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…

8 Great Duet Books 2022

Pianodao Music Library

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

My review of 8 Great Piano Duet Books published back in 2016 has been a popular post with readers ever since, proving that there’s plenty of interest in piano duet books.

Since then I have reviewed a trickle of other duet books, but ground to a halt during the pandemic. Meanwhile, more duet books have been amassing in my review backlog, and in this new round up I’ve got my paws on another 8 Great Duet Books for 2022.

For ease, I will introduce them in approximate order of difficulty…

Three-Minute Encores

Pianodao Music Library

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

“As the last note hangs in the air, there is a magical moment when an audience will, once in a while, decide they want to hear more! Not a lot more, mind you. The clock is ticking and the babysitter can only stay until 10 pm. But, can we make this evening last just a little longer?”

So enthuses ace arranger Phillip Keveren in the preface to his latest collection from Hal Leonard, the cunningly conceived Three-Minute Encores.

Keveren will be known to regular Pianodao readers from my reviews of his superb Piano Calm (reviewed here) and Circles (reviewed here), both of which have become absolute studio essentials here, favourites with multiple students, and are among the most-used collections I have ever reviewed.

One of America’s leading arrangers, Keveren has also delivered literally dozens of other books for Hal Leonard, collectively The Phillip Keveren Series, to which this new issue belongs. And it’s another corker, so let’s investigate…

Piano Calm Christmas

The Christmas Shortlist

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

Philip Keveren is one of my favourite arrangers and composers whose music has a contemporary popular vibe. He is also clearly industrious: this year alone has seen the release of his clever Circles: Character Etudes in 24 keys (reviewed here) and the hugely appealing Piano Calm (reviewed here), both of which are quickly establishing themselves as firm favourites with my students.

Now Keveren brings us the sequel to the latter collection, Piano Calm Christmas. And if it lives up to its recent predecessors, we can look forward to something very special indeed. So let’s find out…

Phillip Keveren’s Circles

Pianodao Music Library

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

American composer and arranger Phillip Keveren’s books have become increasingly popular staples in my studio, his recent collection Piano Calm (reviewed here) establishing itself as a particular favourite.

Keveren’s latest publication, brought to us as ever by Hal Leonard, is Circles: Character Etudes in 24 Keys, once again a collection of brand new original pieces aimed at intermediate pianists.

The book could be introduced at around UK Grade 3 level (early intermediate), then used as a recurring treasure trove of pieces in every key as the player advances.

Alternatively, using Keveren’s cover concept linking the months of the year to the 24 keys, the book offers quick study material for the later intermediate player to use for a 12 month period, consolidating their theoretical and practical knowledge of the circle of fifths.

Either way, the book is a stunning one, so let’ take a closer look…

Phillip Keveren’s ‘Piano Calm’

Pianodao Music Library

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

Phillip Keveren’s name will be known to many readers for The Phillip Keveren Series of music books published by Hal Leonard, numbering nearly 100 volumes published in the US, with many now also available here in the UK.

Keveren, described by his publishers as “a multi-talented keyboard artist and composer”, is certainly a superb arranger. His publications include collections of music from rock, pop, gospel, folk and jazz favourites, as well as several volumes dedicated to the music of stage, screen, worship service and Disney hits.

Those I’ve seen are uniformly excellent, combining musical authenticity with pianistic intelligence, and are rapidly becoming an indispensable resource within my teaching studio.

For his latest addition to the series, Piano Calm, Keveren has turned his hand to composing 15 original pieces, suitable for intermediate players (I recommend them for players at around UK Grades 3-5), which he describes as ‘reflective solos’. And I think they are excellent, so let’s take a look…