Phillip Keveren – Pianodao

A Contemporary Sonatina Collection

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

The sonatina has an important history within the piano literature, with famous examples by Beethoven, Clementi, Kuhlau, and others giving players an early introduction to the rewards of playing a multiple movement work within the aesthetic conventions of a classical sonata.

With the Romantic and 20th century preference for shorter character pieces sporting more imaginative titles, the sonatina’s abstract narrative has been less in vogue, although the twentieth century saw notable additions by Kabalevsky, Khachaturian, Bartök, Sibelius, and Ravel.

Hal Leonard clearly hope to reestablish the genre with the publication of a superb new collection of brand new sonatinas by leading piano composers of our time: Daniel Light, Phillip Keveren, Glenda Austin, Mona Rejino, Logan Evan Thomas, Alexander Zhu, William Gillock, Wayne Bucknor, and Kevin Olson…

Phillip Keveren • Twelve Serenades

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Phillip Keveren remains best known for his superb piano arrangements of popular, show tune, and movie themes, published as The Phillip Keveren Series by Hal Leonard worldwide.

However, Keveren has of late been composing more of his own solo piano music, written with a musical voice that combines his assimilation of popular styles with a penchant for the relaxing contemporary classical music that is so ubiquitous today, and with significant hints of Copland’s harmonic style.

2019’s superb intermediate collection Piano Calm (reviewed here) paved the way for the more pedagogically driven (but also excellent in my view) Circles (reviewed here), which comprises a “character etude” in each and every one of the 24 standard major and minor keys.

With the more recent So Far… (reviewed here) Keveren delivered compositions for more advanced players, about which I wrote:

“These pieces are a joy to play, life-affirming even, and offer a delicious contrast to much of the more serious music that developing players might be practising as they progress through the higher grades and into the concert repertoire.”

Keveren’s latest music, written for early intermediate players (around UK Grades 3-4) and titled Twelve Serenades, is a set of short evocative pieces that journey through the twelve key centres on the piano, while also serving as lullabies intended for media licensing.

In short, the music here combines the soft, melodic ambience of Piano Calm with the pedagogic intent of Circles. But let’s take a closer look…

Phillip Keveren • So Far

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

“Decade birthdays get our attention. I have not been that impressed with any of mine, until this one. Six decades. It seems like a good time to take stock and be grateful. In that spirit, I have written twelve new piano compositions, musical timestamps from my life’s journey.”

So writes Phillip Keveren in the introduction to So Far…, the latest addition to Hal Leonard’s hugely popular Phillip Keveren Series of publications, which largely comprise this superb arranger’s take on popular, showtime and jazz classics, but occasionally also includes his original music.

Previous Keveren originals that I have enjoyed include Piano Calm (reviewed here) and Circles (reviewed here), both superb collections for intermediate players. Now he returns with So Far…, suitable for early advanced players and another surefire winner.

Phillip Keveren Carol Anthology

The Christmas Shortlist

Selected and reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

When the top US piano arranger Phillip Keveren tells us that Christmas music is a genre of which he never tires, we can easily believe him, because his catalogue of Hal Leonard publications includes an almost bewildering array of seasonal titles.

The question of where to start an exploration of these publications is made easier by the arrival of another. The Essential Christmas Carol Anthology offers “36 Stunning Seasonal Arrangements”, selected from five previous titles, and including five new arrangements.

As such, and though offering a sampler from which the player might then want to go and explore more of Keveren’s Christmas fare, this could be the only Christmas collection late intermediate players (around UK Grades 5-6) need. Let’s find out….

Phillip Keveren’s Latest Hat Trick

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

American composer and ace arranger Phillip Keveren has been a busy chap this year, and among several publications he has just brought us three new anthologies for more advanced players in the immensely popular Phillip Keveren Series from Hal Leonard.

For those not familiar with this series, it’s certainly worth catching up. Keveren has a gift for creating pianistically satisfying arrangements of music from chart hits to Christmas songs, from hymns to music hall classics and film themes.

Keveren also has an astute understanding of the pianist’s progress; the large and growing number of publications in his series include many titles aimed at the less advanced player, as well as titles such as the three latest reviewed here, which would be ideal for any advanced player (around UK Grades 6-8):

I have reviewed several titles in this series before, uniformly praising them for their musical and presentational quality. The three new additions to the series confidently measure up to the high standards previously set, and are an easy recommendation for those keen to discover superb piano arrangements of the titles included.

Here’s a simple introduction to the musical content of each…