Alexis Ffrench – Pianodao

Calming Piano Solos

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Hal Leonard recently issued two editions (respectively offering 35 “Piano Solo” pieces and 19 arrangements for “Easy Piano”) of the unambiguously named collection Calming Piano Solos.

I can guess what some readers are thinking, and yes, I Giorni and Una Mattina are present and correct. But before you jump to the wrong conclusion and give up reading further, it’s worth noting that these books are something of a surprise, offering a wealth of fresh and appealing titles.

The first clue that these books would be different was, for me, the front cover promise which reads,

“…beautiful solos including:
The Approaching Night • Butterfly Waltz • Love’s Return • Sea Change • When Morning Comes • Winged Melancholy…”

Hmm, excuse my ignorance, but… say what?

Christmas • Peaceful Piano Playlist

THE PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

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Every year, a flurry of new Christmas piano books arrive before the first snowfall, and this year is proving no exception.

Fresh from Faber, the Peaceful Piano Playlist: Christmas book sets the bar high, both in terms of content and presentation. The publication offers,

“A specially curated relaxing playlist of festive piano solos for the intermediate player”,

…and follows on from the popular Peaceful Piano Playlist publication which I reviewed here back in 2019.

Read on for the list of included pieces, and of course for the full review…

Alexis Ffrench: ‘Truth’

THE PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

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Alexis Ffrench’s star has continued to rise since my review of Hal Leonard’s Alexis Ffrench: The Sheet Music Collection a couple of years ago.

Last year Ffrench became Composer in Residence with Scala Radio; readers will be still more interested in the recent announcement of his appointment as the new Artistic Director of ABRSM, the music examination board, a role of which he has enthusiastically said,

“I can’t wait to start working with ABRSM’s Chief Executive, Chris Cobb, and his wonderful team in service of teachers and learners all over the world!”

On the creative front, Ffrench recently released his latest album on Sony. Truth introduces thirteen brand new tracks, including collaborations with singer Leona Lewis, guitarist Jin Oki, and with the lush backing of a 70-piece orchestra.

According to the artist,

“In writing these pieces, as we were all locked down, I imagined what the world would look like if we all asked ourselves the question “who am I and what is my purpose in the world?” and what we, as a human race, could create and change together. Out of that intensely personal moment, and as a reaction to feelings I could barely fathom at the time, these songs were born – as an elegy to the audacity of hope.”

Hal Leonard have just published the official sheet music folio of all the tracks from the album in solo piano transcriptions, the subject of this review…

Alexis Ffrench: The Sheet Music Collection

THE PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

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Chances are readers will have encountered the music of Alexis Ffrench; his albums Evolution and Dreamland have both topped the classical charts making him the UK’s biggest selling pianist of 2020, and his music has amassed over 200 million streams online.

Now, in conjunction with Universal Music and SONY, Hal Leonard bring us the official music book of Ffrench’s biggest piano hits to date, Alexis Ffrench: The Sheet Music Collection. Let’t take a look…

The Peaceful Piano Playlist

THE PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

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Faber Music’s numerous piano anthologies have established themselves not only as enticing collections of sought-after pieces, but as a barometer of trends in the piano world.

The newly issued Peaceful Piano Playlist exemplifies this perfectly, offering a selection of relaxing classics and “new classical” pieces that will no doubt have huge appeal to teenagers and adults who play for pleasure and to relax.

If the title (and image above) already appeal, there’s a good chance that you will enjoy this publication immensely. So let’s take a closer look (and listen)…