Editions Musica Ferrum – Page 2

Songs from Rainbow Hill

Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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Composer Ben Crosland will be known to many Pianodao readers for his popular Cool Beans series of books published by Editions Musica Ferrum, the most recent and in my view best of which, Magic Beans, I reviewed here.

Ben’s latest publication from Editions Musica Ferrum is Songs from Rainbow Hill, a collection of “Lyric Pieces for Solo Piano” that ties in with his new album recording of the same name.

As such this is very different from his previous publications, taking us deeper into Ben’s own compositional world. So let’s enter …

Alison Mathews: Doodles

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Selected and Reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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Alison Mathews’ excellent collection Treasure Trove (reviewed here) has proved a big hit with my students who have been working through it, and I’m delighted that publishers Editions Musica Ferrum have now brought out another collection composed by her: Doodles.

It is very clear straight away that this publication explores very different terrain to Treasure Trove however. So what is the concept here, and do I think it works? Let’s find out…

Simon Hester’s ‘Megabytes’

PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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Simon Hester is a prolific composer whose works include numerous chamber and orchestral pieces as well as music for the stage. Hester has written extensively for solo piano too.

That Hester is himself a fine pianist with a deep empathy for the instrument and its possibilities is clear in his piano writing, and not least in the ten character pieces which make up Megabytes I: The Private Life of Bugs.

Alison Mathews: Treasure Trove

PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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Regular readers will know that I have huge admiration for the independent publisher Editions Musica Ferrum, whose publications consistently bring high-end quality and creative originality.

In recent months EMF have been adding to their range of publications for intermediate pianists, building on the significant success of their best-selling Cool Beans series by Ben Crosland.

Among the most recent releases, Treasure Trove by Alison Mathews is a standout collection for intermediate players, which is already finding popularity with my students…

8 Great Piano Duet Books

PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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The Piano Duet is a musical genre that I have explored too little with my students in the past, so a few years ago I decided to stock up on a few duet books.

Finding excellent material for more advanced students was easy enough, given the wonderful works for “One Piano Four Hands” by such classical greats as Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Debussy, Poulenc et al. But finding good material for beginners and intermediate players proved far more difficult.

Fast forward to 2016 and that gap in the market has been addressed by a succession of simply great publications over the last few years. Here is my selection of some of the best, which I hope you will go ahead and explore for yourselves!

Ben Crosland’s Magic Beans

PIANODAO MUSIC LIBRARY

Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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‘Magic Beans’ is the latest collection of easy piano pieces by Ben Crosland, and will be published on Saturday 5th March 2016.

Having received an advance copy from publisher Editions Musica Ferrum, I am delighted to offer this first in-depth review of the book…