Histoires d'arbres Vol. 2 ❘ Geschichten der Bäume Band 2 - Tales of the Trees Vol. 2: Piano Book & CD

Volume 2 arrives at just the right moment in a student's arc. While it stands alone beautifully, it also completes a two-volume journey that transforms how students think about character and program music; the moderate-to-advanced difficulty keeps advancing players engaged without alienating the middle-level students who can still access many pieces. The included CD, recorded by the composer himself, becomes a legitimate teaching partner rather than a passive listening experience.

The music breathes with natural imagery: rustling leaves, creeping insects, swaying canopies, and the sudden drama of approaching storms all emerge through keyboard textures that feel both poetic and grounded. Each piece paints vividly without relying on literal imitation; instead, the writing captures the emotional essence of trees and the living world around them.

Students who have studied piano for one to eight years will find something suited to their level within these 16 pieces. Teachers seeking performance repertoire that doubles as a curriculum-spanning learning tool will recognize immediately why both volumes belong in regular rotation.

• Listen through the provided recording first without the score. Let students absorb the emotional landscape of each piece before tackling notes; this shapes their interpretive instincts from the start.
• Assign pieces from both volumes across multiple students and rehearse them as a cycle for a class recital or concert project. Mixed ability levels integrate naturally when everyone is contributing to a larger story.
• Slow the tempo markings during early learning phases. These pieces often ask for rubato and expressive control that only emerge once the technical foundation is secure.

Program pieces from Volume 2 in a thematic concert that showcases student progress across the year, or use the entire two-volume cycle as the spine of a spring recital where each student performs one or two pieces at their appropriate level. Many teachers find the collection ideal for motivating ensemble class performances, since mixed-ability groupings naturally align with the range of difficulty.

• Sustaining legato across hand position changes
• Controlling dynamic nuance and color shifts in moderate tempos
• Reading and executing tempo indications marked in three languages
• Developing rubato and phrase shaping in programmatic context
• Coordinating independent hand patterns (crossing and overlapping)
• Building confidence in performance through character-driven storytelling