-24 collection.
Players will surely welcome such great pieces as the Sarabande and Rondeaux from Bach’s wonderful Partita in C minor, Mozart’s popular A major Sonata variations, Schumann’s gorgeous Romanze, Schubert’s evergreen A flat Impromptu, and the glorious haze of Debussy’s hugely popular Rêverie.
Great newcomers are here too, including Alexis Ffrench’s Footprints in the Sand (perhaps the one piece players might miss from the ABRSM book), Billy Mayerl’s Autumn Crocus, and Ernesto Nazareth’s enjoyable Remando.
For those preparing for the ABRSM Grade 8 exam, this selection is a compelling choice, but for players wanting to explore more of the core classical repertoire at this level, don’t forget Edition Peters’ superb Piano Classics collection reviewed here.
Closing thoughts
Edition Peters Grade Piano Anthology series is clearly going from strength to strength, despite (or perhaps because of) the ABRSM syllabus publications seemingly going in the wrong direction. From a syllabus that has caused some disappointment, Edition Peters have compiled four special collections for 2027-28.
This is not to say I am without criticism. Specifically, I would like to see Edition Peters address these small niggles to further enhance the series:
- Firstly, and a rather obvious request, please can we have similar anthologies for Initial to Grade 4 next time (if not sooner)?
- Next, if including ‘own choice’ pieces, I would prefer to see Edition Peters showcase some of the great treasures of the classical repertoire that seem increasingly absent from the ABRSM lists, rather than using these additions primarily to introduce yet more contemporary music.
- I have to admit that I think Edition Peters should provide fresh engravings as standard, with consistent and if necessary updated fingerings, to give the books more professional consistency in their presentation.
- And (no surprise here!) please let’s have these books printed on Edition Peters’ usual cream paper. It’s more classy and, importantly, more inclusive.
To highlight these dream requests is certainly not to diminish or detract from the success of these latest four books in the series: they deserve high praise indeed!
While their appeal beyond those preparing for ABRSM exams may be somewhat more limited, for players intending to take one of the higher grades in the next couple of years, these new Edition Peters anthologies provide an extremely attractive alternative to the official ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces books.
With a wider selection, greater variety and, in several cases, a more satisfying sense of the breadth and richness of the piano repertoire at these levels, I think they are likely to find a welcome place on many teachers’ shelves.
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