Favorite Classics: Solo, Book 2: Piano Book

A guided tour through centuries of keyboard music, each piece chosen for its musicality and accessibility. Moving between baroque formality, classical clarity, romantic expression, and modern sensibility gives students both historical perspective and varied emotional terrain to explore.

Intermediate and late-intermediate piano students ready to perform with accompaniment and experience the four major stylistic periods in a single resource. Teachers seeking a curated anthology that supports both solo and ensemble playing without requiring a separate accompaniment book.

• Balance the keyboard parts by setting a clear dynamic relationship in advance. The student part should sing while the accompaniment supports without overwhelming.
• Work through the accompaniment separately before combining it with the solo line. This prevents rushed ensemble rehearsal from derailing the student's preparation.
• Use the collection's stylistic range to explore how composers from different periods approach similar musical gestures. Compare phrasing and voicing choices across the four stylistic periods.

Structure a studio or school recital around the four stylistic periods, programming one classic from each. The included accompaniments transform solo performances into collaborative events that deepen the recital's musical impact.

• Reading and executing stylistically appropriate articulation and phrasing across baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoire
• Ensemble listening and balance when performing with a second keyboard part
• Recognizing compositional techniques and musical forms across four distinct historical periods
• Maintaining musical independence while responding to a teacher or peer accompanist