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Museum Masterpieces, Book A: Piano Book

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Museum Masterpieces, Book A Cover Image
Museum Masterpieces, Book A: Piano Book

Museum Masterpieces, Book A: Piano Book

10 Piano Solos Inspired by Great Works of Art

By Catherine Rollin

Level: Elementary/Late Elementary

Item: 00-48634
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Description
In Museum Masterpieces, Book A, composer Catherine Rollin has created musical expressions of some of the great works of art found in museums throughout the world. The paintings that inspired these pieces are beautifully displayed on a four-page color insert at the center of the book, along with historical notes about each painting. Titles: At Sea (Albert Edelfelt) * Butterflies (Odilon Redon) * Feeding the Ducks (Mary Cassatt) * A Maratha Hunting Party (Edwin Lord Weeks) * Napoleon Crossing the Alps (Jacques-Louis David) * The Oregon Trail (Albert Bierstadt) * Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Gustav Klimt) * Rain (Vincent van Gogh) * The Swing (Pierre-Auguste Renoir) * Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Henri Rousseau). A Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection.

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Additional Details
Series: Museum Masterpieces
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 28
ISBN10: 1-4706-4344-8
ISBN13: 978-1-4706-4344-7
UPC: 038081556789
SKU: 00-48634

More about this title

About the Composer: Catherine Rollin

Catherine Rollin

Catherine Rollin balances an active performance schedule with mentoring students who consistently win competitions and recognition. She holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree with distinction from the University of Michigan and a Master of Music degree from Oakland University School of Performing Arts, and has presented workshops and masterclasses across the United States, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan.

Rollin's compositions have earned commissions from Clavier Companion magazine, the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and the Michigan Music Teachers Association. Multiple works appear in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festivals Bulletin, and she has served as a judge for the MTNA Student Composition Competition and the Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Contest. Her ASCAP award-winning Museum Masterpieces series has been featured prominently by the Steinway Society, and her commissioned trio for flute, alto saxophone, and piano (Suite Detroit) premiered at the MTNA 2018 national conference.

Why we love this

Rollin has found a genuinely inventive way to teach music history and visual literacy at the piano. Each piece in this collection carries real substance: the musical writing is carefully shaped to reflect the mood and energy of the paintings without ever becoming obvious or overwrought. Students engage with art, learn something about museum culture and cultural heritage, and return to the piano motivated by something larger than the notes on the page.

What to expect

The collection spans vivid moods: Renoir's gentle swing, van Gogh's restless intensity, Rousseau's wild drama, and Cassatt's tender moments with children. These are not generic impressionistic sketches but pieces with real character and narrative weight, each one unlocking a different emotional or technical territory for the young pianist.

Who it's for

Late elementary pianists preparing recital material or festival selections will find eight to ten immediately appealing pieces at their level. Students who respond to storytelling and visual inspiration benefit especially from this collection, as the paintings create a bridge between technical work and genuine musical expression.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the four-page color insert before learning each piece. The paintings reveal compositional choices that might otherwise stay hidden; understanding the visual source deepens interpretation choices about tempo, dynamics, and character.
  • Notice how tempo relates to the mood of each painting rather than treating it as a fixed endpoint. 'Rain' and 'At Sea' need fluidity and responsiveness to phrasing; 'A Maratha Hunting Party' thrives on forward momentum.
  • Use dynamic contrast to mirror the visual composition of each artwork. Areas of light and shadow in the paintings translate naturally into musical foreground and background through careful voice balancing.

How to use it

Program these as a thematic recital featuring different artists and eras, or scatter individual selections throughout a season to surprise audiences with unexpected pairings. The historical and visual context makes these ideal for arts integration events, open houses, and family concerts where non-musicians enjoy learning the stories behind the music.

Skills your students will build

  • Translating visual imagery into musical expression and interpretation
  • Dynamic shaping and voice balance to create depth and perspective at the piano
  • Sustaining interest and musicality in lyrical passages at a manageable technical level
  • Tempo flexibility and character development without complex notation
  • Connecting cultural and historical context to performance choices

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