Like many piano teachers I was very excited at the thought of seven new books of graded classical music. How marvellous to have 130 pieces spanning four centuries at my fi ngertips. Recent series from ABRSM (‘Encore’ and ‘Piano Mix’) have been tremendously useful – surely the latest range was going to make my life even easier?
Core Classics Grades 1-2, £6.95; Core Classics Grades 2-3, £7.25
The books are beautifully presented, with attractive covers, nicely laid-out pieces, practical fi ngering and a list of sources at the back of each book. However, when you turn to the contents page for book 1, where I (and I am sure most other experienced piano teachers) expect to see the names of Bartók, Anna Magdalena, Kabalevsky and Walter Carroll et al, there is Köhler, Steibelt, Fuchs and Greaves. The fi rst piece is an arrangement of the theme from Haydn's Surprise Symphony. Yes, this is a classic of most tutor books but hardly the ‘backbone’ of any pianist's repertoire.
Looking through the contents of Book 2 – Grades 2-3 – I realised that I had only played four of the pieces: The Bear, Rebikov; Hornpipe, Purcell; Moderato, Beethoven; Innocence, Burgmüller. Also that the Haydn Minuet and Trio and the Sarabande by Thomas Roseingrave (a rather obscure English-born Irish composer of the 18th century), seem to be at the very outer edges of the technical demands for Grade 3. The names of Haydn, Beethoven and Dussek do appear, but not their ‘best bits’. At the back of all the books there is a most welcome list of sources from which the very occasional snippet of teaching/playing advice can be drawn. The ‘Encore’ books had useful footnotes with background information, key skills and ideas for activities to explore the music. Regrettably, this practical and sensible addition seems to have been dropped.
Core Classics Grades 3–4, £7.50; Core Classics Grades 4–5, £7.50
I was delighted to see that Mozart, Diabelli, Beethoven, JS Bach and Grieg have made it on to the contents page of the Grades 3–4 book, but wondered about the inclusion of Sunset over Stac Pollaidh, Bedford (none of my pupils chose it when it was on an exam syllabus) and an arrangement of The Policeman's Song, Sullivan – surely this is for the ‘Piano Mix’ series? I just wonder what the criteria for choosing these pieces was, as ‘Core’ and ‘Classic’ appear to be misnomers.
In the Grade 4–5 book, I would defi nitely expect to see some Clementi sonatinas, and some Schumann. JS Bach's Prelude in C minor BWV 999, Beethoven's wonderful Bagatelle in G minor, and Tchaikovsky's Chanson Triste, are here, alongside 1 Burgmüller's La Chevaleresque. Sadly, I have not previously heard of Tunch, Fitkin; Scherzetto, Samuel; Philomela, Pilling; or In a Gondola, Schutt. They are perfectly pleasant pieces – but hardly ‘core’.
Core Classics Grades 5–6, £7.95; Core Classics Grades 6–7, £7.95
At last the contents list is approaching what I would expect from ‘A rich selection of engaging pieces… much-loved repertoire’. For your £7.95 you get 20 pieces: a Mozart Andante, a Chopin Prelude, 2 Beethoven sonata movements, a JS Bach Invention, a Granados Val Poetico, a Lyric Piece from Grieg, a Neapolitan Song from Tchaikovsky, and a Tango from Albeniz.
The Grade 6–7 book includes Fauré (Romance Sans Paroles) but no Debussy (poor Debussy doesn't make any of the books) also Ilyinsky (Berceuse) but no Rachmaninov, Shostakovich or Ravel in either of these fi nal two books. I am delighted to see Bodorova's fabulous Carousel but puzzled that there's no Prokofiev, and how Alwyn's Ride by Night made it in ahead of any Poulenc is a mystery.
The final book contains 14 pieces, eight of which I would say definitely match the title, and two I have never heard of. I am always delighted to discover new gems but would have thought there were others that are ahead of them in the ‘rich selection’ stakes.
So, would I buy any books from this series? I might be tempted to purchase the last two, but otherwise I would suggest that piano teachers put their money towards ABRSM's ‘Encore’ or ‘Piano Mix’ books, which are far more useful.
