In Recital® Throughout the Year, Volume One, Book 5: Intermediate Piano Book

A collection that breathes with both elegance and substance. The Notturno draws you into quiet reflection, while the solos and duets that follow offer a mix of lyrical moments and energetic passage work that keeps pages turning.

Intermediate students ready to sustain longer musical ideas and tackle technical figures that require hand independence. This book works especially well for pianists who learn best when technique is embedded in repertoire rather than presented in isolation.

• Shape the opening Notturno by thinking of the melody as a vocal line; let the harmonic foundation support without overwhelming the sustain of each phrase.
• Approach the scale passages and rolled chords as opportunities to build clarity rather than speed; even passage work benefits from intentional voicing and control.
• In the duets, establish a steady pulse together before adding expressive shaping; two independent parts need that rhythmic anchor to blend without trailing.
• Practice double thirds separately from the full texture so the hand position becomes secure; then weave them back into context where they won't derail everything else.

Use this book as a steady-state resource throughout a semester or year, pulling individual pieces for student recitals or studio performances as they become performance-ready. The duets make excellent repertoire for student-teacher collaborations or peer performances at informal gatherings.

• Sustaining legato lines through longer phrases
• Reading and executing triplet figures
• One and two octave scale passages with clarity
• Rolled chords and their rhythmic placement
• Double thirds with smooth hand position changes
• Simple ornamentation execution
• Playing two independent voices within one hand
• Equal-part ensemble coordination and blend
• Notturno form and expressive phrasing